Long Island Hot Dogs
Has anyone visited The Hot Dawg Truck?
It's located right off the Meadowbrook Pkwy in the Lowes parking lot. I've been trying to find a decent dog on Long Island (to no avail) and I was thinking about trying them out tomorrow (they are closed Mondays).
I tried the vaunted truck in Islip(?) on the service road of the Southern State and wasn't very impressed.
Does anyone have any recommendations for other places that may be of interest?
Eric
motoeric
Oct 29, 2007 12:36PM
Right off the Meadowbrook in what town?
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I think it's Garden City. I'm not too familiar with that area though. Over by the Roosevelt Field Mall.
Any other places you would recommend?
Eric
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I've found LI to be a desert for good hot dogs. If you mean the Charlies in Brenwood, I too was under-impressed. The only way I know of to get a good dog is to drive up to Walter's in Mamaroneck, or over to CT or NJ. I wouldn't have any faith in trying truck dogs.
Oddly enough, the place you mention has a web site:
http://www.hotdawgtruck.com/
Says "We Carry Both Sabrett Hot Dogs & Boars Head Frankfurters out of the water or off the grill" so I'm not too hopeful
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I have yet to make it out to Long Island for a hot dog, but I've seen this place mentioned on a hot dog site and have heard good things about them. I e-mailed the owner and was told that the Boars Head dogs are natural casing while the Sabretts are skinless. Boars Head outsells Sabrett 2 to 1. I'd say that if the dogs are prepared right, the Boars Head especially will be good.
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I like the hot dogs at All American Drive-In in Massapequa, but I'm not a discerning hot dog eater - I like them all ways!
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The dogs are certainly good, and cheap, at All American, though I would hesitate in calling them a destination item. Essentially they use those Sabrette bulk packs like you would buy at Costco but cook them on a roller grill.
On the other hand, the fries (hand-cut, twice fried) are most definitely worth the trip. Good burgers, too. A double-double, dog and a fries is a damn fine lunch.
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FYI the only way Sabrett franks are sold are in 5 lb "bulk packs" (or the 1 lb retail packs), so they are the same dogs whether you get them at Costco or from a restaurant food distributor. In case you're worried that they make different qualities for different markets!
The only differences are: natural casing, which you should boil in water (aka dirty water dogs), or skinless, which you should cook over direct heat like the rollers. The rollers are the way to go for a restaurant with high volume.
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Well, I stopped by today and had two dogs and a coke.
I made a small mistake in that I should have tried a 'basic' hotdog so I would have 'baseline'. It's hard to regret that mistake, as the two dogs that I did have were excellent.
They have about 14 varieties of dogs. The ones that I had were:
1) Sour cream, bacon and avacodo
2) Chili, cheese and bacon
Both were very good.
I will definitely be stopping back. I'm sure that the goal will be to try their cheesesteaks and a knish, but it will be hard to avoid trying another dog.
Eric
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Thanks Eric, I'm looking forward to giving it a try...
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Excellent. Thanks. It's by the Lowe's, right?
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Yup. Right outside their parking lot. Can't miss it. Check their website for hours. I believe they are closed on Sunday and open from 11 to 4 otherwise. But check to make sure.
Eric
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Oooh....cheesesteaks. And loaded hot dogs. Yikes. I may have to hit that on my way home from work one night in lieu of cooking.
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Havn't been yet, but there is some new hot dog stand in Syosset sort of next to Mim's. I think its called either J.B. gourmet hot dogs or J.R. gourmet hot dogs. It took over the location of a ices/ice cream place. Its not a truck but i dont think it has an inside for customers either.
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I'm surprised no has mentioned Costco yet. they serve a boiled Hebrew Nationaldog. Add your sourkraut, relish or raw onion, plus ketchup and mustard along with a refillable 32oz soda for $1.63 including tax and you have a delight that surpasses the thickskinned and underfilled Sabrett's by leaps and bounds.
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Why on Earth bother with Costco for something like that? I can get Hebrew National anywhere, *grill* them,, add (homemade) sauerkraut, spicy brown mustard... If I want to get a hot dog somewhere, it ought to be something special.
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All the dogs mentioned on these postings have been Sabrett's or Boar's Head plus Hebrew National which makes none of them unique. I don't know of any unique dogs on LI. Costco' s are special insofar as they are boiled and are really cheap.
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That's what I meant by calling LI a hot dog desert. Cheap doesn't motivate me to eat out--especially if I can do the same thing better on my own. I've cruised through CT, NJ, and Westchester and had great dogs, and the Usual Junk doesn't cut it.
And, unfortunately, Hebrew National isn't what it used to be.
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I remember reading about this place called La Brasa in Ronkonkoma for Colombian hot dogs. It took me awhile, but I found the link, www.exploreli.com/entertainment/local...
Has anyone been?
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I've never eaten there, but my friend who grew up in Colombia is very nostalgic for the hot dogs she ate when she lived there. For her, it was the toppings (I remember avocado and olives being involved too) rather than the hot dog itself.
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As I understand it, in New York, nothing on a hot dog truck, or coffee truck, etc. can be homemade or housemade. Hence, there is no chance that we will ever have our version of CT's Super Duper weenie.
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Or, of course, the "New York Weiners" that one can ONLY get in Rhode Island!!
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What about the truck on Rockaway Breezy Blvd by the exit of the Gil Hodges Bridge? Brazilian hot dogs or some thing like that. I've only passed by the truck when biking, it does seem to be popular though. And if you want to rationalize Kings and Queens counties are part of Long Island.
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The Hot Dawg Truck has some of the best hot dogs on Long Island. The home made onions are off the hook and the speciality dawgs have to be tried! Unfortunately it is closed for the winter. Looking forward to it re-opening.
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They're simply boiled Sabrett and Boar's Head franks. Nothing special.
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Has anyone seen the truck lately, I went by today and didn't see it.
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i went there a few days ago. the dogs weren't the greatest even though the sign said sabretts. i don't liked boiled dogs that much though, so you may not take my advice. the girl had a nice butt though.
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Can you offer more details? I thought they offered Sabrett and Boars Head. You had the Sabrett?
You don't like boiled dogs, so how was the rest? How were the toppings, the selection, the service; etc.?
I'm going to try to get there myself next week.
Eric
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http://www.hotdawgtruck.com/
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I thought there was a grilled-dog option.
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The website says "We Carry Both Sabrett Hot Dogs & Boars Head Frankfurters out of the water or off the grill"
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There is an article in todays Newsday about hot dog places on Long Island. Check it out.
http://www.exploreli.com/entertainmen...
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Interesting. I'm disappointed that JB Dawgs in Syosset simply steams Sabretts; very boring. Too bad; I'd wanted to try it.
More interesting is Five Guys Famous Burgers & Fries: split and grilled Hebrew Nationals sounds *much* better.
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Looks like American Roadside in smithtown & Huntington splits and grills as well.
One thing Scott R, and you probably know best as you seem to be the local hot dog expert on here. The article that actually appeared in the newspaper last Wednesday when mentioning JB Dawgs said that the steamed sabretts were in casings. Am i wrong or isn't everyone else's Sabretts skinless. I like my dogs grilled myself but i love the taste and texture and snap of the casing. Does this happen when its steamed?
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Every hot dog truck I know uses natural casing dogs, you can't steam or boil the skinless ones without ruining them. Skinless are specifically made for grilling (and for children, who supposedly choke on the skin, don't know how I made it through my childhoood!)
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I honestly have never seen Sabrett or Nathans with casings in any supermarket i have ever been in. I don't think Hebrew National either. I don't eat Hebrew Nationals anymore. They taste good going down, but they make me so burpy.
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I've seen both at Pathmark. They're usually about 50cents a lb more. Sabrett N.C. they always have plenty at BJs, if you go there.
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I'm no expert in hot dogs; I just have very definite opinions on them. The average mass-market dog (don't even get me started on Oscar Mayer) is relatively tasteless. And steaming? Good for veggies, blasphemy for meat.
I've seen dogs where they pile on a lot of admittedly interesting-looking toppings (except cheese. can't abide the thought of cheese on my dogs). But it seems there's so much on there, you can't taste the dog--now, that may take care of the fact that the boiled piece of sawdust in a casing has no taste, but then why not just eat the topping themselves?
I want a really good dog, maybe with some toppings to enhance, not hide the [lack of] taste. The hotdog itself should be the fixture; it should be a great one.
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Scott R,
I agree with you totally when you stated that the hot dog should be the focus rather than the toppings or condiments. You must start with a quality dog; preferably natural casing. I live in N.J. and have access to a lot of great dogs. And they're prepared all different ways. While I enjoy a flavorful natural casing dog in water, most of the time I prefer grilled. I usually have it with just mustard. A hot dog was meant to be a simple unpretentious food. The trend nowadays seems to be to put everything but the kitchen sink on top of your dog. There's a place in N.J. that offers sambal (I don't even know what it is, but I'm sure it doesn't belong on a hot dog) cream cheese, scallions, peanut butter, eggs, baked beans, and even corn flakes! What's next? Sweet tarts, raisenets, and rice crispies?
Occasionally I'll have a milder beef and pork dog with some chili. New Jersey is famous for our Texas Weiners, which are similar to the Coney in upstate N.Y. Or I'll have some of the unique homemade relish at Rutt's Hut which goes well with their somewhat mild (but not bland) deep fried dog. A well seasoned beef dog is fine with just mustard.
Yesterday I was in an A&P. For $3.49 I got 2 natural casing 8 to a lb Boars Head all beef dogs (heated in water) with a bag of chips and a drink. A lot of carts sell 10 to a lb and even smaller (11's and 12's) Sabrett dogs. I had a choice of sauerkraut, relish, and chili at no extra charge. I went with brown mustard. These dogs were very good.
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In NYC they sell 13 to 1, at least last I heard!
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Hi.
I have a recommendation for you. "With All my heart Hotdogs N'More" of Centereach. It's on middle country road near the "premier storage solutions" of centereach. You can't miss it-the truck is pink. They've got the best dogs.
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You don't provide any details. Are they anything more than boiled Sabretts or Boar's Head?
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Oh.Sorry about that!. They're boiled sabrett's, the dog has a great snap to it-it's more than that though. They're onions are the best. They have two kinds actually, one sweet and one with a kick. The chili and cheese is also really good. Also with soda's and stuff, they always have a big variety. Everything's always great when I go there,thats pretty much all i can say.I know they just opened a second truck in Ronkonkoma. Good luck with your hotdog search.
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Ah, well, as I've expounded upon at length above, there's little that a place can do to entice me in when they're starting with a boiled Sabrett's.
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I had a hotdog at Costco today. They have changed from Hebrew National to Kirkland brand. At $1.50 for dog and a drink, it's still a bargain, but the dog is different with a stronger smoked taste, not to my liking. Guess cost cutting had to prevail.
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How is it a bargain if it's not to your liking? "Bargain," in my view, is good food at a good price.
I don't understand the concept of eating out at mediocre-at-best places. When I drove cross country, I kept a big jar of peanut butter in my car for, e.g., if I got up in the morning somewhere and the only place around to eat breakfast would be a McDonald's or the like. Even a $1 item at a fast food chain restaurant is, to me, not worth it.
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Dear Scott, When I say, "it's a bargain, " my statement is directed to others who might appreciate the new taste and flavor of the Kirkland dog. For myself, I would try it again because of my bargain hunter mentality and I have tasted worse. I would never classify a hot dog as" good food" under any circumstances so your difinition of a "bargain" simply doesn't apply in this case. "Tasty" might be a more appropriate word.
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Unfortunately, one reason you might not classify a hot dog a "good food" is that you can't find a great dog on LI (a major theme of mine in this thread) and so may not have the experience to so classify it. A truly great hot dog is definitely good food--and one that Long Islanders have to leave the Island to experience (so far as I've seen).
I'm not sure why you'd call it tasty, as you stated it wasn't to your liking.
In any case, I only apply "bargain" where there is some meeting of quality and price. This applies for most anything: if I buy a chair for $10 but it collapses after the third use, it's cheap, but it's not a bargain. If I buy laundry detergent that costs $2 for a half-gallon but it leaves a scummy residue on my clothes, it's cheap, but not a bargain. And food that isn't as good as what I can make with just a microwave oven may be cheap, but not a bargain.
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The reason I say a hot dog is not good food relates to its ingredients which I don't have before me. As I recall, it contains a certain amount of ground animal bone plus oodles of chemicals, which, in my book, prevent it from being characterized as good, if not more realistically, healthy food. Again, Costco sells oodles of this product so others, apart from me, devour it because of its cheap cost ," bargain" if you will, or taste. $1.50 for a dog and a soda is a lure.
You are correct that there are no good "dogs" on LI so where do you go for one. Incidentally, with all the large commercial "dogs" included in this thread, no one has mentioned Nathan's. they used to be good
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A *good* (or, at least, reputable) hot dog wouldn't have all that. Ingredient list on Hebrew National, e.g.,:
Beef, water, salt, contains 2% or less of spice, paprika, hydrolyzed soy protein, garlic powder, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, flavorings.
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