Hot Dog Joint Review - Winfield Dairy Freeze

When I heard about the Winfield Dairy Freeze I pictured a typical little roadside ice cream stand, the kind that sells sundaes and soft-serve cones and pretty good hot dogs. Boy was I wrong.

This is not your ordinary glass and aluminum drive up. It has a full eat-in dining room and a menu with items you would not expect at a place called "Dairy Freeze". I would imagine that the place was originally a little drive-in and it has evolved into its present form over the course of many years. It was probably the only fast-food place in town for decades and probably expanded its menu to satisfy hungry locals. It apparently has the nickname "The Freeze" and you can buy a shirt that proves it.

I've received a bunch of emails about The Freeze and decided it was finally time to try it out. I was warned to go during the day when the owner because she makes the dogs and "does them up right." Well, I can issue my own warning about going in the daytime: It's really hard to get in the door at lunchtime. The drive thru was just as crowded. People obviously think The Freeze is the place to be.

Once I made it inside I found a quaint dining room decorated in a 1950's Rock and Roll and Muscle Car motif. Seating for 30 or and clean as a pin. The menus on the walls were full of great sounding items and the place smelled wonderful; nothig like your typical dairy bar greasy smoke smell.

Everything on the hot dog, I was told, included chili, slaw, onions, mustard and (sigh) ketchup. I told them to hold the ketchup. When my to-go dog arrived it was wrapped nicely in a wax paper sleeve. When I opened it up I felt the distinctive warm softness that told me this bun had been well-steamed. The weight of the hot dog was excellent and it smelled great.

Inside the bun I found a great tasting weenie and classic tasting Southern W.Va. hot dog chili with a little spice and a whole lotta taste. The slaw was a little coarse but tasted great. The onions were plentiful and pretty strong; their aroma lasted a long time on me and in my car.

This hot dog is very, very good. It is classic in its presentation, taste, smell and tactile properties. It is virtually a clone of a Skeenie's hot dog. It is a great specimen of a WVHD.