- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Bill's Beer Steamed Hot Dogs
Categories: Restaurants Hot Dogs Restaurants Food Stands Hot Dogs, Food Stands [Edit]
The Temple Night Club52 S 1st St
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 202-5410
- Hours:
Fri-Sat 11 pm - 2 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Randy L. said: "Found them originally after attending the first SJ EATS, but unfortunately wasn't able to try them because that first one was a logistical nightmare...Anyhow, took note of what everyone seem to be ordering and glimpsed the menu for…" read more »
28 reviews for Bill's Beer Steamed Hot Dogs
Review Highlights
"Hot Links with Goop and a lil mustard."
(in 8 reviews)
"I'd like to try the polish and hot links as well."
(in 5 reviews)
"I love cream cheese on my dog, reminds me of Seattle."
(in 3 reviews)
Loading...
28 reviews in English
-
Review from Tom B.
Concord, CA
10/19/2011
We used Bill's Hot Dogs to cater our company Customer Appriciation Day. Bill's responsiveness, attention to detail and excellent pricing made him an easy choice. His setup was very quick and clean and all of our customers commented on how good his dogs were.
I would highly recommend giving Bill's Hot Dog's the nod if planning an event.
Kudos -
Review from Steve N.
San Jose, CA
12/5/2011
Overcharged me for a hot dog when I was drunk. Gave my friend a rotten hot dog.
I'll admit, it's a nice change up from all the taquerias/Asian food I eat after the club. I love cream cheese on my dog, reminds me of Seattle. I just question their cleanliness. -
Review from K S.
Santa Clara, CA
11/5/2011
I tried one of their basic beef dogs at the StreEats event last night at Cabrillo Middle School. What I got was a dog that, while OK, tasted exactly like something you could get at a high-school football game. Nothing special or even above-average about it at all. It didn't taste any different as a result of being "beer-steamed", and the bun was like something you get at Costco.
Even with bacon and cream cheese, this would still have sucked. How on earth does this average 4 and a half stars???Comment from BILL C. of Bill's Beer Steamed Hot Dogs 12/15/2011
Dear K.S. Thank you for your review. FYI Yes I DO buy my… More » -
Review from Christopher T.
San Jose, CA
10/24/2011
AW WUT?! How random to find hot dogs out there!
Grab the Polish can't go wrong, except for 3 hours later when your body punishes you for the decision mehehe
Overall can't really lose with this win win situation we got here for under 5 bucks -
Review from G. P.
San Francisco, CA
12/24/2011
I know of no better dogs that what is served at Bill's. Seriously, the closest I can come to Bill's is Show Dogs in SF. The hotdogs themselves are amazing and are perfectly cooked. The toppings, well, they're something to die for. Bacon Goop is a popular one. "What is that?", you may ask. Well, it is a mixture of bacon and caramelized onions you can add on top of any of Bill's hotdogs. It's just that simple! And that tasty. This dive is definitely worth your try.
-
Review from Randy L.
9/27/2011
Nestled between Koji's Sake Lounge and Temple, this little treasure services the drunken masses with some serious munchies...like http://bomb.com, slap yo mamma good!
Cheap and easy, over-sized, over-baconed (yes I just created this word, dictionaries round the world are soon to follow), over-caloried, and damn good for your love handles! Seriously though, this place hits the spot after some drankin' at the local waterholes, be sure to get the GOOP cause your life will suck without it.
Seriously though, when they ladle bacon on your chili dog, how can it be wrong?!?!
Disclaimer: I am usually tipsy when I have this, so please excuse the variances, quality, and service...however hot dog carts are still hot dog carts..this ain't Chi-Town's Hot Doug's. -
Review from Craig T.
San Jose, CA
7/22/2011
Would like to see someone actually have a loaded hot dog, from anywhere, stay together...
But anyway, I did enjoy the dogs though I will say, the beer thing is more of a gimmick. I will give credit to knowing how to psych out people into thinking that, however.
When I first visited this cart it was at the Sub-Zero fest in the SoFA. It was the only thing I ate as I have different opinions about the other trucks and I'm not waiting in those god awful lines.
For what it's worth, I was satisfied with what I ate. Yes some mushiness to the toppings but the flavor was there (sans a hoppy flavor).
I'd frequent this place more if they would consider moving around. Sorry my hang out is the bars/pubs in the San Pedro Street/Santa Clara St. zone... La Vic gets in the way of walking all the way over there.... -
Review from beno h.
10/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
i go skateboarding a lot, and i like skating at skate parks. one day, i was sessioning san josé's famous lake cunningham regional skate park. i actually packed a lunch that day because i had djed a food truck party the night before, and some guys from curry up now gave me a couple of leftover burritos. however, i left my lunch in the car, and i didn't want to waste go back and get it. (also, i had already eaten the first of the two burritos for breakfast.) i saw that bill had his hot dog cart at the skate park that day. i really liked that he was willing to come out to the skate park, so i wanted to see if he had something that i would want to buy for lunch.
as i approached the cart, i saw that he had hot links. perfect! i love spicy food. i got the $5 meal deal with a hot link. i piled on the sauerkraut because ferment cabbage is great for you and added lots of jalapeños and sri racha sauce. that's so cool that he's got the sri racha sauce right there. man, that qualifies him as a true piece of san joséana right there (even though sri racha sauce is from down south in rosemead). i had to wonder, "man, has a hot dog ever tasted so good?"
i usually don't give 5 stars to restaurants that aren't like "5.star," fancy.shmancy, posh, "dress up nice" establishments, but i'm giving him the full 5 stars especially because he was willing to haul his cart out to the skate park. i like that! -
Review from Pauline D.
Gilroy, CA
6/6/2011
Overrated. Let me break it down:
Ordinary-tasting "beer steamed" Polish dog
+ Super mushy peppers and onions
+ A generous portion of semi-crisp thinly sliced bacon
+ Cold cheddar-jack cheese shreds
+ Sauerkraut
+ Soft, wimpy bun
_________________________________________________
$6 and a big mess
Some call it a deal, I call them stoned with the munchies. I appreciate the condiment/topping bar complete with BBQ sauce, hot sauce, hot peppers, diced onions, cheese, sauerkraut, spicy mustard, etc... But other than that, these dogs aren't anything special. Beer-steamed? Coulda fooled me! There wasn't the slightest hint of maltiness or anything from this fancy-sounding cooking process. The bun was so weak, my dog fell through within seconds of attempting to pick it up. No bueno. Gosh, I was honestly really looking forward to trying these dogs given the high reviews, but give me a Polish from Costco and I'll be equally satisfied. -
Review from Sharon F.
Fairfield, CA
10/9/2011
I always get the hot link with Bacon GOOP and Cream Cheese - only $5!!! SO SATISFYING after a night of drinking a clubbing at Temple. The man at the hot dog stand is very sweet too.
-
Review from Martha T.
For $5, you cannot get a BEER.
For $5, you cannot get a SHOT.
For $5, you cannot get a GIRL.
I say take that 5 bucks and purchase youself a Bill's Polish Dog. It will do you goooooodddd. No beer goggles, No hang overs and DEFINATELY NO regrets the next morning. The only side affect will be the DESIRE to want more.
Rain or Shine, you can always count on Bill to be in front of Temple Bar.Listed in: ROTD
-
Review from Justin M.
San Jose, CA
2/2/2011
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MONEY. And I came here sober.
Great quality dogs, choose from either regular, polish, or hot link. Add WHATEVER YOU WANT and it will cost $5. Five mother effin dollars? That's insane, I had mine stacked to the moon with bacon, GOOP, sauerkraut, relish, cheese... the works. And I was expecting poor quality stuff, but this was a great sesame bun, all beef locally made dog, and top notch toppings.
Luckily I live downtown, I will now make sure that I eat this once a week on Friday or Saturday night. Maybe both if I've been drinking and forget about the calories. -
Review from Michael H.
San Jose, CA
8/3/2010
After my coworkers have talked about the Bacon Dogs, I felt inclined to try one. I stopped by here and picked one up for $5 today. It was a decent sized hot dog, with about three strips of bacon wrapped around it. It tasted delicious and I'm now going to go job around for a couple miles to make myself feel better.
I had a choice of getting a drink and soda with the dog, it would have cost the same amount $5, but I opted out of the extra carbs and sugar.
While obviously not a hot dog person, its everything my coworkers said it was, which is tasty and cheap.Listed in: Bay Area 5's
-
Review from S O.
Irvine, CA
11/12/2011
I was visiting friends in Santana Row and after a late night in Valencia's bar (the V room?) I wanted some late night food. Bill's Hot Dogs? Of course! We drove (a 10 minute drive) and found the hot dog stand surrounded by people. A couple people were in line, not too many. I tried the normal hot dog and the polish hot dog. It was good. There was onion, relish...any condiment you could desire. Including Sriracha hot sauce...yum! Even though it was $4, pricey for a hot dog, I appreciated that a place existed which could sell it to me at 2am.
-
Review from Julie C.
Morgan Hill, CA
8/21/2011
Haven't tried his hot dogs during his night time hours, but he catered an event I attended, and his dogs were delicious! I LOVED the bacon-goop. Bill is super personable and his rates were surprisingly reasonable for the quality!
-
Review from Elizabeth M.
Milpitas, CA
6/23/2010
Normally I just tell someone in the office to get me one of whatever they are getting, but today I left the office on a mission. My Mission was to get a Bill's Beer Steamed Hot Dog deal.
I was late leaving for lunch and worried I may have missed him but then I spotted the umbrellas above the cars. Woot! Hot Dog here I come!
I have no idea how he makes these Hot Dogs taste so much better then any other Hot Dog I've ever had, but he does. The Hot Dogs are also much larger then other places, sticking out of an already large bun. The drink choices are all over the place, bottled water, regular or diet soda, Pepsi or Coca Cola, lemonade or Gatorade.
If your looking for something Fast, Filling, and really Yummy try Bill's. -
Review from Emily S.
Alameda, CA
4/17/2009
My first attempt at finding this little treasure left me sad as I had forgotten Bill isn't out on Fridays but I was DETERMINED!!!
Finally yesterday 04/16/09 I found him! For $5.00 you can't find a better quality deal! You get any dog of your choice + Chips and Soda!
I had the all-beef Hot dog served on a Sesame bun with grilled peppers and onions. The grilled veggies were no extra charge!
As he handed me my dog, I put mustard and ketchup on it and couldn't wait to take my first bite....and boy was that first bite juicy and delightful!
The beer flavor from the beer-steaming was delicate and added to the overall experience. The dog itself was cooked to perfection, no fighting to bite into it, no squirting dog juice everywhere, just plain perfection. Bill was incredibly nice and I must say I will return again!
I plan on bringing hordes of co-workers with me the next time I visit!
THANK YOU BILL!!! -
Review from Ye H.
San Jose, CA
6/3/2010
Great guy. Great dogs. I especially like that he uses locally made sausages and dogs.
I'm from the east coast so I had mine with mustard, relish, and sauerkraut.
I'd like to try the polish and hot links as well. -
Review from Alexander Y.
San Jose, CA
9/10/2011
Bill's comes in first place! 5 stars is underrated. Best place to visit after a night of lighting up SJ downtown. Just prepare to mingle with all the drunks roamin around when the bars and clubs shut down. He is the king of the block.
-
Review from Mark S.
Orinda, CA
7/21/2010
I had wanted to try out Bill's ever since reading the SJ Mercury News article last year. Unfortunately, it is rare for me to have a meeting in San Jose and Bill's is closed on weekends. A few weeks ago I had meetings in Santa Cruz and timed it properly to pass through San Jose during Bill's open hours.
It was well worth the journey off of the freeway to both meet Bill and enjoy his awesome sausages. I went with a hot link -- i love hot links -- and it was a nice level of heat -- not overbearing, but definitely spicy. The heat level was important because you could really taste the beer the sausage was steamed with and that gave it a very nice flavor boost.
By the way, I am a hot dog snob -- I love high quality hot dogs and sausages. Top Dog in Berkeley is one of my favorites, Moroni's sausages in Venice Beach is great, and JapaDog in Vancouver is awesome. Bill's Beer Steamed Hot Dogs will not disappoint the discerning hot dog and sausage connoisseur. -
Review from Huey N.
9/9/2010 1 photo
I'm reading all the reviews and it says for $5 you can get a drink and chips with the dog, and if that is the case a whole meal for a Lincoln is not bad at all. I didn't know any better so I only got the hotlink with all the free condiments I wanted. The hotlink tasted a little different (in a good way), possibly because it contained alot more blackpepper than typical. Bill hooks you up with all the normal weener add-ons, plus siracha. This is perfect after a night out in dtsj.
-
Review from Walter P.
Late night foodie tip for downtown San Jose...
If La Vic's is packed, go see Bill.
If Jack in Box on East San Carlos is packed, go see Bill.
If the 24 hour Carl's Jr is packed, go see Bill.
If Iguana's is packed, go see Bill.
I hate the food at Original Joes... so I go see Bill.
I finally had the chance to visit Bill and his beer brewed hot dog stand on 04/16/2010 during our late night bar crawls in downtown San Jose. He was parked between the Temple night club and Koji's Sake Lounge when one of our fellow bar crawlers was grubbing on his hot dog. I had to stop and ask... "WHERE'D YOU GET THAT HOT DOG?" I immediately left Koji's to meet Bill and bought one of his delicious dogs! $5.00 cash for beer brewed polish dog wrapped in bacon with gourmet bun, chips, and soda. This was street food at its best! Plump, juicy, mouth watering beer taste.... oh man... this is a gentle cure if you're already buzzing. A year ago I read an article in the San Jose Mercury News about Bill and his success. He owned and operated Bella Mia for many years ago and decided undergo a "career change". And what perfect timing because the food cart and taco truck market is very popular today. CA-CHIN ((( $$$$ ))) FOR THE UNDERDOGS OF THE FOOD INDUSTRY!!!
If you're in the downtown area during lunchtime , he's located on Santa Clara street next to the Chase Bank (between Market & First Street). His hours are Monday thru Friday from Noon to 2:00pm. Bring cash and look for the red umbrellas.
If you're bar crawling at night, you might want to call him to get his location: Bill (408) 202-5410.
He's not on Twitter yet but you can find his website here: http://www.billdogs.com/
Happy Crawling with a HOT DOG in hand!
Dating tip: If your lady friend doesn't mind having a hot dog from Bill..... SHE'S A KEEPER! (Real Talk)Listed in: ROTD TITLE BELTS
-
Review from Christopher L.
San Carlos, CA
10/7/2009
I read about this guy on Yelp! when searching for cheap eats. I finally tried him out yesterday and this is better than what used to be Top Dog on San Carlos.
Bill is a really relaxed old dude who just wants to serve quality hot dogs. I had a short conversation with him and he doesn't mind just sitting there and chatting with his customers.
Now about the main event, I got the Hot Link with the Goop. Hot link was the size of a Brat not the usual short and stubby hot links that are usually served. It had the crunchy skin and the juicy inside you expect from a quality sausage. The Goop is a mixture of caramelized onions, peppers and garlic just simmering in its own sauce. I threw in my usual of sauerkraut and ketchup and it was an amazing combo.
If your looking for a quick snack that is relatively inexpensive for downtown San Jose you got Bill's Beer Steamed Hot Dogs.
Food = 5
Price = 4
Atmosphere = It's downtown SJ, on a Sunny Day. You decide. -
Review from Quick D.
San Jose, CA
7/4/2009
Not just a 7 eleven hot dog. Great food and friendly service. The beer steam gives it a unique taste. I need to try the Goop sauce next time.
-
Review from Lorraine N.
San Jose, CA
3/22/2010
I first had Bill's after an intense game of tennis, riding my bike past his stand the aroma of beer steamed hot dogs stopped me dead in my tracks. 5 minutes later I was eating one delicious hot dog (and chips and a soda all for only $5!), I have been a fan ever since. Not only does Bill make a great hot dog, but he's a great guy too. If you get the chance to stroll around downtown San Jose at lunchtime, stop by and see him! He's normally between the Chase Bank and The Vault on Santa Clara street.
-
Review from Marvin N.
Milpitas, CA
4/5/2009
Bill is the man. Hot Links with Goop and a lil mustard. done deal.
-
Review from Dino G.
Santa Clara, CA
6/26/2010
Every now and then I get craving for something in particular. On this
day it was a hotdog. Checked with yelp on a thursday and liked the
reviews for Bill's and decided to check it out. Realizing I had a small
time window to work with (less than an hour) I drove to downtown
San Jose looking for the cartstand and umbrella. Drove down Market
and didn't see it until I made the turn onto Santa Clara St. I noticed a
parking officer checking cars for meter violations right in front of Bill's
so I just circled around the block and by the time I returned the officer
had left so I didn't have to feed the meter for the few minutes I would be there. I decided on the polish sausage and mentioned to Bill that
I found him by way of Yelp and he answered that I was the second
customer that day to say that. I put the goop and mustard on the bun
got the chips and soda and went my way. I found a place to park minutes later
and tried the polish and it was great. Every bite was something
to savor and appreciate. For a mere $5.00 it was indeed a bargain
and a reason to try the other dogs at Bill's. I just have to keep in mind
that he's only there for a few hours. -
Review from Jeff K.
San Jose, CA
1/28/2009
Bill is a San Jose legend!
