New Martinsville HDJ Review - Scream n' Dogs

An old colleague in New Martinsville pointed out this little stand near the southwest end of the downtown business district. A pleasant fall day and a scenic overlook of the Ohio River were enough to make for an enjoyable lunch, but this place had two other bonuses going for it: first prize for probably THE most original name I've come across in the state yet (sorry Haught Diggity Dogz), and the for being the first place this far north that actually lists a West Virginia Hot Dog on the menu by name. I played dumb and asked exactly what comes on one. My friendly cashier put down what she was doing to use hand gestures to show me which layer had which toppings. Thankfully, they know what they're doing. Well, except for the styrofoam coffin. The price was a bit on the higher side at $2.00, but the upward prices are more likely the trend for the foreseeable future. I found the slaw to be of decent quality. The cabbage had a slight crispness to it, and a decent sweet/tang to the dressing. The consistency New England Style bun but didn't saturate it. I thought that putting the rather chunky bits of onion on top of the slaw instead of the chili was a rather interesting concept. Nothing wrong with it, mind you, just something different. The chili (and it was called "chili" here, not "sauce") was much sweeter than I'm accustomed to and seemed to be a bit skimpy in the amount of beef in it. Still, it managed to work really well with the other ingredients and was both enjoyable and satisfying. The service was very good. The hot dogs are very, very good. The name is certainly original. Scream n' Dogs is good enough to rate four weenies. This even takes into account the half-weenie deduction for the use of a New England Style bun instead of a regular bun. Beyond that, I'm still thrilled to find someone get the concept of a real West Virginia Hot Dog spot on, rather than just calling it a "chili dog with slaw".

New Martinsville HDJ Review - Choo Choo's Restaurant

Just when I think I've seen it all in the hot dog culinary arts, along comes a new take on an old favorite. A return to New Martinsville gave me the opportunity to pay visit to Choo Choo's Restaurant. Word of mouth from some associates was that this was a fantastic diner with some terrific classic diner-style offerings, and they did indeed offer up a couple of unique hot dogs that I was told I wouldn't find anywhere else.

When I took a gander at the menu, I saw a listing for a "deep-fried hot dog". My associate quickly told me that what I really wanted was the "1/4 lb. chili dog with slaw". Okay, I thought, let's see what they can do. The waitress asked if I wanted chili or sauce, telling me that chili was indeed "chili...the kind you eat by itself as a meal. The sauce is the kind you want for a hot dog like this." I'll give them bonus points for at least paying attention to detail. This will likely reopen the whole 'slaw vs. chili' debate. Once my order came, I finally had a visual reference for the term "ginormous". The all-beef wiener was split length-wise and grilled in a manner that gave it a faint hint of hickory. The wiener may have weighed in at 1/4 pound, but I'd guess that the slaw and chili likely made the total weight well over 1/2 pound. Some of the most delicious beer-battered onion rings I ever had rounded out the awesome platter. The hot dog was on the pricey side, coming in at over $2.75, but not as expensive as Hank's Deli in Fairmont.

The sauce was teeming with beefy goodness, with just a lightly measured amount of red pepper flakes mixed in for the right amount of flavoring. The beef wasn't ground too fine as you might normally find. The I personally like it a bit spicier, but I think this variation strikes a nice balance that all hot dog fans will enjoy.

I found the slaw to be crunchy, cool, and sweet all at the same time, indicating exceptionally fresh ingredients. It doesn't have an overdose of dressing to disintegrate the bun, which for me is a more than welcome thing.

I'm a fan of good old side-of-the-road diners, and Choo Choo's is now on my list of favorites. Extra-friendly service, generous portions (even with the hot dogs), and an expansive menu...they have it all. There's no reason to give anything less than five weenies to Choo Choo's.

New Martinsville HDJ Review - Presto Lunch

West Virginia Hot Dog lovers, There's a new thrill in New Martinsville: Presto Lunch.

According to the printed mats placed on each table in this beautiful retro-styled eatery, the original Presto Lunch was located a few doors down from the current location on over fifty years ago and remained popular well through the 1960's. The granddaughters of the original owners and their mother reopened the restaurant in 2006.

The dining area is spacious while remaining warm and inviting just the same. It's directly adjoined with a wide-open cooking area, separated only by a counter with some stools. Each table has its own roll of paper towels on a spool, which is more than a nicety...it's a necessity to help sop up all the lip-smacking goodness. My ultra-friendly waitress was happy to point out that everything on the menu is homemade. “Mom” was constantly referred to, and it was easy to figure out which one in the kitchen area she was. No doubt this family puts their all into this fantastic establishment.

My order arrived in a relatively short amount of time, and I was more than pleased by the quality of my hot dogs. The slaw was nothing short of to die for. This was not your typical HDJ slaw, but rather a flawlessly balanced sweet/tangy promenade. The cabbage was finely shredded and chopped, which allowed to dressing to weave into the mixture. It was not too thick to clump or too thin to run. There was a hint of freshly ground black pepper to boot.

The chili was also a work of art. The sauce was smooth and rich, complex yet not overpowering the rest of the dog. The grind of the meat wasn't too fine, but that served it well since the meat and sauce were able to blend together and compliment each other. It was very hearty and gave you that stick-to-your-ribs semblance.

As well it should be, the onions were sandwiched right in between the layer of chili and the slaw. The mustard was applied right on top of the onions to ensure they didn't slide out of place on the comfortably steamed bun. Personally, I'd call it a work of art when a hot dog artisan takes the time to place the components of a hot dog in a deliberate layout that results in a plethora of flavor.

Astounding service from a wonderful staff, awesome hot dogs, and attention to detail (cherry Coke that comes with actual cherries) earn the magical Presto Lunch a five weenie rating. This is well worth going out of your way for. Watch for Presto Lunch to be nominated in the Weenie Awards.

New Martinsville HDJ – Knowlton’s Chill ‘n Grill

On a recent trip to New Martinsville, I asked an old colleague where I could find some good hot dogs in the area. My colleague isn’t really a big fan of hot dogs like I am, but he mentioned a place he’d heard of from some of his buddies called Knowlton’s Chill ‘n Grill.

First, I'd like to give a little background history on Knowlton's, as given to WVHD.com by one of our readers who I will identify as "Mr. R". The Knowlton's family reportedly ran a Tasty Freeze in Friendly, WV for several years, offering up some tasty hot dogs featuring a "secret" hot dog sauce that was prepared by Mrs. Knowlton. Somewhere in the 70's or 80's, the place suddenly shut down. Rumor has it that at one point a famous ketchup manufacturer offered a large sum of money for the recipe, which was declined by Mrs. Knowlton.

Knowlton’s is easy to find, as it sits right along State Route 2 going through town. It is a remodeled building with a nice deck sporting several umbrella-covered tables for enjoying lunch or ice cream outside. The inside has a few small tables scattered about. The menu offers standard short-order items and Hershey’s brand ice cream.

The prices of the dogs are a little steep as a dog with chili, onions, mustard, and slaw going for $1.95. The service wasn’t overly friendly –though not rude- and I didn’t feel welcomed. I’m not saying I have to be personally greeted every time I hit the door, but at no time did the clerk taking my order make eye contact or thank me for my order (note: this also happened on a follow-up visit). Just one of those details I’m a stickler about when doing a review.

I ordered up two dogs with the standard WVHD contents and an order of fries…which turned out to be plain old store-bought crinkle cuts. I found the hot dogs themselves to be much too sweet for my spice-calloused taste buds. My friend commented first, saying he found them somewhat inedible due sweetness. (I didn’t pinpoint the base of the seemingly meatless sauce until a day or two later when I was in the grocery store and walked past cans of Manwich sauce. Yup, Manwich sauce.) I dissected my hot dog so I could try to get a visual on what else was in the sauce. I found a couple of kidney beans and bits of pickle relish.

The cabbage in the slaw was coarsely chopped while the dressing had a smooth, creamy consistency. It had a markedly sweet taste as well. I thought it was good enough that it would undoubtedly go well with a medium or hot chili/sauce. However, the sweetness of the slaw dressing is just too much to bear when combined with the sweet chili sauce. The buns had potential as they seemed to be warmed well enough, but a hint of staleness quickly squashed any hopes of salvaging something positive out of this experience.

I don’t think many -if any- WVHD fans will be happy with these dogs. This might be a good place to take the kids, but that’s where I’d draw the line. Based on the overly-sweet sauce/slaw combination and not-as-friendly-as-could-be service, I have to give Knowlton’s two-and-a-half weenies.