Dunbar Controversial HDJ Review - Veteran's Connection

We don't typically review hot dogs sold at temporary locations, but this little hot dog stand on wheels has been all over the news lately so I thought we should check it out.

Some background from the Channel 13 WOWK-TV website:

For the past year and a half, Veteran Lisa Groves has been manning her hot dog stand from the corner of the Fas Check parking lot. She originally set up shop there temporarily, but Fas Check granted her permission to stay for good. The problem is she's breaking a city ordinance, which states trailers are not allowed to be parked in front yards. And according to police, several people have come forward complaining about the stand and its noisy generator. "It makes me sad that some people don’t want me here. This little connection may not be the greatest looking, but I used my own personal money to renovate this," explained Groves.

You can see the Channel 13 news story video here.

On Monday the Dunbar City Council told Groves that they weren't going to change their zoning ordinance for her and she responded by say that the City could expect a lawsuit.

While WVHotDogs.com is a non-partisan and somewhat apolitical organization, we do believe in truth, justice and the American way of free enterprise. More importantly, we believe in the rights of the citizenry to have a good hot dog and so I made the trip to Dunbar to judge this case on its most important merits - not the legality of Ms. Groves' business, but the quality of her hot dogs.

At only $1.00 each these hot dogs certainly appear on paper to be a good value, and it was easy to decide while I waited to get two hot dogs just in case they were tasty. When the infamous Ms. Groves appeared at the window I nearly had to order my two hot dogs by pantomime since the din of the nearby generator (see complaints from neighbors) made it almost impossible to communicate. I was able at least to hear her tell me that everything included ketchup, which I immediately declined. She took my order and said something else to me, but the noise level made it difficult to know if she was complaining about the City government's oppression or the weather (which had turned a little damp and dreary). I nodded my head in agreement, which seemed to satisfy her.

When my hot dogs were delivered into my hand, they were wrapped in aluminum foil with a handwritten "thank you" note on the outside. I had to carry my order a distance away so I could hear myself think. The weight and haphazard wrapping job made me feel certain that these were going to be good Utilitarian Dogs. Upon unveiling them, however, I found that the term "utilitarian" wasn't so terribly appropriate since these dogs were extremely sloppy and difficult to eat: Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but "Utilitarian Dogs" are made to be eaten efficiently, and these weren't at all.

Even without the ketchup, the chili on the Veteran's Connection hot dogs was red and tomatoey. The slaw was the main reason for the aforementioned sloppiness as it was extremely mayoey. The taste together wasn't bad, but wasn't very good either. I'm going to be generous and give it a 2.5 Weenie score. I am certain that by giving these hot dogs such a poor review that I will be labeled a veteran hater.

A final comment on the legal battle that could soon ensue: A few years ago the City of Morgantown shut down The Hot Dog Barn for essentially the same reason that Dunbar is likely to shut down The Veteran's Connection. The major difference - the only difference that matters as far as WVHotDogs.com is concerned - is that The Hot Dog Barn was a bonafide 5 Weenie HDJ. Five Weenie hot dogs are worth fighting for. The ones they sell at Veteran's Connection are not. Zoning, schmoning, serving a mediocre hot dog with ketchup as a standard option is reason enough for a "cease and desist" order.