UYE: Because Central Jersey Sausage Party of Course

Not what I expected — a good thing. Since I didn’t visit their website before hand, based on the name alone I expected a upscale hot dog joint that serves drinks with their beef hot dogs topped with all kinds of exotic toppings. What I got was a hot dog destination serving an expansive selection of hot dogs with great names, representing various countries, and a wide selection of meats. So many varieties, in fact, that it was hard to find just one to order.
I brought a few friends from out-​of-​town to enjoy this UYE. Since they’ve never been exposed to Unilocal,I wanted them to enjoy one of Amalia’s UYE’s while they were in town. One happened to be a corporate management type who works for Trip Advisor. We arrived early and started out at the downstairs bar, which featured a nice selection of craft beers as well as a wide variety of specialty cocktails. After a few beers, our fellow-​Yelpers began to show up. We eventually found our way upstairs. Because Amalia’s UYE’s usually bring a cheerful crowd, they had to book the upstairs in order to provide enough space.
The menu featured a wide selection of dogs with both domestic and international themes. Faced with the impossible task of settling on one, the three of us decided to order one each, and had the kitchen staff cut each in thirds so we can try a portion of each dog. I ordered the CHARLES DOG GAULLE: FRANCE (CDG) which consisted of Duck sausage w/​duck confit, shaved foie gras, and dijon mustard. Dave C ordered the POI BOY: MAUI (OGG) which consisted of Wild boar sausage w/​pork belly, pineapple relish, dijon mustard. Sue C ordered the ANDOUILLE ARMSTRONG: LOUISIANA (MSY), which consisted of Andouille Alligator and shrimp sausage w/​cabbage, tomatoes, jalapeño remoulade, scallions, lemon wedge. We each ordered truffle fries from the «Checked Baggage» section of the dinner menu.
I cannot begin to describe how pleased we were about the dogs we ordered, and the truffle fries for that matter. Our servers did an excellent job getting the dogs out hot and keeping the drinks flowing for all of the Unilocalers who showed up to the event,. Our trip to the Unilocal UYE at Destination Dogs was definitely a visit that we’ll be repeating in the very near future. My friends were impressed. Arlene A was disappointed that she missed out on such a wonderful experience. And to the many fellow-​Yelpers who attended, especially those I met for the first time, It was great seeing you. SYOY!
Thanks for the great atmosphere, good food and awesome service Destination Dogs. And, thanks to Amalia for throwing such a great event. If not for the UYE, I wouldn’t have experienced that awesomeness known as Destination Dogs!

CNJ Unilocalers know how to throw down some sausage…
so many wieners were had (like, where do y’all put them, ya sexay beasts?). I made my own combo and it was delish– a Cantonese sausage topped with cabbage, white onions, scallions, hoisin sauce, and sriracha (inspired by a tip CK left on the destination dogs page. dude knows his wieners. trust.)
there were truffle fries. my favorite ever. gimme.
boozie drinks were flowing. that ‘monks gone wild’ with pimms and ginger beer and muddled strawberries? more please!
as usual, all were in a good mood. conversation was flowing, peoples were mingling, no one was mean, and none of the newbiews cried. I’d call it a success. so glad to see Janelle out for her first UYE, and Tara for her first ever Unilocal event… glad it didn’t disappoint! it was great to see Andrew A. and Jeff D. out again, and I’m so so so so so so so so so so so happy that Brandon and Lynda and Marlyn and Christian made the trek to grace us with their presence and partake in the sausagefest!
destination dogs staff were killin’ it with the on-​point service and lots of trips up and down the stairs to our private seating area upstairs. no grief over splitting checks, either– these servers had the separate-​check situation taken care of. I heart them– thanks Kelsey and Brittany!
until next time, you guise.
and by ‘next time’ I mean whenever my co-​pilot Jeff B. says so.
ps– writing this is making me crave sausage. and I miss yous… can’t wait to see some of you at the long branch event later this month :)

The only place you don’t get kicked out of for showing off your weiner.
Another excellent gathering hosted by the always lovely Amelia; Destination Dogs provided an excellent atmosphere that brought everyone together with few drinks specials and a variety of scrumptious sausage and hot dog options for everyone to choose. Set up for our large group was handled swimmingly with a private loft area upstairs and they even broke the bill apart at the end for everyone with no trouble, so definitely the place to go for large parties. Staff was very fun and willing to offer up a few ideas and pairings for new-​comers while offering build-​your-​own options for the frankfurter specialists!

Shout to Amalia for putting together an awesome event at arguably the most awesome place in central jersey! Destination Dogs never disappoints and the CNJ crew only made the experience even better.
We had a private room upstairs where about 20 CNJ Unilocalers came through and plowed through pounds of the best sausage you can think of. I had the Argentinian sausage which came with chimichurri and scallions on top. Absolutely delicious! I also had a side of cole slaw, which was probably the best slaw I’ve ever had.
Staff was amazing and even went above and beyond to separate everyone’s bill. They kept the drinks flowing and the orders came out with lightning speed. A perfect experience all around.
Can’t wait for the next event we have here!

While this was one of the more sedate UYEs, it was still a lot of fun. We took over the top floor of Destination Dogs, a wiener-​focused eatery in New Brunswick that I’ve visited on several occasions, and enjoyed myself each time.
They have a selection of hot dogs that challenge the palate, with each one a study in delicious complexity. I went with the Poi Boy (Wild boar sausage w/​pork belly, pineapple relish, dijon mustard) and the Charles Dog Gaulle (Duck sausage w/​duck confit, shaved foie gras, diced cornichon and red onion, dijon mustard), and enjoyed them both.
But, this review is more about the event. The usual suspects were in attendance, along with some new faces, and we all had a great time. Putting together UYEs is not an easy thing, so my five stars is a standing ovation for Amalia and her commitment to making us all happy.

When Amalia said she was doing at an event at Destination Dogs… we were instantly in! I visited this place once for work and was hooked, so much so it’s worth the drive and tolls down from Hoboken. Anytime there is an event here I will be here with bells on.
It was a great time seeing some faces from the Central Jersey crew I don’t get to see that often so as always an awesome time catching up, joking and making fun of man-buns…seriously people stop it, it’s the 2015 version of the mullet.
I was amazed how many people came and some first timers, you survived Tara but you cut out before the paddle. :)
The food, oh man the food. On the excellent reccomendation of Jeff B. I got the Bun Mi dog and it did not disappoint!!! I also go the La Poutine dog, the gravy was phenomenal. Their buns are also so damn good. The fact that they make everything in house, except the all beef dog which is locally sourced from a company in Newark, is awesome. The lovely server told us that too, being open and honest on what is in house and what isn’t. The truffle fries are also to die for. But honestly anything is good here.
The best part was laughing, joking and just talking about the awesomeness of Unilocal with everyone. But I have to echo Jeff B. this was the first of me hearing about no Unilocal Winter Break in AC… this was in fact heartbreaking. The past few years have been such an amazing time and the people who I have met are equally as amazing. I am totally bummed but we moved on and said we went out on top last year anyways! To quote Casablanca «We’ll always have the mountain bar». No really, that is the original line Humphrey Bogart says, look it up, it’s on the internet.
But onward and upward to Long Branch!

Great to see so many CNJ Unilocalers come out on a Sunday evening, for a little holiday-​infused merriment. A great selection of beers, the best wiener and sausage offerings known to man, and food-​frenzied Unilocalers. Now there’s a recipe for fun! Thanks Amalia (Mwuah!), for organizing the event. You build it, and we will come.
In addition to some of the UYE & DD veterans in attendance, we were graced with some newbies, which is always fun. Tara survived her first Unilocal event ever! And Janelle had never been to a UYE before, so after this event, there can’t possibly be many things left on their bucket lists. And of course Marlyn & Christian decided, «hey, why would we want to fly to Cancun, when we can come to New Brunswick with our fellow Unilocalers?» Wise choice.
When I come to DD’s I always try to sample something new, while making sure I stay true to my favorite menu item — the Bun Mi sausage. Neither disappointed. I loved the Poi Boy sausage. Plenty savory, and oh the pork belly — nom nom. The Vietnamese Bun Mi is still my favorite though, and it’s so nice to see that DD’s does not rest on it’s laurels. The food here is consistently great, time after time. And the service was efficient and friendly throughout the evening, despite our servers having to run up & down stairs all night.
The only somber moment of the night was the discussion about the lack of a Unilocal AC event this coming year. So many of us enjoyed those Unilocal events of years past. We’d be lying if we said we wouldn’t miss it for 2016. And Lord knows AC can use the support of some enthusiastic foodies, waving cash and plastic in the air (okay, and drinks too). But I digress…
Barb & I had a blast, lots of laughs, and filled our bellies with great food! And really, what are the holidays about aside fro spending them with family and friends, and yes, wieners.
See Y’all in January, in Long Branch.

My first UYE and it was great. Destination Dog has been on my must try list so I am so glad Amalia organized this. All Unilocal events are usually further for me so having this UYE was a great idea and she did an awesome job! The food was awesome, $ 2.50 Miller light, great company and wonderful staff you can’t get better than that! I will definitely be going here again to try other dogs and will recommend to others! Great UYE! THANKS!!!

Ok first Unilocal event. I got to meet everyone. Lol definitely loved destination dogs but the company was even better. Glad I got to meet some peeps. Love this place nice vibe. Extensive drink menu. So many combinations of delicious sausage, possibilities are endless. I had the achilles heal the Greek. Lamb sausage yum. Tasted like a gyro. Would love to go back and try others. They even have a build your own. The staff and servers were spot on with our every need and took our volume with a smile. They kept the drinks and food a flowing. We had the entire upstairs to ourselves so volume was not an issue. Hopefully their will be another Unilocaler event here. I also love their truffle fries. I highly recommend them and the home made chips were delish. The mini crab cakes were decent. Definitely worth a trip back. can’t wait…