Over the years I've eaten many a hotdog. I have recently become inspired to chronicle the places I visit. I have started off with a few I've visited recently for the first time and added a few historical eateries - The O in Pittsburgh and Yocco's in Allentown.
Unless specified otherwise, hotdogs are ordered with everything. "Everything" usually means everything the place puts on it that they don't charge extra for.
| Place | My Rating (x/5) | Comments |
 The Original Hot Dog Shop, Pittsburgh, PA | 5 | The O; Best hot dogs in Pittsburgh; don't forget the fries; possibly closing in the near future but still open. I just ate there on 09/22/07; still a 5. Dogs are $2.99 (pick any toppings you want with that price except chili-cheese dogs which are $3.78) and buy a second for 1/2 price. Draft beers are now $2, small fries $2.75-ish. I remember when a small was 94 cents, a draft $1, and the hotdogs were $1.65. Remember, order dogs at the front counter, fries in the back, and draft beer the same place you buy the the six-packs and 40's. Still a gem after all these years. |
 Yocco's, the Hot Dog King, Allentown, PA | 5 | Best hot dogs in the ABE/Pburg area; bar none; "the secret's in the sauce"; Liberty St. location is the place to go for full effect. "The Hot Dog King" - truer words have never been spoken; $1.19 each. |
| Charlie's Hot Dogs (Alpha Pool Room), Alpha, NJ | 5 | Hand-made (think quality); special sauce A+++; not the usual style you see at many eateries in the Easton/Pburg area; order dogs at the register, worth the trip; easy to miss even if you drive right by it |
| Toby's Cup, Phillipsburg, NJ | 4 | excellent snap; served what I am told is "Jimmy's style" - pickle slice on the dog; a very good dog at a good price (~$1/each); similar to Richard's (below) but better; closed Tuesdays. |
| Richard's Drive-In, Easton, PA | 3.5 | Easton/Pburg (Jimmy's/Toby's) style dog; not bad. Weak on the snap and not as good as the other "Jimmy's style" places, two of which aren't too far of a drive away. |
| Charlie's Famous, Kennilworth, NJ | 4 | Italian hot dogs; I am told these are quite common in NJ. Hot dog, topped with mustard is stuffed into an Italian bread roll thing, close to a pita, topped with sauteed onions and green peppers and sliced potatoes on top; barely fits in the roll. It's a meal in itself and that was the small; $3.90. |
| Tony's Featuring Syd's, Springfield, NJ | 4.5 | From what I gather, Syds moved into Tony's. From the outside, the place looks like it would be a bar or lounge inside; instead it's diner-esque. Hot dog stuck out of the bun. I ordered one with everything and that included mustard, pickle relish, a spicy red relish, and kraut. Excellent, but pricey at $3.25. |
| Pott's Doggie Shop, Bethlehem, PA | 4.5 | Steamed roll, "Everything" (@ $1.35 each) means mustard, chili sauce, and onion, lacked the snap but still an excellent dog, it's a real hot dog shop too, hotdogs, chips, and drinks only. |
 Vassi's Drive-In, Bethlehem, PA | 4.25 | A pleasant surprise; great sauce, nice place, rolls were a tad dry but still a good dog; $1.04 each. |
 Traub's Doggies, Emmaus, PA | 4 | good layout and location; step down to the shop off a busy street in town, place smells like a hotdog joint, bun was meant more for a brat than a hotdog though; slightly pricey at $1.35 each; exterior sign with the dog (animal) on it is hokey. |
 Binnie's Dog House, Coplay, PA | 5 | Fantastic dog; very Yocco's-like; snap and sauce are right on but skimpy on the sauce. The place itself is run-down and not very clean though. I've been in dive bars that are nicer inside but still an excellent hot dog; $1.19 each |
| Jimmy's, Easton, PA | 4 | Served with a pickle slice, raw onions, and mustard; a tad light on the mustard and no real snap; the service was fast; it's a real hotdog shop - they have a big red sign where you order: "Take out only;" 85 cents each; service, ambience, and price bring it up to a 4; not quite as good as Toby's but better than Richard's. |
| Dad's, Bethlehem, PA | 3.75 | average hot dog, the place is too "chainish." An 'original' includes ketchup so we requested no ketchup. The last thing any place should do is put ketchup on a dog as SOP; $1.09 each. |
 Hot Dog Johnny's, Buttzville, NJ | 5 | Another "Jimmy's style" dog but the best of the lot. A real roadside hotdog stand on Rt. 46 and Rt. 46 is nothing like Rt. 22 so it's easy and desirable to get there. Hotdog was hot, fresh, and tasty but a tad weak on the snap. The place itself is immaculate which is unusual for a place that puts out quality hotdogs. I had mine with birch beer but the buttermilk is also a favorite beverage to wash these down with. Keep up the the great work, Pat! |
| Rutt Hutt, Clifton, NJ | coming soon | |
| Willy Joe's, Allentown, PA | Liberty St. location was closed when we went; it was a Saturday; will investigate the reason | |
| Mike's Doggie Shop, Hellertown, PA | closed on the Saturday afternoon when we went; will investigate the reason | |
| Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe, Cranberry Twp, PA | coming soon | |
| Hot Rod's Hot Dogs, Glen Gardner, NJ | coming soon | |
| Sharky's, Forks Twp., PA | coming soon | |