Saul G.
Yelp
I've never bought into the hype about the original location in Mamaroneck, so I wasn't first in line here day one. Still, I looked forward to the full retail experience in White Plains - much better than a food truck at the Farmers' Market. The bright decor is quite nice - walls festooned with blowups of postcards received from fans in the past, a Sonos.
I came for lunch on a dismal Monday - the place was emptyish. The cashier was fast and friendly. I ordered a double on a pretzel bun ($5.25 + 1.25 for the pretzel), a single, a side of sweet potato waffle fries and a small seltzer. With tax, about $16.50 all in.
I am sort of ambivalent about Walter's small, mild, butter grilled dogs. To my taste they are made from veal and pork - I would not be surprised if there's some beef as well. Not a lot of spice, not a lot of snap to the casing but somehow wholesome -- you won't feel disgusting after eating here. Walter's mustard/relish combo is too light on the relish for my taste. Still the double in its pretzel roll was a fine sandwich, filling and savory. The single was not absolutely necessary, but I still enjoyed a better than average dog. The sweet potato waffle fries were tasty and grease-less, but were not hot enough. There was only one person ahead of me, so why the dogs took so long I can't say - but the fries had cooled by the time my order was complete.
Walter's Achilles Heel is the lack of choice - you can have a single, or a double, or maybe top your dog(s) with puffy potatoes. No hot sausage option, no bratwurst. No plain relish. Shouldn't they have weisswurst, if only for the alliteration?
If you want topping variety, Dog Den is your place. If you simply want a better wiener, then it's Walter's. It's that simple.