J&G Texas Weiners history

Open since 1928, Hiram’s isn’t fancy.

For several years the Paterson Street location was the major outlet for Hot Texas Wieners, but in 1936 a Paterson Street employee named William Pappas left and opened Libby's Hot Grill on McBride Avenue and Wayne Street, across the street from the Great Falls on the Passaic.

After they returned from military service in World War II, the Bettses had gained experience in the Hot Texas Wiener business by leasing the Olympic Grill — which sat directly across McBride Avenue from Libby's — from John Patrelis, who had founded it in 1940.

With a massive wooden hot dog sign advertising frosted birch beer and fresh buttermilk, Hot Dog Johnny’s is a New Jersey institution, opened in 1944 by John Kovalsky.

Nick Doris emigrated to the United States from Greece in 1954, and began working as a French-fry cook at the Falls View just after his arrival.

Dickie Dee's was one of the first to serve Italian hot dogs when it was opened in 1958 by Dominick "Dick" D'Innocenzo and Enrico Bruno.

In 1961, he and three partners — another Greek, Peter Leonidas, who has since passed away, and two Italians, Carlo Mendola and Dominic Sportelli — opened the Hot Grill on the site of Gabe's, a car lot and Hot Texas Wiener operation on Lexington Avenue, just over the city line into Clifton.

Paul Agrusti left the Falls View in 1978 to open the Colonial Grill on Chamberlain Avenue; his son Leonard now runs it.

Quality hot dogs are hard to come by in South Jersey, unless you're at Maui's, a beachy, bright yellow and orange stand that's been serving dogs since 1999.