REVIEW

Newburgh is a small city, population 29,000, on the western bank of the Hudson River, almost an hour-and-a-half north of New York City. It’s also one of the most violent, gang-infested cities in the country. But don’t let that stop you from paying a breakfast or lunch visit to Tony’s Newburgh Lunch. It’s just a short hop off the New York State Thruway, and this short shopping stretch along Broadway is not threatening in the least. Tony’s is an ideal way station for travelers headed north.

We highly recommend the Tom Tom Patty Melt, which is like a grilled cheese sandwich supplemented with a chopped burger and chile sauce.

The weiner chef practices his craft in the front window, per old-school dog house custom. When you enter, you’ll find a row of built-in stools at a long counter to your left, and a row of tables against the photo-plastered wall to the right. Add in the TV and that’s all there is to the joint.

Sizzling dogs in the front window is traditional, a way to draw customers inside.

The twin stars of the lunch menu are the Texas Hot Weiners and the Tom Tom Patty Melt. The weiners, like almost all such hot dogs, are not stellar sausages, but when dressed to the hilt with mustard, Texas Sauce (also sold by the jar as Chile Sauce, we’re guessing without the ground beef), and chopped raw onions, they are things of beauty. The sauce is semi-translucent, sparsely speckled with meat gravel, and not at all scorching. Look around the place and you’ll see groups of guys downing a standard allotment of four dogs apiece. You, of course, are free to down just a pair if you’d like to also sample the Tom Tom.

They’ll put a spill of Texas Sauce on whatever you want, like this cheeseburger.

The Tom Tom Patty Melt is a beautifully buttered and toasted grilled cheese with a chopped up burger and some Texas Sauce enclosed between the bread slices with the cheese. As with the weiners, the whole is much greater than the sum of the parts. Future visits will always include at least one Tom Tom.

Ask and ye shall receive: an extra dish of Texas Sauce for applying as needed, or for a swipe of French fry or onion ring.

There are pretty standard French fries, quite good onion rings, tuna sandwiches and BLTs, and not a whole lot else, except breakfast. We haven’t yet sampled any breakfast items but have our eyes on a dog & cheese omelette with Texas Sauce. Now that sounds like an eye opener!

The o-rings are quite good.

LAF TRAK: 

FOOD: 

BEST THING TO EAT: Texas Hot Weiner