Charleston Area Hot Dog Joints - Romeo's

O Romeo's, my Romeo's, wherefore art thou Romeo's? (Hot dogs this good make me wax poetic.)

Easy to find - right behind the mound in South Charleston.

Would a dog by another name still have slaw so sweet?

It's the slaw that keeps me coming back. It is simply perfect hot dog slaw. It is creamy rather than chunky, has a faint black pepper taste with a perfect sweet to sour ratio.

O, for the softness of your...buns!

Romeo's steams their buns which is always a positive. If you get your dogs to go and have to take them very far, expect to eat them with a fork because they get wonderfully messy.

What spice through yonder chili breaks?

For my tastes the chili is perfectly seasoned. Just enough to let you know it's there, but not a bit of burn. I certainly understand why Chris' fans might think Romeo's chili is weak, but to each his own.

As noted elsewhere in this blog, Romeo's fries are excellent considering they are simply frozen crinkle-cut fries.

As far as the atmosphere, it is a classic bar and grill looking building on the outside and out. The booths, tables, chairs and grill look like they are much older than the 1977 date the front window claims as the establishment date. Make sure you look up and notice the cool tin ceiling.

The only negative about Romeo's is the ever-present greasy smell in the air (and on your clothes when you leave). I nearly always get mine to go.

Thanks to Rick Lee for the photos. He also weighs in on the dogs: "The dogs were very good. They have a distinctive taste that I can't pinpoint. I could be the chili or it could be the slaw... I couldn't tell."

I think it is all of the above. In my opinion this is the definitive West Virginia Hot Dog. It is the standard to which I compare every other hot dog I try. I have not found its equal.