Bummer, Rawley's reopened, raised the prices, changed the hotdog rolls and the hotdogs don't taste the same anymore, i think they changed those too...no snap, mushy :( Now onto the cheeseburger, same thing I think they changed the rolls and the burger had no taste. No longer my go to place and I was so pumped they reopened but not anymore...and I have been religiously going there since 1970. SO SAD read more

Look, it's just a hot dog. It's cooked just fine. It tastes like any other very good hot dog. The fries are very good. The beverages are flawless. The atmosphere is better than most. It's not the best dog in New England, Connecticut or even Fairfield County. It's a great go-to spot for a decent dog when you're in the neighborhood. It's not really worth a trip unless you live in some god forsaken place that doesn't know anything at all about how to make a decent dog. Even if you do, you'll probably drive by a place that is just as good as Rawley's. Once you get there, you're likely to see a wall of people shaking like they're going through a religious awakening. Many of them will be wandering in circles muttering to themselves. Carloads of people will pull up and slowly morph out of their seats with a look of stupidness and awe as if they just arrived at the Grand Canyon but weren't sure if they were on the good side or not. They are going to be every shape, size and age. Slapping them won't snap them out of their nitrate-induced trance. You should still give it a shot, though, son. You should knock them to the ground, straddle them and slap them like you're in the last hundred yards at the Kentucky Derby! Slap them like they just spit on your mother! Then get up and grab yourself a dog (actually 2 dogs makes more sense), some fries and a beverage and see what Rawleys is all about! read more

How has no one reviewed this place?? First off this is the BEST hot dog in CT. I'm not a big red meat person, but when I do eat it, I make sure I'm going to enjoy it! Rawley's is next to the Dairy Queen down the Post Road in a "blink and you'll miss it" location--it's been around since the '40s. Around lunchtime and almost all the time in the summer, it is crazy crowded. They have their menu posted above your head, with a huge amount of different offerings. Prices are awesome--a dog with the works is only 4 bucks--a little more so if you want cheese. These dogs are definitely a heart attack waiting to happen....they are deep fried and finished on the grill. Trust me though, it is SO worth it!!!! They have a few stools next to the counter and a few booths in the back(by few I mean like 5), but taking them home is just as good. My parents turned me onto this place--my dad can't resist a hot dog. This place totally kicks Super Duper's butt....go try it, you won't be disappointed. read more

I've been looking forward to trying Rawley's for years.....maybe that extended waiting period boosted my expectations beyond a reasonable level. I love the old school feel of this place and give it 5 stars for keeping the building that way it's been fort what seems like a very long time. Overall, I wasn't blown away by these dogs like I thought that I would be. The works dog (sans relish) was OK....I liked the toppings but they completely overpowered the flavor of the hot dog. Similarly, the chili cheese dog fell into the same category. The place bleeds nostalgia and for that reason, I would tell people to go here. Maybe next time I'll just get a dog with mustard and lay off the heaped on toppings. read more

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I read about the deep-fried hotdogs in Saveur and had to go. Yes, it's wrong, but so good. We had it with bacon and jalapenos (splitting one because we knew we had to eat again in a few hours). Plus a side of onion rings. Total? $6? There are stools up front and booths in the side room. The place is really adorable. Scratch your name in the booth or draw on it with a permanent marker if that's to your liking. They also have Hellish Relish for $6.95/jar, and if you're a fan of habaneros and salsas, you must try this. We purchased an extra jar for my father-in-law. The salsa WILL make you sweat, in a very good way. Well balanced, and even the sugar didn't bother me as it simply complemented the heat without being overly syrupy. Fresh tasting. The malt was freshly prepared with real ice cream, but was merely really good--not fantastic. It may be worth it to note that the owner also owns the Dairy Queen next door, so if there's no parking, it's probably okay to park in either of the connected lots. If you happen to be in Fairfield, stop here. If we come back, we'll also try the Pepe's. Also: CASH ONLY. We spent all but the change in our pockets to get the jars of Relish. It really is worth it. read more

Rawleys Drive-In - deep fried hotdog with bacon and jalapenos - Burgers Near Me - Fairfield, Connecticut

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Now this was a tough choice between 2 and 3 stars. So for the sake of argument, lets go on the books and put down a 3 (because of the fries) Went there one afternoon (today) due to a contest with a fellow Yelper - Stephanie G. on who had a better Dog, Guidas vs. Rawleys. Arrived around 5pm, ordered a chili dog, fries, and a root beer. Nothing fancy, straight and to the point. She ordered dog-works, onion rings and a diet pepsi. Now mind you I ordered the exact same dog, fries and soda combo yesterday at Guidas in middlefield. Please see my Guidas review for a more in-depth insight into that fine dog establishment, instead of making this a 2 in 1 review.... Chili Dog - Did not have that traditional snap on the skin a good dog should have, although tasty once you dug in. Chili could have been more substantial as it was loose with a bland taste. Bun, well.. same any old stop & shop bun you buy in the store. Fries - Well these were excellent, no complaints. traditional cut with skin and all. Two thumbs up. Onion Rings - Ordinary. Root Beer - This struck me as odd, overly carbonated with a faint taste. Now, I do appreciate all recommendations that she has to offer, and to her defense, she stated they are known for the dog-works. But, hey... this was a contest on a chili dog for me - between Guidas and here. Unfortunately I may have went into this hot dog endeavor with high expectations, that just weren't met. So this may have some weight on the factor. At the end of the day, the meal was good and worth the money (her treat) that was spent. If you are in the area and want some quick food, then I would say go ahead and swing on by. They apparently are listed in the hot dog tour of CT as well... read more

They got some nice wieners here! Length and girth! Apparently a fav of old Martha Stewart, not like I care but I'm throwing some hot dog gossip out there. Didn't like the sour kraut but the dog and bacon chips are amazing. If you like cheese make sure to add it to your "works dog." read more

Rawleys Drive-In - Burgers Near Me - Fairfield, Connecticut

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Very unpretentious. Great hot dogs. If you need a greasy all American hotdog an milkshake fix this is where to go. No frills, just straight comfort food. Easily gets crowded in the summer. Undeniably one of CTs hidden gems. $20 gets you a long way. The black and white milkshake/ malt is a must try so are their various hotdog deviations. Don't go here if your a food snob, to be honest you wouldn't be welcomed either. read more

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Having lost 5 pounds in a year due to a crushing exercise regimen, I thought I would give the new owners a chance I had a cheeseburger and medium diet coke for $9. It was quite good, and the place fixed up a real lot, but I wasn't about to spend $7 on the fries. I didn't like the 2% surcharge on credit cards and hope it is not the same old pay cash tax avoidance scheme. We have a pandemic crisis to pay for. While everyone wore a mask in the kitchen and were super nice, social distancing was a challenge in the small quarters. So very nice people who are keeping it going - kudos but no more credit card fees - $9 for a burger and a coke mean you can afford not too!!! read more

Fast friendly service, the owner topped by the table to make sure the food was good! Great food, highly recommend the chili dog due to the awesome grilled bun and sauce! Chicken sandwich was ver moist and high quality also with a grilled bun! Awesome stop! read more

The state is pretty saturated with Hot Dog spots, this one distinguishes itself by deep frying its dogs in a manner more commonly found in New Jersey, at places like Rutts Hutt. You might as well go all out and top it with the house specialty spicy relish and chopped onions. Sometimes you just need to debase yourself. Lets be frank (pun intended) tho, we all know how you will feel after eating this, physically, mentally, and emotionally. read more

Rawleys Drive-In - Deep fried dog with spicy relish and onions - Burgers Near Me - Fairfield, Connecticut

Martha Stewart ain't no fool! Having lived in Fairfield for a stint, it's common knowledge that Rawley's is a local legend. I'll keep it simple, just like this place. Great burgers, awesome dogs, & amazing chili. It's also got great atmosphere and a good escape from the Post Rd. booshyness commonly found within the Fairfield bubble. From the sign greeting you with the proclamation that they serve Martha Stewarts favorite dogs to the booths etched with the names of Patrons from over the years- the ambiance just as the fare here is warm, gritty, & satisfying! Easy smile on your face for lunch every visit! read more

Rawleys Drive-In - Burgers Near Me - Fairfield, Connecticut

If you're in the mood for best old fashioned hot dog this is the place. It is an original hot dog stand... nothing fancy but great food.

Rawley's REVIVAL! We stopped in to Rawley's tonight, Saturday, Dec. 4th and noticed how fresh and clean the place was! Then, we ordered a cheeseburger, two dogs, french fries and a fountain drink. Well, were we ever PLEASANTLY SURPRISED! First of all, the food came out quickly. We met the owner, "AJ," who brought the trays out himself. Now, I consider myself a cheeseburger aficionado, usually satisfying my craving at Merritt Canteen, Mr. Mac's Canteen or Danny's Drive In. Since we live in Fairfield, we FINALLY found a great cheeseburger and hot dog nearby! The meat is fresh, and custom ground - you could tell because the burger was so juicy! The rolls are perfect, yeasty, chewy NOT the "cake like" fall apart rolls. Plus, the hot dog top open style bun was buttered and grilled on BOTH sides! What a difference! We ordered the cheeseburger with fried onions (perfectly done, sweet, savory and just right!) and tomato. What a treat! Stands up to ANY of the aforementioned burger places! The homemade fresh cut fries were crispy and a good serving size! The Hummel dog was grilled perfectly, and with that "snap" that you love to bite into! He got "the works," while I had relish and mustard. OMG! GREAT DOGS! Now, if you like old fashioned character and rustic ambience, you MUST try Rawley's! It just doesn't get any better! BRAVO AJ and staff, and we WILL BE BACK! read more

Hot dogs and fries are good. Two negatives are that they are cash only and other is that sometimes service can be brusque.

Hotdogs are ok, I've had better. Don't bother getting cheese fries, it's literally fries with sliced cheese on top. If I wanted fries with sliced cheese on top I could've stayed home & made them myself. read more

Rawleys Drive-In - Burgers Near Me - Fairfield, Connecticut

Fantastic food, friendly staff, and great updates to the classic space. Chicken finger and cheese fries....can't go wrong!

My husband and I were there this past Saturday we ordered a hamburger with LTM, a cheese burger, French fries, onion rings and a dr. Pepper. The hamburger with LTM and cheese burger were dry as a bone, the french fries and onion rings were over cooked. How I wish the old owners were back again. Won't be back anytime soon read more

Went this afternoon for the first time since reopening. I wasn't disappointed. Same great flavors in both chili dog and cheeseburger. The hot dog bun was different but so good. I'm reserving the 5th star for the shake. Next time... They cleaned it up just enough and were very friendly and committed to keeping it authentic. Great job! read more

Holy flashback, was this place great! One of best black and white shakes I've ever had. Hard to find anyplace these days that sells a good, old fashioned b&w shake. The elderly guy next to me asked what it is. How could he not have heard of a black and white shake? A damn crime for anyone over the age of 35 to have never! Loaded with vanilla ice cream. Chocolate sauce wasn't stirred in enough but that's okay, makes getting to the bottom one of most delicious things ever. And the hot dog was very good! Too strong sauerkraut but definitely am returning for that b/w shake...like tomorrow! read more

Best hot dogs I've ever eaten. I recommend the CHILI dogs. After you stuff yourself go next door and get an Orange Julius at dairy queen. You're welcome ;) read more

Rawleys Drive-In - Top to bottom: Chili dog w/onions; Bacon dog; Hot relish dog; another bacon dog. AMAZING. The Chili dog is my favorite. - Burgers Near Me - Fairfield, Connecticut

Loved the old Rawley's. Under new management, not so much. Started bad when I called to place an order for pick-up. They don't take orders over the phone. Ok, I can live with that. Drive over and place my order. No, we don't have coffee shakes anymore. Still ok. Wait over 20 minutes as they do one order at a time. No "thank you" when I took the order. Dog was good, fries were soggy, and shake was effectively vanilla milk. Won't be back. read more

This is where I go for my once a year hot dog. Rawley's are the best. Sometimes I go there more than once a year.

This place prestigiously ranks as one of the best 50 hot dogs places in America. The only thing exceptional on their menu are the hamburgers (crispy bun, perfectly melted cheese and toppings, griddled Pattie). Everything else is really good but not exceptional. read more

Do you love hot dogs, burgers, onion rings, fries.........? Rawley's has been and is the bomb (the place to go!) Stay in and eat or take out. This place was featured on Food Network too! read more

Went here for lunch today but was not impressed. Hot dog was good but burger was over cooked and bland. Fries were too well done. Shakes were ok. Wouldn't really go back. read more

Martha, Martha, Martha. What has happened to you? I will preface this review saying that I am NOT a "hot dog" aficionado. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good pork, beef, squirrel, armadillo or whatever meat surprise stuffed casing dog like any red blooded american but if given a choice, a hot dog would not be my last meal before the warden flips the switch. Overall, the place is a dive and for me, that is a plus. Love the ambiance, the grit and the grime. Now to the heart of the matter - the dogs. I had 3 of them (yes, I am a glutton) - plain (to get just the taste of the dog), chili cheese dog and the "works". I was very disappointed. The hot dog was just too salty. All I tasted was salt. The chili was also just salty, no other complicated flavors that you should get out of a good chili. Out of the 3, the "works" was the best only because the sourness of the mustard, relish, sauerkraut sort of cancelled out the salty taste. What was most upsetting was my unmet expectation of what a deep fried dog should be - nice crispy skin with juicy center. Instead, I got a regular dog. NO CRISPINESS!!! That is the ultimate tease; gaze at an industrial deep frier, hear the oil boiling and popping but still give me a soft dog. Now the longstanding rift between Martha Stewart and I is complete. She likes napkin rings, I like onion rings. She has done time for a white collar crime, I have white collar grime. She loves Rawleys, and I, well, I'll just have to find another "professional" to tell me what is fine "living". Maybe I'll ask Alex Guarnaschelli? read more

From what I hear Rawley's changed hands a few years ago (possibly to the owners of Dairy Queen next door?) Whoever bought it must have changed the grease traps and threw out all the flava that place had. Now it's bland and tastes like any old grease pit. ...yawn... read more

I picked up a Groupon for Rawley's and while I was on a drive from MA to my hometown in southern CT I stopped into Rawley's. I ordered a black and white shake, hot dog with sauerkraut and mustard, and fries. Everything was so good. It made me feel so bad for loving everything so much. Damn you creamy, fattening, shake goodness. The worst part of my meal was that I was not done with my fries and had to keep driving to get home. I had them nicely positioned on the passenger seat so I could grab them every now and then for the rest of my ride. Well, no more than 200' from Rawley's, the moron in front of me decided to slam on the breaks at the yellow light so I had to slam on my breaks and my fries went flying all over the floor... ketchup and all. awesome. read more

I've been here twice before, years ago, and I remember the food tasting much better than what I experienced this time around. I ordered a cheeseburger with fries and a small soda. The cheeseburger didn't look very appetizing; it was a grayish color and lacked flavor. The fries were okay but nothing special. At a total of $7 for my entire meal, I wasn't too upset but if I had paid even a dollar more, I'd be really disappointed. They are a cash only establishment which in 2016-- really? Maybe they've gone down hill or I caught them on a bad day. Either way, I'm pretty sure I won't be back. read more

Rawleys Drive-In - Cheeseburger with fries and a small soda - Burgers Near Me - Fairfield, Connecticut

I'd been hearing about this place for a long time but was never inclined to make the drive from Stamford and then moved out of state. After seeing Alex Guarnaschelli's glowing review of the deep-fried hot dogs I knew I had to come here when I was back for a Summer vacation. It really looks sketchy, especially your first time when you stare at the menu board in front and the staff gives you that knowing look and points you toward the back. There, the scene gets even better with the ramshackle booths marked with 100s (1000s even) of names. Menu was straightforward. I wussed out and got a plain dog with mustard and ketchup with a side of rings. I should have sprung for the bacon and onions but I was too damn hungry to think straight. I don't even remember what my mom and bf got because as soon as those dogs came I was in heaven. Just that right amount of crispy outside, delicious hotdog in itself and the combination of all of it was pure bliss. The rings were also amazing. Loved the pickles - definitely should have brought those home, too. My black & white malt was the perfect accompaniment. I tried mom's coffee shake which was excellent as well. I can't believe I waited this long to (a) go there and (b) write a review but oh well. Next time I'm in town (well... county) I'll definitely be making a stop at Rawley's read more

Had my first deep fried dog with the works at Rawley's in '69 and every time I feel the need to clog an artery I return to this "not so fast food Mecca" . Besides the incredible taste of the dogs and fries (all these years and dogs have past and I don't even know if they serve anything else) it was always good to know that everything was and still is made to order, so you still have to wait for your instant gratification. This place is not for the health conscious! If you are a dog lover, this place is well worth the trip. read more

Hot diggity, dog diggity zoom what you do to me. We live about 50 miles away, near Old Saybrook and there isn't a decent hot dog up our way. Rowley's is worth the drive, 2 with the works and fries every time we're anywhere near it read more

Rawley's- you can't really describe it in a sentence. The first time I came here I was a little bugged out. The inside looks, shall we say, spartanly decorated. Bare wooden booths are nailed back-to-back to the walls of a cramped, ramshackle, log-cabin-bedroom-looking room, and yet EVERYONE is there! Part of the fun is people-watching. I've been seated behind two old friends who spent their whole meal each giving the other grief for getting older, parents that came here as young couples that are now bringing their kids, and even some town officials. You order from a plain-paper menu stapled to the wall. Everything looks drool-worthy (homemade hot pickles!), but I always get two cheeseburgers (always slathered with ketchup and tangy yellow mustard) and fries, which come with a pick. It's cheap, messy, and totally satisfying. read more

I grew up in the 1980s with Tomlinsons and the Merrit Canteen as my hot dog places and I thought they were both great and I really like Mr macs in Monroe (old merrit canteen owners). Tomlinsons is no longer the same since they lost the stand and opened the restaurant. I finally tried Rawleys and they are easily the best hot dog I have ever eaten. The hot dogs are now like $4.75 a hot dog which is absolutely insane but they really are the best. The long lines have died down which I assume is due to the crazy prices but the hot dogs are that good. read more

Bomb dot com. This place is a true drive up/drive in style hot dog joint that serves delicious grease on a paper plate. And DAMN is it ever good. You seriously need to stop by one sunny day during summer on your way to the beach. It's worth the wait for a little slice of diner heaven. It's been around since the 60's and makes any fast food joint look weak. read more

This is THE hot dog stand. If you are traveling on I-95 get off the road to stop for a dog with the works. The fries are crisp but not too well done and they have the old time wooden fork to eat them with. The place it tiny but if you get a booth look for the graffiti, these names have been there since I lived there is the 60s. read more

This place is amazing. They have been featured in several reviews and shows for good reason. Best chili dogs in Fairfield County (maybe in the country!). The place is small, so they are always packed. The parking lot is small as well. But that adds to the charm. It's cash only and the heat is cranking in the winter (so dress in layers! Haha). Stop reading and go here...it's amazing! read more

I ordered 2 hotdogs and 2 cheeseburgers. I first would like to say that service was quick and efficient and it had business. The one thing I have to say though is I don't get the hype. The hot dog to me tasted like a regular hot dog. As I was eating it I was trying to taste what everyone else was raving about, but I couldn't. They weren't skimpy with the toppings though. The hamburger meat did not taste good at all and it wasn't cooked enough for me to enjoy it. read more

The relish! One of the best things I've ever eaten. Spicy and savory and a little sweet. Perfect synergy with the Hummel's dog.