With colder weather setting in, we, as a family, tend not to venture out of doors nearly as much as we do in the warmer months. The older kids don’t mind so much, but Little Miss gets “cabin fever” quicker than the rest of us. Thankfully, she was invited to a birthday party one recent, chilly Sunday out at Pump it Up in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts.
Rather than sit and watch 40 plus five and six year olds blow off steam for 2 hours, I dropped off Little Miss, said hello to the hosts and cruised down route 9 about ten miles to an iconic hot dog joint I’ve been meaning to get to: George’s Coney Island at 158 Southbridge Street in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts.
George’s has been in business since 1918- that’s 92 years! George Tsagarelis and his wife Catherine moved into the current location in 1929 and the place has been open every day (except Christmas and Thanksgiving) ever since. Click here for a detailed history of this landmark hot dog establishment.
One thing that has been a staple of George’s Coney Island over the years is the fast friendly service you can expect to receive. Today was no exception and three out of the five lovely ladies working today agreed to share their smiles with the readers of Hot Dog Stories.
This place is one of those time capsule types of places that are becoming increasingly rare. I can’t imagine a photo taken from the same spot in the restaurant 90 years ago would look much different (other than the black and white image).
The wooden booths with metal edged, art deco style tables are reminiscent of the 1920’s. Note the carved in graffiti on the walls of the booth. Nearly every wooden surface has graffiti carved into it by generations of patrons. I’d have added my own graffiti, but I had no pen knife with me today.
The jukebox is art deco style, but digital. The fact that the place has a jukebox at all in the “ipod generation” speaks to the values of the ownership.
They have tee shirts, hats, coffee mugs and other souvenirs for sale- if you own an iconic establishment, you might as well cash in!
Looks like there’s some Coney Island Sauce cooking in the pot!
The menu is pretty basic. Hot dogs are the featured item, but you can get burgers, grilled cheese and other assorted sandwiches too. They have a full line of soft drinks, including Moxie and Cream Soda which are normally my drink of choice with a hot dog.
I say “normally” because most hot dog joints around here don’t have a FULL BAR in an adjoining room. YOU CAN GET A BEER WITH YOUR HOT DOGS AT GEORGE’S!!!!!!
I surveyed the menu, but I knew I was here for Coney Island Dogs- at $1.50 apiece they are a bargain!
They grill up a small Kayem, natural casing frank on a standard hot dog roll at George’s.
I ordered three “up,” that’s a hot dog, mustard onions, and heaps of Coney Island Sauce. I also got a bottle of beer. My order came to a WHOPPING $7.92! That’s less than I pay for just a bottle of beer in some hoity toity bars!
Now THIS is what I call a lunch!
Time to CHOW DOWN!
These were yummy! The Coney Island sauce isn’t spicy- it’s hearty with a hint of celery salt. This is a hot dog’s hot dog! They were so good, I ordered two more for “dessert.”
And then I CHOWED DOWN AGAIN!
Whether you eat there for the atmosphere, the food, or you want to be cool and say you’ve eaten at one of Esquire Magazine’s Best Restaurants for Men (what man wouldn’t love hot dogs and beer for a meal), George’s Coney Island is a hot dog lover’s must eat establishment!
FIVE Hot Dogs AND a Beer for eleven bucks is quite a value, any way you slice it; when the food is this damn good, how good it be anything but TWO THUMBS WAY UP from the Hotdogman!!!!
If you’re not near Worcester, GET THERE! Go to George’s Coney Island and tell the gals behind the counter, “the Hotdogman sent me!”
About hotdogman
Had 4 dogs there today for lunch…love this place…!
Rob, the only thing that pisses me off is that you were at Coney's without me. Man you gotta call me if you're out this way. I'll drop everything to hook up at Coney's. I've been going here since 1981. My kids love it, I bring everyone to George's. This is a classic joint.
Thanks for posting this one!
Craigo