HOT DOG REVIEW: D’Angelo’s Italian Sausage Truck

My search for the best hot dog in New York continues….

Every year my buddy Jeff Orlick co-organizes an exciting neighborhood event in Jackson Heights, Queens. It’s called Viva la Comida and Jeff brings in some of the best, most eclectic street food from the borough.

I always expect to see some Indian, Asian, and South American food represented. But I always forget about the European food trucks. And I really shouldn’t.

This year, alongside Mystikk Masala and The Arepa Lady, was a classic old-school Italian sausage truck that parks on Woodhaven Avenue, far from the route of most Manhattan-based food obsessives.

I’ve encountered this truck once before when I trekked out to Rego Park to try Dominick’s, what I consider the best street hot dog in the city. Turns out D’Angelo’s (which usually parks just blocks away from Dominick’s) is run by the same family (cousins). So I was more than eager to try the hot dog. In fact, I even skipped their titular sausage in favor of a hot dog.

The wieners here are topped the Italian way: with peppers and onions. There is also a drizzle of both ketchup and mustard, but the dog is barely visible underneath the grilled vegetables.

My guess is they use the same Sabrett skinless dogs as Dominick’s, but these looked much smaller. They still gave off a wonderful smokey flavor with a consistent snap throughout. Its salty flavor stood up to the plentiful Italian toppings and it made for an excellent little treat.

While the Tibetan, Colombian, and Chinese carts get most of the attention nowadays, we should not forget about those that began street food in this city: the Europeans.

Does D’Angelo’s have the best hot dog in NY? That distinction still belongs to its sister truck, Dominick’s, but the expertly grilled dog goes nicely with the usual sausage toppings and earns it an 8 out of 10.