Charleston Area Hot Dog Joints - The Hottest Dog

A franchised location of a national chain, The Hottest Dog in Hurricane has a very large variety of very big hot dogs. These monstrous 1/4 pound weenies and 1/2 pound sausages sit inside an equally monstrous bun. They are topped with various regionally inspired fixin's with names like "The Chicago Dog", "Ball Park Special", "Coney Island Original", etc. The restaurant seems to take its name from the menu offering called "The Hottest Dog" which features a hot sausage topped with jalapenos, onions and hot sauce. The restaurant is located in a strip mall on Teays Valley Road across from the Hurricane City reservoir.

With all its variety I was pleased to see that they offerred a "West Virginia Dawg" that includes "Coney sauce and coleslaw." This is apparently something added only by the local franchise as it is not listed on the menu page of the corporate website. The price of the West Virginia Dog is $3.95, which is very pricey, but to be fair, this dog (er I mean dawg) does include a 1/4 pound weenie and your choice of sides. Well, I wasn't about to pay $3.95 for a dawg that was more than I could eat in one sitting and was just about to turn a leave when I saw a sign for a "WV Dawg Junior" for $2.75. Still more than I expected but tolerable, especially since this was not just lunch but also research.

The first thing I notice about the Junior Dawg is that it is a normal size weenie served on one of the monstrous buns that had been cut in half. It was piled high with chili and slaw and looked very nice. The bun seemed a little stiff - not quite stale but certainly not steamed. The chili tastes very much like Coney Island style sauce, just as advertised. It's not very spicey, but it has a nice texture and flavor. Not great WVHD chili, but OK. The slaw is a different matter.

To call this substance slaw is not fair. It seems to have very little in common with slaw other than the appearance. It tastes like bland mayonaisse potato salad; a little more finely chopped. It seems to have celery, carrots and some small tastless chunks of what is presumably cabbage. It is bound together with either very tasteless mayo or yogurt. It topped off a very unsatisfactory excuse for a West Virginia Hot Dog.
The Hottest Dog is a very nice place and the variety of hot dogs you will find there is without equal in this area. It is the only place where one can go to get a presumably authentic Chicago or other style hot dog in the Charleston/Huntington area. But if you are a fan of an authentic WVHD you might be disappointed.

Update 1/15/2007: The Hottest Dog management contacted WVHotDogs.com to tell us that their slaw is under review. It seems they earnestly want to offer a more authentic WVHD. If anyone tries this new slaw and would like to comment on it, please email us at info@wvhotdogs.com

It's all about the sauce...

Greatings to all...My name is Chris James and I am the new reviewer for Huntington area hot dog joints. I am a life-long West Virginian, a resident of Huntington, a hot dog fanatic, and a firm believer that the hot dogs found in the Huntington/Tri-State area are perhaps the perfect culinary creation. Let me break it down for my friend Stanton and his fellow Charlestonians:

1. Chili comes in a bowl. In the Huntington area, if you want chili, go to Chili Willi's and order a bowl of either of their award-winning chilis: Original Red or Texas Red. You will be served a thick soup containing large chunks of meat and veggies which is topped with cheese and sour cream and served with a buttered and grilled tortilla. However, if you are in town and want a hot dog with the local topping of choice (note:with hot dogs, I follow the "When in Rome..." rule), you ask for "sauce" at one of our several hot dog joints. Huntington's s hot dog sauces vary from stand to stand (more on that in future posts) and can be dramatically different from one vendor to the next, but no one would ever confuse sauce with chili con carne.
2. It's all about the sauce. Slaw is great. Whether it is tart, sweet, sweet 'n sour, chunky, finely chopped, or even that sugared mayo concoction with a light dusting of nearly-powdered cabbage that Stanton considers to be the one true slaw, cole slaw is more delicious than 99% of all other foods on the planet. I have relatives in Richwood that even spoon it on pizza (try it sometime, it really is great). Even moreso than diced onion, mustard, or ketchup, slaw is the most important (but still optional) accompaniment to Huntington's West Virginia-style hot dog, but should be taken as nothing more than a primary highlight to the main components of the bun, the wiener, and the sauce.
3. Freshness matters. Huntington is blessed with a meat packing plant (SS Logan Packing Co., makers of Cavalier Meats) and a commercial bakery (Heiner's). The hot dog stands of Huntington, therefore, have some of the freshest product around (a fact that even Stanton has conceded in previous posts). No green weenies or rock-hard buns to be found here.

To a person from Chicago, New York, or Seattle, our differences may seem a tad bit like like splitting hairs. However, as I post more and more reviews of the various interpretations of the West Virginia-style hot dogs found in the Tr-State area and compare those to the dogs of the Metro Valley, it should shed light on the complexity of the West Virginia hot dog as a marker of culinary---and even cultural---sub-regions of the state (including a few surrounding exclaves that are culturally tied to WV, but not part of the state due to quirks of physical and political geography).

So kick back, grab a dog dressed the way you like it, watch this space and our friendly rivalry, and I'll set y'all right on what a real West Virginia hot dog is all about.

Weenie envy, pshhh.

New Huntington Hot Dog Reviewer

As I said in my post on Saturday, I am done with Huntington Hot Dogs and their "sauce" and special request slaw. I have recruited Chris James, a Huntingtonian and a hot dog enthusiast, to to reviews of Huntington area HDJ's from now on. He'll be posting an introduction soon and then hopefully posting regular reviews. Make him welcome.

W. Va. Hot Dog Festival - The Other Dogs

It seems a little weird to me to have a Hot Dog Festival and have a bunch of events for the four-legged kind of dogs along with it. Think of it, if you didn't have a real understanding of our culture and looked at the meat on a hot dog then saw all the dogs running around, what would you think? Knowing that we call them both "dogs" wouldn't help matters. Wouldn't you think that the people were cold-blooded dog killers that could pet their dog and eat it too?

Maybe it's just me.

Here are some pictures that highlight the "other" dogs at Saturday's event:

With the incessant barking, yapping and butt-sniffing, violence was inevitable. I caught this shot just before the brown dog bit the head off the black dog. (OK, not really, but he tried.)

This lady obviously drew the short straw and had to hold this sign up while all the dogs lined up behind her and then she led the parade around the courtyard.


If this were video you would hear the inimitable strains of the Baja Men singing "Who Let the Dogs Out?" which played as the The Pooch Parade began. It was most embarrassing. But not as embarrassing as . . .


. . . This! I really felt bad for this little guy, er I mean girl. OK, I didn't check but either way . . . sheesh!

The W. Va. Hot Dog Festival Happened

So, the long-awaited Second Annual West Virginia Hot Dog Festival took place today at Pullman Square in Huntington. It was a fun little event, well organized and jam-packed with stuff to do or observe. A 5K "Run for the Bun", a car show, kiddie rides, a pie contest, a hot dog-eating contest, a dog parade (the kind with four legs), musical entertainment and lots of other stuff made it the place to be in Huntington.

I only counted eight hot dog vendors. I thought there would be many more. The ones I recognized were:

• Stewarts Original Hot Dogs
• Hillbilly Hot Dogs
• Sam's Hot Dog Stand
• Bowincal's
• Cowboy Catering
• Frostop
• Johhny Dogs
• M&M Dairy Bar

Since there were only eight I was able to at least sample all of them, except for M&M which I boycotted because they were from Ohio. First, I have to admit I found it very difficult to order a hot dog because I would ask for "chili, slaw and mustard" and they would say, "You mean sauce, slaw and mustard?" Then I'd have to remember that I was in Huntington and apologize for asking for chili. But when I ordered at the next place I would ask for chili again. I could not get myself to say "sauce, slaw and mustard," the words just wouldn't form on my lips.

Of all the hot dogs I found Bowincal's to be the best. Their slaw was the only one that didn't taste like it had been made last year at a factory in China, but it was served very sparingly.

The prize for the biggest disappointment has to go Sam's Hot Dog Stand, who didn't even offer slaw as a topping. I was told that "it is too hot" for slaw, but that was a poor excuse; Everyone else had slaw, and the temperature was quite mild (upper 70's) most of the day. I'm sorry but having no slaw at The West Virginia Hot Dog Festival is akin to having no barbecue sauce at the Texas Rib Festival.

Cowboy Catering is noteworthy because they offered a giant-size dog in addition to their "dollar dogs," which is what they called their regular hot dogs. They also had a large selection of sauces (the kind that come from a bottle, not the stuff that's supposed to be called "chili") that you could dress your dog with.

Or course, Hillbilly Hot Dogs went to great lengths to bring their special unrefined atmosphere to the festival and had the best variety of hot dogs. Sonny, the Weenie Man and Sharie, the Weenie Wife were both there to work the stand.

Proceeds from the event go to the Joan C. Edwards Cancer Center, and the organizers and sponsors should get high marks for the effort they put into this event that benefits such a worthy cause.

But...

Is this the best that Huntington can do as far as hot dogs go?

Without trying hard I can name eight or ten hot dog joints in Charleston and other parts of the state that sell better hot dogs than ANY of the dogs I had today. My previous encounters with Huntington HDJ's have left me as equally underwhelmed. This leaves me with two different thoughts:

1. It is just not right that Huntington hosts the West Virginia Hot Dog Festival. The hot dogs in Huntington are not West Virginia Hot Dogs. They are "Huntington Hot Dogs", or maybe "Tri-State Hot Dogs" but they bear little resemblance to the hot dogs eaten by the vast majority of West Virginians. Of all the hot dog joints in Huntington only Hillbilly Hot Dogs sells a true W.Va. Hot Dog, and they even call it by name on their menu. I know, I know; the Huntington folks took the initiative to create this event, and for that they should be congratulated, but they should consider renaming their festival and/or giving the name rights to someplace more appropriate.
2. Perhaps it is folly to continue to try to compare West Virginia hot dogs with those served in Huntington. I am beginning to wonder if anyone in Huntington even knows how to make a decent hot dog. Perhaps they have never tasted a properly dressed West Virginia hot dog. I can think of no other explanation why this city that seems to pride itself on its hot dogs have such poor ones.

With so much strife in the world today I certainly don't want to add to it by causing even more discord between Huntington and Charleston, but they started it. They started it by presuming to have some superiority in the realm of hot dogs. They started it by having the audacity to host "The West Virginia Hot Dog Festival." It's just not right.

So I give up. No more comparing apples and oranges. I have recruited a Huntingtonian to do reviews of Huntington Hot Dog Joints from now on. I hope to have him set up to post soon and then he can judge Huntington's dogs based on Huntington criteria and Huntington taste buds. I'm sure he'll provide a perspective that I can't. Perhaps he can help to bring peace to our warring cultures.

This experience makes me wonder if this hot dog difference is perhaps some kind of indicator, some kind of other manifestation of the animosity that has existed between Huntington and Charleston for as long as I can remember. We in Charleston always thought it had something to do with the WVU vs. Marshall thing, but perhaps its actually something much greater.

Perhaps it's weenie envy.

2006 Weenie Awards - Best Hot Dog Joint? It's Chris'

When it's all said and done, Chris' Hot Dogs is the only place in Charleston that you can:

• Get one of the two best hot dogs in town,
  
• Have some terrific fries,
  
• Sit in really cool old wooden booths,
  
• Look at a beautiful marble and oak bar mirror,
  
• See old photos of Gus Christo, the man who created the best hot dog chili in town,
• Experience a truly family-friendly environment.

The list really could go on and on, but suffice it to say Chris' deserves this award. If you are a hot dog fan and have never been to Chris' you should absolutely make it a point to get there.

Well, there you have it! The Weenie Awards for 2006 are in the books. Thanks to everyone who sent emails and left comments. Your encouragement, tips and suggestions helped more than you know. We look forward to expanding the search next year to other areas of West Virginia and we'll need even more help, so keep those cards and letters coming!

Charleston's Best Hot Dog Joint? Deliberations Continue

There really are a lot of variables to consider picking the best Hot Dog Joint.

One way to look at this problem: If one were to go up to Timmy's Snack Shack and get a bun, then proceed to Swiftwater Cafe and have them slap a weenie on it, mosey over to Chris' for a bunful of chili, then high-tail it over to Romeo's for some slaw then you would have in your hand the best ringer hot dog you could assemble in Charleston. But where then, would be the best place to eat said hot dog? Where is the best atmosphere? Where is the hot doggiest decor? Hmmm.

Or rather should we consider the HDJ award in the same manner that we judged the best hot dog, looking at the overall experience and weighing the positives independantly? Wouldn't this method skew the results toward those places that have already won an award? Would that be a bad thing?

I am suffering, I tell you, suffering over this decision!

2006 Weenie Awards - Best Hot Dog

Romeo's Grill Wins Charleston's Best Hot Dog for 2006!

It was close, very close indeed, but Romeo's deserves this years top dog award because of their overall committment to excellence. The winning combination is:

• A great chili recipe handed down by the late Pete Romeo, still cooked every day by long time Romeo's employees Jennifer Maxwell and Chuck Young. It has a unique taste and while not real spicy, it makes its presence known.
• Even better slaw made fresh every day by Jennifer and Chuck.
• Buns that are steamed to order right before your eyes.
• Finely chopped onions applied in the exact right proportion.

All these things work together for an authentic West Virginia hot dog taste that is the creme-de-la-creme of hot dogs in the Charleston area and perhaps the whole state.

Romeo's is located right across Seventh Avenue from the Mound in South Charleston, near the corner of Seventh and "D" Street. It is a bar and grill where smoking is allowed and practiced, so be ye warned.

Honorable Mention - Chris' Hot Dogs

I would be remiss if I were not to mention, very honorably, Chris' Hot Dogs who made it a real race to the finish on the strength of their incredibly great chili. In the end it was the slaw that beat them. If they had Romeo's slaw it might have turned out very differently. As I have been known to say, it's all about the slaw.

National Hot Dog Day

I knew that July was...

But I only recently became aware that Friday is

National Hot Dog Day!

Sounds like a perfect day to give out the final two Weenie Awards: Charleston's Best Hot Dog Joint and Charleston's Best Hot Dog.

In many ways the best hot dog award is easier that the best hot dog joint. It quite frankly comes down to only two different hot dogs - I won't divulge which two just yet. The best hot dog has to have more than one excellent element. You can't win this award with just great chili or great slaw. And the the winner won't have any lackluster bun or weenie either. No, this award requires each element to be good or great.

I do think that there is room for improvement in Charleston's hot dog offerings. In doing this final evaluation I come to the conclusion that there is not one HDJ that has THE Chili and THE Slaw and THE weenie and THE bun. Maybe someone out there is a restauranteer who wants to strive for the perfect W. Va. hot dog. I think it is achievable. If you decide to go for it you know where to find me.

But I digress. The Hot Dog Joint award is tougher because there are so many more variables. One place in the running has great dogs, great decor, great seating, a great location but is is way too smoky for me to recommend. Another place is way cool in its decor, comfortable and relaxed but the dogs aren't quite up to snuff. Still another place is the friendliest place in town with dynamite dogs, but has short hours and a serious shortage of seating. I'm tellin' ya, this is gonna be tough. I would welcome input from the readership.

So maybe I can't come to a decision on the best Hot Dog Joint by tomorrow. Maybe it will have to wait, which is OK because there's still another week left in

Charlestonian Blog Reborn

My original blog, the Charlestonian Blog, is open under new management. My old friend Charles wanted to try his hand at blogging, so I asked him to blog-sit for at least a while. I think you'll find his view of Charleston very interesting and humorous. He is one of the most hyperobservant people I know.

No Mo Bad Dogs Fo Me (Fo Now)

I'm telling you people right now: I have had it with lackluster, mediocre or bad hot dogs for a while. With all of the reviews I have done since I started this site in January I have eaten more than my share of bad hot dogs. Reviews are going to take a hiatus until I have properly recharged my hot dog batteries by eating some good ones.

Before I handed out each of the four Weenie Awards last week I sampled the fare one last time just to make sure the award was deserved. In each case it definitely was. And with each sampling I was surprised by how far above the competition each of the winners were, and it made me really want to eat more good hot dogs. So I decided it's time I rewarded myself for all my hard work in the hot dog trenches. So for the next week or two, no new hot dog joints for me. I'll no doubt have to kiss a lot of toads when I go to Huntington for the W.Va. Hot Dog Festival on July 29th, but until then I am on strike, review-wise.

There are still two Weenie Awards left to hand out, though, so stand by.

2006 Weenie Awards - The Way WV Hot Dog Slaw Ought to Be!

Romeo's Grill wins 2006 Weenie Award for Charleston's Best Hot Dog Slaw!


According to Lance Moore, the new owner of Romeo's Grill in South Charleston, the slaw and chili recipe came with the place when he bought it last October. Two of Romeo's long-time emloyees continue cooking with the same recipes that restaurant founder Pete Romeo taught them many years ago. I can attest that I have been eating Romeo's hot dogs for at least 15 years and they have been consistently excellent all that time.

Pete Romeo died about six years ago but his family kept the businees open for several years until it finally closed in 2005. It had been closed for five or six months before Lance recognized an opportunity and bought the building. He re-hired some key Romeos employees and re-opened it under the old name. It seems to be doing well under the new management and the dogs are as good as ever.

As for the slaw, this is as close to perfect hot dog slaw as I've tasted. It's not the kind of slaw you'd eat as a side dish with some fish and chips; it's sweet, creamy to the point of being runny and a perfect offset to the lightly spiced chili that Romeo's sells. There are, for this slaw lover, simply not enough adjectives to describe how good it is. It is the clear winner in this category.

Congratulations, Romeo's, and please keep making your delicious slaw. And special thanks to Romeo's waitress Ashley for lending her photogenic presence to the award presentation!

2006 Weenie Awards - Charleston's Best Hot Dog Chili? Where else?

Chris' Hot Dogs wins 2006 Weenie Award for Best Hot Dog Chili!


Many years ago Gus Christo received the secret recipe to his father's hot dog chili and started making some of the best hot dogs in town at his restaurant, Chris' Hot Dogs on Washington Street West. His daughter, Karen, still runs Chris' and still makes her grandfather's recipe the way her father did before her. It is very spicy and perfect in texture and consistency. It is, according to many, many Charlestonians, the perfect hot dog chili.

"All good Charlestonians know there's only one place in town to get the authentic West Virginia hot dog," wrote Rick Lee in his blog in January. Well, would you believe that when I presented the Weenie Award for Best Chili to her, Karen actually seemed surprised? How can she not know how good her chili is? But she takes no credit for it, and in fact wouldn't allow me to take her picture with her award. She said the credit is due her father, so I improvised by inserting a photo of Gus that hangs behind the bar into this shot. Sorry for the glare. Perhaps you can visit Chris' and see the real thing for yourself.

While you're at it, have a hot dog. You won't be sorry.

2006 Weenie Awards - The Weeniest Weenies

The Swiftwater Cafe wins 2006 Weenie Award for Charleston's Best Weenie!

According to Teddy Queen, owner of The Swiftwater Cafe, using premium Boar's Head Franks for his restaurant's hot dogs was the best decision he ever made. I will add my AMEN on behalf of Charleston's hot dog eating public. This is by far the best weenie in town, and therefore garners the 2006 Weenie Award for the Best Weenie in Charleston.

When Swiftwater first opened they had a "standard" weenie and offered the Boar's Head frank as an upgrade but a while back Teddy decided to use the better weenie exclusively. As a small, family-owned business he says he always strives for the best in quality and service. Anyone who has visited Swiftwater can vouch for the friendliness of the staff, and while I have only had their hot dogs I have heard they have great barbecue and other sandwiches. The huge throng waiting outside the doors to get in at lunch time adds to the evidence that this is a great downtown lunch spot. "Every day people still tell us they didn't know we were here," says Teddy. Well, Teddy, now that you are an official Weenie Award Winner maybe the downtown WVHD legions will get the word out to everyone.

Congratulations and good luck!

2006 Weenie Awards - Timmy Has The Best Buns!

Timmy's Snack Shack receives the first 2006 Weenie Award! Althought somewhat belated, the first of the 2006 Weenie Awards was finally handed out today to Timmy Teets, owner of Timmy's Snack Shack in Mill Creek. His grilled New England Style buns win this category going away. According to Timmy, "They're a little more trouble, but they're worth it." We agree. If you haven't made it to Timmy's yet you should make it a point to do so before the end of July, National Hot Dog Month. When you drop by make sure you tell him W. Va. Hot Dogs sent you.

Weenie Awards Delayed

I had originally planned to post Weenie Award winners this week, but alas, events conspired to prevent me from getting around to the winning hot dog joints to make presentations. We'll get some posted next week for sure.

In the meantime, check out this press release from the National Hot Dog Council. According to this study Americans overwhelmingly rate mustard as the preferred condiment for hot dogs. Notably absent from the list of toppings is slaw. Not surprising, but it makes me sad for America. They just don't know what they're missing.

W. Va. Hot Dog Festival - New Website

Looks like the festival lost its lease on the old domain. Here's where it's parked now:

http://www.edarnold.net/hotdog/

Charleston Area Hot Dog Joints - Spring Hill Deli

I should know better, I really should. A deli inside a convenience store is not going to be a place to find a great hot dog. But I saw the sign that said "Hot Dogs" underneath a "Boar's Head Meats" sign and I thought, hey, it might be pretty good because Boar's Head weenies are excellent.

Well, the deli might sell Boar's Head meat, but I would hate to think the weenie on my hot dog was a Boar's Head product. If it was, it had been cooked beyond recognition, or left out in the sun too long, or something. It was skinny, chewy and tasteless. Other than that it was fine.

The bun was crusty, the chili lifeless and bland, the slaw was from a bulk container labeled "Chef's Pride" - I would not be proud if I was the chef.

Located at the corner of Chestnut Street and MacCorkle Avenue in Spring Hill, this might be a place to get your gas, milk, beer or even some ham and cheese but not the place for hot dogs.

Hot Dogs and the Fourth of July

Perhaps there is nothing more American than the idea of eating hot dogs on the Fourth of July, but every hot dog joint I know of is closed today. I guess I'll have to revert to home made or abstain. All things considered I prefer abstinence.

An old Andy Griffith Show comes to mind: The Pickle Contest. In this classic episode Aunt Bea is determined to win the Mayberry Pickle Contest even though she makes the worst pickles ever. They are so bad that Barney and Andy go to enormous lengths to keep her from entering her "Kerosene Cucumbers" (as Barney calls the pickles behind Aunt Bea's back) into the contest. Andy makes a very wise observation about home made pickles and says he can't figure out why people go to all the trouble making pickles when store-bought pickles taste better. Home made doesn't necessarily mean better.

And so it is with hot dogs. You can make a good West Virginia hot dog at home, but it is extremely time consuming. And since the National Hot Dog Council's Hot Dog Etiquette guide says that you should finish a hot dog in five bites or less, it's hardly worthwhile to spend hours making chili and slaw just to wolf down your creation in thirty seconds.

It's also expensive to make your own: Unless you are feeding a small army the economics of buying eight buns, ten weenies, a pound of ground beef and a head of cabbage just don't make sense. A premium hot dog at a good HDJ costs about $1.50. To buy the raw materials in the minimum packaged amounts costs a good $6-7 not counting the incidentals you should have on hand (mustard, mayo, spices, etc.).

Of course there is always the possibility of reverting to the hot dogs of my childhood. There is something charming about roasting a weenie on a stick over an open fire and slapping the charred and whistling little frank onto a bun straight out of the Heiner's bag and chomping into it while it is still sizzling. No chili. No slaw. No mustard or onions. Maybe some ketchup for nostalgia's sake but otherwise plain. If the festivities today involve an open fire I just just might indulge.

It's National Hot Dog Month!

In honor of Hot Dog month, I thought it appropriate to get things started by reprinting this from the National Hot Dog Council's website:

Hot Dog Etiquette
Dos and Don'ts: Everyday guidance for eating America's sacred food

Don't...
put hot dog toppings between the hot dog and the bun. Always "dress the dog," not the bun.

Condiments should be applied in the following order: wet condiments like mustard and chili are applied first, followed by chunky condiments like relish, onions and sauerkraut, followed by shredded cheese, followed by spices, like celery salt or pepper.

Do...
serve sesame seed, poppy seed and plain buns with hot dogs. Sun-dried tomato buns or basil buns are considered gauche with franks.

Don't...
use a cloth napkin to wipe your mouth when eating a hot dog. Paper is always preferable.

Do...
eat hot dogs on buns with your hands. Utensils should not touch hot dogs on buns.

Do...
use paper plates to serve hot dogs. Every day dishes are acceptable; china is a no-no.

Don't...
take more than five bites to finish a hot dog. For foot-long wiener, seven bites are acceptable.

Don't...
leave bits of bun on your plate. Eat it all.

Fresh herbs on the same plate with hot dogs are a major "

Don't..." Mustard, relish, onions, cheese and chili are acceptable.

Don't...
use ketchup on your hot dog after the age of 18.

Do...
Condiments remaining on the fingers after eating a hot dog should be licked away, not washed.

Do...
use multi-colored toothpicks to serve cocktail wieners. Cocktail forks are in poor taste.

Don't...
send a thank you note following a hot dog barbecue. It would not be in keeping with the unpretentious nature of hot dogs.

Don't...
bring wine to a hot dog barbecue. Beer, soda, lemonade and iced tea are preferable.

Don't...
ever think there is a wrong time to serve hot dogs.

New HDJ Review - Tamarack

See the complete review under "Elsewhere in West Virginia" at wvhotdogs.com

"The Best of West Virginia" is the marketing slogan of Tamarack, a unique tourist destination along the West Virginia Turnpike near the Beckley. They sell various West Virgina made products: Arts and crafts, furniture, clothing, music recordings and food. If you ever pass through West Virginia on I64/I77 you really should stop and check it out.

I attended a meeting at Tamarack recently and was treated to lunch as part of the event. Since I wasn't buying, I was eyeing the Trout Almondine, Broiled Salmon and other pricey items on the already pricey menu (the food service is provided by The Greenbrier which is not exactly in the Motel 6 class of hotel). But when I saw a Hot Dog on the menu I knew I had to at least inquire, and when I found out that "everything" included chili, slaw, mustard and onions I knew I had to try one. The $2 price tag, while expensive for a hot dog, was a welcome sight for my host as it saved him at least five bucks on the lunch tab.

So, is this hot dog "the best of West Virginia"? No, but it's pretty good.

First, let me say how pleased I was to find that this place, that prides itself on presenting West Virginia culture to visitors, presented an authentic West Virginia Hot Dog. I was afraid I'd find some wierd hybrid dog with relish or saurkraut or some other foreign topping. Kudos to the Tamarack folks for keeping it real.

And real good, too. While the bun is basic, the weenie seemed to be a cut above average. But it's the chili that really makes this dog stand up and bark. It is nicely spicy, nicely runny and served unselfishly - a bun-ful of chili. Folks who value good chili most will like this dog. The slaw is OK, but it could be a bit finer and sweeter. It was piled high and, along with the runny chili, made a delightful mess of the bun in short order even though it wasn't wrapped up.

Overall it is a very good representation of a West Virginia Hot Dog, which is exactly what it should be at Tamarack, but it's certainly not the best our state has to offer.

2006 Weenie Awards Begin Next Week!

Beginning July 5th we will begin handing out the 2006 Weenie Awards. Since this is our first year and our list of reviewed Hot Dog Joints is limited outside the Charleston area, only Charleston Area HDJ's will be recognized this year. Awards will be given for the following categories:

• Best Chili
• Best Slaw
• Best Weenie
• Best Bun
• Best Hot Dog
• Best Hot Dog Joint
  

A new presentation will be posted every few days throughout July (National Hot Dog Month). Stay tuned to see how your favorite HDJ fares!

New HDJ Review - Timmy's Snack Shack

In 2003 a major flash flood covered Mill Creek with up to six feet of water. See some amazing video of the flood here. The flood took out several businesses including a car wash (which the video shows going under for the last time). In 2006 a tiny roadside stand popped up in the very spot where the car wash once stood: Timmy's Snack Shack. "Snack Shack" is an apt name for the place. A little hut with white vinyl siding, two service windows to satisfy the hordes (which were not in evidence when I was there) and two tables for al-fresco dining, one with an umbrella and one without. Not a lot on the menu, but fortunately hot dogs are one of the offerings. I was surprised to see a lack of ice cream treats since this is exactly the kind of place you'd expect to find a soft-serve cone or a milk shake. But no matter, I came for the hot dogs. Not exactly a basic WVHD, Timmy's starts with a New England Style bun perfectly grilled so it provides a slight crunchy exterior. The bun really adds a neat spin to the otherwise normal dog and while I prefer soft and gooey dogs, I still found this to be very satisfying. The chili is sweet with not much kick, but it is just about perfect in texture. The slaw is pretty darn good and the onions are so finely chopped that they are difficult to distinguish from the slaw; a really nice touch. I had two dogs and went away craving another. The only thing that could make it better for my taste buds would be a little more spiciness in the chili and perhaps a little larger helping of slaw. But that's just me being picky. I think that most people would really like Timmy's dogs just the way they are. To get to Timmy's Snack Shack, head out Greenbrier Street and go about a mile past Capitol High School. Timmy's will be on your left just across the street from the apartment complex. Five minutes or so from the I64 Greenbrier Street exit. See the full review and more photos under Charleston Area HDJ Reviews over at wvhotdogs.com

Hot Dog Appliance

I don't know about you, but my kitchen is full of little appliances. I have a bread machine, George Foreman Grill, toaster and a coffee maker that have permanent residence on the counter top. Hidden away in cabinets are a deep fryer, food processor, smoothie machine, blender, electric skillet, ice cream maker, crock pot and a coffee grinder. I don't need anything else.

Except this!

New Hot Dog Review - Freeman's Family Restaurant

(Also posted at wvhotdogs.com under Charleston Area Hot Dog Joint Reviews.)

Regular readers know how I love sweet finely chopped slaw, soft buns, and runny chili. Well, the hot dogs at Freeman's Restaurant have none of these and somehow still manage to please my pallette.

Freeman's sits caddy-corner across Washington Street West from Chris', which makes it a challenging place to sell hot dogs. They have a full menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the prices on everything seem extremely reasonable. The aroma of barbecue fills the air at lunchtime (sometimes they cook ribs on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant and the whole block smells that way!). The menu consists of soul-food standards like chicken livers and catfish, but also has some surprises like a Rueben Sandwich and Shrimp Alfredo. OK, but how could anyone in their right mind try to sell hot dogs across from Chris'? I'll tell you: By making them look, taste and feel completely different from an ordinary WVHD.

Alright, so here's the thing: Like I already said, this hot dog violates all my rules. I shouldn't like it. The slaw is coarsely chopped and has a strong taste of vinegar along with the sweet taste. I can't imagine eating it as a side dish. The chili has the consistency of midwestern "loose meat" sandwich meat but with seasoning that has a vague Mexican flavor. It is dry and crumbly with no moisture to soak into the bun, which is probably a good thing since the bun is toasted and wouldn't get gooey anyway. Mustard, ketchup and mayo packets are offered but not included on a standard dog. I think there were onions on my dog, but they were slight and barely noticeable.

So, I shouldn't like it, but the whole is much more than the sum of its parts. The slaw and chili work perfectly together and I forgot to mention that the weenie is grilled - and I mean really cooked, not just heated - which brings everything together nicely. This is a very satisfying hot dog. Not a prototypical West Virginia Hot Dog, but a very good hot dog. I could definitely see myself, if I found myself on the 300 block of West Washington at lunch time, being torn between Freeman's and Chris'. It would all come down to the mood I might be in. Chris' has the spicy kick, but Freeman's has a real stick-to-your-ribs attitude.

For you weenie-and-a-bun fans (yes, Vince, this means you), the grilled weenies make Freeman's a necessary addition to your list of hot dog destinations. Heck, I'd say that everyone will find something about Freeman's hot dogs they like. And if not, there's always the liver & onions!

The Huntington Swing

My trip to Huntington wasn't as fruitful as I had hoped. I was able to get by Stewart's 4th Avenue stand and the review is now posted over at wvhotdogs.com, but I found the Midway Drive In boarded up. I went to Jim's Spaghetti House because someone told me you could get hot dogs with their spaghetti sauce on them. The very nice waitress smiled sweetly and said I could get a pint of sauce to take home but they didn't have hot dogs. So I got one out of three, which would be good batting average but is kind of frustrating when searching for hot dogs.

I plan on going back for the July 29th West Virginia Hot Dog Festival and I plan a major post after that event.

Help Wanted

It's been quite a while since anyone has provided a guest review of a HDJ. Let me re-issue the invitation: If you would like to submit your thoughts about the quality of hot dogs from a W. Va. Hot Dog Joint feel free to email me at wvhotdogs@gmail.com. This goes double if you can provide reviews for HDJ's that aren't local in the Huntington/Charleston vicinity. I'd also appreciate scouting reports from outlying counties for the W. Va. Slaw Mapping Project over at wvhotdogBlog.com . Same email address: wvhotdogs@gmail.com

Sounds Like It's Time for a Road Trip to Hinton!

See the Daily Mail article about the Dairy Queen in Hinton. It's been many years since I have eaten there. Notice in the photo that they put the chili on top of the slaw. An interesting variation that I've only seen south of Beckley.

Charleston HDJ Review: Diana's Snack Bar

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, I present you with the simple facts of the case:

1. Diana's Snack Bar sits right next door to the Swiftwater Cafe on Washington Street in downtown Charleston.
2. Swiftwater has some of the best dogs in town, especially if you are weenie fan.
3. Swiftwater has arguably the best and friendliest service of any HDJ in town.
4. At Diana's you get a mediocre microwaved hot dog that is obviously made with off the shelf pre-packaged coleslaw and probably canned chili as well.
5. It's hard to eat only one Swiftwater hot dog. It's hard to eat a whole Diana's hot dog.

So the question before you today is, "Why on earth does Diana even serve hot dogs?"

If you can help solve this mystery then perhaps you can help find Jimmy Hoffa.

Blogger Strikes Again!

For some reason, a reason only known by the devilish soul of Blogger, last night while I slept peacefully the html code on this blog was apparently put into a blender mixed thoroughly. I've done a basic re-set but it will take me a while to recover all the links and descriptions. I'll try to have it back together in a day or two.

Huntington Here We Come!

I have to be in the River City next week for a couple of meetings and I plan on sampling as many dogs as I can while I am there. I'm definitely going to get reacquainted with Stewarts but in order to make the most of my trip I need suggestions for other HDJ's to try out. Leave your suggestions in a comment or send it via email info@wvhotdogs.com.

HDJ Review - Burger Carte in Smithers

A recent trip to Gauley Bridge enabled me to gather a few Hot Dog Joint reviews from the upper Kanawha Valley. The Burger Carte in Smithers is the first to be posted. Find the full review filed under "Elsewhere in WV" over at wvhotdogs.com

W. Va. Hot Dogs' Weenie Awards

In recognition of National Hot Dog Month, our first annual Weenie Awards will be handed out in July. Awards categories include:

Best Chili
Best Slaw
Best Hot Dog Joint Atmosphere
Best Overall Hot Dog

Only HDJ's that have been reviewed by W. Va. Hot Dogs will be considered for a Weenie Award. If your favorite HDJ has not been reviewed feel free to make a suggestion via email or you can leave a comment here.

Blog Traffic Trends

It's interesting to watch traffic statistics for this blog and also for the website over at wvhotdogs.com. Here are a few things I find particulary interesting:

- Ten times more people visit the sites during weekdays than on weekends, but more comments are left on weekends. Perhaps it's because the weekend browser is more leisurely and has the time to post a comment, whereas the weekday reader is looking for information for food. Either that or a lot of people are reticent to post at work for fear of key-loggers.

- People often stumble onto the blog while searching for dachsunds, but they often stay and look around for while. I would think weiner dog owners wouldn't be hot dog eaters. Shows how much I know.

- A lot of people from out of state are searching for information on "West Virginia Hot Dogs." While this pleases me immensely, it also surprises me. Growing up here I never knew that we had peculiar hot dogs. I thought everybody everywhere ate chili and slaw on dogs. It was only when I was in my twenties and began meeting people who moved here from other places did I begin to understand that there are people that don't know how to make a proper hot dog.

Charleston Area Hot Dog Joints - Market Drive Bar & Grill

Another adventure in second-hand smoke, this tiny place sits near the confluence of Pennsylvania Avenue, Market Drive and Crescent Road. It is a delightful little beer joint in a small metal building that has a sign luring in seekers of hot dogs and hot bologna sandwiches. The crowd definitely qualifies as "old codgers". Service is friendly and quick, and the mid-day clientele is as lively as any place I've been.

The dogs are unremarkable, except for one thing: the chili is of the "boiled meat" style (where hamburger is boiled instead of browned in a frying pan) which gives it a distinctive texture. The taste a bit bland. The slaw seemed homemade but it too lacked any distinctive flavor.

Interesting little place, bit not worthy of any special effort to go for a hot dog.

W. Va. Hot Dog Festival

Even thought the website is stuck on last year's event, I am told that the second annual W. Va. Hot Dog Festival is on for July 29th. I presume the location will be the same as last year, Pullman Square.

I'm going, how about you?

Charleston Area Hot Dog Joints - The Southern Kitchen

The Southern Kitchen on McCorkle Avenue in Kanawha City is nothing less than a Charleston landmark. It's been the favorite late-night/early morning breakfast spot for generations of Charlestonians. In spite of its small size and simple atmoshpere it has played host to dignitaries from John F. Kennedy to John F. Kerry. On a recent afternoon I stopped in for lunch thereby adding my name to the illustrious guest list.

On the menu is listed a "Hot Dawg", a term usually left to less formal greasy spoons and truck stops. "Everything", I was told, included chili, slaw, mustard and onions. I decided if they went to all the trouble of special spelling, then it must be a special dog, er I mean dawg. And it is.

The first thing that is special is the chili. This chili could be the one that brings balance to the Force. It is sweet AND spicy. Meaty AND runny. I think that anyone would like this chili.

The second thing that is special is the slaw. Sweet, creamy and I might be wrong about this but I swear I think it has apples in it. It is finely chopped and perfect texture for a WVHD. The onions were nice too: Sweet and chopped into just about the right size pieces.

I wish more attention were paid to the weenie and bun because both were a little lackluster (do the Cavalier Meats and Heiners Bakery trucks run past Hurricane?). If they had been on par with the chili and slaw this would be a five weenie dog. The atmoshpere almost makes up for it, what with all the chicken and W. Va. tourism themes that run through the restaurant, but it still falls a half-a-weenie shy of perfection.

Charleston Area Hot Dog Joints - Mayberry's in St. Albans

Mayberry's started out in a little storefront location along MacCorkle Avenue near the St. Albans Mall. It seemed very successful in this spot but about eight months ago it moved to a much more obscure location on Sixth Avenue. I'm not sure how well they are doing in the new spot, but the new building has the same old charm - and I mean old.

It's called Mayberry's, I presume, to evoke the image of the idyllic fictional town of the old Andy Griffith TV Show, which by the way plays continuously on the wall-mounted TV in the restaurant. Nostalgia reigns supreme with old fashioned ice-cream parlor equipment, signs and Coca-Cola logos on nearly everything in the place. It is a very nice, clean and friendly place.

The hot dogs are also a throwback to simpler times. The sweet chili is just like grandma used to make. The excellent sweet cole slaw has a slight yellow tint and is piled high and the sweet onions on top add up to a hot dog that is, well, sweet! The weenies are good and the buns are toasted. I uncharacteristically ate inside the restaurant, mainly because it is a very nice place to spend some time, so I can't report how the "to go" dogs are packaged.

In the new location Mayberry's seems to have graduated from an ice cream shop to a real restaurant. Now in addition to fast food and sandwiches they also offer such things as steak and chicken alfredo. I wouldn't be surprised if all of their food is excellent because they seem to really care about quality.

If you find yourself in St. Albans you should at least stop for an ice cream.

Chili & Slaw on a burger?

Wendy's has been advertising their new Carolina Burger. I had no idea what it was until I went in for a regular Ohio Burger. Here's the in-store advertisement:


Chili and slaw on a hamburger? Is that the way they do it in the Carolinas?

I couldn't bring myself to try it. If anyone has, feel free to leave a review in comments.

Changes in HDJ review posts

I've found it tedious posting reviews on both this blog and on wvhotdogs.com, and since they are much easier to access over there I am going to change the way I post reviews starting in a week or two:

1. Most hot dog joint reviews will be lodged on the wvhotdogs.com site.

2. Each new review will be accompanied by an announcement on this blog that will include a direct link to the review.

3. From time to time I will post reviews on this site when, for one reason or another, they don't deserve a permanent spot on wvhotdogs.com.

I'll begin this new practice once I have published all of the reviews currently in queue. Hopefully this will make things easier for everyone.

Charleston Area Hot Dog Joints - The Farm Table Restaurant

Hot dogs are an obligitory item on locally owned eateries in southern West Virginia. So it didn't surprise me when I went in to The Farm Table on D Street in South Charleston for lunch the other day and found them on the menu. I went in with a whole head full of good intention to get a veggie plate to try to counteract the devastating effects of too many hot dogs eaten on your behalf, but alas, I succumbed to yet another temptation.

Obligitory often means done with less than a great effort, and I'm afraid that is the case here. Farm Table has such wonderful food that I thought even a half-hearted attempt would still be good. It's not quite. The chili is average, the slaw below average (and barely there) and the bun was crusty - probably from being heated up in an oven. It took me two bites to regret not ordering the veggies.

My wife had the steak hoagie and onion rings and I was able to sneak a few rings, which were very good and obviously fresh made. We shared a piece of lemon merangue pie which was very tasty and almost washed away the memory of the disappointing dog.

The Farm Table remains one of my favorite home-cookin' restaurants but it doesn't rank as a HDJ.

Huntington Area Hot Dog Joints - Hillbilly Hot Dogs - Culloden

When I found out that Hillbilly Hot Dogs had a location in Culloden I was very happy because I had been trying to get to either the Lesage or Huntingon location for a long time but events had prevented me from sealing the deal time and time again. Since I get to Hurricane failry regularly, and since Culloden is just a stone's throw from Hurricane, I knew I could finally taste the delightfully unrefined offerings of this delightfully uncultured HDJ.

I expected to find a great WVHD. Heck, they even call it a "West Virginia Hot Dog" on the menu. It has chili, slaw, onions and mustard just like God intended. While they also have other variations on the menu like the namesake "Hillbilly Hot Dog" (they call it a "Hill") which features a deep-fried weenie, I figured if they were going to all the trouble of having a WVHD listed as a proper noun that they would go to great lengths to make it taste proper.

So I went to Culloden, ordered a "WVHD" and a "Hill" (I had to try it) fully expecting to have my socks knocked off. After all, they have a great website!

The decor is everything I hoped it would be. It draws on every "hillbilly" sterotype imaginable, including a hand-scrawled sign painted on corrorgated tin, toilet seats used as hanging signs inside the restaurant and mis-spelled wurds on all of the signs. No school bus dining rooms like the Lesage location, but pretty good.

But what about the hot dogs? Well, my socks are still on.

The first disappointment was with the slaw: big chunks of cabbage, carrots and something else I couldn't identify. Very bland.

The weenie on the WV was OK. The deep-fried version on the Hill was unremarkable. Chili was OK, buns were OK, everything else was OK.

Now when you go into a place expecting greatness and find mediocrity it is hard to then divorce yourself of the high expectations and grade on an even scale. Perhaps if I hadn't been seduced by the slick website and catchy jingle ("we got the weenies!") I would have though better of the hot dogs. I guess I will never know.

I am going to hold open the possibility that the Huntington or Lesage location will revive my hope, but I don't think I'll be making a special trip to put them to the test. Maybe some day.

Huntington Area Hot Dog Joints - Farley's Famous Hot Dogs

Since they also have locations in Barboursville and Milton, I had already decided to lump the Hurricane location of Farley's Famous Hot Dogs in with Huntington HDJ's before I tasted the product. This proved to be wise choice since the hot dogs have a bit of a Huntington flavor, literally and figuratively.

First, the literal: The weenie tasted suspiciously like a Cavalier Meats product and the bun was most definitely fresh from the Heiner's factory.

The figurative: I was told "everything" included "sauce." This is Huntingtonese for chili. The only thing that wasn't like Huntington was that slaw was standard equipment.

Regardless of the geography, this is a very good WVHD. The slaw is fine but not quite sweet enough and the chili (sauce) is pretty good. The great weenie and bun provide the boost to elevate the overall score into the 4 out of 5 weenie range.

One big plus is the curb service. There's just something about a WVHD served by a carhop that makes it a bit better. There are precious few of these places left around. Kudos to Farley's for keeping the tradition alive.

Charleston Area Hot Dog Joints - Hilltop Market

At the top of Central Avenue in South Charleston is a unique little convenience store/restaurant. The uniqueness stems from the restaurant side of the business which offers ready-made dinners for on-the-go families to stop and pick up on the way home. At $6.00 a plate it is very affordable. No choices, whatever they cook is what you get and when it's gone, it's gone. Just like Mom's.

At lunch time they offer some basics, among them being hot dogs. Everything means ketchup, mustard, chili, slaw and - get this - relish! What is this, Pittsburgh? Obviously I had mine without relish and since I was custom ordering I also had them leave off the ketchup.

The hot dog was fair. Chili was good although a little chunky, slaw was the mediocre factory made stuff (here's a hint to those of you who insist on using this stuff: put in a food processor and get the chunks down to a manageable size!). The buns were steamed and the dogs were wrapped in aluminum foil which preserved the softness nicely.

Overall a nice little neighborhood place with decent dogs. If I lived closer I might try their take home dinner fare. If anyone has tried it let me know.

Charleston Area Hot Dog Joints - Mallory's Grocery

How can you pass up a place with a sign that says "Try our world famous Mud Suck Hot Dogs"? I couldn't.

For those who aren't saavy, "Mudsuck" is the informal name of a little community just over the hill from South Charleston. It gets its name from Mudsuck Branch, a tributary of Davis Creek. It gets it notoriety from Mallory Airport, a small private airstrip that sits atop the hill above Mudsuck. The airport has such a quirky reputation in the aviation community that is has become known as "Mudsuck International" by pilots who use it. Mallory's Grocery (I am sure it's owned by the same family) even sells "Mudsuck International Airport" t-shirts and caps. If you have ever landed at Mallory you will never forget it, and I'd imagine some people want a memento of the ocassion.

Well, when I was driving by and saw the "Mudsuck Dog" sign I knew it had to be included on this site so I stopped and had one. I was dissappointed that it was self-serve style. After I finished building it, the dog wasn't bad. Chili and slaw seemed to be homemade and the buns are kept nicely steamed. They even have wax paper sleeves for your "to go" order.

Overall an average dog with a great name.

wvhotdogs.com is up and running

The official West Virginia Hot Dog website is up and running!
Check it out and take it for a test drive. It has a few features that Blogger couldn't handle and it is much more browse-able than the Blog.

http://www.wvhotdogs.com

email me at wvhotdogblog@yahoo.com and let me know what you think.

Former Charleston Area Hot Dog Joints - Bowincals

While I was waiting to get around to a review of Bowincals, a once thriving little HDJ chain in and around the Charleston area, something funny happened. They closed.

The first one I went to, in what we used to call "Plaza East", was not open and looked like it wasn't like to be reopened anytime soon. A few days later I made the trip to Campbell's Creek to the only other remaining location. It is even more closed! Boarded up closed.

It's not surprising to me. Bowincals hot dogs were pretty bad, as I recall.

Charleston Area Hot Dog Joints - DeliFresh - Bullitt Street

Right across from Joe Fazio's on Bullitt Street, as part of the BB&T operations center complex, sits a little lunch spot that is operated for the benefit of BB&T employees. I have found that anyone can patronize the place and since it is very close to my office I sometimes do. Much of the food they offer is best thought of as fuel, not entertainment. I'd imagine most of their business is from the captive audience that BB&T provides and so don't vote on the quality the way most restaurant patrons do (with their feet!).

But for you, the WV Hot Dog public, I sacrifice myself so you may know the truth. The truth is that the dogs at DeliFresh aren't bad at all.

The first thing you notice is the bun. Not your basic WVHD variety but at least twice as large in volume. Everything is chili, slaw and onions. You can get a pack of mustard from the condiment rack if you want it. The chili is meatier than most with a pretty good flavor. The weenie was strange - really dark in color and it tasted a lot better than it looked. The slaw was definitely factory made and way too coarse, but it was fairly tasty. Overall a decent, if not classic, WVHD.

New WV Hot Dog Web Site is Coming

Hey all you WV Hot Doggers, I've decided that it is impossible to make reviews decently browse-able by categories on Blogger so I'll soon be launching a new WV Hot Dogs website. If my posting is lax for the next couple of weeks it's because I'm spending all my time writing and de-bugging the site so it will work when it goes live.

The new site should be fun but I'll keep cross-posting reviews on this blog even after the launch. I'll also keep this blog for discussion and feedback.

I'll definitely post a notice when it's up. Probably about mid-May. Wish me luck!

Charleston Area Hot Dog Joints - Dee's Delights - Pinch

Used to be that you could buy a hot dog at dozen different places on the old Rt. 119 between Charleston and Elkview. The Elk River area always had more than its fair share of roadside dairy bars, diners and drive-ins. With this historical perspective in mind I turned right off the Spring Street bridge and headed north figuring I would find somewhere to grab a dog for lunch. As I left Charleston city limits I began to wonder. Mink Shoals came and went and still no HDJ. Big Chimney offered nothing but Hardees and if they do have a hot dog on the menu I am sure it's not a real WVHD so I didn't even bother. I continued northward all the way to the Elk Shopping Plaza (as the Earl of Elkview pronounces it, "Plah-ZAH") figuring surely there must be WVHD's somewhere, but alas there were none. I made the turn across the bridge and headed south on the opposite side of the river. After a few miles I found myself in downtown Pinch and there I found Dee's Delights - as picture perfect a WVHDJ as you will find.

The hot dogs, while not perfect, were classic WVHDs in every respect. Good chili (not very spicy), very good slaw (sweet and very finely chopped), mustard, onions & bun were all great. Add in the benefit of a full wrapping of wax paper and it totals an exemplary West Virginia Hot Dog. As Dee's sign says "A Little Pinch of Heaven." At only one dollar each you can't go wrong.

I also noticed a sign for a "Hot Pinch Dog" inside: a mettwurst with spicy saurkraut and mustard. They also serve the basic DQ type deep-fried fast food and, as you might guess, they have several dessert-ish offerings as well.

If you're in the neighborhood you should definitely check out Dee's. I promise they are the best hot dogs you can find in the Elk river area.