Restaurant Review: Tower Dogs (Asbury Park, New Jersey)
Sometimes, you've got to get away. For the next several days, you'll be seeing foods from a recent vacation. I'm starting with Tower Dogs, which is on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, New Jersey. We ate this food on the beach on an absolutely perfect day at the shore.
Tower Dogs is an omnivore restaurant that accommodates vegans well. They have their own veggie versions of their hot dogs and burgers but also, for a somewhat higher price, you can get the Beyond Burger or a Beyond Sausage. Because I was doing my best to convince my traveling companion, visiting the east coast from rural middle America, that vegan food isn't scary, I splurged on what I thought would be most appealing to an omnivore.
First up: A California burger with a Beyond Meat patty. This one is totally vegan if you leave off the mayo, as we did. I spread mustard on my half of this burger. It had avocado, lettuce, tomato, and red onion and was very meaty. They prepared it well, but of course, a Beyond Burger is a Beyond Burger, and hard to mess up!
Next: A naked dog with a Beyond Sausage. My middle American visitor was leery of any of the fun hot dogs, so I just got a plain one for us and put mustard on my half. No complaints; this is an excellent hot dog. It had a lot more flavor than a regular frank because they gave us what I think was a Beyond Bratwurst.
Finally: Waffle fries! But not just any waffle fries. Waffle fries seasoned to perfection. So, so good!
I thoroughly enjoyed my day at the beach and Tower Dogs was a big part of that! The clerk who took my order was vegan herself and was the perfect guide to the menu. Asbury Park actually has a lot of vegan options, so it's an excellent place to visit if you're in the mood for a trip to the Jersey shore.
General thoughts: Although I wish Tower Dogs would expand their veganizing to include cheeses and sauces, I really appreciated being able to eat a burger, hot dog, and fries right on the beach. The view is hard to beat! The service was great. I would definitely stop by here again. 4/5
Tower Dogs is an omnivore restaurant that accommodates vegans well. They have their own veggie versions of their hot dogs and burgers but also, for a somewhat higher price, you can get the Beyond Burger or a Beyond Sausage. Because I was doing my best to convince my traveling companion, visiting the east coast from rural middle America, that vegan food isn't scary, I splurged on what I thought would be most appealing to an omnivore.
I thoroughly enjoyed my day at the beach and Tower Dogs was a big part of that! The clerk who took my order was vegan herself and was the perfect guide to the menu. Asbury Park actually has a lot of vegan options, so it's an excellent place to visit if you're in the mood for a trip to the Jersey shore.
General thoughts: Although I wish Tower Dogs would expand their veganizing to include cheeses and sauces, I really appreciated being able to eat a burger, hot dog, and fries right on the beach. The view is hard to beat! The service was great. I would definitely stop by here again. 4/5
That looks like a satisfying lunch! Though I feel the toppings are the most exciting part about a hot dog, though fair enough for your friend liking things straight up. I'm glad there are these options available! And I want those waffle fries, they just aren't a think here but they are so fun!
ReplyDeleteI was somewhat disappointed because the toppings are really why you go to a place like that, but I wanted to compromise. The waffle fries were just about the best I ever had. I would definitely order them again even though I'm not much of a fry person.
DeleteWhat a perfect meal to enjoy down at the shore! It's nice that your friend was open minded enough to try the vegan options! Those waffle fries look seriously incredible! It sounds like a really nice meal to enjoy on the beach. I'm glad you were able to get away for a nice little vacation too!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I came back needing a vacation from my vacation, I am also glad I went!
DeleteThe burger sounds great, and the waffle fries look absolutely perfect! I usually just add mustard to hot dogs when I make them, but I think I would want to go for some fun toppings if I was ordering one!
ReplyDeleteI agree! But there are vegan options with toppings, so if that's what you want, it's available. I wish they had vegan cheese and some other vegan sauces, but even without that there are a lot of other possibilities besides "naked"!
DeleteHaha, I'm exactly like your friend, I always seem to opt for the most plain and boring version of any burger or hotdog! I haven't tried the Beyond Burger yet, but I really want to. And those waffle fries look so good. I know it's illogical, but waffles fries or curly fries somehow always taste better than regular ones!
ReplyDeleteMy tip: Cook the burger longer than they say, especially if you've been vegan for a long time. They want you to eat it when it's still pink inside, but I like it better when a lot more of the fat has rendered out.
DeletePlaces like this are so important for 'normalizing' veganism -- what a great find!
ReplyDeleteYEY FOR VISITING ASBURY PARK! It is kind-of just a New Jersey/locals only place to visit. I would of loved to recommend Mogo, they have a killer vegan korean style burrito and tacos.
ReplyDeleteI loved Asbury Park! Thanks for the recommendation I saw Mogo when I was there but we were apparently on a quest for junk food.
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