The new A.J.‘s Hot Dogs on South First Street in San Jose is just that—a small store that specializes exclusively in weenies on a bun. A.J.‘s Hot Dogs opened a few weeks ago and offers all of the classics—including polish hot dogs, bratwursts and chili dogs—as well as some more region-oriented treats, such as the New York, Milwaukee, Cincinnati and Chicago dogs, the last of which is topped with mustard, relish, onions, tomatoes, pickles, peppers and red onions.

A.J.‘s real specialty is the San Jose version, a delicious dog topped with pico de gallo and radish. That may seem like a strange pairing, but the combination is salty, spicy and quite tasty. Aside from the hot dogs, there are also bags of chips, candy bars and drinks for sale.

The place, located right by Caffe Frascati and Pho 69, is more of the grab-and-go variety than a true restaurant. There is no indoor seating, but there is an outdoor table under an umbrella for customers on short lunch hours who want to enjoy a hot dog before heading back to the office. For folks in a real rush, there is a to-go window that lends A.J.‘s the feel of a street hot dog cart that happens to have a store attached to it.

All of the hot dogs are conveniently served in resealable, plastic to-go boxes. The inside is small and neat and sports a counter with a big glass window that displays the motto “Just Hot Dogs” and hot dogs being slowly cooked to salty perfection. Those dogs perfume the air with a backyard-barbeque smell. The counter has a big red stripe across it that displays the Just Hot Dogs logo; there’s even a neon hot dog in the window. The staff is friendly and efficient. Overall, A.J.‘s is perfect for grabbing a quick bite during the day.

A.J.‘s Hot Dogs
325 S. First St., San Jose