Charleston Area Hot Dog Joints - The Wagon Wheel

On Rt. 62 between Dunbar and Cross Lanes, in the land that locals call "Little Tyler Mountain" you will find a little place that is big on character. The Wagon Wheel used to be more of a restaurant than it is today. Several eating tables have vanished in favor of two very nice pool tables, and the bar has grown into a penninsula that dominates the what used to the dining room. It has more of a bar & grill feel today.

The walls of 1950's wood paneling are covered with old newspaper articles, photos and beer advertisments. The dim lighting makes the presence of a bookcase full of paperback novels a bit moot, as if the patrons are there for a little reading anyway. A beautiful old 1940's gasoline pump stands guard near the doorway, and the namesake wooden wagon wheel is suspended nearby. The neon sign in the photo hangs on an inside wall, which is a shame because it would be a great attention getter for the drive-by traffic. The owner's pet bird provides the backround music when the jukebox isn't playing.

The hot dogs are typical bar and grill dogs. The chili is pretty lifeless, but the slaw is pretty good. To go orders are wrapped in wax paper just as nature intended. Not worth going out of your way for.

I didn't really notice what other things they had on the menu, but no matter. It seems like a good place to have a beer, relax and shoot some pool. After a few beers the hot dogs and anything else on the menu might taste pretty good.