Pauly’s Famous Franks N Fries

I bought a groupon for $ 11 bucks and it was so super worth it!
For $ 11, we got two hot dogs, fountain drinks, and a double order of bacon chili cheese fries!
Can you say SCORE?!
I ordered Pinoy Puppie (mostly for the fried egg) and the boyfriend ordered Mexico City.
Let’s just say we were only able to finish half of the fries with our hot dogs.
I didn’t they had polish sausages or else I would’ve got that instead…
Anyway, Pauly’s is a fun place! You get to watch them cook and they also have a row of seasonings (i.e. cajun and beer!)
We dined in since it wasn’t crowded at the time we visited.
Staff is super friendly and they keep the place fairly clean!

I debated whether to go with 4 or 5 for Pauly’s, since I think the place could get a bit cleaner, but as far as hotdog places go, I’ve never been to any better. It’s located in some historic landmark right near San Jose State University, so the place definitely has a college vibe to it. Their selection of over dozen different flavored powder is an interesting thing to check out — pretty sure one of them was labeled with «beer.»
As a part of the Amazon Local deal, we got their massive 2-​foot long hot dog, regularly priced at $ 26, for $ 13. So that’s a pretty good deal, if you consider what 4 regular hot dogs would usually cost. On top of this, they let us pick any version on their menu, which is another list of few dozen choices — less than a dozen named after major U.S. cities, few dozen «new school» and «international» styles.
As for our 2-​foot hot dog, we got ours in Californian style, topped with cucumbers, sprouts, avocados, and some fresh sauce. It tasted very fresh, and the sausage plump and savory. Between my wife and myself, we split this 80 – 20, and I had some difficulty with the last few bites, but did not get sick of hot dogs after eating over 1.5 ft of it «unprepared.» That’s a testament to how good their hot dog is. If you get this hot dog, I recommend chopping it up into shorter segments, and try out few of their powder flavors.
I saw some mentions about their buns getting soggy in other reviews, but that wasn’t an issue for us. Ours was a kind of soft baguette that was not too soft, or soggy. As a middle-​aged man I felt pretty immature battling against this thing with my wife, but it was a lot of fun and dang we were proud about finishing it in one sitting. Good times, I look forward to coming back with my coworkers for a night out.

since there was soo many places to eat around here. i wanted to try something different and walked into pauly’s
walked in with only 2 people in here.
*shit wrong place to come in.
the cashier was really friendly like super nice. the menu was long and took me FOREVER looking thru it
i ended up making my own hotdog
apple chicken dog with caramelized onions, pineapples, ketchup, and mayo
what a great mix. i love it. the dog had hella flavor
but what sucked was the bun. they need to fix the bun. like make it softer or warm it up or something. it was just a plain bun.
the chili cheese fries are a must with your dog btw. :)

Being from Chicago, I was overwhelmed by the selection of hot dogs. Typically, there’s just a Chicago dog and you let the staff know which one you want: mustard, onions, relish, and sport peppers. The emphasis is on the whole package of steamed bun, small frank, toppings, and adding the fries. Here, it’s about the frank. It’s quite large and has a good snap to it. The bun is more like an italian bread so it didn’t survive against the chili and doesn’t hold the frank that well. The various toppings are pretty solid but I thought the price point seemed a little high. However, you are pretty full when you eat the entire frank. I think the value is in the polish, hot link, bratwurst, or chicken sausage upgrade for 50 cents.
The fries are pretty heavy in weight and is actually decently priced despite what it seems like for the sizes. I like the seasoning bar for the fries, in general. Some of the southwestern flavors worked but the basics didn’t. The cajun was too powdery rather than actual paprika, garlic salt, or pepper.
Parking is pretty difficult at the Plant due to so many other restaurants and froyo/​coffee places around. It’s a place I’d go again if someone else wanted to go but I wouldn’t choose it on my own.

With a groupon in tow, I got to try out Pauly’s Famous Franks n Fries with the little brother. It was a rainy Saturday afternoon when we chose to go, and I had reviewed the extensive menu beforehand but still had no idea what I was going to end up with.
The Plant plaza is huge, and Pauly’s is nestled in the same area as Boiling Crab, Tapioca Express, and Al’s Beef. There were quite a few people inside, and only a dozen tables that were pretty much all taken. There is outdoor seating, but no way that anyone would want to eat their food in the cold rain.
I had contemplated between the Mexico City, but that’s something you can get anywhere. I then thought of the nacho cheese chip one, but again, wanted to try something different. When the cashier finally came (only 3 people in this joint working) I somehow blurted the breakfast burrito dog. It was one on my mind, but somehow that’s what my conscious decided to go with. A hot dog with chorizo and scrambled eggs. Fitting as it was my first meal of the day. My brother went with the banh mi, and as much as I wanted the Works fries as I’m a sucker for nacho cheese, we went with the chili cheese bacon fries.
We nabbed a table in the back next to the soda machine and various flavored salt/​powder for your fries. Our order was ready pretty and quick, and a double order of fries is no joke. Hot dogs looked decent, but the banh mi was cilantro, a tiny handful of shredded carrots, and siracha sauce. The menu says it has pickled cucumbers and carrots, but from the photo you will notice that’s not the case. Not worth the $ 5.29 if you ask me. My breakfast burrito dog was decent, but from a carb whore, there was just WAY too much bread on the bun. The ratio was 2:1, bun wins. Hot dog was decent, chorizo and scrambled eggs were fried together, and a dollop of hot sauce. It was overall ok, but I’ve had better. Brother agreed as well, so we gorged into the fries instead. I thought we would be able to plow through it seeing that we ate about half our dogs (with lots of the bread leftover), but I didn’t do enough damage on my half. Fries are nice and fresh, I believe they cut and fry them there, lots of good chili and cheese, and was surprised they give a lot of bacon. I did stop by to ask for some fresh chopped onions which made it even tastier.
Fries are the winner here, hot dogs are not. I do see they have a wider selection of hot dogs at an extra cost, but they should really think about reducing the size of their buns and making the $ 5.29 worth it by adding more toppings to those that have select few. For the groupon price, it wasn’t bad, but I don’t see myself coming back here unless if I have a craving for a fatty order of fries.

Here’s the menu.

Save you some time.
I split the Joey Chestnut Challenge with my friend. We chose the Mexico City, mainly because of the toppings and the bacon-​wrapped frank. It took like 40 minutes to make because it’s 2 feet of beef and toppings. We were hungry as hell when it was served, but damn was it worth the wait. It was huuuuuge! No wonder they said it could feed 4, but we were 2 really hungry dudes. The bacon-​wrapped frank was all-​right and the toppings tasted fresh with the tomato and onions. It was nice to have many different seasonings to your avail; I quickly took advantage of that and sprinkled different sections of my frank. It was almost like eating 3 different hot dogs. Boom! Variety!
In the end, we conquered it. We couldn’t really move, but we were satisfied.
I was really glad to have utilized the Groupon for a 12.99 Joey Chestnut 2 foot long dog. The problem is I probably wouldn’t have ordered it if it weren’t for the Groupon. Pretty pricey.

I give it a 3 for overall taste and a 4 for variety of their menu. So it’s a 3.5 on the Unilocal scale.
I recommend not to get ones with their hot sauce as it completely overpowers any of the other flavors. It’s not that it’s too spicy, just overpowering.
The dogs flavor was good, although I prefer mine cut in half lengthwise and grilled laying flat on the grill. More flavor to me.
Fries were pretty good. Didn’t try all their fry seasoning.
1 dog may not fill you. 2 definitely will.
Place is reasonably new and clean.
Not that many hot dog places to compare it to, so I’d say it’s not bad if you’re in the mood for a dog with lots if toppings.

I’ve always been a lover of hot dogs, and this place has TONS of choices!!!
Four of us came here for lunch because we had Groupon deal which included 4 hot dogs, fries, and 4 sodas. This was a great deal because we got our money’s worth just off the hotdogs.
One of my favorite types of meals is breakfast, so I ordered the breakfast hot dog – topped with chorizo, eggs and hot sauce. The fries that the Groupon covered were HUGE!!! These could easily feed 6 people!
Service was great, hot dogs were great. I would definitely eat here again to try more of their hot dogs. *patting belly*

Groupon brought me here. I wish I could say that about most of the places I eat at haha. I probably wouldn’t have ordered the fries if I hadn’t got the deal but it came with it.
Mexican City: So good!!! I loved it. Can go wrong with bacon and onions!!! It filled me up for sure.
Tripod: Didn’t try it my bf got it and he eats real slow but he scarfed it down before I even got halfway done!
We were so full we didn’t even eat the fries. We ordered the bacon cheese one. Double sided. Its a really big portion. If you wanted to order that size, I’d say don’t get the hot dog or share it with 4 other people. We took it home. It kinda missed some components. I added some hot sauce and sour cream at home.
Definitely worth the try on a hot summer night!

Having seen this newly erected (lol) in the Plant, I figured I would eventually have to try it out. I am always in search of comparable specialties that I have tried during my travels. For instance, I knew that Pauly’s would likely be the place to find a decent Chicago style hotdog.
I walked in on a Sunday evening and there was plenty of tables available… I was a little wary because there were very few people eating. That changed quickly and I was glad to have beat the rush and got a table for 4. I ordered a Chicago dog and my wife had a Chili cheese. Check out my photos to see pics of my wiener. The dogs definitely did not disappoint, she usually is happy with your average wiener but I am always looking for the biggest and juiciest. Pauly’s wieners did not disappoint. The dogs were all beef and had great flavor, grilled to perfection and the order came up quick.
The condiments were all very fresh and I was surprised by how much they managed to cram into our buns. Too be honest my bun couldn’t take it all and ended up falling apart before I could finish… that is my only complaint out of the entire experience. There were so many options on the menu that I will have to come back to try some of the other variations.
Paulys came pretty close to replicating the hot dogs I ate in Chicago, that says a lot because most places just try and imitate rather than duplicate. Pauly’s came through.
The most popular dog is the Mexico City. The fries come in single, double and basket orders. The basket order is ridiculous so ask to see just what you are getting into before you order.
Will repeat.

If you like hotdogs, you should try Pauly’s. I never knew you can be that creative with a hotdogs. They have varieties of hotdogs to choose from, you just have to decide what you want that’s all:)
I’ve here twice and the best customer service. They always ask whether or not you’re a new customer so they can give you a quick view of their menu.
I had the Chicago dog and chili cheese fries, Yummmy!

When I heard there was a hot dog spot at the plant I have been wanting to come and try it out, then what a surprise I saw a groupon for 2 hot dogs (any hot dogs) a double order of fries and 2 drinks for $ 11!!!
I couldn’t pass this offer up so I bought it.
It was a really good deal because they have a ton of hot dogs to choose from, it made my decision extremely hard which hot dog I wanted to enjoy.
When we first walked in it has the set up as like a wing stop kind of. Counter in front, a skinny hallway with chairs and tables leading to the soda machine and the bathrooms, and chairs and table right when you walk in. There are a few pictures up on the wall, but on this other wall right by the counter has nothing on it… it’s like they want something to go there but nothings there… yet…
The hot dogs were pretty good, I ordered the nacho chip, nacho cheese, chips, jalapeño’s, it was pretty messy but really good that I could not put it down for anything!
The fries are pretty good too. we got these fully loaded ones with cheese, chili, sour cream, jalapeño’s. My oh my… the double order was too much for us to finish but they were really good!
I was in heaven just grubbin away ’til my hearts content… then the food wall hit… NOOOOOOOO! I did not want that to come at all but it did and I had to call it quits.
But I highly recommend going, the customer service is nice and they can help you out with picking what type of hot dog you are willing to try.

So we were like, «You now what sounds good right now? Some fancy hot dogs.» Instead of our usual trip to CaliDog, we decided to try something new. Pauly’s did not disappoint.
I ordered the Chicago while my boy ordered the Tripod and some fries loaded with toppings, including jalapenos. The Chicago had tomatoes, relish, and peppers of some kind. It was AMAZING. I gobbled it down.
My boyfriend also equally loved his Tripod dog and fries. He said the fries reminded him of the Angry Potatoes they serve at Scrambl’z.
Anyway, we found a new favorite! We want to try the Mexico City dog next time.

Ok, I may have looked VERY unattractive eating and inhaling my fries and hot dog at Pauly’s. I admit, I was a hot mess — napkins sprawled everywhere, mangoes and pineapple bits spewed everywhere on the table from my Hawaiian dog, and ketchup smeared all over my cheeks. I swear, I usually have table manners, but when it comes to delicious food, I don’t care and chow down everything!
My biggest advice for first-​timers is to look up the menu online beforehand. It’ll save you so much trouble and changing your mind to the cashier, which I did. I recently got back from Hawaii, and had THE BEST hot dog in Hawaii, so of course I turned to Pauly’s to see if I can get a substitute 2,500 miles away.
Sadly, it did not reach par as the hula dog from Oahu, but it was still delicious. All week, I’ve been craving a hot dog, and my cravings have been fulfilled! I don’t exactly recommend the Hawaiian hot dog in the future, but probably a more savory one and especially the ones that are bacon wrapped. The Mexico City one looks good…
I also recommend the french fries! I’m a carbavore, and french fries are my weakness. The best part? There’s a huge variety of seasonings to pick and sprinkle on your fries. They range from beer flavor to curry powder, to even cajun powder, too.
I can’t wait to try all the other combinations of hot dogs! Also, I wouldn’t recommend the nacho fries since it gets all soggy… lesson learned.

I was expecting great things coming to this place. I looked at all the pictures and noticed they had good reviews so I gave it a shot.
The Food: I was really expecting more from the food but this Bestia was disappointed. First off, they Have a huge menu with any combination you can think of. From bacon wrapped Mexico city dogs to the Chicago. They offer peppers, onions, pickles, jalapeños, and much more. Certain dogs came with certain buns. Them having all these choices did not make up for the bad quality of the dog and how the condiments were prepared. Their dogs are were long but thin and tasted rubbery. The bun was soggy and did not hold the dog well. The condiments were cooked too long and ended up tasting bad. My dog had red bell peppers and onions which were cooked too long and made them nasty. The fries were just ok. They had no taste to them but they did offer plenty of seasoning on the side. The thing about the seasoning was that you had to use a TON of it to actually taste it.
The Staff: The people here were chill. The person that helped us out was patient while we took about 5 – 10 minutes to decide on what we wanted to get. The guy welcomed everyone that came in and said thanked everyone that left. There were only two people working, one was taking orders and cleaning some of the outside while one prepared the food.
The Restaurant: This place had a nice set up. I liked all the art they had up and their color scheme.
Am I going back: I don’t think so since it was so pricey and the food wasn’t that anything special. If they served better quality food then I may come back but as it stands now, I rather go with a Costco dog.

We’ve driven by this spot for months when it still had the «Opening Soon» sign up. Seeing that the sign has changed to «Now Open» made us stop by for some dinner. When we walked in, we were immediately greeted by the cashier. He was really enthusiastic and explained the menu in detail. I’m actually glad he pointed out the most popular hot dogs since I was getting overwhelmed by the 60+ choices they have.
I ended up going the classic route with the Chicago dog and some chili fries. Overall, I enjoyed my meal a lot. It definitely doesn’t dethrone my old favorite Top Dog in Berkeley, but I’ll definitely be back to try some of their more exotic creations.
I give this spot 4 fist pumps (sorry.couldn’t resist the Jersey Shore reference)

Came here last night for dinner because I heard that this place was similar to Pinks Hot Dogs.
The guy at the register was helpful. He helped us out with the menu since my husband and I was first timers and had no clue what’s good and what’s not.
My husband had the mexico city hot dog and I had the Sauteed peppers and a side of buffalo style fries. Honestly both hot dogs was just okay. Didn’t make my tastebuds dance or anything. The hot dog is very thin and it doesn’t really fill you up. Buffalo style fries was alright. I don’t think I would order it again. Maybe I’ll stick to the orginal fries or chili cheese fries. One thing I did like about the fries is that they really put a lot of cheese on it. So every bite of the fries was really cheesy.
By the soda fountain in the back, they have a variety of seasoning that you can put on your hot dogs/​fries if you want.
I would come back here again. I would give it a 5 star if their hot dogs was much bigger.

Oh yes, Pauly’s is finally open! My beau and one of our good friends are hot dog fans and they both had been anticipating the opening of Pauly’s all Summer! They were pretty ecstatic when the time had finally come!
The three of us came here in the evening and ordered four different hot dogs. Mind you, we took quite awhile to come up with the top four that we wanted to try. Their menu is just crazy extensive. They had all sorts of dogs with all sorts of toppings, which made it pretty difficult to narrow it down.
When we finally came to consensus, we went with the Indian hot dog with mango chutney (
), Pinoy hot dog with rice and eggs, Chicago with sweet bell peppers (
), and the Rueben hot dog with sauerkraut (
).
My favorites were the Rueben and Chicago, simply because I felt like the hot dog had great flavor on it’s on and it didn’t require all of the extra toppings. While the topics were unique, the mango chutney in the Indian dog overpowered the hot dog and the addition of rice and eggs in the Pinoy dog was just too filling for me. I really enjoyed the simple flavor of the bun and dog with some ketchup and sauerkraut.
The guys pretty much felt the same way that I did. The only gripe that they had was that there was no «snap» in the dog. They have been on a hunt for a hot dog place that has that «snap.» Kind of like a snap that you get from biting into a hot link. My friend swears that the only time that he’s had a dog with a «snap» was from a hot dog stand all the way in New York! If you guys know of any places, let me know! If not, it sees that Pauly’s will be as good as it will get around here!
P.S.
They are opening up another location in downtown.

My sister and her boyfriend were really thoughtful to grab me a hot dog from this place, since I have been waiting for my next day off /​free day to try this new hot dog spot in San Jose.
They have a wide selection of hot dogs here and I wasn’t really set on a specific one so I was down to try any of their signature dogs!
My sister got me the Mexico City dog (which is one of their best seller?).
Their hot dogs seems small compared to other hot dog places I’ve tried. I seriously thought it was a corndog or something when I first saw it wrapped! The Mexico City dog was covered in onions (yum)! I love onions and all, but the onions on my hotdog were still a little raw! I think it would’ve been better if they had caramelized the onions, which will compliment their sauce!
BEST hot dog in town??? NOPE!
Will I try them again??? Sure, Why not? They have plenty of other signature dogs to choose from. Maybe this was just a miss!

The food was pretty good, I liked the fries.
The thing I hate about hot dogs is that they’re just so small, like, you pay $ 5 bucks for a hotdog and it’s literally gone in less than a minute :(. There was an interesting. «powder section» which is basically dry sauces. It was cool, I think I used bacon cheddar and put that on my hotdogs and fries. They have a huge menu, I wonder if you can create your own hot dog as well.
The place is small, might be hard to find a seat. I understand they were new, so I think I saw 2 – 3 employees trying to train another employee (or just chatting it up with a girl ahha, I’m not sure), when there were obviously tables that had trash on them and made it weird to sit at them (I just took a seat at a table that had trash on it).
That being said, the place is decent, though I’m not sure I would come back. The hot dog was pricey, and the fries were good, maybe just for chili cheese fries? I’d have to try that. The problem is though, that they’ve also got Wingstop and Five Guys right there, so great fries are abundant in the area.
Good luck to them though! Hope they do well as a business.