On the 29th day of my quest to eat a hot dog a day at a different venue in honor of National Hot Dog Month, I stayed real close to home. I could have walked to the oldest continuously run hot dog joint in the state: Casey's Diner in downtown Natick, Massachusetts. The Casey family has been in the hot dog business since 1890. The fourth generation of the family is currently manning the copper kettle steamer that pumps out 800 hot dogs a day (and some 400 burgers too) inside one of the oldest existing Worcester Lunch Car Company diners in existence..
Casey's was placed on the National Register of Historic Places back in 1977.
Fourth generation hot dog man Pat Casey takes it all in with an easy going attitude and nearly constant smile.
Pat works the hot dog steamer and the take out window while two helpers work the counter and grill.
There are twelve seats at Casey's and a small shelf for the standing room crowd. Intimate would describe the place accurately.
Today's visit attracted some local media and this kid: Hot Dog Boy!
If you aren't in the mood for a hot dog, Casey's has the best burgers around! I will often get a burger with a hot dog for an "appetizer."
I was here for a hot dog a day, so I ordered up one all around and
CHOWED DOWN!
Happy National Hot Dog Month!!!
I will be returning to Casey's in the next month or two to do a full on video documentary. Pat promises to break out "the old guys" for the shoot. I will keep Hot Dog Nation posted.
In the mean time, stop by Casey's for a couple of dogs all around and tell Pat "the Hotdogman sent me."
Check out the video of my visit to Casey's on Hot Dog Stories.
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