John's Doggie Shop

Recently I've been on a mission to get myself to all the Philly-area hot dog spots that I haven't been to yet, especially with a few of them have recently closed (Nicky & Pete's, Montgomery Lunch).

The West Chester area has a hot dog culture that goes back almost 100 years. Jimmy John's Piping Hot (which burned down last year but recently re-opened) is the king out here, but there's a bunch of other spots that have been around forever that you don't hear too much about, and may or may not be closed or in danger of closing.


Hot dog research can get confusing out here- along with TWO different John's Doggie Shops and Jimmy John's Piping Hot, you've also got Johnnie's Dog House in Wayne (part of a small chain) and Jimmy John's the sandwich chain.


Anyway I was happy to find John's Doggie Shop opened for business. A small luncheonette with a counter and 4 or 5 booths, this is your basic working man's "breakfast and lunch grill" sort of place with hot coffee, creamed chipped beef, burgers and dogs and secret sauce.


The plain skinless dog was grilled and sort of underwhelming, especially after trying Jimmy John's delicious natural special casing "special dog"half an hour before.


But buried underneath John's "sauce" it's a whole different story. This is a classic "texas weiner" or "greek hot dog sauce" type chili, super dark and strong flavored, and plenty of it. The kind of dog you wash down with a cup of black coffee and a pack of cigarettes. Really good stuff, if you like this sort of old fashioned hot dog sauce this is one of the better spots in Philadelphia / Pennsylvania to find it.

Also, the Black & White milkshake was terrific, surprisingly better than the same thing from Jimmy John's.

There's another John's Doggie Shop about 5 miles closer to the city that may or may not be open, and is somehow related to this one.

John's Doggie Shop
Holly Eats: Johns Doggie Shop
525 Conchester Highway
Boothwyn PA

Norristown-Style Mexican Hot Dog - Or Not

For years I've been meaning to check out Montgomery Lunch, an old school luncheonette and "Texas" style hot dog joint in Norristown that's been around since 1940.


In the last couple years the place was bought out by some mexican cooks who fused it into a sort of "texas lunch tacqueria" keeping the american classics on the menu (hot dogs, burgers, breakfast, cheesesteaks, hoagies, zeps) along with tacos, tortas, sopes, carnitas, and supposedly a "secret" menu of mash-ups like a chorizo hoagie and, in my dreams, some sort of MIND BLOWING, never before seen "norristown style mexican hot dog".


So imagine my hot dog dreams shattered before my eyes seeing the place empty, with a big "uninhabitable" sticker slapped on the door. Apparently there was some sort of explosion under the restaurant earlier this year, and it looks like they actually closed a few weeks before that.


I'm bummed to have never tried this one-of-a-kind place, although on the bright side my visions of jalapeno-hotdog-greek chili-cheesesteak-gordita fusion will never be tarnished by what in reality might have just been a sad, weird diner in a run down neighborhood.

Or more likely, a great spot for mexican food with OK hot dogs. Anyway, if anyone out there has more photos of this place, especially the food, I'd love to see them... I think the first time of heard of this place was a comment right here on drawing for food.

•Montgomery Lunch Menu at allmenus.com
•More photos including interior at norristown patch
•Montgomery Hot Lunch at alleewillis.com

Rock n Rob

I checked out Texas Weiner on Snyder for the first time in a while.
The "Rock n Rob" sausage and broccoli rabe with melted provolone was awesome. Seems like what they were going for with the South Philly Dog at Citizens Bank Park but this is done right.


Also got a regular TW with the greek sauce and cheese wiz.
Love how they split the dogs and smash the rolls into oblivion and everything oozes together. Hopefully they will be around for another 90 years. Get a "blackjack" for your next party- 21 dogs and I think it comes with a free tote bag.


Texas Weiners
1426 Snyder
Philadelphia

Texas Smoked Hot - Tony Luke's

Been doing some exhaustive local hot dog research lately... After months of painting & writing about hot dogs from other cities I realized there's a lot I haven't eaten right here in Philadelphia, and as long as the Phillies are going strong I want to continue featuring Philly dogs for my Serious Eats column.

Headed down to South Philly this morning in search of some new & exciting variations. Never even really considered ordering a hot dog at Tony Luke's before... I looked over the crazy menu and my jaw dropped for a second when I saw the listing for the "Texas Smoked Hot" with onions and special sauce.


The Texas Smoked Hot is an extra long split & grilled smoked dog... covered in onions and Texas-Weiner style chili sauce, with a really strong cinnamon taste, stronger than most I've had in Philly, all on a long steak roll. Sort of a cross between a Texas Weiner and a Half-Smoke. Awesome. I'm a huge fan of the "split and grilled" style, especially when there's a good char on there.


So the Texas Hot was a little close to stuff I've done before to make it as hot dog of the week but it's still a fantastic hot dog. Tony Luke's menu has all kinds of wild items I've never noticed before, like the "Papa Luke" steak sandwich with sliced tomatoes and cream cheese and "hot dog fries". I don't love their steaks as much as some (standing by my current favorites - Philip's on 24th & passyunk and George's on 9th street) but this was a killer hot dog. I've heard that their veal cutlet & chicken cutlet sandwiches are also pretty amazing.

Tony Luke's
Front & Oregon
South Philly

Skyline Chili

My friend Tim just brought back some Skyline Chili in a can from Ohio.
Cooked it up with some spaghetti, shredded cheese and raw onions in the real deal Cincinnati style. Apparently you're supposed to eat it with oyster crackers but I was all out. How something popular in New England made it onto Ohio chili blows my mind.

Anyway the taste is kind of insane but really good. It was similar in flavor to the "Greek Sauce" I've had at Texas Weiner style hot dog joints in PA and New Jersey, but much stronger. It's really hard to tell what's in there but I would guess cloves, cinnamon, maybe even chocolate? This kind of Chili has nothing to do with mexico but it sort of reminds me of mole sauce. I always thought chili on spaghetti sounded disgusting but guess what it's great.

Washed it down with some Philadelphia Brewing Company Coffee Porter.. talk about pairing food with beer. I still have 2 cans of chili left, next step is putting that stuff on some hot dogs.


Perfect timing because I just featured the Detroit Coney for Hot Dog Of The Week, which uses a very similar chili traditionally made with beef hearts & kidneys but almost never served with cheese.

Historic Texas Lunch

Last week I spent way too much time researching the Texas Weiner and Texas Lunch phenomenon for my hot dog of the week illustration on serious eats. And noticed there are still a whole bunch of Texas Weiner / Texas Lunch style hot dog restaurants all across Pennsylvania.

So on the way to go camping in West Virginia I decided to do a hot dog tour starting with Historic Texas Lunch in Chambersburg, PA... an amazing half-empty small town that looks like it hasn't changed in 100 years except for the Mexican stores and tacquerias that are filling up vacant storefronts (save that for another trip I guess).



Historic Texas Lunch has been around for 40 years, remodeled in the 80's but still has an amazing diner atmosphere. It wasn't quite what I had expected, the menu was more diner than hot dogs, complete with creamed chip beef on toast, cheesesteaks, chicken croquettes, spaghetti and meatballs. But we came for the hot dogs that were served up in the Pennsylvania Texas Weiner style, split and grilled, covered in greek sauce, mustard and a massive pile of onions.

The dogs were great but the people looked at us like we were from outer space. Definitely a townie spot minus the usual hospitality. Maybe they're just fed up with city folk with cameras treating their hometown diner like a curiosity. Either way the dogs were decent and Chambersburg is an awesome looking town.

Historic Texas Lunch
108 Lincoln Way W (PA Route 30)
Chambersburg, PA 17201

Texas Weiners

Texas Weiners have nothing to do with Texas and everything to do with New Jersey.

In fact that "chili" you've been eating all these years - especially if you live on the eastern half of the united states - is actually a variation on Greek Bolognese sauce.

Read more at Serious Eats...
And watch this awesome Texas Weiner commercial-

Tommy's Texas Wiener

This place has great T-shirts, good lookin' dive-like outside, and a great name. It's probably high on the Philadelphia road food hit list. And its's also right by my house. So while Hawk is running around eating fine dining in his nieghborhood, good ol's South Philly's got my back.
The hot dogs were suprisingly (because I was suspect)delicious and flavorful, since they dress the entire dog for you. I got the Chicago, which included peppers, tomatos, mustard, and relish. I really love how they split the dog down the middle and grill it. Tim got one that had a potato cake in it, yummy.
The inside is also a surpise, with a mini diner look. I love the Mafia and Italian references everywhere.


Tommy's Texas Wiener
1426 Snyder Avenue
Philadelphia, PA (South Philly)
(215) 465-8635

APJ Texas Weiner Restaurant

So in what used to be a hooker and porn choked section of the city (13th and Arch) lies one of the few remaining old school philadelphia hot dog joints.

They even have the "fish cake sandwich" -pretty much the holy grail of philadelphia cuisine, at least for me - which is a deep fried fish cake on a hot dog bun with chili and/or cheese and mustard.

A Texas Weiner with "the works" comes split and grilled with chili, mustard and chopped raw onions on a short & stout roll. It's really messy and really good. Next time you're in the area stop buy and grab one before they tear it down and put in a starbucks.