We have some great hot dog places in the Capital District, with Hot Dog Charlie’s and Gus’s being the best of the batch.
There’s another place, though, that if they ever came to our area, I would forsake those other hot dog places in a heartbeat.
That place is Yocco’s Hot Dogs.
Yeah, I know. You’ve never heard of Yocco’s. And for that, your life is not complete.
Background.
About a decade ago, when I was working on a research project, I would get up at 3:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning and drive six hours to Pennsylvania to visit the local libraries and historical societies. Yep. Wake up in Albany, keep driving till you hit Harrisburg. Or Scranton. Or Wilkes-Barre. Or Allentown.
Well, Allentown has a chain of hot dog establishments called Yocco’s Hot Dogs. They offer steamed hot dogs with minced onions, mustard and an awesome chili sauce; that’s their staple. If you’re not into hot dogs, they also provide burgers, cheesesteaks, fish sandwiches and chicken sandwiches as well. The side orders include French fries and pierogi. And if you REALLY crave hot dogs from Yocco’s and you want to share this delectable taste treat with your friends… you can order a “doggie pac,” which contains 12 hot dogs, the buns and the fixin’s. Can’t go wrong with that.
You might not know this, but Yocco’s has a direct tie to the automobile industry. “Yocco” is an abbreviation of “Iaccoca.” Yep, the Iacocca family, the same one where Lee Iacocca was once the President of Chrysler, owns and operates Yocco’s.
So every time I finished my research project trip, if I happened to be in the Allentown / Reading / Hershey area and I wanted a nice tasty hot dog or three, I’d drive to Yocco’s. You walk in, order your food, walk down along the serving counter, and next thing you know your dogs and side orders are ready.
Damn. Thinking about having one right now.
In fact… the next time I travel to Pennsylvania – for any reason – I’m pit-stopping at Yocco’s. First for a sit-down meal… and then for a “doggie pac” to bring home and enjoy at a later time.
Or maybe I’ll use the “doggie pac” to compare Yocco’s to Hot Dog Charlie’s fine food.
Yeah… maybe I’ll do that.
Yum.
Chuck The Writer 