Windmill Hot Dogs of West End

Viva la Windmill! EXCELLENT cheese fries, terrific chili cheese dog, & friendly service. Used to come here as a teen in the 70’s, but haven’t been in 30, 35 years now.. Glad it’s still around, and glad it’s still good! Made my day.

Thank you, Joel, for the great visit yesterday with Jon N. I thoroughly enjoyed the Chili with cheese dog with the hot pepper relish, mustard, and onions on top. The French fries were really good.

Just the best! Decided to stop here for lunch around 1:30pm, and the daytime workers there were incredible. My food was made fast and delicious, and I had a great time talking to the two employees working. Excellent customer service and I will be back!!

Just a simple glizzy spot??? I think not: exceptional service, and totally adore the conversation and interaction with Brandon & Alexis. They made a simple food experience exceptional.

Windmill has been a fixture of the shore for I think over 60 years. It's certainly older than me and I remember being driven by here as a child and always being wowed by the actual windmill itself. I didn't care for these type of hot dogs when I was a kid, but as an adult I can appreciate them more. They have a strong snap to them but the beef flavor to me is a bit lacking. This is why I tend to use toppings like relish, sauerkraut and mustard. The cheese fries are excellent though, but you have to eat them quickly before the cheese starts to dissolve the potatoes. All in all an excellent place.

Made the trip for the grand re opening of this location. On this day they offered the Bogo special, which is a lot of product to say the least. This monster of a hot dog doesn't fit the bun. No disguise, I had just a plain hot dog and that's all is needed. Ton of snap and flavor with this hot dog. The grilled bun brings it all together. I will add this to Scary Good Eats App.

The staff were very nice, greeted me and my family when we walked in. Our order was ready within minutes .. everything was FRESH and tastes good. I loved the cheese fries 😍😋!

I have never had a bad meal here. No frills, order, eat, maybe chop it up with the guys on the grill. The food is always made fresh and they are accommodating if you want to spice up your order. I enjoy getting windmill if I’m in the area.

Perfectly grilled burgers! Great staff and very reasonable prices. Service was quick and clean location.

These hot dogs may be loaded with salt but worth it! The cheese sauce they use on fries and dogs is the best I've ever had, this stuff is liquid gold! Dogs are huge and super beefy delicious! The chili cheese fries to me are the best anywhere! Definitely a stop on your way back from the beach!

ICONIC. FIERCE. For real the workers here are so so nice. Shoutout to Sean (Shawn/Shaun?) for making our experience so welcoming. We were coming out of a concert and not many places were open and they were so courteous to still serve us and I respect the sh¡t out of that even though I know it's annoying ): I had a windmill burger (regular burger) and plain fries with a chocolate shake. Slayed. I literally inhaled it. Sean gave us a little cup of melted cheese to try with the fries like ???? He was so nice to us and was just overall happy to make our experience the best it could be. Sean if you're reading this, you're an icon. I hope you and the rest of the staff get a raise for dealing with us stragglers. Next time I'm in Asbury I'm coming back just for the vibes (and good food obvs). If anyone's at this location, leave a nice tip! They're working hard all day and they deserve it :)

World Headquarters! Don't miss a visit to this NJ shore landmark. Kids love it, and their grandparents do too! Ask them to char grill your hot dog for a little charcoal flavor-you'll thank me!

We have been ordering pretty steadily Todays order we ordered, no Ketchup was sent although we requested condiments . We also ordered bottle sodas and we received cups. 3 strikes and your out, and this is it we are finished. Spending between 60 and 75 dollars for hot dogs and hamburgers the order should be correct. You call the store and never get an answer.

I was in the area recently and since Max's has transformed the windmill is the last place standing for getting a great hot dog. the only drawback is that there is no seating inside,

Hot dogs are always good but the employees appearance is a turn off. I don't feel confident in the cleanliness of a restaurant when the people handling food look so scruffy. Employees should be well groomed. Beard hair falls out. Hair should be clean. Owner's fault.

The BEST since 1963!! Been going here all my life; occasionally to Max's when it was on the Boardwalk and still good. Now, my only go to, when in my home hood! The best HotDogs, & California Burgers! Now that I live in Northern NJ i still have a place to buy Windmill Hotdogs to make-they're very good- but so much better while breathing in the Salt air and enjoying my memories!

Always amazing cheese fries, hot dog snd crispy chicken. Everything was made just right and the guys working were awesome. Always love this place!

AMAZING! me and my boyfriend are in there all the time and the NIGHT SHIFT IS ALWAYS SO NICE, FRIENDLY AND JUST AMAZING! we always get the cheese fries with extra cheese and they never do us wrong! such amazing people!

This was a nostalgic visit for us. My husband grew up in Long Branch and frequented The Windmill often. Everything was the same as he remembered. We just got a chocolate shake this time around.

The original bad boy down the Jersey Shore that started it all... I love WindMill. I love the smell of their meat being grilled on a flat top. I love their huge hot dogs that are 100% beef and contain its natural casing (it causes the hot dog to "snap", but adds more flavor). I love their chili cheese fries that are so hot that you must eat them with a fork. I love that they are so kind to dogs that they will give a free wiener to dog owners free of charge (well, that varies). I love that genuine Jersey Shore vibe that comes across every location. I love the celebrity reputation that it has (Bruce Springsteen is reportedly a big fan). I love that I can eat their food and not feel terrible afterwards. I love that I can enjoy a meal there without any guilt or repercussions. Have you figured it out by now that I love WindMill? Outside of Nathan's, there are not many places that I will go to when I crave a hot dog. It is a good thing I have WindMill to save the day for those hot summer days, or those cool winter ones. Even bad boys can have a soft side.

Went to WindMill in Red Bank, NJ on Bridge Avenue. Food was good and service was A1!!! Friendly staff and short wait time. Will come again.

DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY! We ordered 3 hotdogs, one chili dog and fries. It was so dried out and tough like a piece of leather and the toppings were old and stale. We couldn't eat it and ended throwing it all away! It was the worst hot dog I have ever had and I wouldn't even give it to my dog

WE LOVE WINDMILL! The night shift especially was amazing! We ordered a few chili cheese dogs, fries, and a chicken meal and were given some free extra hot dogs, waters and more!!!! All the food was delicious - hot dogs had a great snap and the chili and cheese were scrumptious! We came in close to closing time and were worried about overstaying, but the night shift let us stay until we were done eating and were super friendly to us the whole time!!! We'll be back!

I saw a few people at the register being manipulated to leave tips. The staff guilt you into it. One guy didn't leave a tip and the brat at the register said a $100 dollar tip, wow. The kid is working fast food with expectations. Go work at Applebees.

My last visit here was 4th of July weekend, 1996.  Me and my friends might've been sauced up and at the time we all thought WindMill had the absolute best chili dog ever.  Was there any way possible for it to live up to the hype now that over twenty years have passed and I'm bringing my family here for the first time?  (Unfortunately, no.) But I need to share a story that earned them an 'extra credit' star in my rating.  An older lady ahead of us had ordered and handed her debit card to pay.  The place is small and hectic (on both sides of the counter) and the one worker tells her that her card was declined.  Just as my brain registered this tidbit and I thought I should step up and cover her meal... another worker waved her through.  "It's okay, she's here every day!"  Damn - that was such an awesome act of kindness that surely meant more (on a few levels) than the cost of a hot dog and a soda. My chili-cheese-dog: (the cheese was MIA) was... fine. The Mrs. wasn't impressed and thought Hot Dog Tommy's in Cape May was far superior when it comes to shore town tube steaks. One kid that's a hot dog fan said the bun was better than the dog itself. Another kid went with a chicken tender dinner and dug it. French fries were kinda hot, kinda crispy, kindy oily and kinda bland.  At this rate my next visit looks to be around the summer of 2047... I'm eager to update my review when the time comes!

In all the best ways, this is a hot dog and burger stand that has been frozen in time. Fries and burgers are made to order, everything tastes fresh, including the vegetables. Hot dog toppings are varied and given in a serve-yourself style that should satisfy just about anyone. The place is basically impossible to miss; it's inside a 25-foot tall wooden windmill. Don't expect to be able to eat inside with your family; the only eating area is a small lunch counter. Their hot dogs are unique; a special blend made for this small chain that you can find in some stores under their label. But for me, I'm not really a hot dog person; I love their burgers. They're thin but juicy; you can tell they're freshly-made and you can taste just a bit of smoke from the grill. Honestly, it's a bit nostalgic for me. I used to go to a Windmill when I was a kid but that one shut down some years ago. If you want some kind of elevated burgers or hot dogs, I wish you luck, but this is not the place for that. This is a place for fast food done very very well.

Ok grill food, fries, burgers classics. Food was okay service was okay Best part is the view sitting up top on deck Be aware though/ Steep steps, yes there's a sign saying careful watch your step but. It's really wild the steps are even legal it's pretty dangerous in flip flops if you're not paying close attention

Great chili dogs! If you like your dog to snap and your chili mild, get here! It's a hot dog stand so the service and cleanliness is not the best, but the chilli dogs are worth the trip!

I considered not posting this, but decided it was important for the community to be informed about the businesses they choose to support, specifically the owners. On July 3rd I attended a Long Branch Chamber of Commerce meeting in preparation for Ocean Fest on the boardwalk. During the meeting the owner of Windmill, Ralph, yelled at one of his staff members in front of the entire group in a very inappropriate and aggressive manner. When informed he wouldn't be able to have his truck placed at the event in the location he wanted, because he missed a prior meeting, he turned to his young female employee and yelled at her "WE MISSED AN IMPORTANT MEETING?!" and she apologized and seemed visibly upset, which was followed by him yelling more at her about lack of communication, and also yelled at the President of the Chamber. The entire incident was unprofessional and reprehensible. Myself and other attendees of the meeting sought the young woman out after to ask if she was okay and reassure her that is not acceptable behavior from an employer. Windmill was a loved staple for myself in the community, as I know it is for many others, but I can no longer support a business that is owned by a grown man who would yell at his employees in a public setting as he did- and much worse I'm sure he does behind closed doors.

In short: my experience with this establishment/ their food on 9/7/2021, was TERRIBLE. Backstory: I'm 8 months pregnant and have been desperately wanting a beach day with my family before the baby comes. Upon arrival, we decided to grab food before heading to our favorite spot on the beach. We were on our way to a sandwich shop when I spotted the Windmill & told my family we should stop there. My brother & I went in and ordered 3 Wild Western Burgers, 3 fries, 3 onion rings & 1 chili cheese fries. I will now review each item category: *Burgers: AWFUL! Literally tasted like a bit into a piece of charcoal. But being pregnant & hungry, I thought I was tripping so I took another bite...but nope, our burgers were burnt beyond repair (See pics). The bacon was stringy, not crispy. And the onions were supposed to be grilled, but instead was pickled or something. It just really sucked overall. *Fries: Boring. Literally no seasoning at all & by the time we made it to our spot on the beach they were room temp at best. *Onion Rings: Unremarkable. Very little crunch; almost as if the grease wasn't drained off the onion rings properly. *Chili Cheese Fries: The chili was so-so, but the cheese was just a spoonful of underwhelming nacho-type cheese without any of the flavor one would anticipate. I would've preferred shredded sharp cheddar. *Service: while the two gentlemen on the clock were polite, the one working the cash register had extremely questionable sanitary practices. I asked him for forks & instead of putting them in my hand, he set them on the counter. Again, I'm pregnant so I have to be very careful about germs & such, ESPECIALLY in the midst of a pandemic. I politely told him such & asked for another set of forks. He then removed his gloves, rubbed his face & proceeded to the back to grab more forks. At that point, my patience was low, so I asked the cook to please pass me forks since he still had his gloves on. At that same moment the cashier returns with forks in his bare hands I told him "I'm not trying to be funny nor difficult, but you don't have gloves on & you rubbed your face, I cannot take those." The cook then just reached in the box & handed me a bunch of forks. At the end, to try to salvage the outing, I removed the patty & tried eating just the cheese, pickled-not-grilled onions & stringy bacon...in between the bread (see pic).

Nothing quite like the real thing, baby! I grew up down the shore, and I went to all the WindMills at one point or another. While Belmar was easier for me to get to, this one is the best hands down...the original! You can't get a burned dog quite like this place (trust me, the griddle dogs with the rips on them are the best!). And the cheese fries...I dream about them. Just your basic crinkle cut, but the cheese sauce make it. I'm not even a huge fan of onion rings, but my husband gets them, and they're the best I've ever had. Part of the charm is being able to eat upstairs. I think they might be open during COVID, but it was chilly and rainy, so we ate in our car. It wasn't quite the same, but beggars can't be choosers now. Even their veggie burgers are good! So there's something for everyone. It's a unique experience, and I encourage anyone visiting the shore to go!

Going into the Long Branch store for an infinite amount of times, I noticed a few obvious changes. The place is dirty. The staff, though friendly, is lazy. And the bathroom, though dirty, is in need of repair ie. the toilet doesn't flush. Management should be aware and not turn their head and rest on past laurels.

Hot dog are not the same. Very salty. Don't know what happened to them but not paying that kind of money for a bad hot dog. Sorry that they're going downhill.

Moldy bread , yes actual green mold ( see picture) old wilted (not just wilted but rotten) lettuce ( see picture) thats the order we just went to pick up. Add unfriendly employees and that is MY WINDMILL experience on this Saturday night ( 7:45 pm Long Branch) -DISGUSTING is not enough to describe this meal- all thrown in garbage. FOR SHAME- oh and they REFUSE to answer the phone.

covid review: the fries are amazing! they look like lumpy and basic, but i love them. the cheese is good too. everything is very cheap here. grab something and head to the beach.

Another in the tour of Jersey hot dog spots and this stop wasn't bad. The Windmill is located across the street from the beach which makes the rooftop dining area pretty cool. As far as the hot dogs they were nice and crispy. I had the chili cheese dog and really liked the chili, it was thick and chunky and not too hot with a really good flavor. It was different and so far one of my favorites. On that note you are going to need a knife and fork to eat this dog. I tried to navigate this hot dog without utensils and I failed miserably. I never like to be seen eating a hot dog with utensils but I woulda been wearing this dog instead of enjoying it. The fries were standard, nothing to complain about. The counter area was tiny and got congested fast.....was confusing where line started and who was next. They had stations with condiments (pickles, relish, ketchup, mustard, peppers, etc.) The service was nice and very helpful, no complaint there. If I'm in the area would definitely stop in again. I've had plenty of hot dogs and this one was pretty good.

I went to the new Windmill in North Long Branch -- Ursala Plaza. It is a bright clean friendly spot. We had hot dogs (of course), fries, cheese fries, chili cheese fries and a Big Ed Burger. The counter staff was friendly and my order was ready quickly. Everything was great. The absolute highlight was the chili cheese fries and the Big Red Burger. The food was tasty, fresh, prepared to order. I will be back.

Cute little place with stools - I ordered at the counter -staff was very friendly and accommodating. It had many people waiting, and even though tiny place, it moved quickly and effortlessly. Fries, and hot dogs were good - burgers on the more Med well for my personal liking, but others didn't seem to mind. Staff had a can-do attitude if asked for anything relating to the order. We Would visit again when nearby next time we grab a bite on the fly.

For volume of hot dog to bun, 5 stars. Big, fat grilled dog, more than I'm used to. I opted for sautéed onions only, fresh made. Onions were good and are free. Seating is minimal so plan to stand or sit upstairs weather permitting. Decent value, $5.50 for the dog.

Hard roll Was stale. Asked me several times if I wanted onion on my cali burger and I said no every time. Still got onion. Burger was the size of half a burger really, very thin and poor quality. Highly disappointed. Not to mention the staff are rude and do not pay attention to what they are doing.

Isn't a huge location by any means, so don't assume you'll be able to eat at the restaurant. Super friendly staff and everything you order is made on the spot to order. Been coming here for years and it's such a staple to the community. Best quick bite after bar hopping you can find.

This is quintessential "Jersey Shore Food" which generally means down, dirty and don't spare the grease. By that standard the Long Branch WindMill is perfect. Let's be real, if you slather your dogs, burgers and fries in an ocean of ketchup, mustard, relish, chili and Cheese Wiz, the quality and taste profile of the underlying meat or spud is really beside the point. Four stars for the drowning pool of condiments that tell me summer can't be far off. Surf's Up!!

Was in town with a former resident of Long Branch. We'd had a long day grooving on the Sand and, after a sand dollar day at the Shore, we needed to eat. Understood that you needed to order a hot dog. I opted for a chili cheese dog which was kinda overkill on my part. After ordering, I didn't have to wait long until it was time for the Meatstick. Really, because of the casing, this is a little different than your standard 'hot dog.' Yum. And, yes, you want cheese fries. You really do. My one complaint- no Coke, Pepsi.

One of the best hotdogs in New Jersey. I had one Rueben and one chili cheese. Both were great

The grossest hot dog ever. I got the Reuben dog. It's suppose to have Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing. ZERO Russian dressing! The grossest overload of sauerkraut and a single piece of pathetic Swiss cheese. The hot dog bun was super soggy. Overall not enjoyable.

Holy delicious hotdog and cheeseburgers!!! A real Jersey shore institution serving great food. Quite a crowd when at 3 pm in September.

We would eat at the original in West Long Branch very often while I was growing up. So there's definitely a nostalgic component to the food. The hotdogs are very tasty, great snap, and they will give you the doneness that you like. I prefer them not too well done. The cheese fries are amazing, and the folks working behind the counter are typically very pleasant. The only downside is the prices, which are a little high. But it doesn't stop me from going!

As Efti P. indicated, the price seems higher than you might expect. Although I didn't expect to spend $4.59 per hot dog, I suppose I've paid more for less food at places Smorgasburg, and these are really good hot dogs. WindMill certainly prevails over competitors on the topping side, with an impressive assortment of relishes. The fries are decent, not a must-have. The setting is delightfully retro.

I don't see what the big deal is with this place. It's OK at best in a pinch. Fries and burgers good but not a must visit. ADDENDUM: Windmill rep got back to me immediately over my review. Shows they care. Maybe I'll give them another shot !!

"The most finger lickin, lip smakin, mouth waterin, tender lovin, so good make you wanna smack your mamma ribs in the midwest."

This is what I got as a burger! Burnt patty, squashed bun and no toppings! Terrible at any price let alone what they charge.

The food here is typical Jersey shore food. The hotdogs are grilled nicely and the cheese fries are good. Unfortunately this particular location is filthy. I don't mean a little dirty, I mean absolutely filthy. From the sticky floors and counters to the ketchup on the tables and stools, don't even bother looking at the bathroom either. For the price you're paying they should run a rag over the counter every so often. Unfortunately this isn't a onetime occurrence. This restaurant always filthy when I visit. Obviously I've stopped patronizing this particular WindMill.

Sadly nothing like it used to be from hard fries and chili that was not good at all. And sloppy hotdogs how do you mess up this type of fast food. Anyway do not recommend.

Cheese fries were perfect, as always. We ordered via Yelp and our food was ready on time and with contactless pickup.

If you've ever wondered what a hockey puck tastes like, stop here and have a cheeseburger. I would liken the beef patty to saw dust. The fact that I had to pay for these burgers is flat out insulting. To add even more insult to injury the cook in the kitchen got so terribly upset that I ordered a whopping five cheese burgers for me and my friends. He was so rude and unprofessional. I'm shocked at the rating this "restaurant" received. I'm convinced that this is one of those cases where nostalgia overrides taste buds. Maybe people love it because of its history, and taking a bite into that tooth chipping burger takes them right back to the days of old... The only thing I can say for sure is that this place sucks.

Flame grilled burgers what can be better than that? I ordered the The Big Ed double California burger and it was damn good! No burgers sitting around waiting to be bought here, they cook everything on the spot. The burger was nice and juicy unlike the dried out precooked burgers at the golden arches Where they fall short is the fries, the experience would have been much better if the fries where fresh cut instead of Frozen. If you are in town and you are a burger lover stop in.

This is my #2 when it comes to Jersey Shore dogs. The place is clean an they have a great dog. Both locations in Long Branch are top notch.