Charleston HDJ Review - Cook Out

While we typically shy away from reviewing hot dogs from chain restaurants unless the chain is West Virginia based, we are making an exception for Cook Out. Read on to find out why.

Cook Out is based in North Carolina and has over 25 locations throughout the southeast. Recently it has moved into West Virginia and now has locations in Charleston, Huntington and Beckley. All of the W. Va. Cook Out restaurants occupy buildings that were built and formerly run as Bojangles Fried Chicken franchises. 

And can we take a minute and talk about Bojangles? Of course they had no hot dogs, so we won't take up too much space here, but man, what a meteoric ride that was! Some will remember the news stories that went viral about the traffic nightmares that were created when Huntington Bojangles first opened in April of 2016, and similar problems occurred in Cross Lanes and Charleston. Three years later, by June of 2019, poof, they were all gone.

Bojangles' boom and bust was a boon for Cook Out, which moved into these abandoned shells like hermit crabs and began selling chargrilled hamburgers, chicken, BBQ, milkshakes and hot dogs. 

One of the hot dogs on the menu is the "Cook Out Style" and it is the reason we have decided to break our "no chains" rule. This hot dog, as if placed here by divine intervention, has toppings listed as "homemade chili, slaw, mustard and onions." Just the way God intended hot dogs to be prepared. How could we not review it?

Now it's not surprising that a chain based in North Carolina would have have slaw on its hot dog. On this blog we've documented the migration of the Chili/Slaw hot dog from West Virginia (where it originated in the 1920s) to North Carolina in the 1950s and 1960s. It's so prevalent there now that younger North Carolinians have come to believe it is their state's invention. We know better, and we're happy our prodigal hot dog has found its way home.

When we opened the black coffin in which our hot dog was delivered, it looked right. A good helping of slaw covered everything and the size and heft seemed good. At first grab, however, it was evident that the bun was either stale or slightly toasted and pretty stiff. 

The slaw looked like standard food service issue, too coarse and fairly tasteless, but the chili was several cuts above the ordinary. The color of the chili was deep brown and its texture was perfect. The taste was complex with just a little chili powder-induced spiciness. 

Overall a pretty satisfying hot dog for a chain. We'll give it a 3 1/2 Weenie Rating. If not for the hard bun we could have gone 4. 

Salem HDJ Review Willie's Hot Dogs

Salem has long been on the list of places that was in need of a visit to research any hot dog joints that it may home too. I had already made it a point to return there in order to check out a couple of places that had been mentioned to me. Unfortunately, the heavy rains and minor flooding that came through over this past week forced me to postpone my trip by a couple of days.

Along main street sits a row of buildings that harken back to the early days of the city. Nestled in the corner of one these old buildings --which ironically sits next to a relatively new Dollar General store-- is a humble little HDJ called Willie's Hot Dogs. Willie's adjoins a pool hall right next door, and there's even an open doorway right beside the counter where you place your orders. Looking around, I don't think I saw more than two pieces of furniture that matched. Whether unintentional or by design, it actually gave the place a little charm. Don't get me wrong, the place still has "dive" written all over it, but that's all superficial when it comes to the quality of the dog.

As I walked up to the counter, I noticed a sign on the back wall that clearly stated that "everything" for Willie's was mustard, onions, and chili. Not unusual in this area, but at least they had to smarts to call it chili and not the derogatory "sauce". I'd like to contend that the belief the term "sauce" is overused in this region is nothing more than an urban legend, but I digress. I ordered one with everything, plus slaw. The nice gal taking my order didn't blink or flinch over the request for slaw, so that was a good sign.

I watched her put my order together. She was very meticulous in putting all of the components together, which I took as a good sign that I'd come across a place that actually took some semblance of care and pride in their product. Even the way the hot dog was handled while it was wrapped was convincing. While she put the second hot dog together, I strolled around looking at some of the photos and decorations adorning the walls. I noticed there were plenty of pics of a

flood from 1944. Kind of ironic, considering the bad weather that had hit the area a few days before. But what really caught my eye was the poster to the left. It seemed like a pretty honest statement.

As I started to sample the goods, I was taken aback by how much the chili reminded me of the variation that is favored in the southern part of the state. By that, I mean that it didn't have an overwhelming amount of spices. It had a terrific quality of hearty meatiness, both in taste and texture. There was just enough sauce to permeate the bun, but not enough to soak deeply into it.

The slaw didn't have a lot of the creaminess that I'm used to, but was actually a bit "drier", for lack of a better term. However, this worked out well as it did not overwhelm the other flavors of the dog, which is a frequent problem with poorly prepared WVHDs. I was pleasantly pleased that the onions were finely shredded and stirred into the slaw just before it was added to my hot dog. That was a nice touch. I've had onions in the past that were cut or chopped down to the size of thumbnail-sized Rubik's cubes. These hit the mark.

Unfortunately, there were two notable shortcomings to the dogs I sampled. First, the buns were only slightly warm. I couldn't tell if they'd just been warmed over somehow, or perhaps steamed at one point and then taken off the steam. Secondly, the weenie of the first dog was water-logged to the point of near mushiness. The second one was slightly over-boiled, but not as bad as the first. I can give the benefit of the doubt in that I was visiting in the after the lunch rush on a weekend, so perhaps the turnover of product was not what it could be. Still, these two dings would normally be enough to put any other HDJ rating down a couple of notches.

I've been wanting to get out of the habit of using "half weenies" in my ratings unless absolutely necessary. With that being said, I'm going to be generous, round up, and give Willie's a four weenie rating. Hopefully they have more consistency as far as the weenie and bun prep go during regular lunch periods. However, the chili is fantastic and the slaw is very well done.

Grafton HDJ Review - T&L Hot Dogs

While it is not necessarily a 100% guarantee, you can usually take it to the bank that you will not get much variation between T&L Hot Dog outlets in terms of quality and consistency. While there are some T&L outlets that rise above the norm (see this review of the Clarksburg / Old Bridgeport Hill location), the majority do not deviate away from the formula that the chain has become know for. This is the case with the T&L located on the outskirts of Grafton.

The Grafton location is not necessarily in Grafton proper, but is actually situated between Pruntytown and Bridgeport at the junction of U.S. routes 50 and 250. This location is also annexed on one side by a banquet hall. There is no heavy population center immediately nearby, but this location has thrived and survived due to the heavy traffic flow from the aforementioned highways. The interior is warm and pleasing, featuring wood paneling throughout. Additionally, it is large enough to hold a good size crowd, yet spacious enough to allow one stretch out with plenty of room.

Like other T&L locations in the area, the motif is largely centered around 50's and 60's memorabilia. I noticed that all of the archived newspapers that were framed on the walls seemed to focus on rather morbid historical events: Pearl Harbor, the death of Elvis, John Lennon's murder, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the passing of FDR. Needless to say that made for some rather curious lunchtime reading.

As for the hot dogs themselves, I previously mentioned that the song remains the same here. As always, T&L delivered some of the best hot dog chili around, a rich meaty taste with a pleasing consistency. I ordered the medium chili this time out and found it to be warm in the tummy and pleasing to the palate. The slaw had a nice contrast of sweet and tang, but honestly didn't taste a fresh as I usually get from some of the other locations. This was a bit of a let down. Also, I thought the weenie was cooked to the bare minimum requirement. My serving seemed to be cooked to an adequate temperature, but lacked some plumpness. Overall, I thought the entire offering was good but not necessarily great.

All in all, the Grafton T&L Hot Dogs rate four weenies. While their formula for chili is usually spot-on, the slaw and weenie had a little room for improvement. The location is a little out of the way for most, but if you're in the neighborhood you will no doubt find a WVHD that fits the bill for your craving.

WBOY TV Visits The Custard Stand

Tonight's edition of the evening news on WBOY TV featured The Custard Stand in Webster Springs on the semi-regular "Restaurant Road Trip". Hopefully the accompanying video will be posted soon. You can read the text from the report at this link. Of particular interest is that Custard Stand is looking to expand by offering franchise opportunities.

If you want to read some more heartfelt reviews, check out Stanton's review from August 2010 here, or my review of the Flatwood's location here.

A nifty hot dog iPhone game free today in the App Store

App Advice reports that Crazy Hotdogs is free for today only (3/26/11) in the Apple App Store. It is a fun little game that allows you to manage your own hot dog joint from your iPhone or iPod Touch.

My only complaint: no slaw!

Still, the price is right and it should help the time pass while waiting for two WV hot dogs & crinkle-cut fries at your favorite weenie stand.

Click here to download.

Best baseball stadium dogs?

Clubhouse Cancer has an excellent round-up of the best hot dogs found at Major League Baseball stadiums.

The ones that look really good to me:

1. Atlanta's Georgia Dog with slaw & Vidalia onions. Closest to the real thing (as defined by us).
2. Cincinnati's Cheese Coney. The "when in Rome..." approach to hot dogs that we espouse is perhaps easiest when we're down the river in Cincy.
3. Houston's Most Wanted Dog with beef brisket. Chopped brisket. Pickles. BBQ Sauce. 'Nuff said.

and the one that gets a big WVHDB "no thanks:"

Seattle's Sea Dog (a glorified fish stick). Probably a pretty good West Coast snack, but not a hot dog by any stretch of the imagination.

Check out the full list here.

(Via SI.com's Extra Mustard)

Hometown Hot Dogs in Clarksburg is No More (sort of...)

A mid-morning business trip took me back through the Stealey section of Clarksburg, and I was shocked to find out that one of the better HDJs in the area had closed up shop. Hometown Hot Dogs' building had been renovated into a new Allstate office.

I was a little down about this fact, but I only had to tell one associate who was quick to tell me not to worry: this same crew had apparently set up shop a few miles away in the East View section between Clarksburg and Anmoore. However, they no longer go by the "Hometown" moniker. Instead, the new establishment is known as Smiley's Hot Dogs.

I now have a new mission to find this new hot dog haven and see if they can match or surpass the previously awarded 4.5 weenie rating that they had earned in the past. Be on the lookout for a forthcoming review of Smiley's.

Monongah HDJ Review - Dairy Kone

Ever since I was invited to contribute to the WVHD blog, I had made a mental note that at some point I would travel out of my way along U.S. Route 19 to pay a visit to the Dairy Kone, a quaint looking little red building that sits dangerously close to the roadway but at the same time beckons you to stop for a refreshment of some sort. I had always known that they had hot dogs available, along with other goodies like chicken sandwiches and their newest feature, ground chuck hoagies. Of course, they also had enough varieties of ice cream goodies to feed a small third-world country.

There is absolutely no substitute for friendly service, and fortunately the folks at Dairy Kone made sure I felt welcome, despite the fact that I was starving, had just endured several minutes of traffic stoppage, and probably had the look of a serial killer on loose in my eyes at that point. I was more than pleased that not only was slaw on the toppings list for their hot dogs, it was actually a standard ingredient. This is indeed a rarity for this area. While it's not hard to find places that offer slaw for hot dogs, it's extremely rare that it comes as standard equipment.

I give credit to Dairy Kone for not coping out and going the standard styro-coffin route. Nope. In fact, they took the time to neatly wrap my dogs in wax paper, which is almost always an automatic half-weenie bonus in my book. Wrapping hot dogs in wax paper or foil is a sign of attention to detail and genuine concern for the quality of a hot dog.

The hot dog was about average size, but it was definitely loaded to the hilt with chili and slaw. The chili had a nice but not overbearing quality about it. It carried a good meaty flavor, but the didn't appear to be overloaded with spices or other hot flavorings. The slaw itself was fresh with crisp cabbage and carrots about it, but perhaps a bit drenched as far as the dressing was concerned. It had a pleasing taste to it that wasn't vinegary or sugary, but rather represented a comfortable balance between the two. I was very surprised by the quality of the otherwise tiny frank. It had the distinct taste of being grilled, but carried more of a smoky quality than you might expect from typical flat top grilling. I wasn't took excited about the buns themselves. They probably need a bit more steaming, but were still warm enough to make things enjoyable.

All in all, Dairy Kone is simply a nice family style ice cream parlor/stand that makes a good hot dog. I really feel that if that these hot dogs have the potential to hit the five weenie mark if given better ingredients, but they are still simply right up the alley for any self-respecting WVHD connoisseur. I give Dairy Kone a solid four weenie rating.

Stop Hot Dog Reform Now!!!

Yesterday NPR reported that some fat cats at a so-called "scientific" organization called the "American Academy of Pediatrics" is calling for a redesign of weenies to prevent children from accidentally choking on hot dogs.

Let's be honest. The debate on this topic is far from settled. The children choking is likely part of a natural process that has been going on for thousands of years and not the result of man-made sausages.

Let's not forget that this hot dog redesign will be a job killer. We shouldn't let these child-hugging extremists take away American jobs. Granted, many of these meat packers are immigrants, but no one gets worked up about that anymore, so we'll stick to what is convenient.

Here are some random links to pictures of old veterans and some guy hunting.

We need to make a stand against socialized hot dog design. Hot dog patties are simply not what our Deist Founding Fathers intended.

If you are a Real American, you will join us in taking a stand against Obamadogs. We can't let the welfare of future generations get in the way sticking it to some eggheads with fancy degrees.

We're Dogged Enough Already.

Bridgeport HDJ Review - Hank's Deli

I was really excited when I first found out late last summer that Hank’s Deli would open a new location in Bridgeport. Though Bridgeport does have a few worthwhile HDJs, a true WVHD aficionado is rather limited in choices for quality. More often than not, one would need to travel across Route 50 to Clarksburg to get a better selection. But I digress.

Hank’s Deli occupies the former Long John Silver’s in what is now known as the Home Depot Plaza. Though the outward appearance would suggest this new abode is smaller than the original location at the Middletown Mall in Fairmont, the interior is surprisingly spacious and has been renovated to make the aesthetics more appealing. Upon entering, I was greeted by two huge menus on the wall touting a plethora of soups, salads, sandwiches, and such. But I quickly spied the subject of my quest: the Messy Dog.

The Messy Dog is the Hank’s Deli version of the WVHD. The menu states that it has both homemade slaw and chili, which in a past review were terrific. One thing that should be pointed out is that onions and mustard do NOT come standard on this particular dog (I can sense all of you shuddering right now). You do need to ask for them to be added to the dog, but fortunately there is no extra charge. I have visited more than once to make sure it wasn’t just a case of the cashier having an off-moment and forgetting to add them. Nonetheless, it is rather annoying to have to remind yourself to ask for something that should be second nature to ANY hot dog. Like the Fairmont location, the hot dogs in Bridgeport are on the pricey side.

One glaring difference between the dogs at the Bridgeport and Fairmont locations is the use of a standard hot dog bun. In the original review of the Fairmont location, Hank’s used an New England Style hot dog bun. It was very tasty, but it still broke the taboo rule of using the cheapest components to make the best hot dog. Bridgeport uses a standard bun, lightly grilling the interior to give it just a hint of crispness while still retaining the fresh flavor. This process lent itself to allowing the sauce from the chili and slaw to permeate into the bun, but not enough to turn into a handful of mush.

The wiener was of a super-plump high grade. Very juicy and flavorful, and lightly grilled. The chili piqued my curiosity. If I could put it into terms that our southern fans might appreciate, the taste reminded me of the deliciousness experienced during my one and only trip to Romeo’s with Stanton many moons ago. The flavor was beefy and tasted as though it had been prepared with TLC. Nothing in the mix reminded me of anything typically found in the northern region that I cover (i.e. heavily spice laden). The texture had more of a familiar home style consistency. Rather than finely ground meat, the beef was a bit more of a rough ground. This made the chili seem somewhat “clumpy”, but the portion was generous so as not to allow any part of the wiener to be uncovered.

The slaw quickly became one of my favorites. The consistency was just right, and the dressing leaned more towards a tangy flavor without drowning out the remaining ingredients. It was uncommonly fresh (which was a welcome change), and chilled to perfection. I wish I could’ve taken some home with me right then and there, but I guess that’s the hook to get me to come back again. At any rate, I found myself thinking that the chili and slaw were more like a ying-yang as far as the balance goes. They really needed to have one another to make the hot dog work as well as it did.

One big bonus: rather than the usual fries you can get just about anywhere, Hank's give you the option to get the best homemade potato chips around. I could enjoy a whole basket of those by themselves. All that said, I would have to give Hank’s Deli four and-a-half weenies. Were it not for the fact that the mustard and onions had to be requested separately, I think it would score and easy five weenies.

Frequently Asked Questions

While we have an FAQ page over at WVHotDogs.com, here are some that are somewhat frequent as well:


Q. What kind of hot dogs do you think are best?

A. This question is based on the faulty premise that the term "hot dog" means the same thing as "weenie", and is further misguided because a WVHD is not about the weenie.


Q. So if you make hot dogs at home, what kind of weenie do you use.

A. Why on earth would I make a hot dog at home? I can buy a hot dog nearly 24 -7 for about a buck. To buy a package of 10 weenies, 8 buns, ingredients for slaw (or a tub of pre-fab), ingredients for chili (or a tub of pre-fab) would cost a minimum of $10 and then I'd have to labor intensively for an hour or two. And still, I wouldn't have a finished product as good as a basic gas station Utilitarian Dog.


Q. Do you have a good chili/sauce recipe?

A. Not that I can vouch for (see above) but here is a link to one that seems pretty good.

Weston HDJ Review - T&L Hot Dogs

The T&L Hot Dogs in Weston is one of those infamous off-shoots that isn't included in the canon of the official T&L universe. Like Cindy's T&L in nearby Jane Lew, this branch doesn't seem to have any ties to main chain of stores in the Clarksburg, Morgantown, Bridgeport, or Grafton areas. And like the Jane Lew location, the Weston version has a different take on the original recipe for the chili.

One thing I was quick to discover was that it is possible to possible to overcook or over-spice chili to the point of making it hard to enjoy. I can't put my finger on what it was, but the chili had the taste of being burnt and/or bitter. I had heard tell of overcooked chili, but until today I thought it was just an urban legend. Surely no self-respecting HDJ would sell their chili to consumers if they thought it was sub-par, right? I guess the answer to that is "In some cases, yes." That being said, I can't really comment further on the chili here.

The slaw was a beautiful sight to behold. It had a fantastic appearance, which had managed to hold its form rather well on the account of the loving wrapping job that was done when my order was handed to me (bonus point!). As far as the taste itself, the slaw had a really nice, subtle flavor. There was just enough taste in it to let you know it was there, but not enough to contrast with the rest of the presentation. Thankfully, it also didn't have too much dressing mixed in so as to run off of the hot dog or blend into the chili and make it runny.

I will give T&L in Weston three weenies. I really hope that I just happened to have caught them on an off day as far as the chili goes, but several hours later I can still taste the bitterness when I think about it. The slaw was very good, and I hope they offer it up in take-home containers (if they don't already do so). And as silly as it may seem, the fact that they wrap up the hot dogs so perfectly speaks as to how much care this HDJ is capable of rendering.

Weston HDJ Review - Coke & Float

Just outside of Weston sits a humble looking establishment with lists of ice cream goodies so long, they nearly cover the majority of the outer walls near the order window. Coke & Float has just about every imaginable variety of ice cream combination you can imagine (shakes, cones, sundaes, etc.). The hot dogs here are more in the "just alright" arena, meaning they're okay if you need a fix, but whether or not they satisfy a WVHD connoisseur is all a matter of interpretation.

For starters, the weenies used here are rather scrawny. Most likely these

are the bulk variety from somewhere like Sam's Club. On the plus side, it wasn't waterlogged or undercooked. The slaw and onions were both shredded extra-fine, almost to a fault. In my particular hot dog, I found the slaw itself was rather sparse. The little bit that I did manage to separate from the rest of the dog had an good flavor, but with little counter-balance for the notable sweetness.

The chili was likewise very sweet. In fact, I would almost be willing to bet that some form of canned spaghetti sauce was used. That may not be the total gospel, but it tasted very similar to a version made by a relative of mine who does, in fact, use said canned spaghetti sauce.

Still, I've got to hand it to Coke & Float that they do actually care about the hot dogs they make. They come wrapped in wax paper versus the dreaded styro-coffin that seems to be the norm at such stands. Second, and more importantly, you are hard pressed to find many ice cream stands selling hot dogs in the area that actually do have slaw available. My only gripe about the slaw is that there isn't enough. All in all, Coke & Float gets a three weenie rating. Some tweaking of the sauce and extra slaw may be all they need to give their dogs that little extra lift.

Flatwoods HDJ Review - Custard Stand

I had been reminded that I was far behind on conducting a review for the blog, so I was eager to get on the road for an impromptu business trip to Flatwoods. I had recently heard that the Cowger family had opened a new shop just off exit 67 of I-79. It stands to reason the convenient location will serve this franchise well in the future. Ironically, the restaurant is located in what was briefly a Sam's Hot Dog Stand.

The interior is small, with enough seating for about 16 or 17 people. The outside features a covered patio area with a walk-up window. Custard Stand has a lot of variety on their menu, including several sandwiches, funnel cakes, ice cream treats, broccoli n' cheese poppers (!), chicken, fish, and something I would never expect to find at a hot dog joint...Buzz buttered steak. Very interesting. They also have prepackaged containers of their famous chili available for

purchase. You can get small, one-pound containers, or industrial sized five-pounders. This was also one of the few places that offers a chili dog...without the wiener.

Good service here. I got the eye contact, thank yous, quick prep and delivery of my meal, etc. As I've said time and time again, good service is key to making your HDJ worth coming back to.

When I got my order back to my car, I was pleased as punch to

see that they didn't just wrap it up and toss it in a bag, like I've suffered with before. They carefully balanced the toppings around the weenie, placed it in a paper boat, and delicately wrapped it in wax paper (bonus points) so as not to crush it. When I unwrapped this little hand-held treasure trove, there was a waft of the freshly steamed bun that immediately let me know I was in for a treat.

Indeed, in the first bite I was impressed by how fresh and perfectly steamed the bun was. I took a look at the slaw and found that it was shredded extra fine. Fortunately, it was not doused in too much dressing so as to make the bun soggy. The slaw didn't suffer from an overdose of sweet or sour. It had the "just right" balance that made the perfect compliment to the dog.

I've had Custard Stand chili before, having picked some up at a local grocery store. My take on it is that is truly a southern West Virginia formula, favoring a good simmered beef flavor versus diverse spices, which are more typical of the

northern formulas. There was a nice texture to the beef and just the right amount of sauce mixed in. Like the slaw, it doesn't go overboard in the liquid department, but emphasizes a nice, flowing consistency throughout the whole mixture. I found the whole concoction to be both savory and satisfying.

If I were forced (and I would have to be forced) to point out any flaw, it would only be that it was a little heavy on the mustard for my taste. Still, this was easy to overlook as it melded nicely with the chili. The onions were diced a little coarse as well, but again they only served to compliment the whole package.

I give Custard Stand five weenies. It seems as though the Cowger's have the art of the hot dog down to a science. The chili they serve has captured the essence of what homemade should taste like. In the future, a visit to the original Custard Stand in Webster Springs will be in order.

The Homewrecker from Hillbilly Hot Dogs

Here is a video of a guy named Sean eating the Homewrecker from HillBilly Hot Dogs. That's a 3.5 lbs dawg featuring a 1 lb weenie topped with sauteed peppers n onion, two kinds of cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos, spicy sauce, mustard, ketchup (ew, but I digress), and slaw. If you eat it all in 12 minutes, you get a t-shirt and braggin' right.



My arteries hurt just watching that.

Jane Lew HDJ Review - Cindy's T&L Hot Dogs

I ran across this charming old building while cruising on Route 19 one day while killing some time between meetings. Ironically, it's located not far from the fabled Slaw Line point. One of the first things that I noticed about the T&L Hot Dogs in Jane Lew was the name painted above the entrance. The word "Cindy's" was emblazoned next to the "T&L Hot Dogs". The distribution of T&L stores has become somewhat of a mystery in and of itself. The Jane Lew location, much like the stores in Shinnston and Weston, are not mentioned on the company website, nor are they listed in the spiffy new color brochure/menu that T&L now offers at its key locations (Morgantown Mall, two Bridgeport locations, Grafton, and two locations in Clarksburg). I don't recall T&L offering franchises, but then again there haven't been any replies coming at me after requesting information through the "Contact Us" link on their website. At any rate, I'll save the enigma of the T&L namesake licensing for another post some other day.

While placing my order, I did inquire if this location was part of the normal chain, but nobody seemed to understand my question. I guess the key person (Cindy, perhaps?) was not around to be bothered with such matters. At any rate, I have to comment that this was by far one of the friendlier wait staffs I've encountered in some time. Not only did they cheerfully take my order with a smile and the all-important eye contact, I was even offered a freshly baked brownie while I waited (for a small extra charge, of course). Looking around, I found the place adorned with Coca-Cola collectibles and memorabilia versus the retro 50's and 60's decor found in the majority of T&L's. It works really well for the dining area and makes it a tad more warm and inviting to relax in.

Thankfully, they have mastered the traditional WVHD here just as good as some of the better T&L spots. Nicely steamed bun? Check. Weenie cooked just right? Check. Onions and mustard placed just right and in proper portions for taste? Check and check.

Oddly, I didn't get the usual question of what kind of chili I wanted (mild, medium, or hot). I'm certain that I was eating the mild variety, which is good enough even if you live and die by the hot version like myself. Nicely ground meat seasoned to perfection and cooked just right. Yup, they've got the chili covered. Check.

Slaw? Check. I was really impressed by how fresh the ingredients were in this particular batch. However, there seemed to be a little bit of an unbalance between the sweetness of the dressing and the vinegar that was mixed in it. Almost like it wasn't stirred up enough. Hopefully this was just an anomaly, but I did have to do a double-take when I 

bit into it the first time.

All in all, I really liked this location and I think it suits the area it serves well. The hot dogs are just as good as you can get from T&L, but I think the issue with the slaw was a bit of drawback. The bitterness, albeit likely unintentional, kept it from having that little "umph" factor that puts it over the top. On the other hand, I give kudos to the staff for the terrific and friendly service.  Four-and-a-half weenies for Cindy's T&L Hot Dogs.

The Most Famous Hot Dog in NASCAR - What Say Ye?

NASCAR.com has an...ahem..."interview" with the Martinsville Speedway hot dog.  Silliness aside, I'd like to ask if any of our readers have visited this track and had one these supposed works of culinary art.

So, if you've experienced a Martinsville hot dog, let us know what you thought about it.

Original article link: 

http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/features/03/24/five.things.martinsville.speedway.hot.dog/index.html

Bridgeport Sort-Of-A-Review - Food Fresh

Let me preface this review by apologizing in advance.  I don't have an iPhone like the other cool kids. You'll have to bear with me and my cheap-o camera phone. On with the show.

As a general rule, I avoid convenience store style hot dogs. They tend to lack several key elements that make a hot dog enjoyable, namely style, slaw, and decent taste. At least that's the way it goes around this area. But a recent trip through Bridgeport had me making a stop for a couple some highly touted deli items at the Food Fresh supermarket. Imagine my surprise when a sign behind the counter touted hot dogs available daily from lunch time to 4:00 p.m. daily. I told myself this could possibly be a great find if some of the key ingredients were made on site, or a complete bomb. Only one way to find out.

First off, Food Fresh has one of the best prices on a hot dog around at only .89 cents (with added slaw). I had to tell the clerk twice not to add ketchup, but this isn't the first time. Once I got out and into the Big Daddymobile, I popped open the styro-coffin. The bun had a terrific, freshly steamed smell that invited further exploration. I have to say they seemed to have found a pretty good method to steam the buns (I believe it was of a Sunbeam brand), sans any form of a commercial steamer. The weenie was extremely scrawny, though, and just passable in temperature department. Must have been a rather cheaper brands sold here. Onions and mustard were acceptable. 

I found the chili to be tremendous. I recall during a trip here many months ago that this chili was marketed in take home containers as "Ritzy Lunch Hot Dog Chili". I can only assume there had been a falling out between the entities somewhere along the line, as it now carred the standard "Hot Dog Chili" 

label. That being said, this chili is really good. More on the thicker side, but just saucy enough to soak a little bit into the bun. The combination of beefy flavor of the meat and the well balanced spices got my attention from the get go and held on throughout the experience.  Very nice.

The slaw itself was a detriment. It was clearly of the prepackaged variety, as the visible containers in the prep area revealed. This was really big on the vinegar taste and low on the fresh, crispy, crunchy cabbage. On the other hand, Food Fresh does offer a version called "shredded slaw" that includes long strands of red and green cabbages, plus carrots. The taste is more in keeping with what a good WVHD should contain. Should you happen to venture in and try one for yourself, do make it a point to ask for the shredded slaw. Sure, it defies the rules of the slaw (i.e., finely chopped), but it does have a much fresher, creamier taste.

I can't really give the whole establishment a rating, but I can safely say the hot dogs themselves are okay in and of themselves. I'll rate Food Fresh at three weenies. 

New Martinsville HDJ Review - Scream n' Dogs

An old colleague in New Martinsville pointed out this little stand near the southwest end of the downtown business district. A pleasant fall day and a scenic overlook of the Ohio River were enough to make for an enjoyable lunch, but this place had two other bonuses going for it: first prize for probably THE most original name I've come across in the state yet (sorry Haught Diggity Dogz), and the for being the first place this far north that actually lists a West Virginia Hot Dog on the menu by name. I played dumb and asked exactly what comes on one. My friendly cashier put down what she was doing to use hand gestures to show me which layer had which toppings. Thankfully, they know what they're doing. Well, except for the styrofoam coffin. The price was a bit on the higher side at $2.00, but the upward prices are more likely the trend for the foreseeable future. I found the slaw to be of decent quality. The cabbage had a slight crispness to it, and a decent sweet/tang to the dressing. The consistency New England Style bun but didn't saturate it. I thought that putting the rather chunky bits of onion on top of the slaw instead of the chili was a rather interesting concept. Nothing wrong with it, mind you, just something different. The chili (and it was called "chili" here, not "sauce") was much sweeter than I'm accustomed to and seemed to be a bit skimpy in the amount of beef in it. Still, it managed to work really well with the other ingredients and was both enjoyable and satisfying. The service was very good. The hot dogs are very, very good. The name is certainly original. Scream n' Dogs is good enough to rate four weenies. This even takes into account the half-weenie deduction for the use of a New England Style bun instead of a regular bun. Beyond that, I'm still thrilled to find someone get the concept of a real West Virginia Hot Dog spot on, rather than just calling it a "chili dog with slaw".

New Martinsville HDJ Review - Choo Choo's Restaurant

Just when I think I've seen it all in the hot dog culinary arts, along comes a new take on an old favorite. A return to New Martinsville gave me the opportunity to pay visit to Choo Choo's Restaurant. Word of mouth from some associates was that this was a fantastic diner with some terrific classic diner-style offerings, and they did indeed offer up a couple of unique hot dogs that I was told I wouldn't find anywhere else.

When I took a gander at the menu, I saw a listing for a "deep-fried hot dog". My associate quickly told me that what I really wanted was the "1/4 lb. chili dog with slaw". Okay, I thought, let's see what they can do. The waitress asked if I wanted chili or sauce, telling me that chili was indeed "chili...the kind you eat by itself as a meal. The sauce is the kind you want for a hot dog like this." I'll give them bonus points for at least paying attention to detail. This will likely reopen the whole 'slaw vs. chili' debate. Once my order came, I finally had a visual reference for the term "ginormous". The all-beef wiener was split length-wise and grilled in a manner that gave it a faint hint of hickory. The wiener may have weighed in at 1/4 pound, but I'd guess that the slaw and chili likely made the total weight well over 1/2 pound. Some of the most delicious beer-battered onion rings I ever had rounded out the awesome platter. The hot dog was on the pricey side, coming in at over $2.75, but not as expensive as Hank's Deli in Fairmont.

The sauce was teeming with beefy goodness, with just a lightly measured amount of red pepper flakes mixed in for the right amount of flavoring. The beef wasn't ground too fine as you might normally find. The I personally like it a bit spicier, but I think this variation strikes a nice balance that all hot dog fans will enjoy.

I found the slaw to be crunchy, cool, and sweet all at the same time, indicating exceptionally fresh ingredients. It doesn't have an overdose of dressing to disintegrate the bun, which for me is a more than welcome thing.

I'm a fan of good old side-of-the-road diners, and Choo Choo's is now on my list of favorites. Extra-friendly service, generous portions (even with the hot dogs), and an expansive menu...they have it all. There's no reason to give anything less than five weenies to Choo Choo's.