Charleston HDJ Review - The Blue Moon Cafe

I walk past this little downtown cafe regularly. It sits on Lee Street, just a half block away from Capitol Street and a few doors down from The Sitar of India (yes, please). When I first started this blog I went in one day looking for hot dogs on the menu but found none. I was surprised by the lack of hot dogs because it looks like a prime suspect with funky neon decor and a laid back vibe, but I never checked back. Today was such a nice day that I decided that I needed to eat lunch outside and I remembered that I had seen that The Blue Moon had a nice patio adjacent to the shady confines of Davis Park (by "shady" I mean that it has lots of trees, not lots of shady characters - most of them are a block over at Brawley Park), and decided that it would get my lunch budget dollars for today.

When I walked in I was greeted by a happy sight: A "specials" sign that advertised "2 Hot Dogs and Macaroni Salad - $4.99"! So I got the meatloaf sandwich.

Just kidding. But it did look good.

No, I got the hot dogs and, boy oh boy, I am very glad that I did. And Swiftwater Cafe better be glad I didn't go to Blue Moon before handing out this year's awards. This is a great hot dog. I'm sure that some would like it better than Swiftwater's excellent offering, but it might not be for everyone, and here's why: It is sweet. I mean really sweet. The chili is sweet, meaty and delicious. It has a wonderful, slightly BBQ inspired flavor and is as meaty as any chili you're likely to find. The slaw is equally sweet; as sweet as any in Charleston. You might think that all of the sweetness by be overdoing it, but I'm telling you that this is a great hot dog. The weenie is great as well and the mustard was applied generously. I was amazed that this hot dog was found at a place that doesn't specialize in the genre.

On my way out I inquired as to how often they served hot dogs and was told that they have them every day. They aren't on the menu board over the counter, but they always have them. I will be going back soon to see if they are always this good.

In addition to the great hot dog, the outdoor dining space was very nice and peaceful. I would rank it as perhaps the best alfresco dining spot in town.

And I rank The Blue Moon Cafe a solid 5 Weenie HDJ!