Going 'All the Way' with Burgers at The Hot Grill in Clifton, New Jersey
Posted by Nick Solares, September 29, 2009 at 10:30 AM
The Hot Grill
669 Lexington Ave, Clifton, NJ 07011; map); 973-772-6000; hotgrill.org
Cooking Method: Griddled
Short Order: Hamburgers are made fresh everyday, but the patties are wafer thin and need to be doubled up, or better yet served "all the way."
Want Fries with That? Sure; get them "all the way" as well for a goopy treat.
Price: Hamburger, $2.05; cheeseburger, $2.30
The Hot Grill dates back to 1961 and is best known as a purveyor of Texas Weiners, a unique method of dog preparation that has nothing to do with with Texas, but rather has its roots in Paterson, New Jersey. As Serious Eats' Hawk Krall recently illustrated, a Texas Weiner is a deep fried hot dog served with Greek sauce—"a smooth, slow cooked meat sauce spiced with cayenne, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and cumin," while getting it "all the way" adds on mustard and diced onions. The Texas Weiner is seemingly the raison d'être of The Hot Grill, as a large hot dog dominates the restaurant's sign and the tag line listed underneath claims that they serve the "World's Tastiest Weiners." But they also serve hamburgers that are fresh made in-house daily. Can they stand up to the legendary dogs?
Lately, I have been eating my hamburgers plain without condiments or cheese—at least, if that is offered on the menu. I won't deconstruct a burger that is only offered in a specific way, but, as a reviewer, I want to see what is going on between the buns. This method of consumption ruthlessly reveals substandard ingredients, but at the same time, when everything is right, the simplicity can breed perfection.
Tagged: AHT reviews, New Jersey, reviews, The Hot Grill, tiny hamburgers
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