Polock Johnny’s

My husband and I wanted to try out Polock Johnny’s as it made its appearance on one of our favorite shows, ‘The Wire.’ I tried their ‘famous’ Polish — the sausage itself looked a little unappetizing as it was lighter in color, but the taste was okay — it had a little nice char to it. I did, however, like their ‘The Works’ sauce — it was stated that it was spicy, but it was more like a sweet chutney. The beer-​battered onion rings were good, but a small order gets you about 4 rings. The french fries were forgettable as they were a little soggy. The restaurant itself was small and cute, and more of like a diner establishment with some tables throughout and lots of neon lights and pictures hanging as décor. I was glad to check this location out, but not sure if I’d come back. Their original Morrell Park location closed and they are current looking for another location, but there are other local restaurants that serves up the Polock Johnny’s Sausage and Works Sauce (Camden Pub, Charcoal Deli, Chug a Mug, Deven’s Deli, Fat Daddy’s, Nuzback’s, Stubby’s, etc.).
+‘The Works’ sauce
+beer-​battered onion rings

Smelly, as in greasy, but once you get past that and the non-​glimmer you get from most fast food establishments, this food is good! Nice counter lady too. Location moving soon. See photo of notification and address. Hopefully they keep façade and ambience.

When I was doing research on Baltimore area institutions, I ran across Polock Johnny’s. Sounded good so I gave it a visit.
I ordered a #1 combo with everything.
The sausage was awesome. The best polish I’ve ever had. The fries were fine, but a bit of Old Bay made them great.
If you’re passing by the exit on I-​95, I’d say it’s worth the slight detour.

Now this is how it’s done. Polock Johnny’s used to have stores all over the city, and this is the last survivor. It’s worth checking the place out!
I found the history display on the wall really interesting, and worth the read.
Definitely come hungry, because the food is filling and fatty.

I’m sorry, but I don’t get the hype. The sausage was dry and tasteless. All I could taste was overly sweet ketchup with some peppers thrown in. A chili half-​smoke from Ben’s down in DC has this beat by miles. One star for a typically weird/​creepy/​wacky Bawlimer experience.

This formerly prominent Polish sausage local icon with a non-​PC name once had joints all over Baltimore’s metro area. Since losing it’s meat in a casing major foothold, PJ’s dwindled to 3 locales including one at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Too bad because Polock Johnny’s has the best don’t-give-a-damn-about-being-couture sausages around.
Unlike the defunct Lexington Market stall, this Morrell Park location’s a full service PJ’s offering tidy breakfasts, regular beef 5″ hot dogs, Polish sausages, and homemade shakes. My 5″ Original Polish ($ 3.69) was perfectly spiced and prepped. The best way to enjoy a sausage of this caliber’s slathered in their «secret» Works sauce. The Ocean City Fries ($ 2.24) came nicely salted yet under cooked. Mega props to a no-​holds-​barred Vanilla Shake ($ 2.75) so frosty & thick a spoon’s necessary to engage an initial attack.
PJ’s truck stop ambiance is proudly unpretentious. Adding a life-​sized Spider-​Man statue (with dog tags) gave an air of whimsy. Def Leppard’s «Pour Some Sugar on Me» pumped over speakers followed by the rhythm & the rhyme of «Ice Ice Baby» created a comically relaxed air in a claustrophobic dining space. But service was serious. With a long line of 11:09am patrons orders were handled expeditiously.
Don’t be off-​put by PJ’s name. There’s good kielbasa here. PJ’s non-​PC pose reflects old school Bawlmer’s ironic flavor coalesced with old school Bawlmer’s don’t-give-a-damn-about-being-PC attitude.

Best hot dog and polish hot dog I have ever had! The Works Sauce makes the whole thing worth an hour drive! :)

This is Baltimore, from the staff members to the guests.
The polish and dogs are wonderful. The works is a great sauce but I prefer mine with just mustard. The place is quirky from its location to the strange Pollock Johnny history that is on the wall. This place has culture and good food.
Breakfast is just as good as any local carryout.
If you are nearby you should stop by.

Best polish sausage I’ve ever had. I always get 2 to stay and 2 to go lol. Whenever I’m in the Maryland area I must stop by!!!
Order it with the WORKS!!!

PJ’s — you win. 200^th review, my man, and you grabbed it and wouldn’t let go. You managed to pull on both my heart strings and my gut at the same time.
When I was a kid, we used to go downtown and walk through Lexington Market. Polock Johnny’s had a huge stall there, and one of the great amusements I had as a child was watching them use the high-​speed sausage filler to make their Polish sausages. I mean — holy crap, what 7-​year-​old wouldn’t be thrilled with a machine that can shoot a tube of meat across a 10-​foot table?!
Growing up, PJ’s was a source of local pride — the «Unburger», they branded themselves, an alternative to the bland sameness of the Golden Arches and their brethren. I can’t tell you how many of these I scarfed down from a food-​court stall after classes and during band camp rehearsals.
Now, outside of a small stall in the market (where they no longer shoot sausage across the room) and a food court spot in the seen-​better-​days Security Square Mall, there’s just this holdout on US-​1 heading outta southwest Mobtown. And in a burst of nostalgia, I stopped in for a big Polish with «The Works».
Unilocal, list PJ’s under «hot dogs» all you want, but a Polish ain’t a hot-​dog, no way, no how. Slightly smoky, grilled with a «snap» from the casing, meatier and spicier than a run-​of-​the-​mill dog. Slap on the Works sauce, a sweet-​tangy-​spicy tomato sauce, pepper, and onion mix, maybe touched up with some mustard, and have at it. Add an order of hot, greasy, thick-​cut onion rings on the side and you’ve got a meal, my friend.
The last remaining standalone store is a real slice o’ Bawlmer life, hon, and it’s worth a stop. And hey, those Polocks keep this Bohunk plenty happy.

This was really good. Like a Baltimore version of Ben’s Chili Bowl. I was a tad disappointed in the size of the «Original 5″ Polish»; it was the size of a hot dog and I expected something thicker. I had it with «the works» and for the sake of experimentation, shared a «Large 7″ Polish» with my husband; we got «everything» on it. Very delicious!

I can’t believe how good the polish sausage is.
I ordered one with mustard, and after trying it…
I HAD to order another, with «the works» (a special tomato, pepper and onion topping sauce).
It’s a questionable location, so small it’s practically invisible, right next to a liquor store.
but you will regret not checking it out.
Please please please do yourself a favor, and stop by.

Very ligit and cheap. I got the Original 5″ Polish with «The Works» sauce. Total blue collar joint, and perfect for a quick lunch or bite to cure a hangover on Monday afternoon. Bonus, they also serve breakfast. Prices range from $ 2.80-$ 5.50.

I had my first Polock Johnny’s sausage at Johns Hopkins during a lacrosse game many, many years ago. That started my on again, off again relationship with PJ. Until a few weeks ago, I had only had PJ’s from their mobile food cart. That all changed when I decided to stop by their restaurant for lunch. I ordered the polish sausage with the works. It came out so fast, that at first, I didn’t respond to the cashier when she called out my number. I literally had just paid for the sausage when it came out. Why’d they even go through the trouble of giving me a number when I didn’t even have to utilize it… The sausage was nice and hot and had a really great snap to it. That’s the thing that I love about a good sausage: the way the natural casing gives slightly when you bite into it… mmmm… The toppings were really great too. A bit messy: I’m not sure how I managed to eat the thing without having the sauce all over my shirt. Two points for me… In the end, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my daily allowance of fat, calories, sodium, and every other nutritionally relevant measurable.
On a side note, the sausage does freak me out whenever I see it. I think its weird whenever I see food personified. Especially when they are preparing themselves to be eaten. He’s putting ketchup on himself and licking his lips… freaky…

As seen on The Wire — Season 4.
On a recent trip up to Baltimore, I decided to make a detour in the interest of Unilocal and hunt out this tiny baltimorian landmark. I first heard of PJ’s on the Wire, and I’ve always been in search of a great hot dog in the dc area.
PJ’s is definitely the best I’ve had, unfortunately, that’s not saying much for DC. We’re just not that into our hot dogs!
Anyway, what makes PJ’s distinctive is their «works sauce,» which is a combinatino of spicy tomato sauce with onions and green pepers. Very damn tasty stuff. A single polish will set you back $ 3, but they’ve got some great deals to go — including $ 30 for a bucket of $ 20 along with a tub of the works.
But then again, these are hot dogs?! You can make hot dogs in a microwave! I don’t know. If you’re in B’more and jonesing for a dog, you could do worse… :)