Three locals open Hackensack Hotdogs restaurant that's 'pushing the limits'

HACKENSACK — Three friends with deep ties to the city have opened a restaurant on State Street serving deep-fried hot dogs, topped with everything from marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella to macaroni and cheese.

Hackensack Hotdogs opened this month at the corner of State and Essex streets. But the 30-table restaurant has been so busy, the owners haven’t had time to plan its grand opening, set for sometime in July.

“I can’t keep up,” said Herbert Lamont Barr, who owns the restaurant with partners Jeremy Fardella and Matthew Bellifemine. “It’s a good problem, and it’s all through word of mouth.”

Barr, 46, grew up in Hackensack and spends most of his time in the city, walking around and talking with people in the community. He said he’s proud of how the city has grown, as development downtown has boomed in recent years.

“I’m from here. I eat and sleep in this town. I’ve got to put my heart in it,” he said. “This town is growing, and luckily we’re a part of it.”

Four years ago, he opened another business that takes the city’s name as its own: Hackensack Brewing Co.

North Jersey's best sandwich shops: Shrimp po' boy, pastrami on rye, and tuna salad club

The craft brewery, which he co-owns with Mike Jones, a friend who lived in the same apartment building, is at the opposite end of the city on Johnson Avenue.

“The two businesses kind of bookend Hackensack,” Barr said.

After the pandemic hit, Barr, who had a day job working in finance, worked remotely from the brewery. He noticed how the business had taken off and realized he was tired of the daily commute into New York.

“That place has grown. It doesn’t really need us,” he said of the brewery. “I had some free time and wanted to sell hot dogs.”

North Jersey and beyond: The ultimate summer foodie bucket list

He partnered with his longtime friend Bellifemine, who works as a graphic artist, and Fardella, a manager at the Main Street bar Lazy Lanigans.

Barr was at the pub one night asking him for advice on starting a restaurant, when Fardella offered to join the business venture.

The eatery’s menu is simple, starting with a Thumann's natural casing frank or jumbo quarter-pound hot dog, deep fried. From there, diners can order their hot dogs wrapped in bacon, or with a variety of creative toppings.

The Mac-N-Sack comes piled with macaroni and cheese. There’s an Italian-style dog named the Mangia Mangia in a nod to the name of the location’s predecessor, a deli that closed a couple of years ago. And there's the Philly Dog, which comes topped with cheese sauce, steak and peppers and onions.

The current bestseller — the Hackensack Hotdog — is topped with the company's signature chili sauce.

Eventually, Barr said, he hopes to incorporate two other popular items: the B.E.C. Dog, which comes loaded with bacon, egg and cheese, and the Longsilog — a Filipino style hot dog paired with garlic rice and a fried egg — into a weekly Sunday brunch.

Sides, like french fries, onion rings and tater tots, round out the options.

“People think of hot dogs as fast food, but everything here is fresh and made to order,” Barr said. “I don’t think there’s anybody around that’s pushing the limits the way we are.”

The eatery is filled with Hackensack memorabilia, and high school jerseys decorate the walls. A local graffiti artist painted a huge mural on one side depicting city landmarks like the nearby courthouse, the Sears building and the retro hamburger stand White Manna.

“We wanted to give it a different feel,” Barr said. “We didn’t want it to be too suit-and-tie.”

The owners are working to make the hot dog joint a community fixture. They hope to participate in the annual fall event “Sacktoberfest” and eventually sell food at the recreation center’s concession stand.

“We’re excited. We’re ready to grow,” he said. “The three of us are here to make hot dogs and feed the neighborhood.”

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Hackensack Hotdogs restaurant opens serving deep-fried dogs