The National Hot Dog Month Tour’s 23rd stop was Hot Dog Annie’s in Leicester, MA. This iconic little shack has been serving up hot dogs in this Worcester area community for 63 years. Now on it’s 3rd or 4th owner, the place doesn’t appear to have changed much. The current owner, one of the crew’s sister, has owned the place for a little over twenty years. I had some difficulty getting information from the crew who was working today (there was a bit of a mutual comprehension barrier), so I am going on what I have been told.
One thing I do know is this place has legions of fans that span generations. Everywhere I go, people ask me if I have ever been to Hot Dog Annie’s. I was very early and it was a drizzly morning. The owner was not present, but her sister was, and she told me everything she knew about the place, which, admittedly, was not much.
Hot Dog Annie’s doesn’t have a website or proper Facebook page. I found it somewhat ironic that they do provide free WiFi for their patrons.
The menu is pretty simple and straightforward: hot dogs, burgers, chips, and drinks.
They even have their own house brand of Root Beer and Cream Soda.
They serve up a 1/10th pound, grilled dog on a grilled bun at Hot Dog Annie’s. They have the four staple condiments: mustard, relish, onions, and that red kid’s stuff. The real attraction is the barbecue sauce. Everyone raves about it.
I ordered up one with barbecue sauce and onions. Drew got mustard and onions. We grabbed our dogs and…..
…well, you get the idea!
The barbecue sauce was awesome! It was sweet and savory and tangy and just plain old yummy! I can see why people rave about it. When I asked how they made it, the ladies (who were very camera shy) practically tore my head off!
Enjoy today’s video.
HAPPY NATIONAL HOT DOG MONTH!!!!
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and…
Love this place. You need to include the Art Braddish hot dog stand in North
Grafton, on rt. 140, on your list of stops. The place has been there forever and completely unchanged.
You will be pleased.
I will put it on the list- it’s seasonal I believe, so I better hurry for 2012. Someone recommended that place at Annie’s.
It’s a shame the current owner does’t know anything about the original owner, because her husband purchased the business from Ilura Fyffe, sole proprietor of the business. She created the special bar b cue
sauce and it continues to be unique to Hot Dog Annies AKA the Silver Grille. I am the grand niece to this owner and worked at the “Stand” as we used to call it, for about 8 years. I saved money to go to college from that little job. My family, Great Aunt, Grandmother, Mother, and aunts all worked there like a right of passage.
I believe the business started in the late 1940’s with the original building burning to the ground in or about 1973. The current building was transported from Webster, MA. That second place of business never really
caught on like the Leicester location. I hope readers will benefit by the little history of this still thriving
hot dog eatery.
The 2 ladies that started the place was also my family. As my grandfather told me it was his mom and ger sister or her aunt started a hotdog stand then it became what it is today. Our family also bought up the land around there and built our st patrick’s drive about 100 yards down the hill. Just glad to see theres still family out there reminding people about our families roll in leicester. And our families great sauce. Oh yeah. When your grandmother sold she never sold the recipe 😆 now thats the best part. Close but not it
The original 2 women that started the place was my great grand mother and her sister. Any questions please contact me anytime. Thank your family for mine for keeping the place alive. Thank u
I can remember when the dogs where 8 for a $1.00, and I could eat them.
I remember years ago coming home from the Big E and stopping here to eat. Most of my money was spent but we still had a decision how to wisely spend our $1.35. We could have 8 hot dogs and split a soda or 2 hot dogs and 2 sodas. We decided to pig out on the 8 dogs.
The newest owner Ann has owned it for like 20 years. She owned an Orange Julius in the Worcester Center before that! Wonderful person! Nothing but barbecue for me! eat there on the way to work maybe once a month. I don’t think I know anyone who does not know of Hot dog Annie’s. Around here we have the Hot Dog Annie’s (Leicester)…Coney Island ( Worcester ) wars all the time. I grew up in the city on Coney Island… Love them both but cant beat that barbecue.
I love Hot Dog Annie’s. It’s a fun destination. Glad to learn a little more about it. There is also Long Island Hot Dog in the plaza at Webster Square, Worcester, MA., and Coney Island Hot Dog near the library in Worcester. All have such character and good hot dogs.
Before the newest owner took over, there was always a very long line going out the door. Now they dont have nearly the amount of people. They are too expensive now.
Hot Dog Annie’s has to be older than 63!! One of my oldest memories is eating hot dogs there with my parents around 3 or 4 years old and I’ll be seventy in a few months!! My father who was a chef spent hours trying to duplicate the BBQ sauce!! He would scrape it off the dog then inspect it and tasting it to figure out the ingredients!! Then he would go over to the market(which our family owned) pick up some supplies, come back home and whip up a batch but he never got it just right! When I was in High School, Hot Dog Annie’s price for a dog was twenty five cents!! I still go there whenever I’m in the neighborhood!!
How can you go to Hot Dog Annie’s and only eat one? You gotta have at least 4! Wednesday is the day you wanna go. That is the day you can get 4 for a discounted price. Used to be 4 for a buck when I was a kid. When ever I am remotely close to HDA’s, I go! Coney Island on Southbridge street in Worc is also amazing.
Annies was a family favorite growing up. My earliest rcolletions go back to about 5 or 6 years old. I was born 2 years after Annies opened.Annie and her sister lived in the back of the kitchen. Back then the Wednesday nite special was 8 dogs for $1.00. Other then drinks the menu isthe same.