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About Me

No-Bull Burger Purist, born and raised in NJ, the heart of the tri-state area and home to the oldest (and best) burger joints in the country. I don't need all the frilly toppings, happy servers or trendy decor, just a good burger...

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

1950's Originals - Westwood, NJ

 



Where: 
1950 Originals
325 Broadway, Westwood, NJ 07675
(201) 275-0622

What?
Cheeseburger & Hot Honey Pimento Cheese Dog



I had such high hopes :(

What can I say, after a tip from my daughter, I was stoked on visiting 1950's Originals, but my excitment quickly faded once I arrived.

I was asking the staff about the burgers and what type of meat was used... was it 80/20 chuck? or was it a delicious blend? Perhaps chuck, brisket & short rib? I was answered with a long silence. Yup, open mouths and crickets. No one knew what type of meat they were serving. Then, a young woman spoke up and said: "yeah, it's a blend, I don't know what kind, but it's a blend".  Okay, long story short, the burger was between 3 and 4 ounces and not very hot at all, I'm sorry, but a hot freshly made quarter pounder with cheese at Mickey D's would have been better. I'm hoping this has something to do with them being a new-ish business because the place is cool inside and the staff is very pleasant. 

The hot dog... Well, here is the story regarding their Thumann's "Original" hotdog recipe:
What is the 49FIFTY Bag?

The 49FIFTY Bag was made for 1950 Originals exclusively by Thumann’s. We offer two varieties: Original (pork & beef) and Signature (100% beef). 

The name “49FIFTY” combines two important years: 1949 and 1950. In 1949, Thumann’s was
founded by Henry Thumann and his American dream was born. Henry had recipes that he created from scratch! Our proprietary Original & Signature hotdogs are true reflections of the first treasured recipes created by Henry Thumann and the standards of excellence he demanded, that are still followed today at their facility in Carlstadt, NJ.

That being said, the hotdog was just okay for me. Don't get me wrong, it tasted good, definitely a different taste than Thumann's regular dogs, yet nothing distinct enough to create a lasting memory. And the hotdog along with the cold pimento cheese topping was just not happening for me.

I think everyone should try 1950's Originals to see for yourself, and I truly hope you like it and I just hit them on an off day. I'm definitely going to try them again.














Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Cheesesteak Louie's - Seaside Heights, NJ


Where: 
Cheesesteak Louie's
22 Boulevard, Seaside Heights, NJ 08751
(732) 250-2773
https://www.cheesesteaklouies.com

Hours:
Open 7 Days a Week
Mon-Sat 11am to 11pm
Sun - 11am to 8pm

What:
Louie's Original (slightly modified)
Steak, fried onions, Cooper Sharp American, seeded roll.

I've been reading so many good things about Cheesesteak Louie's that during a recent visit to my Aunt's home in Toms River, I made a slight deviation to Seaside Heights to check them out.

I've eaten at the other neighborhood cheesesteak joints in Seaside Heights (IYKYK), but they don't come close to Louie's. The hype is real, and the cheesesteaks are to die for. 

Since this was our first visit to Louie's, my wife and I decided that ordering the "Louie Original" was the best way to see what Louie's had to offer. We ordered our cheesesteaks along with an order of Tots, poured our soda's (with "unlimited refills") and took a seat. 
As the sandwiches approached our table, we could smell the beefy goodness coming from under the foil wrap. Steam billowed out of the foil as I began to unwrap it; the sandwiches were served so piping hot we had to blow on them just to get a few bites in - and they stayed hot well into the second half - fantastic. The aroma alone had me salivating; the Cooper Sharp was ample, and the onions were done exactly right (not mushy). 

Also, I can't say enough good about the staff, it has been quite a long time since we have experienced such a nice, helpful, wait staff. 

Unfortunately, the better the food, the shorter my reviews are, but when the food is this good, there is nothing to critique, and only praise to be given, so reviews can get a bit repetitive and boring. Take a look at my photos and get down to Louie's as soon as you can, you'll be happy you did.














Friday, November 10, 2023

LOS POCKETS, Elmwood Park, NJ


Where: LOS POCKETS
238 B Market St, Elmwood Park, NJ
Tel: 201-300-6199

HOURS:
Mon-Sat 8:30am-4pm
Sunday - Closed

What?
Hot Pockets, that's what, and stuffed with all types of savory and sweet ingredients.
This little shop in Bergen county was opened by husband and wife Juan and Eugenia Perez about a year ago and I've slowly been seeing mentions of it on all types of social media outlets. If you Google their name you'll see mostly 5 star reviews with a 4.5 thrown in every so often. With an early track record like this, I had to check it out, and I wasn't disappointed, in fact, I was blown away.
Annie and Melissa were working the day I visited and they couldn't be nicer or more accommodating. I, ordered from the overhead menu thinking I'll be out of here and tasting my hot pocket in my truck in a matter of 5 mins. Nope. After I ordered I was very politely asked if I would mind waiting 8 to 10 minutes as each Pocket is made fresh to order.
This stopped me in my tracks. I said: "you mean you stuff the fresh dough with the ingredients for each and every order you receive"? Annie said: "Yes, that's how we do it". Needless to say I was as surprised as I was happy to hear it and I very happily waited. And after I tried my ham and cheese pocket I wouldn't have minded waiting longer, it was that good. BTW, no deep-frying here.
I'm sorry I don't have great photos, but this was one instance where the food had to come before the documentation.
The homemade sliced-steak cheesesteak pocket was also to-die-for, with it's tender meat, onions and peppers and an ample slurry of cheesy goodness. Not much else to say when the food is this good. Get out to Elmwood Park and sample a few flavors, you'll be back, I guarantee it.
By the way, the savory pockets are made with a light pizza dough where the breakfast and sweet pockets are make with a pastry dough. Annie and Melissa told me to watch for new flavors in the near future so I'm passing that on to you. I'm trying the spicy chicken on my next visit!


Best of luck to the Los Pockets family!













Sisters, Annie (L) and Melissa (R)





Cheesesteak Pocket














Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Zalim Hot Chicken & Burgers

 



Where:

Zalim Hot Chicken & Burgers

Tel: 201-408-4449

HOURS: Mon-Sun 11am-10pm

3 E Palisades Ave, Englewood, NJ 07631

zalimfoods@gmail.com

 

What I ate:

Nashville:

Buttermilk crispy fried chicken, pickles, coleslaw, chipotle aioli on a brioche bun.

 

Double Smash:

Two 2.5 oz patties, American cheese, griddled onions, pickles, and smash sauce on a potato bun.

 

The word "Zalim" translated into English means, "cruel" which adds some sense to their slogan (sort of) - "Don't be Zalim, just eat ZALIM! 

 

This is a chicken & burger joint with a slight Turkish influence which shows up in their spice levels, nakedmildmediumhot, & zalim. I tested the waters by ordering the mild sauce on my Nashville chicken and it was about the same heat level as Franks hot sauce which is perfect for me. The chicken was in reality a giant chicken tender which was as juicy as it was tender - excellent stuff here. Although my bun was toasted a bit too much, it didn't interfere with the overall flavor of the sandwich. Again, excellent. I can't wait to order another.

 

On to the burger... 

At first seeing the size of the burgers 2.5 or 3.5 oz, I thought I'd be going home hungry. The burger patties looked way too thin and well done, which in my opinion they were, however, it all worked. It was so good in fact, that I found myself not being able to put it down. And despite my first impression that it would be too small to fill me, double smash burger actually had me slowing down before I finished it.  I was impressed. The potato bun is not like others I'm used to, if a burger bun could be described as "spectacular", this one was. The smash sauce, pickles and grilled onions were all layered in perfect harmony.  Loved it!

 

Check out the photos, some are better than others, but you'll get the idea. I'll be eating at Zalim again next week, and probably once every week from now on.  If you haven't been to Zalim, you're missing out on a hidden gem right in the heart of Englewood.

 

My "overall" experience was a 10 out of 10.

 

PS...

After speaking to some other patrons eating alongside me, I discovered the Honey Butter chicken is the sandwich to get. It's buttermilk crispy fried chicken dipped in honey butter and cheddar cheese. I can't believe that slipped by me.