Mike's Dog House, Oakland, NJ

     I came across this stand on my way back from Albany, NY and decided to take a quick stop.  The one alluring factor was their rental of a hot dog wagon with all necessary elements (hot dogs, buns, sauerkraut, onions, mustard, etc.)  That is a very attractive feature for any hot dog stand, but let's focus on the quality of the dogs served at home base...

     I ordered the '2 hot dogs & a soda' special.  I asked for one with sauerkraut & mustard and one with red onion sauce.  Although the dogs were well-flavored by their respective accouterments, the Sabrett dogs were boiled and kept in hot water resulting in bland dogs left to be flavored by their condiments.  As readers of my blog may have come to understand, I am not a fan of boiled dogs unless they are strongly flavorful in their own right  Sabrett's do not fall into that category...  I cannot give this stand very high marks but I would stop here for another dog IF I were in the area & hungry...

Toby's Cup, Phillipsburg

     When first deciding to schedule a Hot Dog tour, I received some positive recommendations to include Toby's in my itinerary.  As I had passed by the location on several occasions, I opted to exclude this establishment based on outward appearance alone.  It doesn't look like there has been any exterior work done since the 1970's!!

     It took me awhile to work up the nerve to visit Toby's.  I was happy to see that the inside appears to be better kept than the outside.  The small 8'x10' foyer from where you place your order & wait for it to be filled is raised about 1-2' higher than the kitchen situated on the other side of the small order window.  Your order is presented in a brown paper bag with the individual hot dogs rolled in aluminum foil.

     There were no fancy choices so I ordered one chili dog and one with mustard and onions.  They were fresh & tasty, served on a steamed bun...  Good dogs that were reasonably priced.  Bottom line: I was glad I finally made the time to visit and can see why the locals have developed an attachment.  I would still recommend a serious facelift and some seating would also be nice!!

Tido's Junkyard Dogs, New Brunswick

     While requesting my smartphone find me a nearby hot dog vendor after a tiring day of geocaching, we were led to Tito's.  What luck!!  There was a huge variety of specialty dogs to choose from.  The addition of their pickled "spicy sport" peppers was particularly satisfying, especially when coupled with their delicious fries!

     The toppings in my Chicago dog were on the large side but provided for a very flavorful alternative.  The unique "Reuben" dog was really spectacular: a hot dog with russian dressing and sauerkraut sounds a bit "iffy", but was absolutely delicious!!  I can't wait to return and try some of the other unusual varieties offered at Tido's.

***  UPDATE:  Much to my disappointment, Tido's closed its doors in 2016.  It will be sorely missed.

Hot Rod's Hot Dogs, Glen Gardner

     This location has been a staple of the small town of Glen Gardner for many years.  My only guess is that these folks have never ventured outside of their community to sample a quality hot dog!

     The catchy name is the only redeeming quality I could find here.  The hot dogs are boiled and remain in the water until they are placed on a bun.  My experienced evaluation was that these dogs are some of the blandest tube steaks I have ever tasted.  If it weren't for the simple selection of condiments to adorn these franks, they would hardly have any taste at all.

     I apologize to the residents of Glen Gardner who swear by Hot Rod's, but this establishment gets the lowest rank of all hot dog stands I have sampled thus far.  This stand deserves a drive-by, nothing more.

25 Burgers (Flemington location)

     "What?!? Another burger joint???"  Yes, yes, calm down...  I look for good dogs no matter where I go and feel compelled to report on my findings no matter where I find them!  I will caution the reader to take note that I visited the Flemington, NJ location to complete this report.  Of the 8 locations in NJ, I have also been to the Branchburg facility on Route 22.  Although this location has the benefit of being attached to a nice little pub (the pub serves their burgers, but the 25 Burgers does NOT serve alcohol!) this locations does NOT serve any hot dogs (which I believe to be an agreement with Geenie's Weenies who shares the west side of the parking lot).
*** UPDATE (11/8/2013) - The Branchburg location has placed a number of hot dogs on its menu.  It's not the full set found in Flemington but it's a start!  Geenie's has nothing to worry about...)

     Back to Flemington, the (6) hot dogs offered all follow a "state" theme.  The NY dog with brown mustard & sauerkraut is very reminiscent of my youth in NY.  The NJ dog is topped with yellow mustard and relish.  The Texas Weiner is smothered in chili and the Chicago dog (my favorite!) supports chopped onions, tomatoes, relish & mustard.  Each one is an authentic testament to traditions of the area for which it was named.  All the dogs are deep fried before being dressed with their condiments.

     To complete the meal I would recommend the sweet potato fries which come with a honey mustard sauce that is to die for!  Your freshly prepared order is announced by a vibrating coaster provided to you when you order.  A clean 60's diner vibe completes the experience.  Truly worth the trip.

(and for any burger lovers in the audience, I strongly suggest trying the Trenton Burger.  An angus burger covered with melted cheese and pork roll... Yum!!)

5 Guys Burgers & Fries (Flemington location)

     I know, I know....  This is a hot dog blog.  "What on earth are you doing in a burger joint?!?"  Well, I can only justify my actions by pointing out that at least, when in this burger emporium, I did have the good sense to order hot dogs!  Be open minded and observe the review.  You might be surprised.

     This establishment is reminiscent of an old time burger hop.  The hot dogs (Hebrew National) are split lengthwise and then grilled to perfection.  Bacon, chili or cheese are extra, but they provide a choice of 15 condiments that are free!  This provides for a great deal of customization to fit the patron's desires.  I had mine with yellow mustard, onions and a pickle.  It was really good, owing in great part to the split 'n grill method of cooking.

     I would also highly recommend adding an order of Boardwalk Fries (with skin left on) with some cider vinegar to complete a very tasty meal.  Truly an oasis among the burgers!!

Russ Ayers, Bordentown, NJ

     The inside of this rather small building led me to believe it was built around a rather large hot dog wagon!  There are only 5 indor seats but they have plenty of outdoor seating on picnic benches that surround the shop.  They're open Monday through Saturday from 10am-5pm and are very easy to find.

     The "Works" is served with yellow mustard (slathered with an authentic mustard wand), relish, onions and sauerkraut.  The comment was that the dog was very good, though a few strands of the sauerkraut were a bit on the crunchy side.

     The second sample was the chili cheese dog which received a much better review.  Attending school in the area, my son advised that these were the best dogs he had found in the vicinity.  The particular chili used blended very well with the cheese sauce making for a very tasty dog.  The soft buns were surprising strong and stood up to the mountain of chili like a champ!

     Finally, we found the store to be very clean and the staff to be very outgoing and pleasant with a general good atmosphere about the place.  Based on other patrons who we met on our trip, this is a local favorite and we were very glad to have made the journey.