Jimmy Buff's

60 Washington St., West Orange, NJ - (973) 325-9897

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Posted By Michael Stern on August 2, 2005 6:56 PM

An Italian hot dog, also known as a Newark dog, is an all-beef wiener that is deep-fried until its outside is taut enough to crunch. One of these dogs, or preferably two, if you order a double as most people do, are hoisted from the oil and nestled inside a half a round loaf of sturdy Italian bread.

The hot dogs are just the beginning of this amazing sandwich. Atop the twin tube steaks are piled a mound of sautéed onions and peppers; and atop the onions and peppers go a half-pound of crisp-fried hunks of potato. There you have it: an amazing sight, a whole meal (and then some) in a wheelbarrow of a bun. Options atop this mighty mess include mustard or ketchup, a spill of marinara sauce, or Jimmy Buff’s onion relish. The relish is delicious, but it is scorchingly hot; those with the cajones to survive it get their name inscribed on an honor roll posted on Jimmy Buff’s wall.

Jimmy Buff's started in Newark back in the 1930s. The oldest of the current restaurants Jimmy Buff’s remains a great neighborhood establishment at 60 Washington Street in West Orange (phone: 973-325-9897). There are other branches, including those in East Hanover's Castle Ridge Plaza and on Rt. 22 West in Scotch Plains.

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Posted By Heidi Pohle on December 6, 2010 2:38 PM

Bob and I went here for lunch after our morning tour of Thomas Edison National Historic Place in West Orange. It was only a five minute drive them there!

Bob ordered the single cheesesteak. He said that he enjoyed it.

I ordered the double Italian style hot dog. The cook stands in front of a huge flat griddle that is angled with the left side higher than the right. A gas flame burns underneath, and the oil collects on the right side. He dropped two hot dogs into the oil, and moved them around in the oil. He also added a pile of sliced potatos to the oil and watched them closely.

The rolls they use for doubles are big, round, flat rolls cut in half, with a slit in the middle to gently hold all the wonderful ingredients. The cook slathered some mustard into the bottom and placed my two dogs on top. Then he picked up a generous helping of onions and peppers and added them on top. Finally, he used his long fork and speared all my oil floating potatos onto it, and placed them on the top of the sandwich. At this point it was overflowing with ingredients. He added a big squeeze of ketchup, placed it into a paper lined basket and handed it to me.

We sat down at an open table, and dug in. Luckily they give you a fork! The food is incredibly hot, and you really have to let it cool down a tad. I wanted to get a bit of everything in each bite, so the fork helped in that regard. Each bite was really delicious. All the flavors really went together well, and I enjoyed it immensely. I wasn't able to finish it all, so my trusty companion stepped up to the plate to make sure there were no leftovers.

All the while we were in there, there was a constant stream of people in and out. One group even came a great distance, because they were visiting relatives for the holidays, and said they just couldn't miss out on Jimmy Buff's when they are home! We'll be back!

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