Rod’s Grill – National Hot Dog Month Day 19

rod's grillRod’s Grill at 6 Washington Street in Warren Rhode Island has been a local icon since 1955. This is a 4th generation business that’s consistently served up Rhode Island’s favorite Hot Wieners (don’t call it a hot dog) for years. My blogging pal, Drew Bennett from the Benspark Blog, suggested this place after a friend of his from Warren snapped some photos of her lunch at Rod’s Grill. Since it was his idea, I swung by and we headed down 195 to Warren.

The place did NOT disappoint! Rod’s Grill is an old school, family run diner that’s won awards for Best Lunch Counter, Best of Rhode Island’s Best Weiners in the East Bay, Rhode Island Monthly’s Cheap Eats, and many more. They sell burgers, fries, Angus steak sandwiches, and hot wieners.

Rod’s Grill Sells Hot Wieners with Hot Wiener Sauce

The house specialty is a hot wiener with hot wiener sauce, mustard, onions, and celery salt. Rod’s Grill uses Marcello’s brand wieners. Hot Wiener sauce is Rhode Island’s name tag for a spicy hamburger sauce put on hot dogs. In other parts of the country (including right across the border in Massachusetts), folks would call it Coney Island Sauce. Whatever you want to call it, I call it delicious!

The place has what Drew called a very “welcoming feel” to it, as do most multi-generation run diners I’ve visited. There’s something about Rod’s Grill that gives you what Kathryn Tsandikos, owner of George’s Coney Island in Worcester, calls ” a sense of familiarity and stability in a changing world. ”

We had a great visit with the Rodriguez family and their extended family of workers, some of whom have been there more than 20 years. We had a lot of fun, and the hot dogs Hot Wieners were yummy!

Enjoy the video.

I shoot Hot Dog Stories with a Kodak Zi8 camera with an Audio Technica ATR288W VHF Battery-Powered TwinMic Microphone System, a Flip Ultra HD camera, and a 60″tripod. I edit with Cyberlink PowerDirector 11 Ultimate. I will also take some stills with my new Canon EOS Rebel Camera.

About hotdogman

I enjoy traveling and eating hot dogs wherever I am. I like to sample the local variations of America's favorite encased meat and discovering the stories behind the hot dog, the vendor, and the regional preferences. I also write about How to Start a Hot Dog Business, The Hot Dog Truck, The Shark Tank, and I have a personal blog, RobMerlinodotCom

Comments

  1. Beth Diomede says

    I am a Warren native and have since moved to NJ when I got married. Rod’s was a special place for me and my dad when I was younger. It was our time! Now, almost every trip my husband and I take up to RI, we stop by Rod’s! We have tried to find something down here that comes close, but NOTHING beats going into Rod’s and ordering four wieners with the works for me and my husband!

  2. john fox says

    Curious about the brand of frank served here. Do you know?

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