For years, I have traveled throughout New England working as a delivery driver. In that traveling man capacity, I have been fortunate enough to travel to every state during the course of a weeks' time.
It has allowed me the opportunity to stop at a lot of noteworthy roadside dinners for lunch and try a lot of different types of road food. From hot dogs, Hamburg's or BBQ, to fried clams and lobster rolls, my traveling route went by a lot of noteworthy diners and roadside food stops.
There were a lot of days that it had to be a quick lunch stop. Between the amount of stops I needed to deliver that day and the distance I needed to travel, this meant there would be no sit down, drawn-out lunch break. I needed to maintain a schedule and finish the day as best I could, trying to get home at a reasonable hour.
I never enjoyed working a Can't too Can't shift. That means you can't see the sun when you start, and you can't see the sun when you finish. That’s an old quote from my Army days.
So, with the summer travel season now getting underway, I decided to highlight some of my favorite food stops that I was fortunate enough to enjoy lunches at, just in case anyone is doing a road trip and wanted to give one of these classic road food stops a try.
A little clarification here is now needed. This is not a “Readers Best of Poll." These are just my personal roadside favorites, that I was able to stop by for a bite and enjoy.
I won't be making any promises that these lunch stops are healthy for you, because I have never been a role model of keeping a healthy diet. But they are all tasty and have received plenty of praise from both locals and travelers alike.
So now, with the first posting of "Legends of the East", we get right down to some roadside food stops at their best, and six of my favorite hot dog joints, that I have visited.
Living in New England, we are fortunate, like our neighbors to the south in New York and New Jersey, there are a lot of very good hot dog joints in the northeast. No single style dominates the flavor profile, but if there is one thing you can count on, you will be able to find a great selection to choose from.
Starting with a natural casing dog with a good old-fashioned topping of mustard, relish and onion. To how they are cooked, either buttered or grilled, Hot Wieners or Foot Longs, served with or without, toppings like Melted Cheese, Greek, Detroit. Coney Island or Chili sauces. Enjoy
Capitol Lunch 510 Main St, New Britain, CT,
Since 1946 this Family-owned CT institution has been serving Hamburg's and Martin Rosol's natural casing Hot Dogs with their famous meat sauce. This unique sauce is unlike anything you probably have ever had. They also feature Dogs, Burgers and Fries with combo specials that will have you coming back for more.
Blackie's Hot Dogs 2200 Waterbury Road Cheshire Since 1928 this Family-owned CT institution is a classic old school joint that has been serving Hamburg's and Martin Rosol's Hot Dogs with their famous pepper relish for over a hundred years. Don't forget the Birch Beer.
Tom's Long Hot Dogs 61 State rd (Rt 5 ) Whatley Ma
Toms has one of the best flavored chilis that we had the good fortune of being served, under a hot dog.
George's Coney Island Hot Dogs 158 Southbridge St, Worcester, Ma
Grilled Pork and beef wieners, Chili, mustard and onion on a steamed bun.
Olneyville NY System 18 Plainfield Street Providence R.I. Classic Wieners grilled and served on a steamed bun, meat sauce and onions. It's also a recipient of the James Beard Foundation America’s Classics Award for 2014
Flo's Hot Dogs Rt. 1 Cape Nedick Me Another classic roadside stand, Flo's Hot Dogs feature their legendary relish. The relish is a chutney-like mixture of spicy molasses and sweet onion. Served over a snappy dog on a steamed NE bun, "Flo's Special" comes with mustard, green relish, Flo’s relish, chopped onions, and celery salt. Because you're in Maine, it should also be enjoyed with an ice-cold Moxie.
A top 6 list is, by its very nature, a very limited list: There are a lot more legendary dog houses throughout the Northeast that are doing a stand-up job and putting out a great product. They didn’t crack the top 6, but I know these also deserved honorable recognition.
Augie and Ray's Drive-in Restaurant 314 Main Street East Hartford, CT
Chef's Dog House 337 Willard Ave, Newington, CT
DogTown 664 New Haven Avenue Milford CT
Frankie’s Hot Dogs Multiple locations throughout CT
Glenwood Drive-In - Famous Grilled Hot Dogs 2538 Whitney Ave Hamden, CT
Rawleys Drive-In – 1886 Post Rd. Fairfield, CT
Tex Barry's Coney Island Diner 31 County St Attleboro, Ma
Jack's Hot Dog Stand 12 Eagle St North Adams Ma
Hot Dog Ranch 20 Linden St Pittsfield Ma.
Teo's Hot Dogs 1410 East St Pittsfield Ma
Simones Hot Dog Stand 99 Chestnut st. Lewiston, Me
Baba's Original New York System 424 Smith St Providence, RI
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