Tommy’s Hot Dogs
“You want old school hotdogs with homemade chili and other sweet stuff?”
“But it was all I needed to find my way to Tommy's, located roughly 2 miles off of Exit 12 on the Turnpike.”
“Some picnic benches on the lawn are your only option for dining in but don't focus on the decor or motif, the grill is the real deal.”
Tommy’s Hot Dogs
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
2 reviews
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Oh, c'mon, what's a little dysentery among friends? You're a tough Yelper. You skate behind buses. You order food out of nondescript trucks. Hell, you'd eat anywhere if it meant a having great meal. And it's for these reasons that you need to get your butt over to Carteret and get yourself a chili-cheese dog at Tommy's the next time you're riding up or down the Turnpike.
Ironically, I had only been to Tommy's once before in my life, and it was in Summer 1991. I was working a job in construction at the time and was asked to drive a truckload of materials up from the slums of downtown Trenton to the slightly less-gloomy confines of Carteret. Before I left, one of the guys on the job told me I absolutely had to try a couple of dogs at this little ramshackle hut called Tommy's right in Carteret.
Back then there were no smartphones, no GPS, no Yelp… nothing other than a few hastily-scrawled directions on a dirty piece of paper. But it was all I needed to find my way to Tommy's, located roughly 2 miles off of Exit 12 on the Turnpike. I can't recall much today, though I do remember telling everyone they were some goddamn good dogs. And with the rest of the 90's being mostly a hard-partying blur, my memory of Tommy's eventually faded away.
Until the other day.
It had been a long time since I had been stuck in such dreadful turnpike traffic; the kind so bad that I literally considered abandoning my car and walking. But ironically for me this would be the one time that I didn't check traffic in advance or fire up my GPS before attempting to drive into work late one Wednesday morning. It was just after Exit 11 that my bladder decided it was minutes from erupting, and panic set in. I managed to pull into the shoulder and drive all the way up to Exit 12 with just seconds to spare.
For the record, I never get off at Exit 12. Truth be told, few people ever get off at Exit 12 because this is the exit for Carteret and there is absolutely no reason for anyone to willingly travel into Carteret.
But that's all different now. Because after emptying my bladder at the nearby McDonald's, I decided to hit up the Yelp to see if I could find the name of that magical hot dog place I could just barely recall from Summer 1991. And sure enough, there it was: Tommy's Hot Dogs.
I drove the extra half mile down the road and found street parking right away. The little ramshackle hut was as run down as ever, and the nice little couple inside appeared to have aged appropriately for it being 23 years later. I tried my best to ignore the interior conditions of the place, focusing solely on the delicious, greasy aroma of meat hanging in the air. Scores of pictures of Jesus and the Virgin Mary adorning the walls and countertops strangely soothed my fears of dying from whatever I was about to intake into my system.
"One chili cheese dog, and one dog with grilled onions, peppers, fried potatoes, and mustard, please."
The nice man and woman acknowledged my order, and two minutes later, my dogs were ready. I paid, walked outside, and then retreated into a somewhat scary, secondary structure containing picnic tables sheltered from the outside elements. Roughly five minutes after that, I realized I was indeed sitting in hot dog heaven, because these were two of the most delicious hot dogs I have ever eaten. In terms of this kind of food, this is as pure and perfect as it gets. Tommy's is the real deal. Words can't really do it justice. You just have to experience it first hand.
So here's my tip. Everyone drives past Exit 12 at least a few times a year. Next time you're passing through, drive the two or so miles just past the tollbooth and treat yourself to Tommy's. No one's looking. No one's gonna tell. Go hog wild and gorge yourself on these heavenly links and their even-more-heavenly toppings. (And be sure to bring some Pepsid for the ride home.)
History is being written here. Enjoy it while you still can!
So my co-workers and I were told about this little hole in the wall in Carteret that was supposed to have great hot dogs – we took a chance and shot down the NJ Turnpike for lunch. When we arrived two thoughts immediately popped into my head…first "no way I'm eating in this crap hole" and second, "hey jackass, don't judge a book by its cover."
The place is less than a mile off Exit 12 so we got there pretty quickly, parked across the street and when we step through the door we actually stepped into 1952. I swear, I felt like I was in a movie and we walked into some out of he way roadside shack. Three of the four people working here must have been in their 80s and have probably been running the joint the same way since it opened…and cooking the same way as well. Seriously, there is no cash register and the guy simply writes down the prices of what you ordered and adds them up on paper. It's hard to put into words what this place looked like inside, but suffice it to say that other than the food and soda, nothing was new-I bet some of the photos and signs have been up for 40 years.
While this place sells all kinds of lunch fare, I was here for the hot dogs. I ordered one with chili and one with chili and cheese…but I also got suckered into a sausage sandwich with onion and peppers and a little marinara. After I ordered I looked behind the old guy taking my order to see that they were making their own chili…not from a can, they were cooking the ground beef in a large iron skillet! Are you kidding me? Homemade chili in a little shack like this? When I bit into my first dog and it had that natural casing snap and a hearty chili flavor I knew I was hooked. The second dog with chili and cheese was even better, but the sausage sandwich was just ok – great toppings, but the roll was huge and really overwhelmed the guts of the sandwich.
My co-workers were all in agreement, this place is going into the rotation…even if it IS in Carteret and a 20+ minute drive from work. 4.5 stars, pretty much because of my sausage sandwich-good but not great. Maybe my next trip will bump it up to five stars! These dogs were THAT good!!
FYI…cash only.