Meea's-Closed

Meea's
1734 Colorado Blvd
Los Angeles
323-285-4850

After going to Monte 52, based on the review in the Eastsider LA, I read more reviews on Valentina Silva's blog, Eastside Food Bites and found her review of Meea's, a hot dog place in Eagle Rock.  It's across the street from the Blue Hen, a Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant, that I reviewed in 2006, and is still open.

So I went to Meea's, after having the hot dog at Schreiner's Fine Sausage, and being underwhelmed.  If you blink you'll miss Meea's when driving on Colorado Blvd.  Look for the Taco Bell and next door is Meea's.  A small area with only outdoor patio seating, Meea's has been open for about a year.

If you're looking for authentic hot dogs from other cities like Chicago or New York.  No Vienna beef  or Sabrett's hot dogs on the menu.  Meea's has their own all beef hot dog and that hot dog is in every hot dog on the menu.  They do have a veggie and turkey hot dog too.

Hot dog with yellow mustard and raw onions, $3.22. The hot dog was grilled, had good flavor, spices and juicy.  It was very good.  But, the bun overwhelmed the hot dog.  While the bun was nice and soft, with good texture,  it was just too big for the hot dog. 

Service was good.  The guy who too my order, who I believe is the owner, was nice and friendly.

If you're looking for an authentic Chicago hot dog, this isn't the place.  But, if you're looking for a good quality hot dog, you should give Meea's a try.  

Schreiner's Fine Sausages

Schreiner's Fine Sausages
3417 Ocean View Blvd
Glendale
818-244-4735

Schreiner's Fine Sausages is a long time Glendale institution.  They have a big deli case full of deli meats, hot dogs, sausages, and meats.  The other half the building is their dining area, where you can order sandwiches.  

Hot dog, $2.80, with mustard.  A hot dog on a French roll?  Come on.  The hot dog could have been very good, but it was served lukewarm, and the skin was tough and chewy.  If they had steamed the hot dog properly, this could have been a very good hot dog.  The hot dogs sell for about $6.29 a pound in the deli case.  The roll was too tough and just overwhelmed the hot dog.  They need to use a regular hot dog bun!

Corned beef sandwich on roll with mustard, $4.05.   I'm not expecting New York deli corned beef like I get from Canter's Deli, but this corned beef was like any corned beef you get from Boar's Head or a supermarket deli case.  When you order the sandwich they ask if you want the sandwich hot or cold.  I asked for hot, and I'm betting the meat was put in the microwave and heated for about 30 seconds. 

Service was good.  For some reason Schreiner's was packed when I went, but they moved the line quickly and your food is served quickly. 

I was disappointed in Schreiner's because I heard very good things about it.  The hot dog could have been good, if they cooked it properly.  But, the corned beef sandwich was no better than a supermarket sandwich.  I would go back and buy some hot dogs from the deli, so I can cook them myself.  But, I wouldn't go back for their sandwiches.

Hot Dog Pops-Closed

Hot Dog Pops
808 N Diamond Bar Blvd
Diamond Bar
909-860-1235

Does the outside of Hot Dog Pops look familiar?  Yes, this space used to be D' Antonio's, which was a long time Italian restaurant in Diamond Bar.  After D' Antonio's closed, a Thai restaurant opened and quickly closed; I doubt they were open for more than six months. Then Hot Dog Pops replaced them.

In regards to the name, hot dogs should be easy to figure out.  But, the pops is for soda pop.  They have a large selection of bottled soda!   Most of the bottled sodas are made with sugar, not that nasty HFCS crap.  

Hot Dog Pops has basically the same layout as D' Antonio's, I bet the booth are the same exact booths as D' Antonio's.  But, the decor is different.  There are empty soda bottles all over the store.  
 

Aron dog, $6.50, on Dutch bread with garlic spread, lettuce diced tomatoes, fried onions, and avocado.  The hot dog is a 1/4 pound all beef skinless hot dog.  I'm betting it's a Hoffy brand hot dog.  It was pretty average and nothing I couldn't get from the store.  But, the hot dog was deep fried, they never mentioned that on the menu.  The vegetable toppings were fresh, though I got tomato slices not diced tomatoes.  But, the onion rings were just frozen onion rings fried in their fryer.  The bread wasn't a bun, but Dutch bread.  This just engulfed the hot dog.  This hot dog was a complete waste of money and time.

Service was pretty good.  The server was nice, but she needs to be trained better.  She brought two boxes since we had leftovers.  When she walked by again, she asked if we needed a bag.  We said yes.  She come by and brings a bag and just leaves it on the table.  Why couldn't she take the 20 seconds to put the two boxes in the bag?  I'll admit this isn't that big of a deal.  But, come on, take the extra step to do a good job.

Hot Dog Pops really should change their name.  For a restaurant that has HOT DOG on it's name, they should have more hot dogs on the menu.  They only have 11 hot dogs on the menu.  But, they have over 20 sandwiches on the menu!  A Montana Dog has chili.  When has Montana ever been known for chili?  How about a Chicago dog?  Or a New York dog?  None of the hot dogs have just mustard and onions; your basic hot dog.   They only have one type of hot dog; a very average brand of hot dog.  They do not have any turkey or veggie dogs.   They could actually steam or grill the hot dogs, instead of deep frying them. Then the price of the hot dog; $6.50, is a complete rip off!  I saw on their business card that all their hot dogs and sandwiches are over one pound.  Well, hell, when the bread is about 1/2 pound, it's easy for the hot dog to be over a pound.

I won't return to Hot Dog Pops. 

Link N Hops

Link N Hops
3111 N Glendale Blvd Ste C
Los Angeles
323-426-9049

Link N Hops is a gourmet sausage and craft beer restaurant in the Atwater Village section of Los Angeles.  I've gone to Wurstküche, which also has a good selection of gourmet sausage and craft beer.  So people in the Silver Lake and Atwater Village area can go Link N Hops instead of going to Arts District/Little Tokyo for Wurstkuche.

Link N Hops has a nice covered front porch seating.  Since Link N Hops faces east, the covered porch is much needed and welcomed on a sunny day.  Inside you have a communal feeling with the long table in the middle a few other booths.

Vegan Kielbasa-Organic Tofu, Onions, Garlic, Black Pepper, $6.75 with sauerkraut, raw onions, and dijon mustard.   I was very impressed with the vegan kielbasa.  Grilled nicely with a lot of flavor and wasn't dry or mushy.  I had a vegan sausage, when I went back to Wurstkuche, sorry I didn't write an updated review, and it was just terrible, mushy, no flavor at all and a total waste of money.  The vegan kielbasa was so much better.

The sauerkraut was nice and tangy and they give you a nice portion.  Onions were very fresh.  The bun was a bit too big for the kielbasa but was grilled nicely and held up to all the toppings.  But, with that said, not worth the $6.75 price tag.

Service is good.  The people here are nice and friendly.

Link N Hops is a hipster hangout, but don't let that stop you from enjoying their gourmet sausage and craft beer.  But, expect to pay, maybe overpay, for your sausage.  I wouldn't be against coming back here but I wouldn't rush back.

Johnson's Hot Dogs-Closed

Johnson's Hot Dogs
813-A W Foothill Blvd
Upland
909-920-6800

I still can't believe the horrific events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT.!  I can't believe anybody would want to harm so many innocent children!  How can America allow a mentally ill person access to guns?  I can't believe 26 angels didn't get a chance to celebrate Christmas.

I know most kids love hot dogs, so to honor those 26 Angels, I decided to give Johnson's Hot Dogs a try.  Johnson's has been open for a little over a year.  Located across the street from Upland High School,  in your typical suburban strip mall, they have indoor seating for about 20 people and about four tables outside.

The $1.50 hot dog or Polish sausage at Costco has really hurt the chances of hot dogs restaurants of succeeding.  When hot dogs at restaurants are over $3, just for the hot dog, most people in the suburbs aren't going to pay that, when they can basically get two hot dogs and two sodas from Costco for that price.  The suburbs do not have enough foodies, who are willing to pay more for a hot dog, to keep a hot dog restaurant in business.  Of course there are many exceptions to this theory.  Windy C's Chicago Hot Dogs, being the biggest surprise, where somehow terrible customer service keeps that place in business.

Chicago hot dog, $4.04, mustard, onions, neon green relish, tomatoes, pickle, and sport peppers.  I read that Johnson's used to use the same hot dog for all their hot dogs.  They learned that a Chicago hot dogs requires an all beef natural casing hot dog, so that's what they are using now.  I know it's no a Vienna Beef hot dog, but it was still a good hot dog, well seasoned and balanced.  But, the hot dog has been in the steamer for way too long.  Which made the casing tough and chewy.  This would have been a good hot dog if fresh.  The toppings were all fine, except for the sport peppers which weren't fresh.  The bun had the poppy seeds that are standard on a Chicago hot dog.  But, the bun came straight from the bag.  It should have been steamed.

Service is good.  The owner is a nice man who wants the best for customers.

I don't know how well Johnson's is doing but I hope they stay around for a long time.  The restaurant had only two people when I walked in and two people came in just as I left.  Again, the suburban mentality that the $1.50 hot dog at Costco is better than the $4 hot dog at a restaurant.

While there are somethings Johnson's needs to improve upon, like keeping hot dogs fresh in the steamer, I would give them another try.  The hot dogs they use are very good quality and worth the price. 

Continental Gourmet Sausage

Continental Gourmet Sausage
6406 San Fernando Rd
Glendale
818-502-1447

I heard some good things about Continental Gourmet Sausage, but I also got some wrong information about them, so it affected my review.

I was expecting a place that sold hot dogs and sausages that were prepared and you could eat there. But, Continental Gourmet Sausage is really a butcher shop that sells cold cuts, hot dogs, and sausages for you to prepare at home.




They do sell a few sandwiches, but I wanted a sausage, so I got the Polish sausage Sandwich, $4.94. The polish sausage was ok, nothing great. A decent spice profile, decent quality meats, but not worth the price for this sandwich and I don't think it was worth their price per pound, which was about $4. The bread was pretty good, with a nice chewy firm texture.

Service is ok. They don't speak or understand much English. It was like pulling teeth trying to just get a damn polish sausage or hot dog!! Again it was expecting a restaurant or at least a deli that served food, instead I got a deli that had limited experience serving food.

I wasn't impressed at all with the polish sausage at Continental Gourmet Sausage and wouldn't by the sausage by the pound. So there is no reason for me to go back there.

Quickie Dog & Taco Quickie

Quickie Dog & Taco Quickie
7716 Eastern Ave
Bell Gardens
562-927-1670

I thought about stopping in at Pioneer Chicken, but I missed the turn to Florence and drove past Quickie Dog & Taco Quickie and decided to stop in.

What an interesting concept tacos and hot dogs in one place. The building looks old and I'm guessing this has been a neighborhood staple.

I got a kraut dog, $1.65. After I placed my order, the girl placed a hot dog on the grill and I figured I was going to get a hot dog that was hot. Well, after she made my taco, which took about 30 seconds, she took the hot dog off the grill and added kraut and mustard. So, I got a cold hot dog. Terrible!!! The hot dog itself was actually pretty good, good snap and quality meat. The kraut was cold and had a slight tang, but nowhere near what is should be. This hot dog could be good but they missed the mark with how it's prepared. Leave that hot dog on the grill for five minutes, not less than a minute.



At least the taco-$1.09, was better. The taco is a ginkgo taco, like the tacos served at Taco Lita and Taco Treat. The ground beef was well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The cheese and lettuce were fresh. The taco shell was light and crispy. I liked how all the flavors blended together. The taco is cheaper than the Taco Lita and Taco Treat and is better than both in my opinion. It would have been better with some hot sauce, which the girl never bothered giving me.

Service was ok. The girl was nice and pleasant enough but just a bit off. If it's SOP at Quickie Dog & Taco Quickie to quickly grill their hot dogs, then that needs to be changed. But, if she was lazy and not following SOP and leaving the hot dog on the grill for longer, then she needs to get more training or fired.

I wouldn't go back to Quickie Dog & Taco Quickie again. While the taco is good, it's not really worth the long drive.