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. 

Parkersburg HDJ Review - The Root Beer Shack

Who doesn't love frozen root beer? After the last A&W in Charleston closed in the early 80's there was no other root beer place around that offered this frozen goodness. We'd pass by Huntington's Frostop Root Beer and see the giant mug on top of the restaurant with its representation of a head of frozen root beer, but it was only a cruel joke: Frostop has no frost on top. Nor does Stewarts. Nor does Farley's. It seemed that frozen root beer had become just another reason to long for the good ol' days. 

So when we saw some chatter on a recent WV Hot Dogs Facebook post by a hot dog enthusiast from Parkersburg about the hot dogs at The Root Beer Shack, it piqued our interest.  We were thrilled when he mentioned that the root beer was "icy," hoping that meant that it was full of the wonderful icy sludge. But enough about root beer, for now; we're here for hot dogs, right?

Well, you're gonna have to wait on that. Because we sure did. Arriving (we thought) before the lunch rush would allow us to get in and out in short order, but before we even placed our order we were warned that there would be a 20-25 minute wait for food. OK, no worries because we didn't have anywhere else to be so we got our root beer and found a table to wait. (We noticed that many other patrons who came in after we were seated did not choose to wait. While we were there at least 12 people left after hearing about the long wait.)

We had to request mustard and onions as extras, because The Shack's "Slaw Dog" only comes standard with chili (except since this is the Ohio Valley it's called "sauce") and slaw. We were asked to choose between "spicy" and "sweet" sauce, so we got one of each. 

After the expected delay, our hot dogs arrived at our table and we immediately noticed that they were prepared on New England Style buns (and for the umpteenth time, there is no such thing as an "English" bun!) that had been buttered and toasted. The slaw looked decent if a little coarse (although the presence of carrots will offend some purists), but the flavor was a little odd. Like maybe it was a bit past its "best by" date. The spicy chili was a little spicy, but nothing like Fairmont spicy. The sweet stuff was bland. 

Overall the hot dogs weren't very good. Filling, yes, mostly because of the voluminous bun, but not deserving of more than a 2 Weenie rating. 

The consolation prize was that we did get to wash them down with some really good root beer with a frozen icy head, just as we hoped we would find. 

Cross Lanes HDJ - T&M Meats & WV Brick Oven Bistro

The bare-bones exterior probably scares away more customers than it attracts, but once inside you can't help but to be impressed by this meat that shop has evolved over the years into a bonafide restaurant. With a brick oven pizza menu, various bar food selections and a decent beer selection it has become a real hot spot in Cross Lanes. Refrigerated cases filled with just about any kind of meat you might want line two walls and in the center are tables and a bar for dining. The namesake beehive shaped "brick oven" sits prominently behind the bar.

I didn't go into T&M Meats for a hot dog review, but when I saw one on the menu listed for $2.00, I figured I'd order it as an appetizer to give it a shot. I saw that the toppings included ketchup, so of course I asked the waitress to delete it from mine. She informed me that the hot dog comes standard with two weenies and asked me if I wanted it that way or with only one. After taking a second to try to understand what a two-weenie hot dog would look like - a heretofore unprecedented encounter - I said "sure, why not?" and threw all caution to the wind. I spent the waiting time wondering how they could fit two weenies on one bun, postulating various theories.

It turns out that the two weenies were of the small caliber variety, so they fit on the bun just fine. They were made a little bit smaller by being over-grilled until they were dry and leathery on the outside. The bun, strangely enough, had a coating of poppy seeds, but was about the same size as your basic Heiners hot dog bun. The poppy seeds added nothing to the taste or texture of the hot dog.

The chili was sweet, with not much spice but super-fine. The consistency made me think that there might be some kind of meat substitute like TVP added, but I couldn't be sure. The slaw was slightly sweet and slightly vinegary. There is little synergy between the two.

There's really not much else to say about the hot dog at T&M Meats. We'll give it a 2 Weenie ranking for trying hard, but honestly, trying less hard would make it better. We would recommend ditching the double-weenie and replace it with one that is properly-cooked, and likewise ditching the poppy seed bun.

Summersville Area HDJ Review - Long Point Grille and Bar

I'd been looking forward to this for a long time since we've received several emails and Facebook recommendations about the place for the past couple of years. Long Point Grille and Bar sits just across the road from its namesake Long Point Overlook, which provides one of the best possible views of Summersville Lake. The motif is mostly sports bar and it is much smaller than it appears from the road, with seating for probably 20-30 people, with a few more at the bar. We stopped on a cool, late fall afternoon and it was a pleasantly warm inside, both in terms of the temperature and the service. A nice place, with nice people in a nice atmosphere.

Unfortunately, the hot dogs are not so nice.

Starting off with the news that "everything" included ketchup, it went downhill from there. A grilled New England Lobster Roll bun provided the foundation for a way too much stuff including some of the largest chunks of onions that I've ever seen; about the size of large salad croutons. The slaw was a decent texture but had no discernible taste, nor did the chili. Down underneath there was a weenie that snapped when I bit it, meaning that it was probably grilled, but there was no way to see it under the pile of toppings. The taste of the weenie did stand out, however, since there was no other flavors to mask it. 2 Weenies.

With 5 Weenie Fat Eddies just around the bend from Long Point Grille, our recommendation is to wait for Spring before heading to the area for hot dogs

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Sissonville HDJ Review - Buddy B's

During our recent Facebook County-by-County poll of best hot dog joints, several votes were cast for Buddy B's Market in Sissonville, so we took a trip there recently to check it out.

Upon arrival, the very first thing we noticed was the sign out front that bragged "Best in Town" hot dogs. Regular readers know that if a HDJ is bold enough to put up such a sign, then they had better be able to back it up because we judge harshly those who boast. The sign also indicated that this was in no way a dedicated hot dog joint, but a market that happened to also sell hot dogs. We were dubious.

Entering the market you first find yourself confronted with a produce stand full of fresh offerings from local farmers, which is nice. To the left is a door that leads to a small dining room, and to the right is the market proper - and more importantly where the hot dogs are made. We placed our order for two hot dogs with everything and didn't have to wait too long before we had our lunch and walked over to the dining room to partake.

 After receiving positive comments from Facebook fans about Buddy B's, I was hopeful that we would be pleased with our lunch, and after seeing the first dog come out of its sleeve, I was further encouraged because the slaw was nothing short of beautiful! My mouth watered just looking at it; perfect in texture and liberally applied (this is where the word "unfortunate" and associated forms will begin to be used a lot), unfortunately looks were deceiving. It turned out that the liberal amount of slaw was unfortunate, because its taste was, well, unfortunate. The hot dog would have been better without it.

But not much better, because the chili, which was also a thing of beauty with perfect consistency and color, was just as unfortunately tasteless as the slaw.

Best in town? Maybe, because we couldn't find anywhere else in town that had hot dogs except for the local Tudor's (which are notoriously hit-and-miss). Fortunately we were able to drive a few short miles back down Route 21 to Skeenies and grab another couple of hot dogs that helped erase the unfortunate memory of Buddy B's unfortunate dogs. 2 Weenies is a generous score for this unfortunate HDJ.

Welch HDJ Review - The Sterling Drive In

The town of Welch in McDowell County, West Virginia has seen its share of changes over the years. This once thriving city that was the economic center of the southern coal fields was a major campaign stop for JFK during his run for the presidency because of its regional importance. It has shrunk in population to a couple of thousand people and now most of the storefronts on the main streets of town are empty. 

One thing that has stood the test of time in Welch, though, is the Sterling Drive In. Since the 1940s its sturdy curb service canopy has provided shelter for thousands of diners who prefer to sit in their cars, and its dining room has no doubt seen many thousands served as well. The restaurant also houses the McDowell County Sports Hall of Fame. Sitting alongside the main road into Welch from the north, it has been the eating place of first resort for generations of Welch residents and other McDowell Countians. These days it is not unusual to see ATVs lined up outside because of its proximity to trail systems and McDowell County's lax view of ATV travel on public roads. 

So on a recent trip to Welch, I felt the need to check out the hot dog offerings  of this venerable HDJ. I ordered up a hot dog but to my surprise I had to ask for slaw. I have heard natives of McDowell County call their homeland  "The Free State of McDowell" but had no idea that they eschewed the cultural norms of West Virginia in their attempt to establish their own identity. But there, on the menu board mounted to the outside of the restaurant, was all I needed to know: "Slaw Dogs" are a stated menu item.

So I ordered a "Slaw Dog" and a milkshake. When I popped open my styrofoam coffin I found a messy hot dog made with a grilled NES bun - at least I think it was grilled but it might just have been stale. It was hard to tell because it was HARD. The weenie was of the small caliber version and the chili was tasteless. The slaw that I had to special order actually tasted pretty good and had a good texture, but by the time I noticed it was too late and judgment had been passed on this hot dog. 2 Weenies is a generous score.

The milkshake was excellent, by the way, and I'm sure that the Sterling's other menu offerings must be good or else it would have closed up long ago. Perhaps hot dogs just aren't their thing.

I hope that somewhere in the town of Welch there is a better hot dog joint so the people of the Free State of McDowell can know the pleasures of a real WVHD. Who knows? The taste of a good WVHD might be enough of an inducement to lure them back onto the fold and help them to take their rightful place as one of the 55 counties of West Virginia.

Charleston HDJ Review - M&M Sandwich Mart

M&M Sandwich Mart has been just about my favorite place for sandwiches for several years now. This little market and deli sits in a very convenient place in Kanawha City, has easy storefront parking and sells the freshest Boar's Head Meats in the area. They also don't skimp on helpings (they put a good half pound of liverwurst on my favorite of their sandwiches), so I was pleased when I drove by recently and saw hot dogs advertised on their marquee sign along McCorkle Avenue. I thought that with their demonstrated commitment to quality that a decent hot dog would be a given.

I was half right.

Allow me to begin at the end: The hot dog tasted pretty good. Probably 3 Weenies worth of good.

The problem is that these are self-serve dogs. I was hugely disappointed to find when I went in that the dogs were not going to be prepared by the deli chef behind the counter, but by me on the sales counter! A cutesy little Boar's Head hot dog cart sitting on the counter had two kinds of weenies sitting in pools of their own filth, a tub of lukewarm and mediocre tasting chili and a chilled container of so-so coleslaw sitting alongside. A bag of room temperature Heiner's buns sat there waiting for me and anyone else to paw around inside to pull loose the proper number of buns to begin the assembly process.

In M&M's defense, the owner was standing there behind the counter and offered to help me, but I was disinclined to submit to his assistance.

Since it is my standing rule that self-service hot dog stand gets an automatic 1 point deduction, M&M only nets out a 2 Weenie rating.

Still the place to go for my beloved liverwurst on rye, but unless it can run with the big dogs and have its hot dogs fixed by the professionals behind the counter, M&M needs to stay out of the hot dog business.

Morgantown HDJ Review – Smitty’s Kountry Kreme

With the return of summer comes the reopening of more and more walk-up ice cream stands throughout the region. I decided that a recent jaunt through Morgantown after a business meeting was a perfect opportunity for me to begin exploring more of said stands in hope of finding a really good WVHD.

Smitty’s Kountry Kreme sits next to the exit from I-79 that starts into the Star City section of Morgantown. As I hunched over at the inexplicably small walk-up window, I noticed a listing on the menu for something called the “Hillbilly Mess”, which is apparently a bizarre ice cream dish that doesn't have a description listed (and I didn't take the time to ask). Perhaps one day in the future I’ll come back and find out what this is.

Once the cashier returned with my hot dog, I was thrilled to see that it was wrapped in foil. That’s an automatic bonus in my book. Although there’s something comforting and familiar about getting your hot dog served in a wax paper wrapper, I personally think that foil is superior when it comes to preserving the heat of the hot dog. But that’s just me and I'll leave it open for debate on the blog.

Though I was thrilled with the wrapping, I was less than enthused by the quality. For starters, the wiener had all the characteristics of having been boiled in sea water. It was just that salty. I’m not sure what those salt blocks they put out for cattle taste like --nor do I really want to know-- but I have little doubt this wasn’t that far off.

The chili was thick with a strong tomato flavored base. It seemed to lack any particular type of seasoning to differentiate it from any other chili, save for a trace of garlic powder. On top of that, it didn’t even taste warm. It seemed to be rather tepid.

The slaw was okay, but didn’t have any of the makings of being anything special. The cabbage was coarse with a little crunchiness in it, but seemed to be lacking a dressing with any discernable flavor. The onions were pretty coarse in their own right, but didn’t have any flavor in them either. It tasted as if they were left in the refrigerator for a day or two and lost their punch.

These hot dogs weren’t particularly good and didn’t really offer up any satisfaction. A WVHD fan can find better in Morgantown. I’d give Smitty’s Kountry Kreme hot dogs a weenie rating of two weenies. Hopefully, the “Hillbilly Mess” will make up for the disappointment of the hot dogs.

Kingwood HDJ Review - The Dawg House

A last minute change in plans at work put me on the road to downtown Kingwood. It wasn't until I got into the downtown area where I finally spotted a sign for The Dawg House. Right off the bat I noticed two signs side by side above the door: one for The Dawg House and one for Fox's Pizza Den. The red lights started going off in my head that there existed the possibility that the hot dogs would take a culinary back seat to the other menu offerings here. After reading over the menu, I confirmed my fear: this was indeed a pizzaria that just happens to offer hot dogs...more or less as an afterthought. Still, you never know where the best hot dogs will turn up, so another gamble on the taste buds was in order.

"Everything" here will get you a ketchup, mustard, onions, and chili. Slaw goes for fifty cents extra. Even though I ordered by the numbers (that is, naming the ingredients one by one), I somehow still got ketchup on mine. I had to take this order to go, so I got a double-sized styrofoam coffin that seemed more suited for something like a wedgie sandwich.

The unheated and somewhat stale bun was a big disappointment. I'm spoiled by decently steamed or at least slightly warmed buns, so this was a bit of a shock to the system. The weenie was done just about to bare minimum temperature standard, but not more than that...absolutely no plumpness or juciness. I found the chili to be heavily on the thick side, and the sauce it was cooked had a rather pronounced tomato sauce taste. The slaw required a double-take, both in taste and appearance categories. It was a very, very bright green. At first I thought it might be some sort of reflection from my bottle of Mountain Dew against the white styrofoam, but that was not the case. Nonetheless, it had a most unique flavor; I found it to be rather sweet and quite delicious, but at the same time very crunchy. Although I didn't see any evidence, I suspected that there was a chance that relish had somehow been blended into the mix. It tasted incredibly fresh, and I would really like have to have had some of this slaw by itself, or on another quality hot dog.

The Dawg House gets two weenies. Slaw aside, these hot dogs were pretty sad. The prepartion and ingredients were sub-par at best.

Clarksburg HDJ Review - Parkette Family Restaurant

Well over fifty years ago, the Parkette sat at the end of what is now known as Old Bridgeport Hill, just on the border of the limits of Bridgeport and Clarksburg overlooking the current intersection of U.S. Route 50 and I-79. The original building, a throwback to the days of the drive-in family diner, eventually outlived its usefulness and a new building was created on just a stone's throw away heading back into Clarksburg.

All along, the Parkette was always recognized as 'the' place to go for the best subs and hoagies. Of course, burgers, shakes, chicken, and hot dogs and the like were also on the menu, and each and every item was in its own right a delight in and of itself. Just ask anyone who was around in the day. The Parkette has always been a place where people from all walks of life in the area could agree on.

Nowadays, the third incarnation of the Parkette has a more spacious dining area to seat several families and groups, and a terrific menu of some of the best eats in town. Unfortunately, something has been lost in terms of the hot dogs.

Before I get into my review of the hot dogs, let me emphasize that I'm talking about the hot dogs themselves, not the rest of the restaurant. I feel the need to point this out ahead of time because the vast majority of the menu is fantastic, and the wait staff is exceptional. As I eluded to above, the subs and hoagies are worth going out of your way for. The onion rings I got with my order were above and beyond anything I've ever had. If there were a weenie award for side items, these onion rings would be the runaway winners.

Unfortunately, the hot dogs are terribly lacking. While the wiener is grilled, which always adds to the flavor of any variation of any hot dog, the remainder of the ingredients leave a lot to be desired.

For starters a dog here comes sans slaw, which is always an automatic point to half-point deduction. You can get it on the side, but at the price of $1.39 for a serving. On top of that, it's not particularly good either. It's pretty evident by the nearly uniform choppings of cabbage and overdose of vinegar that this slaw is of the pre-packaged, bulk food service variety. When you figure that a hot dog with chili, onions, and mustard as the standard goes for $1.29 here....well, need I say more?

The chili seemed to have been homemade, but it's not clear exactly when. The taste of the beef came across as somewhat watery. The sauce itself was particularly bland, lacking any kind of spice or seasoning, save for a hint of salt.

I'm still, as of this writing, trying to grasp exactly how the bun was heated. The best I can discern is that it was tossed into a warm oven for a minute or less; it seemed to be somewhat toasted on the outside, but barely lukewarm on the inside.

I really liked the Parkette, and would certainly enjoy bringing friends and family alike for a get-together or meal. The hot dogs, however, leave something to be desired. Per the guidelines for rating HDJs, they receive two weenies. These hot dogs need help.

Grafton HDJ Review - Dairy King

I continue my review of the Grafton area HDJs with another stop along Route 50 with a trip to the Dairy King, which sits within several yards of the Dairy Queen (ironically) and Biggie's. Dairy King is a classic walk-up ice cream stand, offering the usual ice cream treats, shakes, sodas, hot dogs, burgers, and the like. There are five gazebos scattered along the back of the parking lot with ample seating for families or groups.

Hot dogs here go for a .99 cents, so they're easy on the wallet. The service was fine. No doubt they get plenty of business based on their location, as they are the closest ice cream stand / HDJ going into (or out of) downtown Grafton.

Slaw is not available at all here at the Dairy King, so for this review I went straight for the other standard items (you know the routine: chili, onions, mustard). The chili here just goes off in a totally different direction than one would expect from a WVHDJ. What struck me right off the bat was the chunkiness of the chili beef. It didn't have the finer ground that is customary for traditional WVHD chili/sauce. Moreover, it has the medium ground you would find in a homemade spaghetti sauce. Speaking of spaghetti sauce, it had the bright red color of --well-- spaghetti sauce. And, as you may have guessed, it also had the taste of spaghetti sauce...only with a strong peppery flavoring, ala Texas Pete, or the like.

The sauce was thin enough that it soaked through the bun, which combined with the water-logged weenie made the bun fall apart at the bottom, making for a fine mess. The onions were wickedly strong and coarsely chopped, which according to your personal preference is either a good thing or grounds for a sad day. All told, these dogs just don't work.

Based on the lack of slaw and the mismatched chili ingredients, it would be safe to rank the Grafton Dairy King at two weenies.

Huntington Hot Dog Joint: G.D. Disappointment at G. D. Ritzy's

By most definitions of the word, G. D. Ritzy's in Huntington is a pretty cool place to eat. The place is decorated in the fashion of a 50's nostalgia joint and has a diverse fast food menu that features burgers, ice cream, Cincinnati-style chili (well, sort of) and coneys.

Coneys? Wait, isn't this West Virginia?

Well, it's a national joint, and it really seems to be more a a restaurant that happens to serve hot dogs instead of a hot dog eatery, so maybe some slack can be given, as long as the dogs are good.

I noticed on their menu board that slaw was not listed as one of the toppings for the dog, which was disappointing, to say the least. Fortunately, a side order of slaw was available with fries and the dog as part of a "platter," so I bit.

When I unwrapped the dog, I was first struck by the critical mass of sliced onions that swam in, on, and under the coney sauce. I sampled one, and they were indeed quality onions, but there were entirely too many. Additionally, the large slices were a better fit for a chili 5 ways instead of a hot dog.

The sauce was meaty, beautifully red in color, and almost entirely tasteless. I will in the future give them the benefit of the doubt and try the stuff on a 5 ways, as maybe the onions blasted some subtle hidden flavor out of the water, but as it stands, it was a nothing special at all.

More bad news came from the bun and weenie. The bun was hard enough to break a window. I have some week-old Sunny Buns in my bread drawer that are fresher than this thing. While it was kind of embarrassing that a Huntington HDJ would serve such a bun, I was able to reassure myself that it was not really a local hot dog joint, per se. The weenie had the texture of one of those pickled red hots from a gas station and the flavor of a 1980's hospital-served weenie.

The only good thing about the dog experience was that which was never intended by Ritzy's: the slaw. The slaw was super creamy, very sweet, and pretty fresh. Since I got it on the side, I was able to drown the dog in slaw (I also added more to each bite) and increase its palatability by at least 73%.

The service, however, was fast and friendly and the ice cream selection looked comparable to most places. I need to try their Cincy chili to see how that goes, too, as it is one of my favorite non-hot dog dishes. I mentioned in the lead that it is in fact a cool place to eat for families and, with its proximity to the Little League fields and Cabell Huntington Hospital, would make for a great post-game or post-pediatrician visit treat.

As a hot dog joint, I give it 2 weenies. Great place to take a family, but not appropriate for true West Virginia hot dog connoisseurs.