Mason County HDJ Review - Leon General Store

A reader wrote us a while back and said, "I’m not the best at judging hot dogs by any means but you all have got to visit Leon General Store and try one of their hot dogs. Located in Leon WV. They have everything from gas to hardware, groceries etc. They have a kitchen and deli and the hotdogs are on point. I think their hotdogs meet the criteria of a good ole WV hot dog. If you all ever have the time or are in this area you should give em a try!"

We found ourselves in the general vicinity recently and thought we'd check it out. We say "general vicinity" but Leon isn't in the general vicinity of much. Located in Mason County on a road between Point Pleasant and Charleston that nobody travels, to say Leon is off the beaten path is an understatement. So even though we were somewhat close, it still was a bit of a drive.

The things we do for you people. 

When we entered the Leon General Store we immediately saw that our reader was right about one thing at least: they do sell just about everything. From fishing lures to deer scent to bananas to lawn mower mufflers to pizza to space heaters to jiffy pop. And oh yeah, hot dogs.

After asking what "everything" included and deleting ketchup from our order, we wandered around the vast offerings of the store, marveling at the selection of merchandise. It was like visiting a museum and we didn't really notice how long it took to get our hot dogs. Time has no meaning at Leon General Store.

Since there are no inside dining options, we took our order to the car before unwrapping the wax paper, but even before it was unfurled we were impressed by the obvious warmth and softness of the steamed bun. Our first look left a pretty good impression, although the onions seemed a bit chunky. The slaw, however, looked fine as did the small amount of chili we could see. 

Take note, all you "it's not chili, it's sauce" hardliners, they call it chili. And it's solidly Ohio Valley here and so you might expect them to call it "sauce." But no, it's chili.

Then we found something else that our reader was right about: He's not the best at judging hot dogs.

Here's the breakdown: The slaw, while looking pretty good, was really quite tasteless. The chili was a tiny bit sweet but otherwise had nothing going for it. Most of the flavor of the whole came from the onions. But it was the weenie that really got us.

Now before we go any further, let's get this out of the way. We often say unlike many regional hot dogs (like Chicago and New York styles) the weenie is the least important part of a West Virginia hot dog. Many people have jumped on this statement and misquoted us -- or drawn erroneous conclusion -- that we don't think the weenie matters. That is entirely untrue. We say that a great hot dog doesn't have to have a great weenie, but we also say that a bad weenie can bring a hot dog down. 

And the latter is the case with Leon General Store. This otherwise decent (not great, but decent) hot dog was put asunder by its weakest link. It was small (which can be a positive if the toppings are good, but in this case it was just small). It was odd-tasting. And it was an unusual color. 

So we have to disagree with the reader who said he thought it qualified as a "good ole WV hot dog." It was not good, although perhaps the weenie is "ole" and that's why it looked and tasted the way it did. 

2 Weenies. 

Charleston HDJ Review: The Purple Onion

We were surprised when we came across a social media post from Charleston's premier fruit and vegetable vendor that said they were offering hot dogs with homemade chili for lunch. Surprised because the Capitol Market, in which The Purple Onion is located, has always had strict rules about competition between its venders. For example, only one of its vendors is allowed to sell fresh eggs, and the wine shop may sell cured meats but only the meat market can sell fresh or frozen meat. Since there is already a restaurant selling hot dogs (albeit not great ones), it seemed out of character for another vendor to horn in on the weenie business. 

We thought we'd better get over there to check it out before the Capitol Market management found out and put the kibosh on it.

In addition to fruits, vegetables, canned sauces,  spices plus a whole myriad of bulk-packaged dry goods, The Purple Onion also has a small food prep area where they used to make soups, salads and sandwiches. The ordering window is kind of hidden in a corner toward the rear of the space, and the process to order and pay is confusing (we paid first, but got the sense that you could order and then pay). But once we found where to order, we saw the menu sign and were gratified that they exploited the marketing influence and reach of this blog by appropriately using "WV Hot Style Dogs." Inappropriately, though, the listed toppings included ketchup, so strike one. It didn't stop us from ordering but we did ask them to delete the red stuff because we're adults. 

Our hot dogs were presented in a styrofoam coffin (strike two) but the aroma sneaking out of the cracks was heavenly so we were encouraged. Opening the lid of the coffin we immediately noticed that the onions were chopped a bit too coarsely, but the slaw looked nice and creamy. All the toppings were applied in good proportions and we could even see a little mustard sneaking out of the end of the bun. 

The bun, though, is a bit of a problem. Cold and stiff. Not stale, mind you, but nothing like soft and properly steamed. Of course, those styrofoam coffins do nothing to help, allowing steam to escape so not even the warm weenie and chili can soften the bun like happens when a hot dog is wrapped in cellophane or wax paper. 

But many of the previous concerns were laid to rest upon tasting the first bite. The chili, while not at all spicy, had a little tartness that paired nicely with the slaw which was pretty sweet. And while the slaw could have benefitted from some finer chopping, the taste and overall texture was good. The large onion chunks proved to be inoffensive since they were obviously cut from a mild onion (Vidalia maybe?).

So despite the stiff bun, coffin presentation and too large onions, we're still giving the Purple Onion high marks for the effort. It deserves its 4 Weenie rating and is easily the best hot dog sold at the Capitol Market.

Tooting Our Own Horn: Celebrating 20 Years of Cultural Influence

"If thou tooteth not thine own horn, the same shall go untootethed."

Second Abraham, chapter 2 verse 23:

Allow us to toot.

Over the past two decades, this blog has had a major cultural influence in our state. We didn't invent the West Virginia Hot Dog, ya'll did that, but we gave it a label -- a brand you might say -- and brought it into a new level of awareness, appreciation and identity. 

Go ahead, Google search for any internet mention of "West Virginia Hot Dog" before this blog started in 2005. Look at newspaper archives. Check the library catalogs. You won't find it. Now do the same search since 2005 and note the tens of thousands hits. 

We did that. We were the first to define a West Virginia Hot Dog as one with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. We did this on this blog and its forerunner The Charlestonian Blog in early 2005. 

We thought we'd celebrate National Hot Dog Month by sharing some highlights and successes we've enjoyed over the past 20 years:

2005 - The Charlestonian Blog shares a hot dog photo by photographer Rick Lee and asks readers to chime in on their favorite Charleston hot dog joint. The reactions leads to the creation of a separate blog dedicated to discussions about West Virginia Hot Dogs.  

2006 - In January the West Virginia Hot Dog Blog begins to do reviews of hot dog joints in the Charleston area.

2006 - Numerous media outlets take notice of the West Virginia Hot Dog Blog and interview its Head Weenie Wonk, Stanton Means, for a variety of local and regional stories.

2006- The Weenie Awards is established to recognize the best hot dog joints around the state. Fairmont people go completely crazy when we refuse to recognize Yann's slawless hot dogs with an award.

2006 - Our "Slaw Line" historical marker becomes one of the most shared images among West Virginia internet users. 

2006 - Chris James becomes our second Weenie Wonk.

2007- The Associated Press distributes nationally an article on West Virginia Hot Dogs and the WV Hot Dog Blog. The article is picked up by NBC news and creates record traffic to the blog.

2007 - WVHotDogs.com website launches.

2007- Swiftwater Cafe in Charleston becomes the first hot dog joint to change the name of its hot dog to "WV Hot Dog." This trend will continue for the next several years.

2008 - An article on the West Virginia Hot Dog Blog appears in the State Journal, a statewide business newspaper, highlighting the uniqueness of the way West Virginians dress their hot dogs.

2008 -  Another Weenie Wonk, "Big Daddy," is added to cover the north-central part of the state.

2008 - Philadelphia artist Hawk Krall creates a graphic for a food magazine that depicts a West Virginia hot dog. 

2009 - West Virginia Hot Dogs win the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council's March Madness Hot Dog and Sausage Tournament on Facebook.

2010 - West Virginia Hot Dogs Facebook page established, connecting thousands of new folks to our blog.

2010 - Our "Slaw Mapping Project" image goes viral and causes a great deal of debate.

2011 - West Virginians search for the term "hot dog" on Google more than residents of any other state

2012 - Because of a viral tongue-in-cheek post on the WV Hot Dog Blog, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and opponent Bill Maloney are asked by a reporter their opinions on the proper toppings for a West Virginia Hot Dog. 

2013 - WV Hot Dog themed merchandise begins to show up in various places.

2014 - "WV Hot Dogs" begins to be printed as a menu item on more restaurants.

2016 - WV Hot Dog Blog is used as a primary source for the Southern Foodways Alliance article on West Virginia hot dogs.

2018 - Our clearly photoshopped "Slaw Line" historical marker image is used by multiple media outlets and presented as real. 

2020 - West Virginia named best state for hot dog lovers

2021 - The West Virginia Hot Dog Trail is created.

2022 - West Virginia Hot Dog Blog used as source material for a chapter in “Making Our Future” a new book by former West Virginia state folklorist Emily Hilliard. 

2024 - WV Tourism creates a web page dedicated to West Virginia hot dogs.

2025 - West Virginia Hot Dogs Facebook page reaches 12,500 followers.

We could list many more highlights and milestones, but you get the gist. We're proud of our influence, and even prouder that we did it for the love of the hot dog and not for money.

No, we've never made a cent off of the West Virginia Hot Dog Blog or its social media counterparts. And we've spent thousands on hot dogs to sample -- even when it went against our better judgement -- for reviews, and on gasoline traveling across the state. While we've been more active in some years than others, we have consistently been the leading advocates for the delectable gift from heaven known as the West Virginia Hot Dog. 

But it was you, dear readers, who have fueled the rise of our humble hot dog with your extreme devotion. We owe a lot of our success to those expatriate West Virginians who long for the hot dogs of their youth, and finding that nowhere in their new surroundings understands. We just provided a medium, but you provided the energy. 

So toot your own horn as well. Let's toot all of them. 

Parkersburg HDJ Review: Bureau of Fiscal Service Employee Cafeteria (aka "The Hole")

The Bureau of Fiscal Service Employee Cafeteria (The Hole)

The Bureau of the Public Debt first identified Parkersburg, WV, as its emergency relocation site in the early 1950s, during the Cold War era. The location was outside the blast radius of a potential nuclear attack on Washington, DC and the relocation made certain that the creditors of the United States federal government would be paid in the event that DC was turned into a parking lot by the Russians.  A 2012 merger of the Bureau of Public Debt and the Financial Management Service created the Federal Bureau of Fiscal Services, which handles the government’s accounting payment system and public debt. The bureau has been a large employer in Wood County for decades. Until, of course, Elon Musk came on the scene a few weeks ago cutting hundreds of jobs in one fell swoop. 

The reorganization brought with it a downsizing of the agency's employee cafeteria (nicknamed "The Hole" by longtime staffers), and the menu has been trimmed as well. Gone from its offerings are old favorites like Lettuce Wraps, Silver Dollar Pancakes, and Cheddar Dough Pizza. The new menu offers a smaller variety of ready-made pasta salads and curries, while one local favorite has been saved, sort of, it has been given a new name.

The Hole in its heyday.

The item, of course, is long-time head cook April Forst's famous West Virginia Hot Dogs. A fan favorite, the hot dogs at The Hole featured Nathan's Famous weenies on locally made Flowers bun, topped with April's special chili sauce and her fresh-daily coleslaw. On a past visit we awarded this hot dog a 4 1/2 Weenie rating, and gave it high marks for the way the chili and slaw worked together. We wrote "in a town with no shortage of good hot dog joints, the government-subsidized one at the federal workplace is no second-choice." 

In its new incarnation, it has been renamed "BFS HOT DOGE," but April says it is still the same basic sandwich, just made with less expensive ingredients. "We're proud to support the administration's goals of reducing the cost of government," she told a local reporter, "and by using boerewors [a South African sausage now preferred by the Department of Government Efficiency]  instead of all-beef Nathan's Famous, we are able to take a large bite out of the cost."

Other than the weenie, the other ingredients remain unchanged from April's original recipe, at least for now, but that will have to change in 2028 when new legislation recently signed into law by West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey takes effect. "They are banning Yellow Dye #5, which is in in our favorite mustard, and Red Dye #40 that is in the tomato paste we use in our sauce." 

April also said banned Red Dye #3 will be a concern because some people ask for ketchup on their hot dog, and natural ketchup that doesn't use the coloring costs quite a bit more than the regular stuff. "I guess that's a bit of a governmental contradiction we'll have to work through, because DOGE isn't going to want us to spend more just to be in compliance with the law," she predicted.

Our HOT DOGE looked thrown together without much care.

The BFS HOT DOGE, as noted above, features a "multi-meat" boerwors sausage. A little chewier than a typical American weenie, but tastes similar to products offered by Armour or Oscar Mayer. The bun was the same as before, as was the chili (er, we mean sauce, because Parkersburg) and slaw. There didn't seem to be as much care as we remembered in the way the hot dog was put together, probably due to the shorthanded staff that seemed a little overwhelmed serving even the few remaining employees in line that day. The overall taste was OK, but the chewiness of the weenie caused us to downgrade the rating by 40% to 2.7 Weenies. How's that for efficiency?

The Hole is open to the public, but only if you are accompanied by a federal employee. So if you know someone who currently works there, invite yourself to lunch with them. But you might want to hurry. 

In fact, today, April 1, would be a great day to check it out. 

Gauley Bridge HDJ Review: Two Broke Sisters

We've been passing by this little food trailer for months and noticed that it recently moved from the parking lot of a nearly-abandoned shopping center to a more visible location alongside a historic building that used to be the Gauley Bridge train station. Our attention was first drawn to the hand-lettered sign boasting "WV Hot Dogs" on the side of the trailer, and later we became more attentive because the obvious commitment they had of maintaining open hours in spite of bad weather. We decided today that it was time to give them a try.

When we walked up to the ordering window, our first question as always was "what is everything?" But before we heard the answer, we saw it in the form of a printout of the West Virginia Hot Dog Blog's "Anatomy of a WV Hot Dog" graphic that clearly explains it. Chili, slaw, mustard and onions, just as God intended it.

It only took a few moments to get our hot dog and we were well pleased to see it wrapped up in foil which is usually a good sign of quality. Opening up the wrapping we were treated to that amazing aroma that tells the story of a chili that was prepared with care. Indeed this chili is as good as any you will find, and the slaw was obviously prepared to complement the chili. You know it's great chili and slaw when it is applied sparingly and still has that great flavor and presence. The onions were chopped a little larger than we like, but they weren't too strong so it didn't matter much. The weenie was adequate.

But the bun. We need to talk about the bun. It was big and soft but not steamed. Now a food trailer has limited ability to have all of the necessary equipment, we understand that, and we could forgive the non-steamed bun except for the fact that it was cold to the touch. Hot dogs are supposed to be hot, it's right there in the name! 

Of course, it was in the upper 40s when were were there so it's eminently explainable why the buns were cold so we're not going to ding them too hard. And the owner told us that she plans to add a steamer to the trailer soon, so maybe soon this problem will be rectified. 

In spite of the cold bun, this is a great hot dog. We're going to give it a Four Weenie rating and hope to get back to re-review it once that steamer is running.

We also want to highlight one other thing about Two Broke Sisters: The owner told us that the reason she started selling hot dogs in Gauley Bridge was because there was nowhere else to get a decent hot dog in the area. That is the kind of entrepreneurial spirit we need more of in West Virginia. 

You can find Two Broke Sisters right beside of US Route 60 in Gauley Bridge. They are open most weekdays and Saturdays from 10:00 till 4:00. 

Logan HDJ review: Janet's Park & Eat

We've been trying to get to this place for literally years. First it was a matter of never being in Logan on days it was open, then it up and closed. We thought it was gone forever, but started getting a lot of comments that claimed it was back open and still serving hot dogs that were as good as Morrison's or Parkway. Some folks said they were superior. Finally we received a private message from the new owner of the restaurant who said they bought the place in 2023 and had been running it themselves since August. 

Now if you look for them on Facebook, be warned that the old Janet's Park & Eat page still exists, but the new one is called "Janet's LLC" and if you are looking for the place on Google Maps, you need to search for Janet's LLC. 

The restaurant is located in a strange part of Logan that is hard to get to if you aren't familiar with it. It is located on Mud Fork Road near the intersection with Enterprise Drive, if that helps.

Janet's is an unassuming little place that serves a full menu of classic country cooking items. Service couldn't be more friendly and food comes out quick. We of course got hot dogs and couldn't pass up the chance to try their house-made onion rings. The onion rings were as good as any we've ever had anywhere. But the hot dogs, well, they didn't live up to the hype. Here's the breakdown:

The bun was fresh and soft, and if it was not steamed it didn't need to be. The large caliber weenie didn't taste like the best quality, but that's never a problem if the toppings work. But they kinda didn't. The chili and slaw generously applied and the slaw was creamy, maybe even a bit too creamy. It lacked much flavor. The chili was sweet and flowed nicely, more like a sauce than chili. The sweet chili and bland slaw had no synergy, and even though they were served in a large quantity,  the hot dog was somewhat unsatisfying. 

We have no way of knowing whether this most recent incarnation of Janet's is as good as its former self, but we were kind of disappointed after hearing so many good things about their hot dogs for so many years. It was, overall a decent hot dog. in many towns it might be the best but in Logan, with Morrison's and Parkway just a short drive away, it's a distant third. 4 Weenies.

 

Mount Hope HDJ Review: Eating With Sinners and Tax Collectors at The Table

The Table is easy to find in downtown Mount Hope

 Full disclosure: We love this charming little place in downtown Mount Hope and have had many delightful lunches there. With some terrific sandwich meats and salads, it is an oasis in the food desert of Mount Hope. They also have a small selection of fresh and delicious baked goods, perfect for an after-lunch treat. The staff has been ever-so-friendly and service has always been fast and efficient.

On our most recent visit, however, they were offering a hot dog special that we couldn't pass up, although now we kinda wish we had. 

"Why does your teacher eat with sinners and tax collectors?"

With expectations high from our prior experiences, our first disappointments came rapid-fire when we saw the New England Style Split Top Lobster Roll buns and slaw served on the side. Then we noticed that bun had separated on the bottom and the weenie had already fallen through the crack and was resting on the paper-lined tray.  

After we applied our coleslaw properly to its proper place on the top, then came the difficult task of trying to pick the thing up and taking a bite without having a lap full of deconstructed hot dog. Before long we were forced to use a fork, which is the world of hot dog eating is like -- well, having to use a fork! Not at all a satisfying experience.

Once we were able to get a taste of the elements, we found that they were decent. The slaw was more than decent, it was actually very good. The chili was lackluster and the weenie was not very good at all, overcooked and kind foreign-looking like something you'd find in Chicago. That bun, though. Nah. Don't try to be so fancy. 

The bun wasn't up to the task.

Overall we're going to have to give The Table a low 1.5 Weenie rating, and it pains us to do so since we like the place so much. Our recommendation is to stick with the regular menu. 

We'll be back for one of your excellent sandwiches, but not for hot dogs.