Lunch At The Palace

Last week Chuck and I went to “Elvis’s Hot Dog Palace” in Leominster. Seriously. We had heard about the place - er - palace when it was still in Lunenburg, but we had never eaten there. “Elvis’s” is now located in a little strip mall on Mechanic Street; nestled between Consumer Auto Parts and Family Dollar. Inside, the restaurant is crisp and bright but surprisingly plain. The place is immaculate and oddly enough it doesn’t smell of hot dogs nor the wide variety of available toppings.

We approached the counter at the rear of the shop and spotted the large chalkboards with all the menu options. As it should be for a joint called “Elvis’s Hot Dog Palace”, hot dogs dominate, but they also sell burgers, wings, salads and ice cream. The staff was very nice, especially when I confessed we were “Elvis Virgins”! We placed our order and sat down at one of the tables lining the long, narrow space.

Soon our dogs arrived. A Reuben Dog and Thai Dog for Chuck while I had ordered a Rachael Dog and an Arnold Ziffle Deluxe Dog - all grilled. They were yummy! We love Flo’s Hot Dogs up in Maine, so the bar has been set pretty high. Elvis’s has very different dogs from Flo’s. Nor do they seem to have a homemade, signature relish like Flo’s. But before you think I am complaining, let me reassure you that these dogs were very good. And unlike some adventures in hot dog dining (yes, even Flo’s) we had no regrets later in the afternoon!

Which dogs did we like best? That’s a problem. They were all very tasty and very different from each other. If pressed, I would have to say that the Rachael edged out the Deluxe. Chuck thought the Thai was tops and totally out of the box. (Due to the peanut component I had to take his word for it.) With most dogs priced at $2.95, not only is Elvis’s a good place to satisfy your craving for hot dogs, it’s also a heck of a bargain. We’ll be back.