Captain Paul’s Firehouse Dogs

I prefer grilled hot dogs, I think these are boiled. Yeah they taste good but I’m broke, $ 3.50 for a hot dog, that’s not that bad but I would honestly rather just make something better at home for less money, and I could put ice cream, jelly beans and cheese on top then rub it all over my face before eating it handsless without families judging me and overweight middle aged women saying «you’ll end up like that man if you don’t do good in school» «%$#@ you, you B**** I did good in school but your son there might not when he dies of a heart attack at 17 because he eats $ 20 worth of hot dogs a day at Captain Paul’s Firehouse Dogs!»
Oh and they have soft serve and I’m not sure and am too lazy to google whether or not you can make that at home so that’s why I changed my review from a 2 to a 3.

This is the best, most amazing place on earth! The staff is super friendly and I always come here with my nieces and I can’t get enough! I can’t imagine anyone writing any bad reviews of this place. Most definitely 5 stars! I recommend this place all the time!

Great place, great selection of food, great people, great idea. Wish there was more seating inside but the food and selection makes up for it!!!

Amazing hot dogs, sandwiches, ice cream and the like! Special sauces, mustards, and sodas! Friendly staff and great service! I went there with my wife by accident. Pleasantly surprised! I’ll be coming back.

What a great place to get hot dogs and ice cream !
But is soo much more than hotdogs. I have never had a bad meal here and the staff are soo friendly. I have found out that work with alot of local charities just a great place to visit. If you want something different try the pork roll dog… awsome and finish it off with icecream at the end

GET THE FUNNEL FRIES.
Ok, now that that’s out of the way, let me say how this place is such a cute little curbside eatery. They are set up like a Rita’s or Dairy Cream, they do serve ice cream and italian ices, and more importantly hot dogs!
I am a huge hot dog aficionado, and was thrilled to get a bite after a morning of thrift shopping. I got one that had chili, nachos and jalapenos… it was decent, not great. The nachos which I thought would’ve give a good crunch were put under the jalapenos and got soggy. And instead of just a single line of jalapenos it was a double row, which just was overwhelming for such a small hot dog. I didn’t hate it, I just didn’t love it.
I also tried a sandwich, the combat rancher, it was buffalo chicken, garlic sauce and waffle fries. This was a lot better than the hot dog because the meat/​topping ratio was better so you could taste everything. Still felt like it was missing something, but it was solid, and for $ 6 it wasn’t a bad deal.
Overall, food wasn’t really a hit but not a miss either, this is more of 3.5 star place, bc I would definitely drive all the wait out here for funnel fries alone, but the service was excellent too. They were super friendly and attentive, and my food came out quickly.

They don’t abide to the hours posted on their site, very inconvenient if you’re walking. When I did manage to eat there the hot dog was nothing special at all.

Captain Paul’s is everything a neighborhood joint should be: inviting, friendly and full of locals.
Add great, inexpensive food and owners who take great pride in their product, their community and their customers, and this is a must do if you’re in the area.

First time trying Captain Paul’s. I dos take outs and yes my bun was a bit soggy. However, I still thought it was excellent. I got a classic dog mustard, ketchup, relish, and sauerkraut. Very good dogs… the price though no so good.

After a completely unsatisfying chili dog experience at a popular chain, I still needed to get my yearly cylindrical meat product fix. I really wish I just came here first. I brought an older relative today and familiarized myself with the extensive menu online. Both of my chili dogs were great, the boot camp was my favorite though. My uncle got a super trooper (potatoes, peppers and onions) and he loved his as well. I like that this business works on the «honor system». You order and get your food carried out to you, then pay when finished. I hope that this does not get abused by dishonorable types. The owner’s wife makes the hard ice cream that is sold here, the flavors looked interesting so I will have to go back and sample. I do advise diners to try the funnel cake fries as a sweet ending to a tasty meal. Having finally tried this spot, my yearly craving may turn out to be several times a year, but I know I can can satiate it here when it does arise. 4.25 patriotic Unilocal

Really really EXCELLENT. As my Aussie husband says «this is real American food». I couldn’t have put it better. Do yourself a favor and try this establishment of you have not yet. There’s really no better place to go for a good hot dog in the area and you get to sit outside and enjoy the nice weather. Honestly I felt welcomed like into someone’s home and served lunch. We will be back !!!

The friendliest staff you will find anywhere in nj. Excellent and affordable food as well. Definitely check this place out if you’re in the area, and if you’re a serviceman (or woman) consider going out of your way for it.

This is an awesome place to get a great «dog» served by friendly staff who never met a stranger. I was in town on business and drove by this place and just had to stop. There is lots of great outdoor seating in a fantastic wooded suburban location. It looks like a typical roadside hotdog and icecream stand but is way more. The business is dedicated to the military and emergency services and the inside is adorned with hundreds if not thousands of patches and memorabilia from various services, chapters, stations, and departments. The food is very fresh and prepared to order. They have a tremendous and varied menu with something for everyone. I will definitely visit again any time I am in the area.

Good folks– family run establishment with a great location on Princeton Pike just south of Lawrence Township high school. This is a classic roadside establishment, typical New Jersey. It has a large parking lot and several nice outdoor tables in front. They seem to do quite a business in homemade Italian ices and ice cream and dessert treats as well. Unfortunately my Italian dog was kind of wimpy. That was a disappointment, and minus one star for a porta potty in the parking lot. Not a fan of porta pottys

Great Place! Friendly Staff and they get your order right! Their «dogs» are tasty and you can taste every single ingredient. Just an overall great place to eat! Very reasonable and filling! I eat two hot dogs and a birch beer or water and I’m good!
Try the locally made mustard! Ask for the money mustard!

Excellent! Really an excellent lunch place. Really interesting hot dog combinations. Onion rings were crisp, and large. Good ice cream as well. Service was great — Captain Paul and family were friendly and helpful. Captain Paul came out and asked how our meal was — great touch. I’ll be back here again.

I had the Deputy Dog and a Full Box. The toppings were great… but it’s the dog that needs help. I’m pretty sure it’s a Hatfield standard issue dog which tends to be a bit bland… even when fried.
I really wanted to like the place as the owners were very welcoming and the inside was spotless. I eat a lot of hot dogs up & down the east coast and IMO this place could be sooo much more than what it is.

INCREDIBLE! Sets the standard for 5 STARS. If Unilocal was Craigslist, I’d surely give it this hidden gem the ‘Best of Unilocal’ nod. Where do I even begin. Firstly, Captain Paul’s is not far from 295, or the Hamilton Train Station. It’s slightly off the beaten path, but don’t let that discourage you from trying this one of a kind delight. Parking is plenty, and they have a decent sized grass field behind the stand if you want to pull up the car and toss the baseball/​football after enjoying some awesome dogs and ice cream.
There’s plenty of outside tables with shade, I think I counted about 15 of them throughout the grounds. Although this is a «stand,» it does have 5 booths inside. They take cash and credit. The staff was very friendly, and gave off a warm and familiar vibe.
They have a wide range of gourmet dogs, each with an awesome name such as «SEAL Team 6» and the «Army Ranger» and «Deputy». For those who don’t know, this Firehouse is dedicated to those men and women who serve, or have served in the Armed Forces, State Troopers, Police, Fire department, EMS and the like; and is decorated with patches from all sorts of military and civilian units. Those with ID get a free drink!
The dogs are simply amazing, as are the Air Force fries (Sweat Potato & Chipotle sauce), as are the onion rings, as is the ice cream. From start to finish, this place will exceed your expectations and more. I don’t know if they have a hot dog wizard locked up back there, but someone is crafting up some righteous dogs that are super legit. They have my business 10 times over.

The purpose of my visit to Captain Paul’s Firehouse Dogs today was to meet up with a friend whom I worked with, and last saw, over 30 years ago.
For those who don’t know, Captain Paul’s is a hot dog stand, that specializes in hot dogs with a wide assortment of toppings. The restaurant, with it’s small front counter and many tables outside, is dedicated to the men and women associated with emergency services, the military and their families and for all those who volunteer to help others. You will see fire helmets and various other firefighter-​themed equipment decorating the walls. The menu items each have names that reflects the themes to which the restaurant is dedicated. They even have a sandwich named after my friend, Ben Moore, who lost his life in Afghanistan — truly awesome.
As I said, Captain Paul’s specializes in hot dogs with various toppings, but they also serve sandwiches, soft-​serve ice cream, Italian ices, Gelati, milk shakes and sundaes.
Today, I «chowed down» on a Seal Team 6, which is a hot dog on a bun, with mustard and their special FDNY onion sauce. The mustard was spicy, and FDNY sauce with on the sweet side — the perfect combination. I also had french fries and a Coke.
In the warm weather, it’s great to come to Captain Paul’s with your friends, family or co-​workers to enjoy their great menu out at the many picnic tables. They even deliver your food to the tables and urge you to pay after you’ve enjoyed your meal.
You can’t go wrong. If you’re ever in the area, do yourself a tasty favorite and stop by Captain Paul’s Firehouse Dogs.

Every once and a while I visit a place that succeeds not only because of its unique quality and entertaining cuisine, but because the force of personality of the owner spills into everyone who works for him and the food dished out. The magnetism of the overall facility is powerful, drawing people back due to the personal treatment received and the sense that something very special is happening there. MAGIC is not too far a stretch once you feel it for the first time.
Captain Paul retired from firefighting and opened his Firehouse Dogs hot dog emporium on Princeton Avenue, Lawrenceville, NJ. The reviews are good, but do not do justice to what is really happening here. There are dozens of hot dog combinations. The franks are fried to order and put in a larger, torpedo roll sized, bun. When I walked in and mentioned to Captain Paul this was my first visit, he smiled broadly and stopped what he was doing to open the menu across the counter and give me a tour of all the permutations. The customers at the counter volunteered how great the grub was, and welcomed me as if I was joining a private club. Way cool!
I ordered the Trooper (aka Italian Dog), which is simply a fried hot dog in a large torpedo bun stuffed with potatoes, pepper and choice of mustard. I asked for a mix of Italian frying peppers and jalapenos to kick it up a notch. Paul said, «as you like it. I will just go in the back and prepare one for you.» He disappeared for about 5 minutes, and came back with a paper plate with his creation. If I had my head about me I would have snapped a photo, but I could feel my saliva glands start to squeeze, so I had to move quickly to taste it. I went outside to a picnic table under the trees and red umbrella and devoured it slowly. Yes. It was all that.
When I walked back into the small shop to pay (he told me to pay after eating although he never saw me before), everyone stopped their conversations to see my reaction to the sandwich. It was like slow motion. I only had to smile dreamily, and say, «So good.» Everyone clapped or laughed.
I guess I made it into the club.