Charleston Area Hot Dog Joints - Mayberry's in St. Albans

Mayberry's started out in a little storefront location along MacCorkle Avenue near the St. Albans Mall. It seemed very successful in this spot but about eight months ago it moved to a much more obscure location on Sixth Avenue. I'm not sure how well they are doing in the new spot, but the new building has the same old charm - and I mean old.

It's called Mayberry's, I presume, to evoke the image of the idyllic fictional town of the old Andy Griffith TV Show, which by the way plays continuously on the wall-mounted TV in the restaurant. Nostalgia reigns supreme with old fashioned ice-cream parlor equipment, signs and Coca-Cola logos on nearly everything in the place. It is a very nice, clean and friendly place.

The hot dogs are also a throwback to simpler times. The sweet chili is just like grandma used to make. The excellent sweet cole slaw has a slight yellow tint and is piled high and the sweet onions on top add up to a hot dog that is, well, sweet! The weenies are good and the buns are toasted. I uncharacteristically ate inside the restaurant, mainly because it is a very nice place to spend some time, so I can't report how the "to go" dogs are packaged.

In the new location Mayberry's seems to have graduated from an ice cream shop to a real restaurant. Now in addition to fast food and sandwiches they also offer such things as steak and chicken alfredo. I wouldn't be surprised if all of their food is excellent because they seem to really care about quality.

If you find yourself in St. Albans you should at least stop for an ice cream.