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Hot Dogs

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George's Coney Island
Worcester, MA
George's Coney Island started as a small hot dog stand in 1918. It moved next door to its present location in 1928. In 1938, the restaurant expanded and had an Art Deco makeover, adding wooden booths and a tile floor. In 1940, the 60 foot tall neon sign was added. It was modeled after owner George Tsagarelis’ hand holding a hot dog with dripping mustard. Nothing inside or outside has changed much since then. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

Walter's Hot Dogs
Mamaroneck, NY
Walter's Hot Dogs opened in 1919, selling hot dogs and apple cider. It moved to its present location in 1928. The sign spells out "Walter’s" in hot dogs. Today, Walter's continues to sell their specially formulated "splits" (hot dogs made of beef, pork and veal, split down the middle) and grainy mustard with pickle bits. The building has a copper roof and is a stylized Chinese pagoda. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Smith Hill
New York System
Providence, RI		 Olneyville
New York System
Providence, RI
The Smith Hill New York System opened in 1927; the Olneyville New York System opened in 1946. The Smith Hill location is tiny with just a row of stools. It also has a nice, old paneled exterior (formica?). There is another New York System in Cranston, RI. A "New York System" is a griddle-grilled, four inch long hot dog (in Rhode Island, they're called "weiners" or "wieners") topped with meat sauce. The name was developed in the early 1900s when hot dogs were still a novelty and the association with New York added cachet.

Rhode Island has many other unique foods including: cabinets (milk, syrup, and ice cream), coffee milk (milk mixed with coffee syrup), johnnycakes (corn pancakes), and stuffies (bread stuffing with chopped clams, baked in a clam shell). For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Pink's Hot Dogs
Los Angeles, CA

Pink's Hot Dogs opened in 1939. It started with a pushcart at the same location. In 1946, a building was finally constructed. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Blackie's Hot Dogs
Cheshire, CT
Blackie's Hot Dogs opened in 1928 and is famous for its hot dogs which are cooked in oil (not fried). The place started as a gas station but the real money-maker was the hot dogs so they removed the pumps for parking. The unique hot-pepper relish is made the same as when Blackie's first opened. The building is made of two octagonal structures joined in the middle by a double garage door. There are two identical neon signs. The roof is also outlined in red neon. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Clare & Carl's Hot Dog Stand
Plattsburgh, NY
Clare & Carl's Hot Dog Stand opened here in 1943. The stand features red hots, car hops, and picnic tables. There is another location in town but this one is the original. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Hot Dog Johnny's
Buttzville, NJ
Hot Dog Johnny's was established in 1944. In 1947, the stand moved to the current location. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

Skeeter's
Wytheville, VA		 Jim's Doggie Stand (moved)
Phillipsburg, NJ		 Mike's Hot Dogs
Schenectady, NY
Skeeter's is famous for its chili dogs. Open since 1920, it has nice old cabinetry, stools and signs as well. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Jim's Doggie Stand opened in 1910. In 1966, a truck crashed into the building and pushed it into the river. They then moved into the ground floor of this 1920 building. In 1991, they moved again across the river to a shopping center in Easton, PA where it is known as Jimmy's Hot Dogs. The building was vacant for many years, until renovation in 2004 (photo at right). There are now offices and studios upstairs and "Jimmy's on the Delaware" on the ground floor (no relation to the original Jimmy's). For more, see this website. [Thanks to Bob Frable for the info]

Mike's has been around since the 1950s. It has a 50' formica counter inside and is known for its hot dogs with meat sauce.

Boz Hot Dogs
Hazel Crest, IL		 Franks-a-Lot
Portland, OR
Boz Hot Dogs has about sixteen locations around the Chicago area. They were founded in 1969. The location must have been one of the earliest. Their Griffith, IN location occupies a former Tastee-Freez.

I believe Franks-a-Lot opened in 2008. This place was previously known as The Dog House. For more, see this website.

Dog House
Hillsborough, NC		 Dog House
Durham, NC
The Dog House restaurant chain was established in 1974. In addition to the dog house shaped building, there are fire hydrant styled trash cans. There are four locations in Durham. There are five locations in Durham and this one in Hillsborough. I believe they all use this building style. For more, see their website.

Original Kasper's Hot Dogs
Telegraph Ave.
Oakland, CA		 Kasper's Hot Dogs
MacArthur Blvd.
Oakland, CA
The Original Kasper's Hot Dogs on Telegraph Ave. opened in 1929 and closed in 2003. The sign has been defaced on both sides with graffiti. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

The Kasper's Hot Dogs on Macarthur Blvd. opened in 1961 by Kasper Koojoolian's nephew.

Caspers Famous Hot Dogs
Oakland, CA		 Caspers Famous Hot Dogs
Albany, CA

Caspers Famous Hot Dogs
Hayward, CA
The Caspers Famous Hot Dogs chain is not related to the Kasper's Hot Dogs stands described above. Caspers opened its first stand in Oakland in 1934 and now has nine locations in the Bay Area. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

More Hot Dogs:
HollyEats

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