Most people in this area are familiar with the taste of an Abe’s hot dog. There are many locations in the Wyoming Valley. The location I chose to eat at, though, is just down the street from Wilkes on South Main Street. It is a little street side restaurant that draws countless customers every single day.
I never ate at this location so I figured I would give it a try. The restaurant is small, but has a decent amount of tables for customers to sit at. Customers have the option of either sitting down and eating at the restaurant or ordering their food at the counter and taking it out. I took notice that a lot of people get their food for takeout.
Since Abe’s is famous for their hot dogs, I knew I had to order a couple. I got mine with “everything” on it. “Everything” translates to mustard, onions, and their homemade meat sauce. The hot dog itself was cooked well. It had a little bit of a brown grill but it was not burnt. The buns had a good texture and were not soggy at all. Some places that I’ve had hotdogs at before had buns that were mushy.
The mustard and onions both added to the taste but did not dominate. I was a little disappointed in the meat sauce, though. It had a good taste to it and they definitely put plenty of it on the hot dogs, but the meat was a little dry. I am a fan of meat sauces that are a little more juicy. Despite this, the hot dogs were still very good.
A friend of mine ordered a grilled ham and cheese sandwich on white toast. She described the sandwich as being “delicious and gooey.” I tasted a little piece and found the toast was crunchy and the cheese melted and warm. The ham had a little bit of a salty taste, but still very good.
The personalities of all the workers here was great. They were extremely hospitable and showed us that they really appreciated our business. “Thank you so much for coming” and “Thank you, buddy” were repeated multiple times prior to our leaving. A woman at the counter in particular was very personable with us and asked us how we were enjoying the beautiful weather. This is definitely a place where you feel welcomed the entire time.
Prices are very cheap here. My two hot dogs with everything and a large soda came to less than $5. This is definitely an affordable lunch spot for anyone who is watching their spending. In addition to hot dogs, Abe’s also has hamburgers and other grilled sandwiches. If you’re up in time, they also have a large breakfast menu. By the amount of people that were coming in and out as I was there, I can tell Abe’s is a landmark that people value and love.
4 stars out of 5