"Oh Carol, don't let him steal your heart away
I'm gonna…read morelearn to dance
If it takes me all night and day"
(Chuck Berry)
The various "best" in Connecticut lists of this and that are about as common as the weeds on my lawn. I mean, every website every other week seems to post one.
Anyway, in a 2024 Taste of Home feature titled "The Best Hot Dogs in Every State", guess who was rated as having the best hot dogs in all of Connecticut? Yup, it was Carol's Lunchbox. And when I checked out their Yelp page, I saw their high 4.5 rating, read the rave reviews, and when combined with their 2024 "Best in the State", I knew I'd make it over to Carol's one of these days.
Well today was the day.
We found it on the Westwoods Golf Course in Farmington. Just follow the main road in and you'll see it on the left in a long tannish stand-alone building. There's an ordering counter inside, a dining room with plenty of seating, and a lovely outdoor patio with more tables and chairs for nice weather.
Their menu is a lot more than those famous hot dogs. It's really comfort food heaven with quesadillas, fries, tenders, burgers, grilled cheese, burgers, wraps, salads, and more.
But let's be real.......we were there for the dogs! They offer a Traditional Dog, a Polish Dog, a Hot Diggity Dog, a Chili Dog, a Southern Dog (with Pulled Pork), a Reuben Dog, and the adorably named Beanie Weenie Dog with Baked Beans. None of those dogs will cost you more than $6.
You can also go with a two-dog special with chips and a drink for $12-$15.
What's that? You were wondering about toppings? No worries, friend, because Carol offers up free ketchup, two mustards, sauerkraut, onions, mayo, green pickle relish, and Carol's homemade hot pepper relish.
If you're a big spender, you can add between fifty cents and a buck to your order for chili meat sauce, two types of melted cheese, caramelized onions, or sauteed onions and peppers.
They also have side orders (potato salad, fries, rings, and daily specials. Today's specials were chicken wings, a lobster roll, and a tempting short rib grilled cheese.
We ordered a two-dog special with yellow mustard, sauerkraut, a soda and chips for the rock-bottom price of $12, and a Hot Diggity Dog (spicy) with chopped onions and some of Carol's homemade hot pepper relish ($6).
How wonderful was it to sit outside overlooking the golf course to enjoy such a simple, fun, and totally delicious lunch. My spicy dog was definitely spicy, and Carol's famous hot pepper relish was a great addition to my lunch.
I have to say a word about Carol herself. We had the pleasure of chit-chatting with her after lunch, and she puts out such friendly, welcoming customer service vibes, its hard not to become an instant fan of hers.
When you visit, I hope you have the pleasure of seeing her smiling face.
I promise you, it will be the perfect complement to your terrific lunch.