Nathan's - a New York City Tradition
Written: Jan 22 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Quality and taste of food
Cons: Price
The Bottom Line: If you have an extra couple of bucks in your wallet, consider spending them at Nathan's.
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| net100k's Full Review: Nathan's Famous |
Anyone who lives or has lived in the New York City metro area knows how good a Nathan's hot dog is. It's almost a right rather than a privilege to enjoy Nathan's Famous dogs. Luckily for the rest of the country, Nathan's has opened retail outlets in heavily traveled areas such as airports, malls, and toll road service areas.
Menu
The menu widely varies from location to location. For example, the majority of the outlets that one finds roadside sell only dogs and fries as well as some chicken sandwiches. At other locations, mainly those in malls, you'll be able to find foods from other outlets of Nathan's parent company - Arthur Treacher's fish as well as Kenny Rogers' chicken. Other foods you might find include standard hamburgers, chicken wings, and a variety of fast-food desserts.
Taste/Quality
Going to Nathan's and not buying a hot dog is like going to a steakhouse and ordering fish. It'll taste OK but certainly not as good as the signature dish. The hot dogs are seasoned to perfection, with just enough garlic and spices. It really doesn't taste like a lot of the other premium hot dog brands such as Boar's Head or Sabrett. It's a good, unique flavor that fits a hot dog. The french fries are also excellent... a thick cut with ridges. Just the right combination of oil and salt. Oftentimes if I find myself in the mall for lunch I will go out of my way to order the fries from Nathan's, substituting them when I eat McDonalds. They are more expensive but they're just that good.
Price/Value
This is where Nathan's gets knocked down a star. While the food is really good, it's also very expensive, which is the reason why the lines are oftentimes short there. Typically a hot dog, a small order of fries, and a small drink will set you back $4.50. That's a lot of money for the "small" size. Again, the menus vary from location to location but the prices for small combos are usually no less than $4.50 for a single hot dog and the large combos can go up to $8.00 for chicken. Yeah, the food is good but it really isn't that good. A better choice might be the packages of 8 hot dogs that are available in grocery stores. You can sang a package of these on sale for $2.50. In the NYC area, they are pretty easy to get, I really am not familiar with how accessible they are elsewhere.
Cleanliness
I've never been to a standalone Nathan's - all the ones I have visited have been in malls or rest areas. Therefore, I really can't judge how clean the dining room is since that's not Nathan's responsibility. I am able to judge the kitchen since most cooking is done right in front of the customer, unlike a lot of other fast food restaurants. That area is very clean.
Overall
If one could say there was a gourmet fast food restaurant, one trying to appeal to customers with money to spend, then Nathan's would be that chain. The food really is that good, but you'll pay for the right to enjoy one of their fine hot dogs.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
net100k
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Member: Michael Sullivan
Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 1 member
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