The most memorable local eateries along the highways and back roads of America
Sign In | Register for Free!
Restaurants Recipes Digest Forums Merchandise FAQ Maps Insider

Top Dog - Portland, CT

Heading towards Middletown from the east on Rt 66, look left around High St. See the vintage Checker cab in perfect restored condition? More amazing than that, look what it is pulling: a 1963 Airstream trailer that has been converted into a humongous hot dog. Enjoy plump, full-flavored franks with a nice snap to their skin.
100% Approval Rating (6 votes)
4 - Overall: Worth planning a day around
Overall: Worth planning a day around

Must Eats

Orleans Dog ($2.00)
Kraut Dog ($2.00)

Written Reviews

rating
Michael Stern
Roadfood.com Editor
"If you are a hot dog lover passing through central Connecticut between March 1 and November 1, Tuesday through Saturday, between 10am and 3pm, you need to know about Top Dog. There is no phone number and no address, but spotting this jolly dog wagon is a breeze. ..."   [Read More].

Submit Photo
Submit Review

Logbooks

Map & Directions

Yahoo Link
Route 66, Portland, CT


Hours & Policies

Seasons:Summer, Fall, Spring
Meals Served:Lunch
Operational Hours:Always Call Ahead!
Credit Cards Accepted:No
Alcohol Served:No
Outdoor Seating:No
Reservations Accepted:No
Delivery Available:No
Takeout Counters:Yes
The trailer: a 1963 Airstream, reconfigured as a frankfurter. The car: a vintage Checker cab, which proprietor Andrea Spaulding's husband completely restored, down to a ticking meter inside. The cuisine: hot dogs and nothing but.
"The trailer: a 1963 Airstream, reconfigured as a frankfurter. The car: a vintage Checker cab, which proprietor Andrea Spaulding's husband completely restored, down to a ticking meter inside. The cuisine: hot dogs and nothing but."
Michael Stern





The menu touts this as
"The menu touts this as "Hot!" It is, but not stingingly so. There is plenty of beef to cushion the punch of pepper in this chili."
Michael Stern


Andrea was concerned that Hurricane Katrina may have wiped out her New Orleans source for the hot-sweet relish that defines her Orleans dog. When I first saw this, I thought the application of relish was skimpy, and wished I had asked for mustard, too. But a little of this sassy stuff goes a long way, and I would never want to dilute its fine flavor with any other condiment.
"Andrea was concerned that Hurricane Katrina may have wiped out her New Orleans source for the hot-sweet relish that defines her Orleans dog. When I first saw this, I thought the application of relish was skimpy, and wished I had asked for mustard, too. But a little of this sassy stuff goes a long way, and I would never want to dilute its fine flavor with any other condiment."
Michael Stern


My first Top Dog meal of 2006: an Orleans dog and a Kraut dog, sitting on the dashboard ready to be gobbled with a cold can of Coke. Ahhh, life is good!
"My first Top Dog meal of 2006: an Orleans dog and a Kraut dog, sitting on the dashboard ready to be gobbled with a cold can of Coke. Ahhh, life is good!"
Michael Stern


Who could not smile at the sight of the outsized Airstream wenier behind a ship-shape Checker Cab? That head inside the cab, by the way, is a dummy (inanimate).
"Who could not smile at the sight of the outsized Airstream wenier behind a ship-shape Checker Cab? That head inside the cab, by the way, is a dummy (inanimate)."
Michael Stern


What is Roadfood?  |   Submit Content  |   Privacy Policy  |   Contact Roadfood.com   Copyright 2009 - Roadfood.com