Charleston Area Hot Dog Joints - Porker's BBQ & Hot Dogs

Sitting just a stone's throw from "the stoplight" in Cross Lanes is this nifty little BBQ joint that also boasts hot dogs on its large colorful sign out front. Outside the restaurant is very colorful in more ways than one, replete with pig statues and a sign that promises ribs that are "Bone Sucking Good." Inside is reminiscent of a fifties style diner with all the chrome, neon and black and white tile you'd expect.

The aroma in the place is definitely that of a BBQ joint. They seem to have all the BBQ bases covered offering pork, beef and chicken BBQ selections. The ribs looked very good, but that wasn't what I came for.

Everything, I was told, on a Porker's hot dog included chili, slaw, mustard, ketchup and relish. I ordered one relishless. This is only the second time I have encountered a slaw AND relish offering at a West Virginia HDJ. While I waited for my order I studied over the prospect of having slaw and relish together and how odd it seemed. Once I tasted the slaw, however, I understood why you might want to add a little sweet relish. The slaw had virtually no sweetness of its own. It was finely chopped and creamy and looked great, but when I bit into it I was surprised to find green peppers as the dominate flavor. It wasn't bad, just not what I expected.

The chili had a great texture and a very meaty flavor. It had a slight BBQ taste as you might expect of such a restaurant. Not very spicy but pretty good.

The bun was soft and tasty and it cradled an excellent all-beef and perfectly grilled weenie. The weenie is so good that it got me already thinking ahead to next year's Weenie Awards: Swiftwater might have a competitor at last.

Overall a pretty good hot dog in a nice little restaurant. Try the hot dog or go for the BBQ, but go.

To find it, take the Cross Lanes exit of I64 and turn right at the light toward "Little Tyler" (Rt 62) Porkers is about 100 yards on the right.