REVIEW OF THE DOG BAR IN EDGEWATER

From the moment I saw their full page back cover ad in the Bergen News I knew I had to try the Dog Bar. I admit, I'm a fool for advertising and without question, they hooked me with their logo. Of course, marrying the words "hot dogs" and "beer" doesn't hurt either. So today I decided to take a trip down the hill to Edgewater with my hot dog afficianado 8 year old son to see if The Dog Bar was as cool as its logo implied. 


Admittedly, I had trouble finding it, and ended up taking an unintended mini-tour of old downtown Edgewater. I can't tell you the last time I was on Old River Road, and it startled me to see that the once vibrant Edgewater artery had turned into a dead-ended pass through, but there were some really cool places I made a mental checklist to come back to visit. (Especially a cute trattoria "Mangia.") 


In my effort to get back onto River Road, I also took a tour of old Cliffside Park and my heart leapt for joy when I saw that "Gill's" was still alive and well. (If you have to ask what "Gill's" is, then you never went to a true neighborhood corner bar. From 1983-1991 I made more deals with God from the amonia-scented bathroom of Gill's that I would swear-off drinking if I could just make it through the door to go home than any other place I ever frequented.)


So after we made the loop from Gorge Road up to Cliffside Park to turn around and go back down Gorge Road to River Road we angled the mini-van into the parking lot of the Dog Bar. The Dog Bar is an outdoor tiki bar lined with padded wooden stools with a beer tap and a chalkboard menu. We happened to be the only ones there, and the man behind the bar stood up to greet us. My 8 year old loved the idea of sitting at an outdoor bar and with flip-flop feet dangling he ordered a hot dog and a Coke. I said, "Make that two." The man behind the counter gave us our Cokes and went to put our order in. The menu is simple: hot dogs, french fries, burgers, cheeseburgers. Sauerkraut & relish are free. There's beer and some specialty drinks, but that's about it.  I imagine this place is hopping at night and I plan to go back to see. 


I'm happy to say that next to Hiram's, these hot dogs were the best I've ever tasted. I'm going out on a culinary limb, but I'm guessing that the dogs were deep fried in oil with a possible beer infusion. The buns were ever so lightly toasted. I had sauerkraut on my dog and it was fresh and moist and lighlty warmed, but not steaming hot which was perfect. We didn't order the fries and I'm glad because that one hot dog was filling enough. But don't take it from me, take it from my son who heartily gave the Dog Bar 2 enthusiastic thumbs up.  It is definitely worth visiting. In fact, it's a great summer place to hang out and forget all that ails you. I encourage you to give it a try! It was the best $8 I've spent in a long time!