The Hot Dog Haven: Uncovering Fall River’s Best Frankfurter Joints

Top Fall River-Area Restaurants to Satisfy Your Hot Dog Cravings on National Hot Dog Day

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July 19, 2023

Today is National Hot Dog Day, a day of celebration for hot dog enthusiasts across the country. In Fall River, Massachusetts, there is no shortage of delicious hot dog joints that have built a reputation for serving up mouthwatering franks with their own unique flair. From long-standing establishments to hidden gems, the Fall River area has plenty of options to satisfy your hot dog cravings. In honor of this food holiday, here is a roundup of a few local places to visit for your hot dog fix.

Nick’s Hot Dogs

Nick’s Hot Dogs, located at 534 S. Main St., is a legendary spot in Fall River. Being the city’s longest-running hot dog place, it has attracted numerous well-known customers throughout the years, including the likes of the Three Stooges, President Bill Clinton, Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, and Jackie Gleason. What sets Nick’s hot dogs apart is the combination of steamed buns, grilled hot dogs, and their signature Coney Island sauce, which is made fresh every day and topped with freshly-chopped onions. The sauce is what truly makes the hot dogs unique, with its hearty flavor and consistency that distinguishes it from regular chili con carne. The recipe for Nick’s Original Coney Island Hot Dog Sauce is a closely guarded secret, but they do sell packets of spice mixes for those who want to try and replicate it at home.

JJ’s Coney Island Hot Dogs

Next on the list is J.J.’s Coney Island Hot Dogs, located diagonally across the street from Nick’s at 571 S. Main St. While every hot dog joint has its own unique sauce, J.J.’s Coney Island sauce has a Portuguese twist, with spices that may be familiar to Portuguese cooks. In fact, both J.J.’s and Nick’s Coney Island sauce garnered national recognition in 2013 when James Beard Award-winning food writers Jane and Michael Stern featured Fall River’s restaurants in an article in Saveur magazine.

Faneek’s Coney Island

Faneek’s, located at 269 Rhode Island Ave., is an over-five-decade-old institution in Fall River. Known for its meaty, chili-accented Coney Island sauce, Faneek’s hot dogs are cooked on a flat-top grill and topped with their closely guarded secret sauce. In addition to their delicious hot dogs, Faneek’s is also famous for “The Rolle,” a wonton-wrapped deep-fried creation filled with various sweet and savory offerings, including a hot dog with Coney sauce, mustard, and onions. This classic Fall River establishment was even featured on the Phantom Gourmet for their “works” dog, which includes the Coney sauce along with mustard and onion.

Roger’s Coney Island Hot Dogs

Roger’s Coney Island Hot Dogs, located at 1518 N. Main St., offers not just ordinary hot dogs, but a variety of unique options to satisfy your cravings. Alongside their steamed buns and secret, freshly made Coney Island sauce, they offer menu items such as the cheese dog, slaw dog, Fiesta Dog, and Buffalo Dog. This restaurant has been a part of the community for decades and has become a beloved spot for locals.

County Fare

Located at 937 County St. in Somerset, County Fare is a place where every day is a day to celebrate hot dogs. In addition to the classic Coney Island, they offer creative topping combinations such as the Chouriço Dog, Pizza Dog, Hawaiian Dog, Mac and Cheese Dog, and Sauerkraut Dog. Their recent specials have included the tantalizing Candied Squealer, topped with queso, candied jalapeños, and bacon. For those looking to take the celebration home, County Fare also offers a cookout kit during the summer, complete with 25 hot dogs and all the fixings.

TNT Coney Island

TNT Coney Island, located in Somerset at 1242 Wilbur Ave., is a hot dog lover’s paradise. Alongside their classic Coney sauce, they offer menu highlights such as the Taco Dog, the Texan Dog topped with Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, and their famous Boomin Chili Cheese Dog. If hot dogs aren’t your thing, they also serve burgers and loaded fries, with new additions to the menu like Taco Fries. They even have summer party platters available for all your cookout needs.

Max’s

If you find yourself in North Dartmouth, Max’s at 405 State Road has you covered. They offer both steamed and grilled hot dogs, and their combo deal of six steamed hot dogs, a basket of hand-cut fries, and two drinks is perfect for sharing. For those who want to celebrate National Hot Dog Day but prefer a different twist, Max’s also offers a linguiça dog on their menu.

On this National Hot Dog Day, Fall River-area residents have plenty of options to choose from to satisfy their hot dog cravings. These local spots offer a variety of flavors, toppings, and unique sauces, ensuring that there is something for every hot dog enthusiast in the area.

So grab your appetite and head to one of these Fall River hot dog joints to celebrate National Hot Dog Day in style.