Speed's now open

[cath116]

Just had the first Speed's dog of the season. Delish....

[chadwick77]

OH WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i had my first speed dog of the season today and is was every bit as messy and yummy as always. i dont care what anyone thinks im hooked for life. the new guy, greg i belive his name is will be glad to give u his number to call ahead if needed. long live speeds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jonship]

I lost my Speed's hotdog viriginity on Friday and it absolutely lived up to my hopes. Really delicious. Sweet, as people had warned, but not too much so, and certainly messy. A good amount of food that more than justifies the pricetag.
I've never had a Pearls hotdog - are they always good, or is it purely Speed's magic?
Just wish there was a way I could make it over there on a regular basis. I forgot to ask the guy there - but does anyone know if he's going to open on Saturdays? There was a rumour that it was going to happen in May. I find it hard to imagine that something this good, and with this much press and attention, is going to stay purely Newmarket Sq on weekday lunchtimes. Expansion is surely inevitable.

[Dax]

"Expansion is surely inevitable."

Speed's has been getting press and attention for as long as I can remember reading chowhound (wow, 6+ years now) and this year with the new apprentice is the first I have heard of Saturdays. The only inevitable thing was Speed retiring and I guess Boston is lucky he found a good apprentice.

[jonship]

Fair enough. I've only been reading chowhound for a year or so, so maybe my relatively recent awareness of Speed's means that I seem to be hearing more about it. The Wall Sreet Journal article seems like an increase in press and attention mind.

[pasta]

Have the hours changed? I overheard someone on the T this morning say the hours had changed byt didn't say to what....

[jonship]

Last Friday (5/23/08) the guy said he is typically there until close to 5 pm. I don't know how this compares to previously. I forgot to ask about Saturdays.

[pasta]

and starting at 11:30?

[observor]

Is the apprentices' as quality as Speed's?

[finlero]

I would say they taste just as good now as when Speed made them himself. And as an added bonus, it takes Greg about half as long to prepare a dog as it used to take the Hotdog Maker with the Ironic Name.

[observor]

Where do you find this place?

[ScubaSteve]

it's a truck in Newmarket Square.
near the Grainger building.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

Head down Mass Ave past Newmarket Square. Turn left at Victoria's Diner. Go about a block and a half and it'll be the food truck on your right.

[Bob Dobalina]

Careful - by following these directions in my head, they lead me to the other, permanently stationed food truck in Newmarket Square. Speed's is usually parked on the center island.

[finlero]

Place link:

-----
Speed's Hotdog Wagon
54 Newmarket Square, Boston, MA 02118

[observor]

Have the present hours been established?

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

Odd -- during our inaugural visit a couple weeks ago, Speed's was not parked on the center island, but was past Grainger's, across the street from the building with the green awning that says NECC CO, on the edge of a large gravel field. Not only that, but when the new guy was talking to the guy behind us, he specifially said that the truck had been parked "at this very spot" for over 30 years. But that's where he was on March 12th, at least.

[Bob Dobalina]

LOL - I think we are talking about precisely the same spot.
Apparently, one man's island is another man's gravel field.

Your directions reminded me of the first time I went looking for Speed's. After you turn left at Victoria's Diner, as you bend left into Newmarket Square, isn't there a food truck-y sort of thing on the right, but before you reach the Grainer building and "gravel island?" Has anyone eaten anything from that place, by the way? It does exist right? :-}

Anyway, no worries. If Speed's is set up, just follow your nose.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

It's there, but it wasn't open. I wonder if it ever is?

[joth68]

yup, first time I tried to go to speed's the directions led me to the permanantly parked food truck which wasn't open.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

Maybe it's Foodtruckadoon, and it opens once every hundred years!

[trev80]

Is speeds going to be open tommorow? Saturday 4/5?

[finlero]

Weather permitting, his sign says yes.

I recently broke the seal on Cafe Polonia, nearby in Andrew Square. If Speed's is closed, CP's kielbasa sandwich will help ease the pain.

[heWho]

Boo for the rain today! I'm working from home, was hoping to take a jaunt over to Speed's for a dog (my first!), but I'm assuming he won't be out there in this rain. Can anyone confirm/deny that?

[laulauman]

The cell phone number is posted in this thread: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/443626

[9lives]

M&M Ribs..corner of Norfolk and Hamden street is my backup if Speeds is closed...or worth a stop if Speed's is open..:)

Short drive or bike ride..tougher if you're walking..open Wed-Sat..617 825 6852

http://flickr.com/photos/61246842@N00...

[jasondma]

I went by this morning to see if I could score my first Speed's dog but he wasn't around. I will have to find a way to wait until monday.

[catsmeow]

I was going today too :-(. I went through there the other morning at 11:25 and he was there without a line, but I was running late and couldn't stop. I figured my schedule would be lighter today. I guess I'll try Poppa Bs instead for the first time.

[emby]

What are the chances that Speed's dogs are all-beef/Kosher/no-pork? I have a friend who loves dogs, but has that dietary restriction. Do any of you Speed-demons know?

[Aromatherapy]

He uses Pearl, which according to their website are all-beef, natural casings.
http://www.pearlmeat.com/hotdog.html

[emby]

Thanks for the tip!

[avial]

I failed to find Speed's truck today just after 12pm and on Wednesday at 12:30pm, granted, it was 'pouring' then.

[Pegmeister]

That's interesting because I posted early this morning on another link that I saw him driving through Quincy early this morning. I was joking that maybe he would change locations and lucky for me!! Maybe there's still hope.

[avial]

I saw that before I left to go find the truck and was doubly saddened. Did they post a phone number up on their cart sometime last season? The guy and woman are on their bluetooth headsets all the time.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

Is today's (Wednesday 3/12) weather poor enough for the cart not to be out this afternoon? Allstonian and I are going to the flower show this afternoon, which will put us driving past there during the afternoon on a weekday, which NEVER happens, so we're thinking about trying our first Speed's dogs, and it would suck if it was just bad enough out for the cart not to be there.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

In fact, he was there, and the dogs are all that have been claimed and more. Completely worth the side trip.

While we were waiting for our dogs, a trucker pulled up and ordered one with everything, saying that he was from Wisconsin, heading down 93, and he'd just pulled in to the spot to catch a nap and wait out both the burst of bad weather we were having and rush hour on 93 South, but since he was there, yeah, he'd try a dog. I just love the idea of a guy happening to stumble into a meal experience that excellent.

[hiddenboston]

That's a great little story, BFP. Having stumbled upon so many memorable places by accident myself (Skip's in Gill, Family Recipe in Newport, VT, Top Dog in Cos Cob, CT, to name a few), I'm thinking he will always have Speeds in the back of his mind whenever he thinks of Boston from now on.

[Zatan]

Any thoughts on whether the dogs will travel? I have not yet had the priviledge and really want to get some; my coworkers have asked if I could bring some back to the office (about 20 minutes away I'd say)

[beetlebug]

I've travelled with the dogs and they held up fine. But, these dogs were early, original Speed dogs. We used to buy the dogs, drive to castle island, park and walk to a spot to eat. That's probably around 20 minutes when it's all said and done. Still delicious and a prettier setting than Newmarket Square.

[Bob Dobalina]

You can walk that dog.

[Joanie]

I've actually saved half for the next day (but that's just me I know).
I'm looking forward to the dude in Wakefield where a more manageable sized but same quality dog will be more up my alley.

[Chris VR]

If you're talking about Fred's Franks (www.fredsfranks.com) then I agree he's good, and uses high quality dogs, but there's something about the stuff Speed's marinates/bastes their dogs in that gives it that awesome quality. Fred's grills his (on a Big Green Egg, I believe) but there's no basting, and so for me the dogs just don't get to the Speed's pinnacle. But CERTAINLY the second best dog around!

[Lighthousehunter]

Fred's website now says he is looking at a Patriot's day opening.
Also, he is thinking of offering pulled pork occaisionally.

[gini]

Totally jealous. What's the rule of thumb for inclement weather with the new operators?

[cath116]

A direct quote: "I'll be here unless it's pouring rain".

[harpoonipa1967]

you guys talked me into it. Grabbed one today. Awesome as always and still $7

[hiddenboston]

Grrr!

[hiddenboston]

I wish hot dogs could be faxed....I'm never in that area during the day. Are they ever there after work or on weekends?

[finlero]

According to Bob Dobalina's post from about a month ago, I don't believe they're currently open on weekends, and they're definitely lunch-only.

I'm hoping that as the weather improves, they'll start serving on Saturdays again. A Speed's dog makes a darn fine weekend lunch.

[cath116]

According to the guy dishing out the dogs this morning, Speed's will be open Monday - Friday from 9:30 - 6.

[harpoonipa1967]

It figures I stop by last Thursday olny to be denied

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

The sign this afternoon said March hours will be weekdays from 10-5. Starting in April, hours will be weekdays 10-6, Saturdays 11-4.

[yumyum]

I highly recommend calling in a mental health day one perfect Spring day and treating yourself. It's not easy for me to get there either but oh so worth it.