Johnnie's Dog House

[rlibkind]

Peter Binzen's Column in this morning's (Aug. 16) Inky described a hot dog venture in suburban Wayne.

I've never heard of his hot dog supplier, US Foods of Allentown. Does anyone know of them? How do they compare to other manufacturers? Particulary my fav, Best Provisions of Newark.

Has anyone tried this joint?

[Rich Pawlak]

Holly? You're on!

[John]

Nice Story. Never heard of Us Foods, so I don't have an idea of what this dog may taste like. I'm near Wayne twice a year for a beer festival, so next time I might check it out. Most Pa. or West Jersey dogs are a milder beef and pork blend (Hatfield, Kunzler, Berk's) than what we're used to in North East Jersey.

[KatieLoeb]

The only US Foods I know of in this area is US Foodservice. It is possible that their main office is in Allentown. They are a large purveyor that carries fresh meat, fish, produce, dry goods, beverages, etc. A pretty much soup to nuts operation. If they carry hot dogs I'm guessing they aren't packaged under their own label (a la Sysco) but are actually someone elses. I can inquire with the sales rep and see what I find out.

[Holly Moore]

I think Katie's right on the dog source. That was the first thing that struck me when I read the article, why they weren't going with a premium, brand name dog?

I'm probably seeking them out this weekend and will report back.

[Derek Lee]

I dragged a couple of coworkers to Johnnie's Dog House on Tuesday. Amazingly good hot dogs, with a nice grilled flavor and decent snap when you bite into them.

There are not many seats in this small former deli-space. There's a row of two-seaters along one wall, some stools at the window, and three tables together in the center of the space, seating six or eight. If there's a rush, you're better off getting your dogs to go.

I got a chili and cheese dog, and one plain. The chili/cheese dog was perfect, the chili not too thick nor too runny, with a nice strip of whiz running down the middle.

Johnnie's has a bunch of different variations for its hot dogs, too many to list here, but you can check out their menu on their website, www.johnniesdoghouse.com.

Good fries, too. Don't order the large unless you are sharing. Too darn big.

Derek

Threateningletters.com

[vw8v]

The fries are very good - though I admit I cut a lot of slack to anywhere that has malt vinegar & little dipping cups!

The hot dogs I've had have been pretty good - the Chicago dog is OK - missing the poppy seed roll, but at least they have sport peppers.

Had one (don't remember what it was called) that came with mustard. WAY too much mustard. I assume that it is not their usual quantity of mustard. Probably something to do with the fact that it was a Saturday afternoon and the teenage employees seemed more interested in chit-chatting with the friends coming in then in proper hot dog handling

[Mummer]

Stopped by tonight for one with chili and onions (called a Coney Island chili dog) and another with sauerkraut and brown mustard (the classic,) to go.

Great look! The glistening, grilled dogs slightly larger than the toasted rolls with enough fixins to overflow just a little. Large, random sized chopped onions. Smaller than the Pittsburgh dogs from my high school days; similar to Detroit Coneys - now there's an oxymoron.

Great taste! Spicy, but not overpowering, dogs with a nice crunch. No repeating this evening. Tasty kraut and chili.

Lots of toppings and condiment options. I bypassed the milk shakes, floats and fries as I'm not looking for a bypass. Probably two dozen options for both toppings and beverages.

And a little nostalgia, as I lived in the Louella mansion for a couple of years while working a couple of blocks away.

I'll be back for more. Is there a better endorsement than that?

[shinyboots]

I didn't have high hopes for this hotdog shack, yet I was still disappointed. The hot dogs were no better, nor more creative, than any shoreside vendor. I suppose what really made me despise the place was the sourpus counter operator who spoke but two words, "anything else?"

Oh, and as we sat down to eat, the buildings lights went out for 15 minutes.

[cinghiale]

similar to Detroit Coneys - now there's an oxymoron.

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Not an oxymoron, but rather an institution (at least when referring to Lafayette C.I.).

[Mummer]

similar to Detroit Coneys - now there's an oxymoron.

←

Not an oxymoron, but rather an institution (at least when referring to Lafayette C.I.).

←

Lafayette is always a stop between the airport and my brother's place in the Detroit 'burbs.