Charleston HDJ Review - Hot Dogs R Us

We've long maintained that the fancier the Hot Dog Joint, the worse the hot dogs will be. It's been a rule that has held up for the 13 years this blog has been around. Oh, of course, there has been the occasional exception to the rule and once in a while a nice bistro or sports bar will have a tasty WVHD, but those HDJs who consistently have great hot dogs are usually very basic and make hot dogs a real priority and not just an afterthought menu addition.

Given the durability of this rule, we were pretty encouraged last week when we saw just about the plainest sign ever that had popped up on the side of the convenience store at the corner of McCorkle Avenue and 50th Street in the Kanawha City neighborhood of Charleston. It was a white banner with bold black block letters hanging in the window with no further explanation than "Hot Dogs R Us." This spot recently held a sub shop that sold okay hot dogs and at first we thought it was just a promotional sign for that business, but then someone informed us that the sub shop had closed and that this new business was now occupying the adjacent space that formerly was a frozen yogurt store.

So we stopped in to check it out and found that the HDJ is even more basic than the sign would indicate. Hanging over the counter was another sign, equally as basic as the one in the window, except for the twin Pepsi logos that adorned it, and some hand-written signs with prices and available toppings. A pair of household crock pots were on the back counter keeping the weenies and chili hot and a a tray of condiments sat nearby. Since we were getting ours to go, we ordered two with chili, slaw, mustard and onions (as God intends hot dogs to be prepared) and two without onions. While we waited on our order, we noticed that Hot Dogs R Us really means what they say: Hot dogs R all they do. No BBQ, hamburgers, chicken nuggets or anything else to get in the way of their specialty. You can get a bag of chips, but nothing else is prepared here. That, our hot dog loving friends, is the kind of dedication to ones craft it takes to achieve greatness, 

Our order came to $10 even, and came quickly. Before we knew it we were out the door and on our way home with our delicious-smelling cargo

The first thing we noticed when we opened the lid of our to-go styrofoam box was the dark, dark brown chili. Almost black, this chili has been cooked for a long, long time and something magical happened while it cooked. It is delicious. It is more sweet than spicy, but wonderfully complex and hearty. It was applied in a generous amount and topped with some of the finest-grated slaw we've ever seen. The slaw's texture and taste was as near perfect as we've found in a long while.

The bun was wonderfully soft (probably helped by the steamy confines of the styrofoam container and the longish car ride home) and the weenie was plump and delicious. The onions were finely chopped and nicely applied.

Then there's the mustard. A nice little wavy line of mustard was artistically applied on top of the slaw.  This always causes a stir on our Facebook page because some purists want their mustard against the weenie and under the chili, but we like the topside application because it confirms that this very necessary condiment - the only acceptable condiment, really- has not been forgotten in the preparation process. You complainers, get over yourselves. It tastes the same regardless of where it located.

So we're going to give Hot Dogs R Us our highest rating of 5 Weenies, recommend it to everyone who live in the Kanawha Valley and to those passing through. This is a perfect example of why WVHDs are so great: It is simple, basic food that is best when it is made and served in completely unpretentious settings like this. 

Fayette County HDJ Review - Skyline Drive In (Hank's Last Stop)

Most people in West Virginia know the story of Hank William's death: That he was discovered dead on New Year's Day 1953 in the back seat of his Cadillac when his driver stopped in Oak Hill; about that there is no dispute. But in Oak Hill, there are a lot of opinions about exactly where this final scene of the singer's life played out. Most reports say it was at the Pure Oil gas station on Oak Hill (that station no longer exists), but persistent local rumors say it was just outside of Oak Hill, at the Skyline Drive In located at Hilltop. The little diner has had many names over the years, but no matter how many times they change the name on the sign, almost everyone around here calls it "Hank's Last Stop." It recently reopened and the new owners have smartly reclaimed the name and added the nickname, so it is now known as "Skyline Drive In - Hank's Last Stop."

Now we're here to review hot dogs, not get into a revisionist history debate, but we would like to point out one key and seldom reported factoid that would make it more likely that the diner was the place: His driver -- when he discovered the lifeless body in the back seat--said that he was told that there was a hospital "6 or 7 miles down the road." If this had been the old Pure Oil station, that hospital would have been only a half-mile away, not six or seven. Most people around here say he stopped at the gas station to get directions to the hospital. But enough about that.

We made the trip to the newly reopened Skyline Diner recently because a recent newspaper article listed hot dogs as their specialty. Indeed their menu is very limited, but we didn't care at all. When asked what "everything" was, the server said confidently, "chili, slaw, mustard and onions" and then added "and I make my own slaw every day." Sold.

While waiting on our hot dogs we took in some of the Hank memorabilia that adorned the walls. There is far less of it than you might expect since they embrace their HDJ's history with a subtitled sign out front. A couple of album covers and a little shrine of sorts is all there is. You can't help but think that if they would go all out and make the place a kitschy roadside attraction that they would have a flood of cars pulling off of Route 19 to see it. If it were ours, we'd have an old baby blue Cadillac sitting in the lot and Hank Williams hits playing from speakers both inside and out. We'd have Hank Williams Karaoke, Hank Williams trinkets and tshirts, and maybe some Jambalaya, Crawfish Pie and Filet Gumbo on the menu. Son of a gun, we'd have big fun at The Skyline.

But what do we know? We just review hot dogs. Oh, and that reminds us:

When our hot dogs came we could immediately confirm that the slaw was homemade. You just can't get slaw from a tub that looks like that. And the first bite told us that it was good: Flavorful and creamy but not too runny. Slightly sweet. Unfortunately, the bun was a bit crusty - almost stale - but fortunately, that was the only negative we found. The chili was wonderfully complex and went well with the slaw. The weenie was big and beefy and the overall heft of the hot dog was great.

Skyline Drive In earns a 4 Weenie rating. It was a steamed bun away from being a 4.5, pushing a Five.

It's definitely worth a stop. Just hopefully not your last one.

Charleston Area HDJ Re-Review - Hot Diggity Dogs

Last year we were excited when a new HDJ opened in North Charleston and reviewed it a few weeks after it was opened. You can read that review here. We were not impressed, mainly because of the slaw.  Hot Diggity Dogs offered then and still do two kinds of slaw: Regular and Yellow. We found the both of them to be lacking and mainly because of that we only gave them a 3 Weenie ranking.

After getting a lot of mail and positive comments of HDD, we decided to give them another shot.

Not much has changed about the restaurant since the first visit, except for the large outdoor seating area that has been built. They also now sell beer. Inside, things are mostly the same. It feels clean and new, even after being in business now for over a year. That's usually a sign of good management, so kudos for that.

To find out if the hot dogs deserved kudos, we decided to order an exact duplicate of last year's order: One with regular slaw and regular chili, and one with yellow slaw and spicy chili. And of course, mustard and onions. Once we got our order, it didn't take long to realize that there had been changes in the regular slaw. Look at thee two pictures below, one before and one after, to see for yourself:

Because these two dogs are so very different, we'll rate them independently, but first we'll point out that the lack of a properly dressed WVHD on the menu gets an automatic a half point deduction. It would seem that with all of those different named dogs they could find room for one with chili, slaw, mustard and onions which we're sure is what many of their customers would order if it were easier.

On to the reviews:

White Slaw and Regular Chili

2019 - After

It was obvious at first glance that the regular slaw was not the same as last year's, and tasting it backed up the visual evidence. It was not the "cabbage chunks in mayonnaise" we reported on last year. This was very well done hot dog slaw. Finely grated cabbage with just the right amount of dressing. The taste was much improved. It went well with the savory chili. This is a good West Virginia Hot Dog. The buns was not as soft as we would like (last year we noted that the buns were very  soft), but everything else was very good. We'll rate this hot dog 4 Weenies, pushing 4 1/2. Steam that bun -- or even just make sure the buns are fresh --and it's there.

Yellow Slaw and Spicy Chili
This one tastes exactly the same as last year's, and it is uninspiring. Last year we wrote "The yellow slaw tastes like small chunks of yellow cabbage. It has virtually no other flavor. We don't even understand why it's yellow." We stand by this statement. Yellow slaw, as made famous in Marmet, had a wonderful impossible to describe sweetness and texture. This stuff has none of it. We can't understand why they go through all of the trouble to have it on the menu. We imagine its only appeal is to former Marmet hot dog lovers who are in the throes of a nostalgic escape from reality and imagine that it tastes like the slaw of their youth. The spicy chili is just okay, and while we usually recommend getting spicy chili when it's available, we found the regular to have a far superior flavor profile. This hot dog gets a 2 1/2 Weenie rank.

2018 - Before

So our recommendation is to go to Hot Diggity Dogs get the white slaw/regular chili combination. It is a very good WVHD in a nice atmosphere.

Danville HDJ Review - K-Bo's

The land that lies between the greater Charleston area and the hot dog rich land of Logan has long been barren of good HDJs. Recently we received a couple of review suggestions that gave us hope that there was a halfway outpost worth stopping for in Danville.

K-Bo's is a classic roadside ice cream stand where you stand outside and order through a sliding window. In West Virginia, these kinds of places nearly always have hot dogs and we figured that K-Bo's was no exception. We were heartened to see a sign proclaiming a "5 Buck Lunch" consisting of a hot dog, chips and drink and confidently placed our order for one of those, pausing only to ask what "everything" meant. This is where everything went horribly, horribly wrong:

We were handed a paper menu that listed all of K-Bo's hot dog offerings. At the top were "Sunny Buns." Having never heard of a Sunny Bun, I asked the order taker what it was and was told it was a hot dog on a regular bun with Mustard KETCHUP chili, slaw and onions. I looked further down the menu and was initially encouraged to see a "WV Dog" listed but then I saw what K-Bo's thinks is on a WV Hot Dog: Chili, Mustard and Onions! This is not Fairmont! This is Southern West Virginia! It was like we walked into a wrinkle in the time/space continuum or took a wrong turn somewhere.

We of course had to create our own hot dog from the offered toppings. Humiliating.

We waited patiently for our hot dog, hoping that this would be the one that would make for a good stopover on the long trip from Charleston to Logan but after seeing that all-over-the-place menu our hopes were fading faster than Jim Justice's chance of re-election.

Our hot dog arrived in a styrofoam coffin, and upon opening the lid we immediately saw the too-large diced onions crowding the top and completely covering the coleslaw. We were able to excavate a little slaw to sample it but found it pretty tasteless and dry. The chili, likewise, had a flavor that resulted from browning the meat and onions --and maybe a slight taste of chili powder -- but nothing else. If not for the mustard, this hot dog would have been virtually without any flavor at all.

So we'll score K-Bo's a generous 1 1/2 Weenies and continue our search for a stopover HDJ on the road from Charleston to Logan. Maybe Chapmanville?

Richwood HDJ Review - The Chill Out Grill

During the recent heat wave we decided to head for the cool Pocahontas County mountains for a

respite, which gave us a chance to stop in and check out this relatively new HDJ in Richwood. We'd received a couple of suggestions from fans that said we should review it, so we timed our trip to make sure we were there at lunchtime. 

The Chill Out Grill is located inside a building that looks a reclaimed Dairy Queen and sits on Edgewood Avenue, just off the main flow of traffic for passer-through like ourselves, but it wasn't hard to find. Navigating the menu was pretty easy too because right there at the top were the objects of our interest.

But also right at the top of the menu was a very bad sign: Ketchup was listed as the first topping. And when asked what "everything" was, the order taker included the red stuff in her answer. Half-point deduction.  

The rest of the toppings were correct, though, so we pressed on. Two different chilis were listed, one homemade and one spicy. We got one of each, but it made us wonder; is the spicy chili not homemade? 

Our order was served fast and friendly. The hot dogs looked pretty good, with really dark chili and slaw that was a good texture. The buns were a tad crusty, like they had been dry-warmed. 

The flavor of the "homemade chili" was a little bland, lacking any discernible spice and almost no flavor other than onions and well-browned ground beef. The "spicy chili" seemed to have even less flavor, but did have a slow burn spiciness that probably comes from cayenne. 

The slaw was a good texture and had a decent flavor. It deserved a better chili.

Given the uninspiring chili, the sparse slaw, the presence of ketchup on the "everything" dog and the crusty buns, The Chill Out Grill gets 2 1/2 Weenies. 

Morgantown HDJ Review - Haught Diggity Dogs

Last year in a review of a new Charleston HDJ named Hot Diggity Dogs, we erroneously wrote that the phonetically similar HDJ in Morgantown called "Haught Diggity Dogz" was defunct. In our defense, we seem to have been partially correct, since according to the WV Secretary of State, the LLC that owned "Haught Diggity Dogz" was terminated in 2013.  But as a recent visit confirmed, there still a hot dog joint of the same name (albeit in Westover, not Morgantown) and they are selling very good hot dogs. We're not concerned with the legalities.

We are concerned with quality, though, and it seems that Haught Diggity Dogz shares this concern. But before we tell you about that, let's talk about a matter that has caused great controversy over on the Facebook Page recently.

Three kinds of "Chili," not "sauce."

We'd like to address this to all of those people who say that "nobody calls it chili" and insist that calling it chili is wrong and/or a southern WV thing. Please note the accompanying photo of Haught Diggity Dogz menu board. Here, just 10 miles from the Pennsylvania border, it is chili. It doesn't have beans in it and it is not eaten out of a bowl with a spoon. Now will you all please shut up?

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about Haught's hot dog. It's good. It could be great with some very small adjustments.

First, the good things: The bun is awesomely soft. It didn't appear to be steamed, nor did it need to be. We'd love to know the brand of these buns so we could recommend them to other HDJs. It was slightly different in shape than the Heiner's product that is ubiquitous n the southern part of the state, and softer than any of those even at the HDJs in Huntington where they are sure to get the freshest ones.

The chili is fantastic. We got the medium and the flavor and spice was nearly perfect. Complex, meaty and just the right consistency. The slaw is good too, but had maybe a bit too much mayo and was served a bit too sparingly.

But the onions. Here's where we need some work. They were simply chopped too coarsely for a hot dog and there were too many of them. Most of them fell off the dog as soon as it was lifted from the tray.

Haught Diggity Dogz also gets a half-point deduction for not fully embracing WVHD culture, as exhibited by its failure to have a stated "everything" dog with all of the required elements. This is not unexpected this close to the northern border, but rules are rules.

We're going to give HDD a very respectable 4 Weenie score.

Fairmont HDJ Review - Woody's

Start a conversation about hot dogs with someone from Fairmont and you will likely find that they are either fans of Yann's or Woody's. It seems that all of Fairmont is one camp or the other, with very few people who will admit loyalty to both. This binary dichotomy is interesting to us because of one key difference: Woody's --while optional and must be asked for -- offers coleslaw as a topping, and Yann's reportedly will throw you out if you ask for it.

In other words, Woody's offers hope to the majority of West Virginians in bold defiance of the majority of Marion Countians. It is a stand worth noting, and Woody's is seemingly rewarded for it by the legions of fans that take to the WV Hot Dogs Facebook page to sing the praises of their hot dogs.

A check of the West Virginia Hot Dog Blog archives recently revealed that for some reason our team of Weenie Wonks had never done an official review of Woody's, so we set out to correct that oversight with a trip up I79 from Charleston to the slawless barrens of Marion County.

Woody's is easy to find, just a couple of stoplights off of the interstate exit. It's easy to spot, too, because it looks just like a venerable old hot dog joint ought to look; nondescript cinder block building with a faded Coca Cola pole sign.

Walking into Woody's is like walking onto a movie set. Every detail is what you would expect from a hot dog joint that has been in the same spot for decades. Photos of local celebrities adorn the walls along with WVU sports memorabilia, a long bar sits in front of the food prep area with booths along the opposite wall. The staff is friendly (a stark contrast to - ahem - other Fairmont hot dog joints) and service is fast and efficient.

Before placing our order, we asked the server what "everything" meant, even though we knew the answer: Sauce, onions and mustard, or course. This is Fairmont. We asked if we could add slaw and the server didn't flinch, wince, roll her eyes, try to throw us out or otherwise react in any way other than affirmative.

Woody's also offers a choice when it comes to the spiciness of the sauce: mild, medium or hot. Now usually, when offered with the choice we recommend spicy chili/sauce for West Virginia hot dogs, but this being Fairmont, the land of extremely hot sauce, we decided that medium was the smarter choice.

In short order, before we really had the opportunity to appreciate the historical decor and ambiance of the place, our hot dogs were delivered to out table. Slaw and all. In Fairmont. It was like a dream.

Picking up the hot dog, the first thing you notice is its lightness. The weight is seemingly kept low by two things: 1) the toppings are relatively sparsely applied, and 2) the bun is very airy and light. Usually heft is a good indicator, so we were a little concerned about the lightness.

A. James Manchin in an odd (even for him) photo.

Our first bite revealed that our concerns were unfounded. The toppings didn't need to be voluminous because the flavors were dense and complex. And delicious. A little of this chili/sauce goes a long way. The flavor is as good as any we've ever had, and far better than most. The slaw was sweet, fine and creamy, and even though there wasn't much of it, it was a perfect complement to the sauce.

We're going to rate Woody's hot dog a very high 4 1/2 out of 5 Weenies. What prevents it from being a Five? It might seem unfair to punish Woody's for the cultural bias imposed upon it because its geographical position causes slaw to be something you have to ask for, but by West Virginia hot dogs standards, this gets a half point demerit. If it was located in a place where it was socially acceptable to proudly plop a dollop of its coleslaw atop its otherwise perfectly prepared hot dog -- in other words, anywhere but Marion County -- it could be considered among the best in the state.

Clendenin HDJ Review - Frostbite Dairy Bar

Before the tragic 2015 flood, Clendenin was home to one of the truly great 5 Weenie Hot Dog Joints in West Virginia, the Clendenin Dairy Queen. Sadly, the flood waters took the DQ (and a couple of other good HDJs) and since then Northern Kanawha County had been without decent hot dogs. But lately, we've heard that another spot had opened up, just a few hundred yards from the old DQ spot, and -- it was rumored -- that it had the old DQ Chili recipe and was serving it to hordes of happy customers. It took us a while, but we finally made the trip to find out for ourselves if the rumors were true.

Frostbite is a grab and go place with no inside seating, but does offer several umbrella covered picnic tables for those who prefer not to eat in their cars and don't live close enough to go home with their hot (or cold) purchase. Per usual for this kind of establishment, there is a "order" window and a "pickup" window, and the service is fast and efficient. Friendly too.

The first test for any HDJ is always how they answer the question "what is everything?" As discussed and debated extensively on the WV Hot Dogs Facebook page recently, most West Virginians agree the only correct answer to this question is "chili/sauce, slaw, mustard and onions." Frostbite passed this first test, as the young order-taker confidently answered our query with confidence and precision. 

We didn't have to wait too long on our order, and took our bags to one of the picnic tables. We were thankful for the umbrella on this super-hot July day, but more thankful when we saw that our hot dogs were wrapped in wax paper - the 2nd big indicator of hot dog quality (and also another similarity with the old DQ). Unwrapping the paper, we found that the buns were soft and either had been steamed before wrapping, or had been naturally steamed inside the wax paper by the hot weenie and toppings. The Utilitarian Dogs were beautiful and covered with just about the right amount of toppings for our tastes. So far, Frostbite was holding up nicely to a comparison with the old Clendenin DQ.

Our first bites, however, did not bring back the memory of the old DQ. The chili does not have the same complexity that we remember. There was none of the tartness that we loved, and that which the slaw was perfectly paired. The chili might have been made from the same recipe, with the same ingredients, but it lacked the character of the DQ's. The slaw was just as we remembered it, but without the complex chili, the hot dog wasn't quite the same.

We're not saying that it wasn't good, it was very good indeed. It's just that when you're being compared with a legendary hot dog, it's difficult to measure up. The chili might very well have the same ingredients as the old DQ, but something is different. Maybe the chili needs to be cooked longer, or hotter, to bring out more of the flavor of the original. Frostbite is on the right track, but we think some tweaking is needed if it's going to assume the Queen's crown.

We're giving Frostbite a 4 Weenie rating and hope they continue to improve.

Charleston Hot Dog (sort of) Review - Eggs Will Roll

First of all, let me get this out of the way. This is not one of those posts like we do on our favorite day of the year. This is real life.

Eggs Will Roll is a Non-Traditional Egg Roll Pop Up Shop. It pops up in random places, sells a bunch of strange egg roll creations and then vanishes into the ether. Except for the outward appearance, their offerings are nothing like a traditional Chinese restaurant egg roll. They make egg rolls with fillings such as chicken and waffles, chorizo and egg, tater tots with sausage gravy and mac & cheese. One of their recurring specialties that we've heard about is their West Virginia Hot Dog roll, but due to the here today, gone tomorrow nature of their business, we've never been able to catch them to try it out.

Finally, though, we cornered them and procured the object of our desire.

We'll get to the review in a minute, but first, allow us to point out the dollop of mustard in the photo. There has been a raging debate over on the WV Hot Dogs Facebook page about the appropriateness (or more correctly, the disgusting inappropriateness) of ketchup on a WV Hot Dog. Eggs Will Roll, being high-brow culinary artists, seem to innately understand that mustard is the only acceptable condiment for a WVHD, even one that is chopped up, wrapped up in a wonton and deep fried.

But does it taste good? Does it taste like a WV Hot Dog?

We'll address the latter first: No. It tastes nothing like a WV Hot Dog. The  heat from the deep fryer makes the various elements of the filling hard to identify, so we can't be sure that it contains the right stuff, but we'll take their word for it. The finely chopped weenie is plainly visible, as is some finely grated vegetable that we assume is coleslaw. There seems to be onions, but I could see no trace of chili nor could I taste it. When dipped in mustard, the taste of the whole thing was more reminiscent of a corn dog than a hot dog.

Does it taste good? Yes. In the same way that funnel cakes taste good at a carnival, or the way a stuffed-crust meat lovers pizza tastes good when you've thrown caution to the wind, ignored your doctor's orders and just enjoyed some greasy, hot food. Sometimes you just gotta live a little.

We're happy that Eggs Will Roll honors our state's food culture with the WV Hot Dog Roll, but next time we're going to try something a little more mainstream -- like a chicken and waffle egg roll.

No Weenie Rating for this way-too nonstandard "hot dog."

Martinsburg HDJ Review - Dogs 11

For years we have been hoping to find a real WVHDJ in the Eastern Panhandle, and recently an Associate Weenie Wonk stumbled upon a place that gave us hope that we'd finally found it. Dogs 11, a self-described Artisan Hot Dog Joint has on its menu a "WV Classic Dog" with the following description: "This WV staple is an All-Natural Dog smothered in our homemade chili sauce, topped with our creamy homemade slaw, diced onions, and yellow mustard." Sounds good in theory, but there is often a big difference between theory and practice. 

The hot dog bun is big. Too big. Dogs 11 bakes their own buns and they are oversized to fit some of the other, more full-bodied hot dogs they sell like the Salsalito Dog (full of cheese and salsa) or the Fritatta Dog (cheese, mushroom, onions and bacon), but they are too big for a WVHD. The chili was dry (like most EP dogs we've found) but the slaw was moist enough to make up for it. The slaw is waaaay to coarse, though, as are the onions.  Fans of natural-casing weenies will be glad to know this one has that snap, but as real WVHD fans know, it's an unnecessary added frill if the other toppings aren't up to snuff.  Overall, this is just an effort to make a WVHD with inappropriate ingredients. 

But it is an effort, and for that, we will award Dogs 11 a 3.5 Weenie ranking, mainly because it's so rare to find anything like a real WVHD east of Keyser. 

Charleston HDJ Review- Super Weenie

Super Weenie began life as a hot dog cart that sold pretty good hot dogs on the corner of Lee & Capitol Streets in downtown Charleston. You can read our review from 2016 here. About a year ago, it graduated to a bricks and mortar location a block and a half away on Quarrier Street. We didn't mean to wait a whole year to do a review, but time happens and here it is.

With a slogan like "I'm serious about these hot dogs," we expected a great hot dog. HDJs that truly are serious about hot dogs are hard to find (even though many claim to be) but when you find one you know it because it shows in the care given to the various elements that make up a true WV Hot Dog. A HDJ that uses food service slaw, for example, can say they are serious, but any true WVHD fan can see right through their ruse.

We heard through the grapevine that since moving indoors, Super Weenie was making their own slaw, which was a good thing since the last time we reviewed them (while they were still a cart) their slaw was found wanting. So we went in, expecting and hoping that we would find that Super Weenie had found the missing ingredient to make their hot dogs truly super. 

They have.

Slaw purists, note the absence of carrots.

Every part of this hot dog is super indeed. The weenie was perfectly cooked, the chili deliciously complex (if not terribly spicy) and the slaw paired with it perfectly. The new slaw is perfect in texture and in taste: finely chopped cabbage sans core and just a touch of sweet. Onions & mustard did nothing to detract. The only possible thing over which we could quibble is that to get a steamed steamed bun you have to request it, but my bun was warm, soft, fresh and delicious so maybe it doesn't really need it because even without a steamed bun this is a Five Weenie superstar West Virginia Hot Dog . 

Congrats to the Super Weenie team on having a hot dog worthy of your name and your slogan. Arguably, the best hot dog in downtown Charleston. 

North Charleston HDJ Review - Huskey's Dairy Bar

After a bit of a dustup over on the  West Virginia Hot Dogs Facebook page a few weeks ago. we decided to go re-review Huskey's Dairy Bar in North Charleston. The reason for this re-review -- in addition to the fact that it’s been many years since we’ve reviewed Huskey's --was that several people took exception with our statement that another nearby HDJ was not as good as Huskey's. Several people chimed in on that discussion and said that Huskey's was not good anymore since the owners had changed.

This is a claim we hear often about HDJs that change ownership, and sometimes it is accurate. So just in case it was true, we decided to pay another visit to Huskey's to find out for ourselves.

Bottom line up front, those people who said Huskey's was not as good as it used to be are dead wrong. In fact, it might even be better.

The first thing that Huskey's gets points for is the proper toppings listed on their menu for what everything on a hot dog means: Chili, slaw, mustard & onions, just like God intended. The next thing for which we'll give them giant kudos is the perfectly steamed bun on which they laid the rest of their toppings.

Next let’s talk weenie; Huskey's is unafraid to use a smaller diameter weenie to allow more room for their other toppings. We have found over the years this is often the mark of a HDJ that is serious about its hot dogs. Some lesser HDJs put too much emphasis on the weenie and leave no room for toppings, which is usually a sign that those toppings don’t deserve the room anyway. Not so with Huskey's; these toppings are nearly perfect. The chili, while not terribly spicy, is perfect in texture and deliciously complex in taste. The slaw was great and a perfect complement to the chili, and it was lovingly applied in a perfect quantity. Lastly the onions were chopped well: Not too fine to be runny, not too large to be obnoxious. They stayed put when taking a bite out of the dog and were aromatic and delicious.

The only negative thing that I can say about Huskey's hot dog is their use of the dreaded Styrofoam coffin. We would prefer our dogs wrapped tightly in wax paper or plastic so it continues to steam the bun and keep it soft, but given that the bun was so perfectly steamed, the coffin did no harm this time.

We're going to give Huskey's a 4.5 Weenie rank and reaffirm our statement that it is definitely the best hot dog in North Charleston.

Pendleton County HDJ Review - Top Dog

Top Dog can be found in the Spruce Knob parking lot.

Perhaps the most aptly-named HDJ we've ever seen, Top Dog, situated near the summit of Spruce Knob, is unarguably above all other WV Hot Dog Joints. While a few feet lower that the 4,863 feet knob itself (the highest point in the state of West Virginia), Top Dog still must have an elevation of over 4,850, making it even higher than Cheat Mountain Dogs, one county over in Pocahontas.

But altitude aside, we wondered how Top Dog could serve a quality hot dog in such rare air and in such a remote location. One could argue that being the only food concession within a 40 minute drive (the closest being The Front Porch Restaurant at Mouth of Seneca) would be prime real estate, but the low volume of travelers that actually make the dusty 21 mile ascent up Forest Road 112 to the top of Spruce Mountain would seem to be a significant offset. Indeed the afternoon we were there, there were no other customers to be seen.

A Hot Dog with a View

Top Dog's menu offerings are obviously meant to ingratiate them to travelers from other places, with such specialty hot dogs as Chicago Dog, Classic Coney and two different kinds of Bratwursts. But we were pleased to find a WV Hot Dog with chili, slaw, mustard and onions placed in proud prominence at the very top of the menu, and fittingly called "West Virginia's Top Dog." Interestingly enough,  four spaces down the menu was a "Fairmont Dog" which was described as "A simple hot dog for the simple-minded, including overly spicy sauce, mustard and onions."

While we have to admit, finding a WVHD in such a remote spot was a real treat for us, the hot dog was just so-so. Apparently the altitude affects the slaw in negative ways. While I'm no scientist, I suspect that the lack of oxygen inhibits the uptake of complex sugars necessary for really creamy slaw, so the result was a little too sweet and a bit runny. The dry air also made the bun a little too stiff for our tastes. The chili was good. The view, however, couldn't be beat.

We'll give Top Dog a 4 Weenie score. It's hard to get to but worth the drive. Get an early start because you know how bad traffic can get on holidays like April Fools Day.

Charleston HDJ Review - Faithy's Corner Cafe

"Location, location, location" is the most common advice given to businesses. A great location can definitely help a restaurant overcome shortcomings, especially in a downtown business district. Faithy's has an ideal location, sitting on the corner of Summers Street and Brawley Walkway, halfway between downtown and the Town Center Mall. Serving basic lunch fare, it's been there for many years and has stood the test of time. With all of the hot dog competition it faces in the downtown area - most notably from Swiftwater Cafe and Super Weenie - one would think it's hot dogs must be at least passable.

We decided to find out.

 First, kudos to Faithy for wrapping up her hot dogs in wax paper. By the time I carried them back to my office they were soft and supple, just like a WV hot dog should be. Opening up the paper, it was clear that these were Utilitarian Dogs through and through: Built for taste, not for show. The heft of the dog was nice and all of the ingredients were wonderfully combined.

Sadly, "everything" on a hot dog at Faithy's includes ketchup. I didn't realize this and didn't ask them to delete it from my hot dog, so I tried my best to ignore the sugary tomato past taste and ate around it where I could. I found that Faithy's chili is fairly decent, with a strong chili powder flavor but not much spice. The slaw was too chunky, but the taste was OK, and it went well with the chili. The weenie was fine and the onions were reasonably chopped, but could have been a little smaller.

Overall,we can't say anything bad (except the ketchup) about Faithy's hot dogs. Clearly they are "also rans" to the two aforementioned HDJs, but nothing to apologize for. We'll give them 3.5 Weenies.

HDJ Re-Review - Griffith & Feil - Kenova

Consistency is the hallmark of a great Hot Dog Joint, and something we value at the WV Hot Dog Blog, because when we give a place a good review and our readers go and have a bad hot dog, it reflects poorly on us. So we celebrate consistency whenever possible.

It could be argued that Griffith & Feil Pharmacy is the King of consistency in the WV Hot Dog world. After visiting last week I went back and read the original review we did 12 years ago and I really don't need to alter a single word. Still great chili, better slaw and fantastic atmosphere in which to enjoy a hot dog. Still 4 1/2 Weenies, mainly due to the weenie size to bun ratio that limits the amount of toppings that the dog can hold. We also wish they'd steam their buns.

So rather than write another review, we'll just link to the one from January 2007 and tell you  that it's still great and still worth a visit.

PS: Also, the best onion rings I have had in many, many years.