REVIEW
More than one hot-dog-loving food writer has proclaimed Walter’s Hot Dogs as the source of America’s finest hot dogs. While that assessment is certainly open to debate, less debatable is the assertion that Walter’s is America’s finest hot dog stand. For sure, there is none other even remotely similar to the early 1900s weathered-green copper-crowned pagoda building with lanterns at each corner. It’s a beauty, alright, and it’s been declared a national landmark to boot.
Walter’s elegant little dogs come neatly wrapped in paper.
Walter Warrington built this hot dog stand in 1928; his son Eugene is now in charge. It was Walter who came up with this particular dog recipe, which includes beef, pork, and veal. These demure dogs are almost completely split open, leaving just a skin hinge along one edge. They are cooked on a griddle, cut surfaces down, that’s been lubricated with “butter-flavored” oil. We don’t know what that means but it is said to be responsible for much of the unique taste of a Walter’s dog.
The dogs are split and then placed on the oiled grill cut-side down to brown nicely.
The dogs are bunned splayed open and dressed, if you wish (and you do!) with Walter’s own beige mustard dotted with flecks of pickle relish. No other toppings are available except the mustard sans relish and ketchup. It’s a neat package. The hot dogs are not in the least bit juicy. This is an iconoclastic frank that could almost be called elegant, suitable for ingesting while wearing white gloves, a hot dog that hot dog frowners could appreciate.
These are called Potato Puffs, which the menu describes as “Buttery, mashed potato bites with a crispy outer shell, 6 per order (We recommend dipping these in our mustard).” Not bad but we’ll go with fries next time.
There are fries and their variations, drinks, and made-here ice cream and Italian ices, and shakes made from that ice cream. That’s pretty much it, and nothing else is required.
There’s a pretty little dining area alongside the pagoda. No inside dining.
Sue grew up in this area and remembers when folks would take their paper sacks across the street to dine while sitting along the stone wall. Then the party poopers in charge modified that wall with angular shards of stone along the top ridge. So much for dining facilities. Today, Walter’s boasts a very pleasant little bucolic grove with picnic tables for enjoying your franks and shakes.
At first glance, Walter’s sign looks like it might be spelled out in bamboo, in keeping with the Asian theme. On closer inspection, however …
Walter’s has a truck that shows up at public events in the area, and two branches are scheduled to open, in White Plains, NY and Stamford, CT, later in 2017.
… Walter’s is spelled out in hot dogs!
Look for the Walter’s truck at events in and around Mamaroneck.
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