Many years ago when our ambulance company had the contract for the town of Windsor, when we were sent up there to cover, we would often stop at Bart's Drive-In, a hot dog and burger place on the banks of the Farmington River, where we could get a quick dog before we were either toned out for a 911 or sent back to cover the city.
Bart's Drive Inn dates back to 1946 when it was a basic cinderblock take out place known for its foot long hot dogs and its classic car cruise nights. It changed ownership a couple times, beginning in 2005 when the town's former mayor bought it, and then again in 2023 when the present owners bought it. Under the new owners, it has expanded to include a beer garden and added a food truck Lobster Tales that sells hot buttered lobster rolls.
I hadn't been there for twenty years till I went today. I ordered a basic long dog with peppers and onions and was handed a beeper that they said would go off when my order was ready.
The place was hopping on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and my order took awhile to fill as there were multiple burger and dog orders in before mine. I must have waited fifteen minutes.
In the end I got a delicious foot long Hummel Brothers dog in a classic toasted New England roll. I sat outside by the river and enjoyed it.
