The Hot Dog Stand: Folsom, PA

There is a stretch of MacDade Boulevard in Delaware County, outside of Philadelphia, that is full of enticement for those who enjoy roadfood as much as I do. Cheesesteaks, hoagies, burgers, hot dogs, pizza, roast pork, ice cream – you name it – can all be found on a stretch of busy road that isn’t more than a couple miles long. And fortunately for me, it’s a relatively short ride from where I live. 

Perhaps the most classic-looking among the many options on MacDade is a place in Folsom that is simply called The Hot Dog Stand. A friend and I attempted to eat there a few months ago, but we found that they were closed for their annual vacation. We promised each other to get back there soon, but as you may know, I’ve been distracted by my drive to eat as many of the area’s top cheesesteaks as my appetite and waistline will allow since then. I finally put my steak binge on hold today and met the same friend back at The Hot Dog Stand. 

I was surprised to see that they have indoor counter seating, but it’s such a nice day that we availed ourselves of one of the tables they have set up around back. Deciding what to order at this place was not the simplest of propositions for me. The Hot Dog Stand’s name is somewhat deceiving. They do offer hot dogs, but their menu has a small, but stellar list of other options.

I was tempted by nearly everything on it, but will have to make at least a couple return visits to fully satisfy my curiosity. Today, I went with a hot dog and a single cheeseburger.

Given their name, I had fairly high expectations for the hot dog, but it didn’t live up to them. It was a skinless dog that was relatively small. While it wasn’t bad, there was nothing about it that would lead me to order another one when I return. I prefer hot dogs to be cooked either on a flat griddle or over a flame. Grill marks are a good sign. This one was soft, so I assume it was boiled or steamed.

They might be better off calling themselves The Burger Stand, because unlike the hot dog, I was extremely impressed by my cheeseburger. It was flavorful, juicy and had a nice outer char. It was a thin burger too. I’ll definitely want to return there to try a double at some point. But that will leave me with another difficult decision, as I’m also eager to try their meatball and roast pork sandwiches.

Of course, it may be a little while until I get back to The Hot Dog Stand. There are still a number of cheesesteaks to get to. Prioritizing such things isn’t easy.