Graham's Hot Dogs

931 Bedford Street, Fall River, MA - (508) 678-9574

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Posted By Michael Stern on 8/27/2010 5:58:00 AM

Franks 'n' beans are a time-honored combo almost everywhere, but there are few places where they come together as nicely as in Fall River, Massachusetts. Hot dog shops (of which the city has multitudes) offer them in a bun, the beans serving as a condiment either below or on top of the wiener. I was especially smitten with Graham's rendition because the beans are so darn good: brown-sugar-sweet, soft and goopy, laced with limp leaves of onion. The same good beans are available bunned with chourico sausage, with kielbasa, and with a hamburger. Or for all of $1.15, you can buy beans only in a bun.

Should you be interested in outfitting your hot dog with things other than beans, Graham's has a panoply: ground chourico, bacon, potato chips, Coney Island-style chili sauce, sauerkraut, onions sopped with hamburger juices (that one is known as a whimpy) and cheese. "Ho-hum, cheese," you say? No, this is no ordinary cheese food product. When you order cheese at Graham's, either on a hot dog or a hamburger or alone in a bun (preferably dressed with some of that Coney sauce and onions), you get something that has a rugged texture like moist breadcrumbs and is unique to Fall River – finely chopped sharp cheddar that strangely, even when hot, doesn't melt into a blob. All alone, it's a bit intense; with sauce and onions, it can be a wicked-good snack sandwich.

Dating back to 1962, Graham's lacks the patina of culinary history that makes so many of the region's more ancient hot dog joints especially charming. Its school desk seats along the wall are fairly modern and the façade is boring brickface. But the bean dogs and hot cheese sandwiches are exemplary.

Scorecard

Overall: Legendary - Worth driving from anyplace

Chourico and Bean	Coney Island Dog
Hot Cheese Sandwich

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"Yes, there are ample chunks of chourico sausage hidden underneath the sweet heap of dark and delicious beans."
Michael Stern

"'Hot cheese sandwich' sounds so ordinary, but in Fall River, it is a passion. While Coney Island sauce is optional, it pairs beautifully with the sharp cheddar."
Michael Stern

"It is common in Fall River's hot dog shops to offer 'buy 5 hot dogs, get the 6th one free,' but Graham's kicks it up a notch to offer 7 for the price of 6 -- not just hot dogs, but anything in the house."
Michael Stern

"In addition to school-desk seats, Graham's offers a handful of laminate tables with moveable chairs."
Michael Stern

"It doesn't look like much, inside or out, but Graham's is an essential stop on any worthwhile tour of Fall River eats."
Michael Stern

"Given the goodness of the few things I sampled on Graham's menu, a return trip to taste more from this inviting menu is essential. Next visit: chourico, cheese and beans."
Michael Stern