OT: Best hot dogs

[TheChamps990411]

Blind taste test results in today's NYT:

We Taste-Tested 10 Hot Dogs. Here Are the Best.

I eat maybe three hot dogs a year: Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. Miller's Provisions from Stratford are my all-time favorites but sadly they are no longer in business. I usually go with Hummels now, unless my father-in-law is in town with belly busters from Hapanowicz Bros. in Utica, NY (technically New York Mills), which is what I had on Memorial Day. Those are probably my favorites now, but I'm interested to hear of others I should try.

Best hot dog? Isnt that like the winner of a beauty pageant for ugly people?

 

[huskyrob1]

Agree on point 1. And Rawley's were good. But couldn't hold a candle to Jimmie's of Savin Rock pre1970 dogs.

IIRC back in those days Rawleys sold Roesslers natural casing franks, which were fantastic. Roesslers were made in New Haven going back to the 1940's. Ironically Jimmies sold the same hot dog.

 

[JB75]

Martin Rosols straight Outta New Britsky. nothing else compares

 

[RON]

Blind taste test results in today's NYT:

We Taste-Tested 10 Hot Dogs. Here Are the Best.

I eat maybe three hot dogs a year: Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. Miller's Provisions from Stratford are my all-time favorites but sadly they are no longer in business. I usually go with Hummels now, unless my father-in-law is in town with belly busters from Hapanowicz Bros. in Utica, NY (technically New York Mills), which is what I had on Memorial Day. Those are probably my favorites now, but I'm interested to hear of others I should try.

As the former owner of Rosco's Big Dog and a hot dog connoisseur, your next two choices are Thumann's first, then Hoffman's. Pork & Beef Natural Casing. They will be the closest to Miller and Hummel.
Let me know how it works out.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I forgot that the best hot dog I’ve ever had was the chili dog at Prohibition Pig in Waterbury Vermont.

 

[HooperScooper]

As a dedicated hot dog place Snappy Dogs in Hopkinton, MA is excellent.

How do you know about that place? It's just a little food trailer on 85. One of my sons used to play baseball at EMC Park down the street and my kids always wanted to stop there after games. Haven't been there in a while.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Good Hot Dogs are extremely difficult to find in AZ as the majority are the crap national brands.
I’m not big on hot dogs ( unless I’m at Jimmy’s) so its a moot point for me but my wife and grandkids like them.
We did find out the best hot dogs out here we’re served at Chains :
Muggsy Dogs and Freddie’s Frozen Custard ,home of the steak burger
After inquiring they both use the same brand
“Vienna all beef “ I believe they‘re from Chicago and are available at Fry’s and Safeway
So if you like an occasional hotdog and your a long way from Ct give it a try .

 

[pepband99]

Any answer not including Super Duper Weenie in Fairfield is wrong. Blackies is meh. Frankies similarly.
If you like hot dogs, and haven't been there - you are seriously missing out.

 

[Edward Sargent]

So y'all get a kick out of this. We moved to Dallas 3.5 years ago and there are three things we miss more than anything about Connecticut...because we literally cannot find them anywhere in DFW:

• A good hot dog (Glenwood, Swanky Franks in its day, Frankies, etc.)
• Homemade creamy ice cream (Sweet Claudes)
• Connecticut pizza -- or NY pizza for that matter.

Three boneyard staples and damn I miss them. They are FIRST things we head for whenever we go to CT.

Same down here in Florida, although with all the Midwesterners and East Coasters we'd get something good foodwise. We have trouble finding good Italian and good Chinese! Thin crust pizza (think Colony) is non-existent and I have never been fond of Chicago style favored by the I-75ers. Southern lobster is tasteless and beyond expensive and none of the Southern oysters can match Wellfleets, or Duxbury's or Bluepoints for that matter. Ice cream is surprisingly not as popular as you would think but I am and have driven 30 minutes to our favorite homemade ice cream store (we drive past the Cold Stone 2 minutes away). Yes at 69 yrs I am a food snob!!

 

[60'sfan]

Update: Blackies still has great dogs and relish. Just had a couple for the first time in years. Might have been better than how I remembered it.

Their relish is over the top.

 

[Waquoit]

Their relish is over the top.

Oh, yeah. But I liked the dog as well. As opposed to Shady Glen where the burger is just so-so. These days they give you a condiment cup with your dog. We did our best to use just one cup. I'm already looking forward to a bit of the Blackie's experience at home next weekend.

 

[nadavtheman]

Merritt Canteen, Bridgeport, been there for over 75 years, legendary, chilli is killer hot but delicious

 

[Dove]

Went to the in laws yesterday. Never a culinary treat watching a drunk guy grill frozen burgers to a rare patty. But yetserday I made fresh patties and timed his flips. Very tasty.

BUT...then he broke out the worst dog I have had in years. Hebrew National Beef franks. Just nasty.

 

[UCLJ0211]

Kayem are also pretty tasty as far as store bought brands

 

[RichZ]

Merritt Canteen, Bridgeport, been there for over 75 years, legendary, chilli is killer hot but delicious

The Merritt Canteen is a Bpt institution, but the hot dogs there are pedestrian at best. I would never judge a hot dog without first sampling it plain. If it can't stand on its own, condiments may improve it, but underneath, it's still a lackluster hot dog. It's also the same as Mister Mac's Canteen in Monroe & Milford. same guy started them all.

 

[RichZ]

Any answer not including Super Duper Weenie in Fairfield is wrong. Blackies is meh. Frankies similarly.
If you like hot dogs, and haven't been there - you are seriously missing out.

SDW is good, but they are too in love with their toppings. The dog itself is probably an 8.5 on a scale of 1 to Pre-1970 Jimmie's of Savin Rock. It of course has the advantage of being currently available, which is a very strong selling point, as Jimmie's ain't been Jimmie's in a long, long time.
The location, parking and slow service during the lunch rush are pretty strong negatives though.

 

[Rico444]

What am I missing with natural casing dogs? They taste like they were wrapped in plastic wrap, and I have to work hard to detach each bite from the rest of the dog. Skinless hummels are the best.

 

[nadavtheman]

The Merritt Canteen is a Bpt institution, but the hot dogs there are pedestrian at best. I would never judge a hot dog without first sampling it plain. If it can't stand on its own, condiments may improve it, but underneath, it's still a lackluster hot dog. It's also the same as Mister Mac's Canteen in Monroe & Milford. same guy started them all.

Disagree completely. They use Hummels. deep fry first then on the grill to perfection. I recommend a chili cheese dog with bacon and onion but also good plain

 

[superjohn]

Major News! The Crown Market West Hartford has had Hebrew National natural casing on the link, but call first. They have a separate stand in the far left corner of the store where they have the dogs and stuff like pastrami. They also have Heb Nat salami there they will custom slice ultra thin, to die for.

Please believe me when I tell you the NYT survey is bogus because these dogs blow away packaged Hebrew National (WHICH WON THE SURVEY) not the same deal. They are not cheap dogs but worth every penny. They have that snap.

Don't think I've had a dog in years but this thread is making me think I have to get a couple later today. Do any dog places not have the natural casing snap in CT.? It's been years so I don't remember.

Hebrew National was always our brand growing up.

 

[superjohn]

What am I missing with natural casing dogs? They taste like they were wrapped in plastic wrap, and I have to work hard to detach each bite from the rest of the dog. Skinless hummels are the best.

Skinless dogs suck, if the dog ain't biting back it ain't a dog.

 

[RichZ]

What am I missing with natural casing dogs? They taste like they were wrapped in plastic wrap, and I have to work hard to detach each bite from the rest of the dog. Skinless hummels are the best.

I just threw up in my mouth a little.
Skinless hot dogs are made for 2 year olds.

 

[Rico444]

I just threw up in my mouth a little.
Skinless hot dogs are made for 2 year olds.

The casing doesn't have any flavor and just makes the dogs more difficult to bite and chew. Seriously, what am I missing? Have I just been to barbecues that buy cheap hot dogs or where they were overcooked?

 

[60'sfan]

I'm happy l to announce that Costco's in Old Lyme now carries the Hummel Hot Dogs with natural casings. They didn't have them at first but every time I went I asked for

What am I missing with natural casing dogs? They taste like they were wrapped in plastic wrap, and I have to work hard to detach each bite from the rest of the dog. Skinless hummels are the best.

You need to have your teeth sharpened.

 

[jibsey]

They are out of natural casing dogs at Crown. Luckily I stocked my freezer.

 

[Deepster]

The casing doesn't have any flavor and just makes the dogs more difficult to bite and chew. Seriously, what am I missing? Have I just been to barbecues that buy cheap hot dogs or where they were overcooked?

Gotta have the snap. Skinless hot dogs are like eating rolled up bologna.