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We may love our diners and Taylor Ham, but damned if Jersey doesn't sling some outstanding hot dogs. While the usual cast of characters always find their ways onto lists— Rutt's Hut, Hiram's, Boulevard Drinks, Hot Grill— it's Hank's Franks in Lodi that serves up an extra bit of nostalgia.

My father was born and raised in Bergen County, and fondly remembers grabbing a few dogs for lunch with his buddy Roger (they're still friends!) at Hank's. Every time I stop in with my old man, he remarks at how little has changed over the years— the menu is the same, the building is still a shoebox with windows, the parking lot an inconceivably weird shape, and the dogs... well, no sense tinkering with a good thing, even after all these years.