Hot diggity dog!

Though greyhound racing came to a halt in Rhode Island, weiners are by no means the state’s underdog. Vagrantly spelled w-i-e-n-e-r-s, referenced as New York System, and maligned with the underground name "gaggers," pronounced gaggas by Rhode Islanders, it’s weiners “all the way.”

Weiners are reddish ropes of meat consisting of pork and veal, squared at the ends for a snug hug inside a steamed weiner bun—a bread bunting with crusted sides.

Ordering weiners “all the way” implies a burial in meat sauce made from a secret family recipe, topped with onions, mustard, and celery salt—the top dog of all ingredients which imparts a distinct flavor. Small in size, three is definitely the way to go for your Rhode fill. It’s how I order ‘em every time!

Where do road warriors brake for weiners? While foraging, take all precautions for native motorists who have a tendency to neglect using their turn signals, commonly referred to as “blinkers” in the Ocean State.

For out-of-towners, I’ve nipped it in the bun with three saucy establishments:

1. Olneyville New York System (1012 Reservoir Ave., Cranston; 1744 Mineral Spring Ave.,North Providence; 18 Plainfield St., Providence)— The Stevens family business began in 1946.

Claim to fame: one of their locales was used in the production of Showtime network’s 'Brotherhood'; the Olneyville New York System Hot Wiener Spice Mix is sold at local Shaw’s and Stop & Shop supermarkets throughout Rhode Island.


2. Wein-o-Rama (1009 Oaklawn Ave, Cranston) -- Michael Sotirakos, an immigrant from Sparta, Greece, founded the restaurant in 1962.

Claim to fame: when Sotirakos retired, he passed the business to his sons. George, at 6' 8", professes to be the tallest short-order cook in the state; the meat sauce is simmered for at least six hours.

3. Rod’s Grill (6 Washington St., Warren)— Opened by Mariano and Margaret Rodrigues at a different locale in 1955, the restaurant at its present site is now run by siblings Ray Jr. and Sandra Rodrigues, who still use the secret hot weiner sauce developed by their grandmother.

Claim to fame: Readers' Poll: Best Weiners in the East Bay (1994, 1995, 2001, 2002); Best Lunch Place in the East Bay (2004) – thus far.


Whether you intend to go all the way by pigging out at one weinie joint, or grazing throughout the state, be sure to watch the grill cook who has mastered the tradition of lining the buns along his arm, while slathering on the ingredients.

Does he stop at the elbow or advance to the shoulder?

Having gotten your road thrill of Rhode fill, the tale of the weiner trail makes an interesting anecdote for road warriors to spread beyond Rhode Island’s borders.