Rutt's Hut
| Rutt's Hut | |
|---|---|
 Rutt's Hut | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1928 |
| Owner(s) | George Sakellaris, Gus Chrisafinis, George Petropoulakis, Nick Karagiorgis |
| Dress code | Casual |
| Street address | 417 River Road |
| City | Clifton |
| State | New Jersey |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 07014 |
| Country | United States |
| Reservations | No |
Rutt's Hut is a restaurant in Clifton, New Jersey known for its style of deep-fried hot dogs. The process of frying causes the hot dog casings to crack and split, which has led to the nickname "Rippers". The restaurant is also known for its homemade relish, which is made with a secret blend of mustard and spices.
In addition to the Ripper, you can order the dogs 'In-And-Out' style which is only in the hot oil briefly, and the 'Cremator' which is charred black.
The original roadside stand was opened in 1928 by Royal "Abe" Rutt and his wife, Anna. The family sold the restaurant to the current owners, George Petropoulakis, Louis Chrisafinis, Nicholas Karagiorgis, and George Sakellaris in late 1974.[1] Today the building is split into three separate sections: a restaurant, a bar, and a take-out counter.
Rutt's Hut has been featured on the PBS special A Hot Dog Program,[2] numerous Food Network shows and the Travel Channel's Deep-Fried Paradise.[3] It is also listed in the book 1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die.
Pin-up Queen Bettie Page had a series of photos taken where she and another model were eating hot dogs on a boat in bikinis. Those photos were taken on the Passaic River after a visit to Rutt's.
References
- ^ Fran Schumer (May 24, 1998). "Hot diggity! Dog diggity!". The New York Times.
- ^ Walter Goodman (June 29, 1999). "Much Maligned but Still the Champ: Hot Dogs". The New York Times.
- ^ "Deep-Fried Paradise". Travel Channel.