Chili… on the bottom?

Stepping up to order under the white-painted wooden awning, it’s easy to feel the nostalgia of a place like this.

There are a lot of historic hot dog restaurants in Connecticut, but Harry’s Place is on a different level. It’s a little slice of Colchester history. Founded in 1920 by Harry Shmuckler, Harry’s was run for nearly 50 years by Ruby Cohen, and Ruby’s story is tremendous. After years behind the counter, Ruby was elected as a Democratic state representative for Colchester. He would work the day shift at Harry’s and then, in the afternoons, he would make his way to Hartford to represent his community in the state legislature.

Since Ruby stepped down, Harry’s has been run by the Garet family and remains a locally-owned, family-focused hot dog joint. Its connection to our state’s history has earned this humble roadside stand a spot on both the State and National Historic Registers.

Stepping up to order under the white-painted wooden awning, it’s easy to feel the nostalgia of a place like this. The menu has undoubtedly grown since its founding, even from the days when Ruby was behind the register, but they still feature some of the best hot dogs around. I stuck with the classics today and went with two chili dogs and an order of crinkle cut fries.

Harry's celebrated 100 years of business in 2020.

But when I got my order, I realized Harry's has a little different take on the chili dogs. Instead of drizzling their chili over the hot dog, they fill their buttered, toasted buns with their chili first before adding the hot dog on top. Chili on the bottom was a first for me, and I’ll admit it was less messy.

Chili on the bottom was a first for me, and I’ll admit it was less messy.

From its long history to the delicious food, Harry’s Place was a perfect spot for the 6th stop on the Great Connecticut Hot Dog Tour. Next time you’re in the neighborhood, make sure to stop by!