Charlie’s Pool Room

The host Joe passed away a little over a year ago, I drafted the review below back in 2012 when I first joined Unilocal but I never posted it, I’ll throw it up for posterity. Truly a great loss to the community, and shame on the town of Alpha for forcing them to close a year before his passing. Speed’s that I mentioned in the review is also no more :(
My drafted review from 2012:
This place is a little weird, but this area in general is a little weird. I suggest going in and waiting at least once. The first time I went here was 3 – 4 years ago and it was a little hard to find, just a house with handwritten signs. The host Joe is very good at remembering names and is always very friendly. If you get to talking to him you can learn quite a bit about the history of the area. John I have spoken to less often (he is usually cooking) but he is equally friendly. I go around once a month and every time I call to order they usually know it’s me. If the place weirds you out, call first and order, then pick them up to go in about 20 minutes.
This is hands down one of the best hot dogs you can get. It is a one of a kind experience that no other hot dog place will offer. The closest experience I can offer up is to hit up Boston Speed’s in Boston, Mass. I try to group my hot dogs into styles and charlie’s and speed’s cannot be grouped into any category, they are fully custom experiences that no other place can replicate.

A great loss to the community. This place was the best. Wish I could enjoy a dog and pinball with my kids

UPDATE: Charlie’s Pool Room can no longer serve food, as their building is not up to health code. We are hosting a benefit to help the Fencz Brothers make these renovations. The Benefit it 8÷25÷2013 at Circa in High Bridge, NJ from 1 – 7 PM. There will be live music (SIX bands) and we will be serving hot dogs WITH GRANDMA FENCZ’S SECRET SAUCE and MEALIES!
If you ever wanted to feel like you live in a small town in the 1980s… (or earlier), go to Charlie’s. It’s a diamond in the rough. The hot dogs are legendary and the owners are two of the most interesting people you will ever meet. We love Charlie’s! :)

Hands down the best hot dog. If you like spice try a Mellie. The onion reduction special secret sauce is just incredible. They cook these dogs on old aluminum pans, the dog bun and sauce are very hot and that’s what makes these special, I have never had them served like this. The building is almost 100 years old and all original inside. It’s small and you eat at the round table with everyone else and that gives it charm. It’s also hard to find behind the Alpha Firehouse.
Call before you go because they are remolding the kitchen and may be closed for a few weeks to a month. If you love hot dogs and never have been here you will love the dogs. If you’re real hungry you get a blue plate (5 dogs) severed on the grandmothers 1950’s china… otherwise a paper plate for you.

If I could make the hour drive here once a week, I would.
The mealies are to die for. One of the best hot dogs I have ever had. The hungarian sauce they put on the hot dog is like nothing else.
If you love hot dogs, this place is a must.

I have been going to Charlie’s Pool Room for several years and not once have I ever been disappointed.
First the food: I have eaten hot dogs from dozens of places all over the state and this is hands down my favorite place. Nothing else even comes close. Onion sauce from other places usually tastes like sewage. Not here; I can’t even come up with anything to compare it to. It’s just that good.
Don’t be fooled by reviews complaining about the atmosphere. Yes, there is religious paraphernalia, but it’s easily ignored. And the Fencz brothers are extremely friendly and accommodating. My first two visits were over a year apart and Joe still remembered my name. It’s absolutely amazing.
Seriously, if you want a world class hot dog, get your ass to Charlie’s. You won’t be disappointed.

Wow, this place has the best hot dogs ever! Please don’t let the storefront and the creepy feel of the place inside fool you. These dogs are the best I’ve ever eaten. I had gone there today for my first time after hearing my friend rant and rave about it constantly. After I walked in side it is full of handwritten religious signs and a very old feel. The floor creeks as the place seems 500 years old. Get these dogs to go like I did. Best hot dogs ever!!!

Adds to the aura of Warren County weirdness. The dogs with the special sauce is really good but it is served with a little bit of brimstone. The two old guys are brothers and they guard their recipe for the sauce that their mother handed down to them. Worth a trip to experience the whole scene.

Terrible nightmare… skeevy storefront on dark street, two very creepy old dudes sitting around in the back, dirty poolroom full of religious paraphernalia and weird hand-​written signs. Hot dogs are practically inedible. I don’t know where all the positive Unilocal reviews came from, but people are either deluded or this page is a hoax.

Charlie’s Pool Room is a unique, fascinating and quirky place. Getting a meal here is an experience. You must make the trip if you either love food or you love discovering interesting destinations which are becoming rare in this mass market world.
The other reviews suitably describe what makes Charlie’s unique: Your friendly hosts Joe, with his amazing memory, and John, the master of the skillet. The décor which includes the single round table, handwritten religious messages reminding us to be good people (ie: «No swearing»), and a pool table strewn with newspaper articles confirming that you came to the right place for an amazing hot dog.
At the heart of it all is the single menu item: the Mealie, a hand crafted culinary delight. The effort put in by the brothers to create this treat is apparent on many levels. Joe prepares «grandma’s secret sauce» with its signature medley of sweet and savory, and chops the onions by hand for optimal texture and taste. John simmers the dogs and steams the buns to add flavor, then assembles the dogs with care. The attention to detail goes all the way down to the arrangement of the pepper slices: one green convex, one red concave, one green convex, one red concave. Every time.
There’s also a sense of community at Charlie’s. Since there’s only one round table, you may get to share it with other guests, be they a group of 20-​somethings, a retired couple or anyone in between. Strike up a conversation, you’re in good company because they’ve come to Charlie’s for the same reason you have — to enjoy great food in a hospitable environment. And if it’s just your party and Joe, you’ll soon be exchanging stories. You can be sure that the next time you visit, Joe will remember to ask for an update about something you previously mentioned, as reliably as an old friend.
Visit Charlie’s for the unique experience and the amazing hot dogs. Welcome to the family.

Charlie’s Pool Room is simply the best, and most unique hotdog ever. The Mealie is my preferred dog but it’s nice to mix it up with just sauce and pickle from time to time. And don’t even talk about ketchup, Grandma Fence’s sauce is the best kept secret in the tri-​state area.
My only complaint is that they don’t ship them to my home in Ohio, but they sure make any trip out here extra special.

It’s no secret I’m a fan of hotdogs. Someone mentions them and jump to my feet and «I want I want I want»
So when someone mentions taking a trip for hotdogs I don’t blink an eye.
And I don’t think I blinked once from the time I stepped into Charlie’s till the time I had to leave.
Situated in a small neighborhood block inside a house Charlie’s blends in with it’s surrounding but oh how it stands out once inside!
Besides some ice-​cream bars and candy as well as the 75cent soda machine Charlie’s serves Hot Dogs. Only Hot dogs! (with a side of pickles)
Joe will take your order and his brother John will do the cooking. On our visit we lucked out, as the usually busy place happened to be empty. It may have been because it was early on a weekday and the day after a snowstorm but the experience was maybe even more stellar because of that.
What really set’s these Hot dogs apart from any other is their secret Hungarian sauce by courtesy of their Grandma Fencz’s. You can try just the sauce (plain) or you can go for what the call the «Mealie». Which is their pan-​fried hotdog covered with special sauce, chopped onions, and hot peppers.
Now the hot dogs here are great and worth a try if you are into hotdogs, but what sets this place apart is the overall experience you get when Joe and John take the time to sit and visit with you.
They are so thankful for their customers. They can tell you everywhere in the world people have come from just to try their hotdogs, they can tell you all about how they believe the internet saved their business, and even tell you who wrote the first Unilocal review and how many times they have been their. It’s not just a ‘restaurant’ you feel like you have been invited into their lives, into their home, and into a sparkling part of American history and culture.
An adventure well worth it… and pretty tasty as well.

This place is fantastic!
It’s not for everyone. If you eat at chain restaurants or find your dining exclusively from zagat, don’t even bother reading further.
As others have mentioned, it’s a destination. The restaurant is in the first floor of a house in a residential neighborhood. If you’re driving down this block of East Blvd. you either live there or are going to Charlie’s.
Firstly, there is no longer any pool played at Charlie’s. It’s a hot dog restaurant. The menu includes hot dogs, chips, candy and cans of soda. All are, in my opinion, very reasonably priced. Two mealies and a can of soda were approx. $ 5.75.
The guys are open to letting you put anything you want on your hot dog, but why not have it their way (at least on your first visit)? The «mealie». It’s a hot dog dressed with their secret sauce, chopped onions and hot pepper slices. It’s amazing. The hot dogs are temperature-​hot when they come out, since all are cooked to order, so be careful. A pickle spear is served on the side.
Joe will direct you on the best way to eat the hot dog, «straight in» to avoid losing any of the toppings.
The hot dogs are only half of the reason to visit Charlie’s. This place is an experience, and it’s totally cool. The brothers are some of the nicest guys I’ve ever met and will be happy to talk to you for an hour or not at all. It’s up to you. They’ve got some great stories and are happy to tell you about their history, their business or whatever else you might want to talk about. Be prepared to be remembered on your next visit, Joe’s memory is amazing.
I could go on an on about this place. Why you should visit, why it’s cool, why it’s one of the most unique restaurants I’ve ever been to, but there’s no need. If you haven’t been and this is the kind of place you’re into (road food experiences, weird NJ, etc…) head on down to Charlie’s. You won’t regret it!

1^st off, I can’t fathom how someone would consider this place «Creepy». It is nothing of the sort. While there are many hand written signs inside quoting bible passages, and other random quotes from history, I fail to see how this would offend a person with half a brain. The brothers who run Charlies (Joe and John Fencz) are born again cathloics. After speaking with Joe (he runs the front of the house, while John does the cooking), he explained they were both heavy gamblers and drinkers for decades, and the signs are simple reminders to lead a good life, whatever your religion or faith may be. Aside from the handwritten signs, in NO WAY is anything religious spoken about to the customers. If this makes you uncomfortable, then you should in fact move on, and miss what could be the best Hot Dog experience of your life. Now, on to the review.
Charles is nestled along a residential street, inside a house. If you blink, you WILL drive right on by. Inside, it’s a no frills penny candy store, that happens to serve Hot Dogs. Great Hot Dogs. Nothing else is offered besides Dogs, soda from the Pepsi machine (75 cents), chips, ice cream bars, and candy. I suspect they haven’t sold a piece of candy in 30 years, that isn’t the main attraction here.
Joe runs the store, taking your order and keeping things moving. John, toils away in the kitchen, making each Hot Dog to order in a single 12 inch pan they have been using since the Vietnam war. You can call an order in ahead of time, which I think is the best method, because if there are more than a few (3 – 4) customers ahead of you, the wait can be upwards of 30 min.
The Hot Dogs are delish. What sets them apart are Grandma Fencz’s secret Hungarian sauce they put on. Each «Mealie», as they are called, are adorned with said sauce, chopped onions, hot peppers on top and a pickle spear on the side. When your order is ready, Joe even goes so far as to tell you HOW to eat it. «Straight in» he says, or you risk getting sauce all over your shirt.
What makes Charlies so special is how the customers are treated. Joe is a wonderful host, who talks to his diners about hot dog history and his business. He credits the Internet, Holly
in particular, with saving his store. It’s location is so far off the map, if the internet and social media weren’t around, they would have closed 15 years ago. Now, they get a steady diet of Hot Dog lovers from around the world coming in to taste their creation. I give this place 5 stars plus. And you better get there soon. Both brothers are getting older, and there doesn’t seem to be anyone waiting in the wings to take over and keep the tradition alive.
Forget any negative reviews you may see on Unilocal.Google this place and you will find it is regarded as one of the top 5 Hot Dog establishments in the NJ/​PA area, or the country for that matter.

Oh, you just need to go here. I love hot dogs of all kinds and this is one of the best. I don’t generally like raw onions on my dogs, but I could not imagine eating one from here without them. The sauce was on the sweeter side but went well with the perfectly placed peppers. I want a mealie right now, in fact.
Here is what I think: Put aside your thoughts about their religious beliefs and writings. (Just don’t curse there.) Go in and be friendly and Joe (the brother in the front) will talk to you about hot dogs, people who have passed through (including Holly of Holly Eats) and maybe a little history. At no time did he preach to my husband and I about his beliefs, unless you count his thoughts on hot dogs and good bakery bread!
The place is as old as could be and there could be no other hot dog place like it. You are missing out if you don’t go here!
side note: we happened to go the day after they were in the Star Ledger and so they were extra busy. Each hot dog is made to order by John. Our order took about 25 minutes, but you can also call ahead.

Charlie’s Pool Room is creepy. No, it’s not an experience. It’s a creepy house with a creepy round table with 2 creepy old men with creepy photographic memories serving you mediocre hot dogs.
The hotdogs are bland, their «infamous sauce» is waaaaay too sweet. They try to cut it down with spicy peppers and raw onions but the flavors end up competing for your tastebuds and the sweetness overrules.
For a much less creepy experience and for hot dogs that actually taste good, go down the road to Toby’s Cup. Trust me, you’re not missing anything by skipping Charlie’s.

Food is okay — very cheap eats. However — if you are gay, Jewish, or anything besides a good Christian — you will probably be offended here.

If you do not feel like reading the whole thing… i hate hot dogs (hate meaning i would prefer not to eat them but will if that is all that is around!) do not even get them at a baseball game, that is how much i dislike them. But for some reason i love the «mealies», and go out of my way to pick a couple up from time to time. Best Hot Dog i have ever had, so they get 5 stars! Cash Only!
This place is one of a kind, for two reasons. It is one of the most unique venues to get a «meal» at you will ever find. My first time going there was about four years ago. I drove right past the place about three times before i could find it.
As i stated above, i hate hot dogs. I do not find them tasty, but if they are all that i can find i will eat em. I have not had a regular «hot dog» at Charlies; i always get the Mealie.
This item is freaking amazing. It is a normal hot dog (they pan fry their dogs before placing it on a soft steamed bun. But this is where the Mealie gets its name. It is topped with «secret sauce» which is like red onions in sauce but much better. Then the dog is topped with about 5 – 7 thin sliced jalapeño peppers.
It is not the best place to eat in, but hey you are ordering a hot dog.
Bottom line… best hot dog i have ever have!

The «No Swearing» sign was the first thing I noticed upon entering this hot dog joint. Then, the slow familiar feeling of unease overshadowed my hunger for a minute as I noticed all the religious God posters and Jesus material spread gratuitously on the walls, candy counter, and their one round table with seven chairs for seating. «Oh shit,» I silently internalized, because I didn’t want them to go berserk at my awkwardly foul mouth that tends to go off at any moment. I ain’t gonna lie, it was freaking weird. Still, a powerful force made me stay and eat in. Be it God or my hunger, there was no doubt that it was not a force to be reckoned with. So I obeyed and sat myself down at the infamous round table.
A simple order of 4 hot dogs, we were told, was going to take 20 minutes due to the onslaught of phone orders and the fact that every weiner was pan-​fried to order. It wasn’t any ordinary hot dog, it was a ‘Mealie,” each individually prepared with love. I needed to kill time and kill this mild anxiety from the weirdness around me. This joint was more like a time warp into a bygone era. Too bad the Pac-​Man, pinball, deer hunting shooter, and even the single pool table in the back room were no longer operational. In fact, the pool table is now their official trophy table covered with raves about Charlie’s from newspapers and gourmet rags. Whew! I thought I entered the Twilight Zone but was quickly put at ease now knowing this was a rather famous hot dog joint to road food fanatics, and that I was not to expect a Norman Bates scenario that night. The next best thing I can busy myself with after skimming the promising articles was what was on the boob tube: «The Bodyguard.» Joe, the man behind the counter, joined in watching and let us in on the history of the place. It all started to make sense. This was once a hangout for school kids that began to see its primary customer demographic disappear over time. Now, it is seeing a spike in new customers thanks to food bloggers, bored kids with cars, and the internet.
The longer I spoke with the dynamic duo that is Joe and John (the cook who finally came out with the four Mealies), the more I realized that maybe I was the weird one. These were two of the nicest guys I ever met. Eating with the brothers, sharing stories around the dining table, and enjoying a home-​cooked meal made me feel like I was having dinner with family. Most importantly, they whipped up the most memorable wieners I ever put in my mouth. The beef and pork franks had a snap to them. They were meaty, juicy, and not bland or fried dry like most places. The onions weren’t too strong and the sauce reminded me of molasses, but more tangy. The hot peppers were a colorful addition that added the perfect amount of spice to the Mealie. The optional pickles are always there if you want to add more salt to taste.
I could go on about how amazing these dogs are. Instead, here are 10 fun facts to guide you through your visit. It is a place worth experiencing yourself if you obsess about hot dogs on the daily.
Fact#1: A Mealie consists of a steamed bun, pan-​fried Kunzler franks from Lancaster, PA, diced onions, hot red and green peppers aesthetically placed, and Grandma Fencz’s secret Hungarian onion sauce enjoyed by customers since 1925.
Fact#2: When you arrive, you will think you’re at the wrong place because the storefront is on a residential street.
Fact#3: Charlie’s Pool Room has only seen 7 walk-​in customers who just randomly found the place in the last 10 years.
Fact#4: Recession pricing is in effect for 4 Mealies at $ 9 total, and 75 cents for a can of soda straight from the vending machine.
Fact#5: Joe knows ALL his customers and tries to get to know you if you let him. He has a stunning memory of random conversations. He keeps a guest book for you to sign.
Fact#6: Joe and John love hearing about other hot dog places and will experiment in the kitchen to cater to your orders, but Grandma’s onion sauce recipe stays unchanged and a secret.
Fact #7: People drive a ridiculous distance to feast on Mealies (OH, FL, etc.)
Fact#8: The only recent technological advancement they underwent was upgrading their skillet from an 8″ to a 12″. This was in the 70’s.
Fact#9: Joe loves «The Bodyguard,» but never saw the first quarter of the movie despite having seen it many times.
Fact#10: John is not wild about fireworks.
That first visit was definitely not my last. Despite the odd religious literature steering me to Jesus’ direction, I may not have found him that day. Instead, I left Charlie’s Pool Room a devout Mealie worshiper. «Hot dog people are the most dedicated people,» as Joe said, and I can see myself with the hot dog fanatics taking the scenic winding roads through the Delaware Water Gap to pay tribute to the almighty Mealie. It is one journey you will never forget and few if any really regret. Just remember to bring ca$h and leave your foul mouths at the door, ok asshats? Let us pray.

I found out about Charlie’s Pool Room from
. Since I work in the area I’ve been meaning to try this place out for some time. Today I went out with a friend and was finally able to go. When we walked in we were greeted with a smile and were asked how we find out about the place. (It’s tough to find it. There’s no big sign either, it’s in a residential area and off the main street.) So the signature hot dog is called a Mealie. A Mealie is a dog topped with «Grandma Fencz’s Secret Sauce,» chopped onions, and hot peppers. I’ve never had a hot dog with peppers on it until this day and oh let me tell you… this hot dog was out of this world!
The restaurant does actually have a pool table in the center, though we did not get a chance to play. There’s also a communal table, and vast hot dog memorabilia and articles from newspapers and magazines surrounding the place.
The total came out to $ 7.50 for a can of Cherry Pepsi and 3 Mealies. I left with a smile on my face and look forward to the day I come back for lunch again.