Summer Hot Dog Tour: Hot Grill, Clifton, NJ

So, after much prodding and debating and putting it off and rescheduling, we finally went to Hot Grill on August 6th.  And, after much prodding and debating and putting it off, I'm finally getting around to writing about it. 


For those of you not in the know, Hot Grill is a legendary hot dog stand on Lexington Ave. in Clifton, NJ, right across from Nash Park.  Now, when I say legendary, I'm referring to stories I've heard for years from my parents (mom especially) and friends about these truly tasty chili dogs.  And yet, despite all the love my friends and family seem to have for these wonderful Texas Wieners*, none of them ever saw fit to take me there.  So, it took until just this summer for me to finally find out what they've been raving about all these years.


Even though this was my first trip to Hot Grill, there was something wonderfully familiar about the atmosphere of the place; a strange feeling of "home" combined with elementary school cafeterias and summer camp dining halls.  I know that seems like an odd combination, but believe me when I tell you, somehow that's what it is, and it feels "right." 

When I started telling people we were going to Hot Grill, everyone immediately replied the same way: "Gimme two, all the way!"  Like so many storied eateries, Hot Grill has their own procedures for ordering, a little verbal "short hand," if you will, that separates the seasoned veteran from the uninitiated newbie.  There is no line at the counter.  Simply walk up to the counter, and let them know what you'll have.  Their menu is definitely more than just hot dogs, and we were actually surprised that several customers that day were ordering burgers.  (Not to unfairly criticize someone else's dining choices, but ordering a burger at a hot dog place is like visiting China and not seeing the Great Wall.)

I knew exactly what I wanted to order, what I needed to order, before I even walked through the door.  Mari, on the other hand, did need a few minutes to decide.  She finally settled on two with just sauce, while I, of course, went for two all the way.  "All the way" refers to a hot dog on a bun, served with onions, spicy mustard, and their own home-made chili sauce. We also got a side of fries with cheese and sauce.

Hardly any mess at all!

Once we got our food, Mari was concerned about the "flimsy" look of the buns.  They're quite generous with the sauce, and she was worried about them falling apart.  She was quite pleasantly surprised to see they held up quite well under the copious amounts of chili sauce.  So they pass the first test of any great chili dog: even smothered, they can still be eaten by hand.  (A hot dog, like all great American originals, is a handheld food.  If you're using a fork and a knife, you're doing it all wrong.)





Now for the taste test:

Mari giving it a try....

  Did they live up to the hype???

The only way to be sure is to take as big a bite as possible...

Were they the chili-smothered dream-dogs described to me by so many???

 

 

In one word: Vkusnyatina!

 

Two "All the Way"

I can't say they were quite what I was expecting, but they were delicious.  The sauce is more "sweet" than "spicy," but is very flavorful, and is in no way disappointing.  The spicy mustard and onions really round out the flavor, and the wonderfully soft bun somehow manages to support the weight of all this delicious flavor without ever becoming soggy.  And because the buns were so relatively small, you really do get to enjoy the flavor of the dog and sauce without them becoming "lost" in all the bread.  Mari thought the sauce was a little too "sweet," and would've preferred it a little less so.  We both detected hints of cinnamon, and while it's not my usual preference for spice in chili, I think it worked.

The fries were also quite tasty, generously smothered in cheese and chili sauce.  The only way to eat them was either with a fork, and here, using a fork is a good thing.  Without one, I might still be sucking my fingers trying to get one more taste.
 


Final verdict is harder to settle on.  We will definitely be going back.  While we enjoyed them, we can't say we loved them right away.  But a few hours later, I did find myself desperately craving two more.  Whatever they put in that sauce, it has me hooked, and I can't wait for our next trip.




*The Texas Wiener is a Jersey original (Texas has nothing to do with it.)  Invented in Paterson sometime early last century, the "Texas" appellation refers to the chili sauce, although the sauce itself is more Greek influence than it is Southwestern, owing to the culinary heritage and ethnic background of the men who invented it.