Never Ending Waits For Those Nathan Dogs

It's an irritable known fact that during the peak of the season one has to wait endlessly in the various queue lines at Nathan's at Coney. Serious Eats New York takes a closer inspection at another epic New York food line - they write:

Lines at Nathan's are something else entirely. There are multiple queues, and you never seem to pick the right one. Some are long, and some are short. They are all inefficient. The view is unremarkable at best (a dirty and shuttered Surf Avenue) and unpleasant at worst (a shirtless guy's sweaty back). And in the end, you get a nothing-special hot dog that costs $3.25.

First mistake: Getting in the shortest line on the side of the building that faces Stillwell Avenue. It's apparently for drinks only. A sign stating as much would be nice. For a lobster sandwich (it's not so much a roll, as it's served on a sesame-seed burger bun), we were pointed vaguely "over there."

Second mistake: Standing in line with the girlfriend for 15 minutes before realizing the line we were in only handled the seafood orders. I would have to go to the west wing of the building to queue up for a dog.

Third mistake: Picking the shortest line. It was short for a reason. Because all the smart people had funneled to lines that actually moved.

Maybe we need more of those hot dog vending machines for the quick fix.

You can follow the discussion on the Coney Island USA message board.

Image courtesy of Chrysophylax (Flickr.com)