I grew up going to the iconic Don and Bob’s Restaurant on Monroe Avenue in the 60’s-70’s with family and then boyfriends having their famous Ground Round burger. Their Meat Hot Sauce is a taste memory that stayed with me to this day and couldn’t wait to taste it again; it did not disappoint.
I met with Terry Klee, the owner, at the Don’s Original location in Sea Breeze. The Don and Bob’s name was changed to Don’s Original in 1976 when the family sold their share.
We sat down to discuss a little history, how they use freshly ground round for their burgers with DiPaolo hard rolls and of course the hot sauce. There are several copycat meat hot sauce recipes out there, but none are correct. Don’s Original makes their sauce fresh, never frozen, and only uses the finest ingredients. It’s slow-simmered ground beef, tomato, herbs and spices in a thick rich sauce. The exact recipe has been highly desired and is a well-guarded secret. It was simmering in the pot as we spoke and the aroma was enticing. I love having their Meat Hot Sauce on my cheeseburger plus an additional serving for their perfectly prepared wedge French fries. Crispy on the outside and creamy inside makes for a perfect vessel for the sauce. The waitstaff will always ask if you want pickles on the side; do it! They go through 50 gallons a week and adds a great hamburger dill crunch.
A little history: Terry started as a busboy in 1972, as a young high school student and neighbor of Don and Ann Barbato, the original owners. He rose through the ranks and eventually became the sole owner of Don’s Original in Sea Breeze in May 1991. Terry also had the desire to expand the Don’s Original business and in 1996, he purchased a piece of property on Monroe Avenue in Brighton. He sold that location in 2013. The Penfield location opened in 2008 and is owned by Terry’s good friends, John and Karen Cipro.
Back to the sauce: when Meat Hot Sauce is bottled for commercial distribution, the recipe needs to change for preservation and normally changes the taste of the sauce. I rushed home and did a comparison taste test with their fresh sauce and the bottled one I purchased at the Sea Breeze restaurant. I also brought home some French fries so I could truly do the test. Much to my delight, the bottled sauce has the same spice notes, just a little less meat and not quite as thick, but the taste is spot-on to the fresh and is equally delicious!
There are other Rochester, NY, Meat Hot Sauces on the market but Don’s Original is by far one, if 
not the best, sauce around. The fresh and bottled sauces are available at both the Sea Breeze and Penfield locations.
In 2018, under the ownership of Terry Klee, Don’s Original is recogn
izing it’s 73rd Anniversary of being in business dedicated to guaranteeing it will always be “Where Quality Predominates”. That dedication is in every bite.
Oh and by the way, I didn’t forget about the Chocolate Almond Frozen Custard and will be discussing that yumminess in a later post.
I welcome your Rochester food product suggestions and can be reached at linda at anexpatreturns dot com.
