2006 Weenie Awards - The Way WV Hot Dog Slaw Ought to Be!

Romeo's Grill wins 2006 Weenie Award for Charleston's Best Hot Dog Slaw!


According to Lance Moore, the new owner of Romeo's Grill in South Charleston, the slaw and chili recipe came with the place when he bought it last October. Two of Romeo's long-time emloyees continue cooking with the same recipes that restaurant founder Pete Romeo taught them many years ago. I can attest that I have been eating Romeo's hot dogs for at least 15 years and they have been consistently excellent all that time.

Pete Romeo died about six years ago but his family kept the businees open for several years until it finally closed in 2005. It had been closed for five or six months before Lance recognized an opportunity and bought the building. He re-hired some key Romeos employees and re-opened it under the old name. It seems to be doing well under the new management and the dogs are as good as ever.

As for the slaw, this is as close to perfect hot dog slaw as I've tasted. It's not the kind of slaw you'd eat as a side dish with some fish and chips; it's sweet, creamy to the point of being runny and a perfect offset to the lightly spiced chili that Romeo's sells. There are, for this slaw lover, simply not enough adjectives to describe how good it is. It is the clear winner in this category.

Congratulations, Romeo's, and please keep making your delicious slaw. And special thanks to Romeo's waitress Ashley for lending her photogenic presence to the award presentation!