Johnny & Hanges - Fair Lawn, NJ

 

WHERE:
Johnny & Hanges
23-20 Maple Ave, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
(201) 791-9060

HOURS:
11:00am-8pm
7 days

I stop by my friend's house (Sister Norah Clarke) every so often to say "hi" and discuss what's new in the world, and on the way, I'll stop at Johnny & Hanges near her home and pick up an assortment of hot dogs, fries and burgers for us to enjoy.
Johnny & Hanges first opened on July 4th, 1939 (the same day Lou Gerhig gave his famous "farewell" speech at Yankee Stadium). One day, while chatting it up with the old-timers working the counter, we got onto the subject of Lou Gerhig and the Yankees and I was told that Babe Ruth frequented their original Paterson store eating a dozen or more hot dogs per visit (the "Babe" was a huge lover of hot dogs so I'd like to believe this is true).
Johnny & Hange's original location was on River Street in Paterson and later moved to it's current location in Fair Lawn.
Johnny Scovish & Angelo "Hange" Mariano were the men who started it all.
Being of Italian descent, I remember how my elders would pronounce the letter "A" as an "H", hence, Angelo would be Hangelo, (Han-gelo) or the shortened "Ange" would be "Hange". For some decades now, new generations have been pronouncing it "Hangs" or "Hang-ies."
For me, it will always remain, Johnny and Hanges, pronounced; "Han-gies". Either way, I have to hand it to these two guys for making "Texas Weiners" in 1939 when at the time, no one in Texas ever heard of such a thing.
These deep fried Thumann's hot dogs, covered with their Texas chili (no beans) are simply the best. Babe knew it, and now you do too.