Thanks to the magic of youtube, we can now relive some of the most memorable hot dog commercials of all time. Today we will look at a couple of adverts for Ball Park Franks.
First up, here is one from the 1970s:
And now the 90s:
Check back soon for more retro goodness.
Maple Valley Meats reminds you a lot of those general stores/restaurants your find in some of the West Virginia state parks in terms of the appearance, layout, and type of food offered up. They seem to do a little bit of everything here, from meat processing to a restaurant to a mini grocery store. Maple Valley Meats offers up daily meal specials that bring in a steady crowd from the nearby industrial park as well as other business in this area near the Harrison/Taylor county lines on Route 50. The home cooked food is terrific, but the hot dogs here are not as good as they could be.
sauce is --like the slaw dressing-- runny. Accompanied with the water logged weenie, the buns fall apart along the bottom. It may be a result of the overload of toppings, which can kill a good WVHD.
There are some hot dog chains/franchises that have become the accepted standard bearer for hot dog quality in their respective localities. While most of their respective HDJs will keep the quality at a acceptable level, there are those black sheep --the weak links of the chain, if you will-- that bring shame upon the good name of their respective namesakes. On the other hand, there are those few outlets that wind up being the "poster boys" for the rest of their peer stores to follow. Case in point: Hometown Hot Dogs in Grafton.
heavenly. It has the perfect sweet/tangy balance that makes your taste buds dance around. The finely chopped cabbage has a slight but delightful crunch which blends well with the creamy dressing. The chili has the typical finely ground beef with a meaty gusto that carries the spice and flavorings to a flood of fun. It's not really complex, but the simplicity of the recipe is what makes it work. Never overcooked and never flat, this chili in either its mild or hot format will please just about anyone. The remainder of the ingredients are well-prepared, as the wieners are always cooked suitably and the finely chopped onions play well with the rest of the toppings. The buns are flawlessly steamed to the point where they can absorb the sauces, but not overdone to where they will easily fall apart.
A while back an AP article aired in several small town WV newspapers about WVHotDogs.com and this blog. It spawned a lot of suggestions for reviews in places we don't get to regularly but they get added to our "to do" list and we try to get to them whenever our travels take us there. When that article hit the Parkersburg newspaper we immediately were inundated by suggestions for Judy's Famous Hot Dogs. This place has a loyal fan following and I was eager to see why. I finally made it to Parkersburg this week and Judy's was first on my list of places to visit. I found the tiny hot dog joint sitting just where I was told I would find it, in the plaza that contains the local Big Lots as well as the Parkersburg Gabriel Brothers location. I'm not sure what this plaza is called, but it's near the toll bridge and almost to the Vienna city limits.
One of the most interesting HDJs I've seen, it looks like it began life as a concession stand trailer and then a small storage building with lots of windows was tacked onto the side of it. The result is actually very nice and comfortable. It only seats ten people or so on two half picnic table benches against each wall. Everyone that came in while I was there got their orders to go and I was the only one dining in. I would be surprised if many people use the tables. The rest of the interior was interesting enough to hold your attention while waiting for your order, but nothing fancy. It felt very clean and sanitary, especially considering the kind of structure it is.
The friendly people behind the counter (one of whom I recognized from a photo on the wall as Judy herself) were very friendly and helpful. I scanned the menu to see what an "everything" dog was topped with but gave up when I saw that Judy's is one of those places
that has lots of different kinds of dogs and toppings. I finally just ordered one with sauce (yes, it's sauce in P'Burg), slaw, onions and mustard. When Judy heard the order she said "A West Virginia Dog!" which made me look at the menu again. Sure enough, there it is on the menu: West Virginia Dog - just like the one I ordered.
I really hated to see that my hot dog served in a coffin, but it was so nicely steamed that it didn't matter much in the end; the bun conformed to the shape of my hand as I removed it from its styrofoam vessel.
The sauce at Judy's is about as complex as any
sauce I've had. It was much more tart than spicy, but I really didn't miss the spice. The texture was on the runny side and the color was almost unnaturally dark brown. There are a lot of unusual ingredients in this stuff, and a lot of good ingredients. The overall flavor was powerful and it needed a good slaw to balance it out. Fortunately Judy is up to the task: This slaw is phenomenal! Very finely chopped and obviously fresh-made. It was just exactly sweet enough to offset the tartness of the sauce. A great combination. The weenie, mustard and onions didn't detract from the taste.
It's easy to see why Judy's has so many fans: They have one more now. Judy's is a Five Weenie delight!
Nestled in the old-but-still-thriving strip mall sat one of what should have been one of the more busy locations. When this location closed, the owners left all of the original fixtures and decorations in place.
somehow loses some of the familiar T&L taste throughout the mix. On my particular order for this review, I noted a flavor similar to taco mix seasoning. It seemed to have some kind of filler in it as well, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. On the plus side, it had a good consistency. The slaw was creamy, with just a bit too much vinegar aftertaste. It didn't really work as well with the chili as it should, but it wasn't horrible.Rumors of our demise have been greatly exaggerated.
While October was just about the slowest month on record for hot dog reviews, I assure you we haven't lost our taste for hot dogs around here. Between an incredible busy month at work for me, a new dietary ethic for Chris and Big Daddy's travel schedule, it has just been a tough month for our team. But fear not, more reviews are on the way.
I'll be in Parkersburg this week and hope to hit a couple of highly touted HDJs up that way. I'm also committed to heading to Oak Hill soon to try hot dogs from the one place that prompts more reader mail than any other these days, Tom's Carry Out.
I'm not sure what the other guys have in store, but I hope we can put together a few good reviews this month. Stay tuned.
Clarksburg's Hometown Hot Dogs is housed in a building that could easily win an award for "Most Nondescript". The small brick building sits in the middle of the Stealey area, right where the city transitions from a business to residential district. This ideal location puts it within walking distance of residents, but also in a short commute for those working downtown or over in the Rosebud section as well. The parking -or seeming lack thereof- is a little tricky (and a big pet peeve), but that problem is solved via the drive-thru window around the back side of the building. Nevertheless, Hometown Hot Dogs is constantly churning out a steady stream of fresh dogs all day long.
The staff does a very good job of taking care of customers. While they are in a seemingly endless state of working on making fresh ingredients and filling orders, they are never at a loss for conversation. They've got the multitasking down to an art form, and the results come through in every scrumptious bite. This is one of my personal favorite locations, and I can personally say I've never been let down.
Chili comes in mild, medium, or hot varieties, but the medium is quite spicy enough for anyone. It can easily make beads of sweat break out on even the heartiest spice lover. It has the fine ground beef consistency, with a nice mix of flavors that compliment the meaty taste. The color is a near perfect brown that never shows signs of being over-cooked. This sauce can stand on it's own, which is always a good sign of quality chili.We often get letters from expatriate Mountaineers who have run across our site and want to thank us for reminding them of the hot dogs of their homeland. We also get a lot of letters from people in Marion County and other slawless zones who question our assertion that real West Virginia Hot Dogs must have slaw. What follows is a combination of the two: A missive from a former Marion Countian now residing in Maryland. I print it here in the interest of fairness to that 1/50th of the state's population who agree with him:
I am an expatriate West Virginian forced to flee the state for gainful employment. I do, however, still maintain my contacts back home, including those with relatives in Marion County. They sent me the link to this site. No self-respecting Marion Countian would dare to desecrate his weenie with anything so low-rent as a shredded cabbage product, nor should anyone else! I was weaned (or would that be "weened") on Yann's hotdogs and they are by far the finest tubular meat-byproduct-based confection ever known to man. When I was in high school, I used to get a half-dozen of Russell's finest and a pint of chocolate milk for lunch and my lips would buzz all afternoon from the delightful taste of that powerful, oil-based, taste-bud altering sauce! And yes, I called it "sauce" as that is the proper term for it. "Chili" is something you get at chain restaurants that desecrate their tomatoey meat soups with...beans. Beans are cheap filler used when you can't afford meat. See also: slaw. Back in the day, the recipe was to take a Kettering bun, drop in a Superior "Frankie" dog, wave a little wooden stick with yellow mustard at it just long enough to scare it, sprinkle a few onions, and then spoon on the magical sauce. They were wrapped two at a time in a sheet of wax paper and stuffed into a brown paper sack (both of which would instantly become saturated with oily sauce byproducts that would soil the car seats of the uninitiated).
Another Yann-dog feature your reviewer fails to mention, probably due to lack of adequate research, is their medicinal qualities. Every time I felt a cold or sore throat coming, I'd go to Yann's for a half dozen and a Nesquik and the next day I'd have nary a symptom. Yann's sauce just scares the living hell out of any germs still alive in the vicinity of your digestive tract or sinuses.
To downgrade Yann's to a mere four or four and a half weenies for lack of slaw is absolute sacrilege and places the credibility of your site strongly in question. I can only hope you soon realize the error of your ways and stop this silly quest to laud places that weaken their weenies with shredded garden products.
Mark in Maryland (unfortunately)
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.
I am forever getting email from folks, mostly expatriates in faraway lands, that are looking for authentic WVHD chili recipes. We've decided to add a section to the website where we can publish recipes, but we need the help of our readers. Basically, we need you to send us your recipes!
A few guidelines:
Biggie's, which sits along U.S. Route 50 heading towards downtown Grafton, gets your attention immediately when you near it; not necessarily due to the sign announcing hamburgers, hot dogs and the current advertised special, but rather it's the building itself that beckons your attention. Biggie's is laid out with multiple covered parking areas that adjoin the building, a walk-up counter out front, and an indoor eatery area. The building doesn't seem to have been changed since the it was first in business circa 1965-1966 (according to the original business license hanging on the wall). In fact, to get to the restroom you must cut through a storeroom to get to it. And have mercy on you if you are "plus" size. Superman has more room in a phone booth. You get the idea.
The menu is pretty extensive, with a vast array of items that you wouldn't really expect (cauliflower or broccoli with that hot dog, anyone?). It seems as though you can get just about any main course item on a 'platter' (i.e. two side items). You've got to give it to them for at least trying to offer something different. Biggie's also has some pretty good ice cream items as well. The service was decent enough to make me like I was among friends.
The slaw was pretty rough. It was rather coarse and had that hint of "prepackaged-ness". There was unquestionably something in there that made the anticipated tang fall flat. For that matter, the slaw wasn't very sweet either. It was just kind of bland...so-so at best. The rest of the contents (steamed bun, weenie, onions, mustard) were satisfactory enough, but nothing above and beyond.Some WV Hot Dog Blog fans may be old enough to recall that almost an entire generation of WVians in the 1940s-1960s moved to Ohio to find work. Today, you can't go to Cleveland, Akron, Dayton, or Toledo without bumping into multiple folks with at least one Mountaineer grandparent and there are a fair amount of folks names "Adkins" and "Mullens" mixed in with the Polish and German surnames up in the "Land of Left Turn on Red."
Well, yesterday I was online helping a friend find a good place to eat in Toledo and stumbled across Tony Packo's (of M*A*S*H fame). On their homepage, they feature something of a slide show of four pictures of their products; one of pickles and three of hot dogs. Two of those dog pics look like standard Midwestern fare: dawgs with chili sauce (with some beans), mustard, and onions. One pic, however, almost made my eyes pop out. Yup, there was a Toledo hot dog with a big helpin' of slaw on it.
While the sauce and slaw weren't quite what us Weenie Wonks would define as ideal, there is only one place that the idea of slaw on hot dogs in Toledo could have come from. Yup, it traveled up US 23 with our Great-Aunts and Uncles 50-odd years ago.
As soon as Stanton replenishes his frequent flyier miles, you can count on me to hack into his account and book a trip to the Glass City. This deserves further investigation...
I recently ventured to Grafton in a hunt of all of the known HDJs in town. My first stop bought me to the Grafton Dairy Queen. I had passed this place time after time during my many ventures across Route 50, but never once stopped by to sample the goods. I was initially excited about paying a visit, mainly because I was hoping to be delivered from the DQ hell that had marred samplings at some of the north central DQs, particularly the one I wrote one of my earliest reviews about located in Shinnston.
The dog was soaked in chili sauce, which tasted like it had been prepared with tremendous apathy. It didn't even warrant dissecting to further identify the ingredients. The onions were finely minced, but tasted as though they'd been kept refrigerated too cold only to lose some of their flavor and then became too soft. The wiener tasted like it had been left in it's boiling pot of water far too long, making it leak into the bun and soften it to the point of disintegrating. The bun must've had something sitting on it before it was removed from the bag, because the wiener was the only thing that made it hold it's familiar shape. Perhaps it had been steamed with a clothes iron. It certainly tasted that way.
Right off of exit 115 of I-179 rests the small township of Quiet Dell, home of the Sports Grille. A sign for the Sports Grille can be easily seen from the exit, particularly from the southbound direction. The location is prime for anyone traveling the interstate wishing for a quick hot dog fix (and a fill-up for the car as well).
You’d expect that with a name like Sports Grille that there’d be at least two or three televisions scattered about and tuned into sports channels. On this particular visit, the only TV in the place was tuned into the Cartoon Network. I found it strange that there were at least seven or eight cars on the lot, but only one other customer at the counter. A cursory scan revealed a doorway to a video gambling area, which explains where the business end of this joint actually is.
The service was about average, but the waitress behind the counter was at least polite. Hot dogs with everything here includes chili, mustard, and onions, but slaw is available on request. The
dogs came inundated with a ton of shredded, strong onions that wound up masking the flavor of the rest of the ingredients. Like we’ve found in a couple of recent reviews, the Sports Grille also puts the chili on top of the slaw. Since I ordered up two dogs in this case, I was able to dissect the second one and try the components individually. The bun was fresh enough and warm, but not steamed. The wiener was boiled just about right. It seemed as though the chili was relatively bland, lacking any zest or beefy flavor. It had an appealing color and good texture, however. I noticed red pepper flakes available at the counter, and in hindsight that would’ve likely helped. I found that the slaw had very little dressing, thus exposing the watery insipidness of the finely chopped cabbage. I can safely say that the dogs may have been better without slaw in this case.
Like I mentioned in the first paragraph, the location is perfect for hot dog fans passing through. You can get a WVHD, but don’t expect much from the slaw. Sports Grille hot dogs are no more than satisfactory at best, but could potentially be much better. Two and a half weenies.
An alert reader of WVHotDogs.com recently sent word that a new HDJ had appeared in the Morgantown area, but the thing that stood out about the recommendation was the last line of the e-mail: "And yes, they do have slaw!". With a bit of hope that the slaw culture was migrating further north, I set out to visit Haught Diggity Dogz (which already deserves a prize for one of the most original names).
Located just a stone's throw from exit 4 of I-68, Haught Diggity Dogz is located in a little retail strip along Route 7 heading towards Dellslow. It sits in the near corner of a newer looking building, with eye-catching window graphics. The interior is simple in it's layout, but remarkably clean and inviting. A generous sized lunch counter is complimented by a scattering of tables, each of which has a full compliment of condiments readily available.
I received a warm welcome when I came through the door, and first class attention for the duration of my visit. The menu simply states "hot dogs", and carries a flat price of $1.25 regardless of how much or how
little you want on them. The menu also boasts fresh cut fries, which can also include chili and/or cheese, baked potatoes, salads, and pepperoni rolls.
I was impressed to see that more slaw was being freshly prepared during the course of my meal. The ingredients aren't simply stockpiled as -with some lesser HDJs- but rather made fresh throughout the day. The taste was absolutely phenomenal. Haught's seems to have the ability to strike that perfect balance between sweet and tangy, all the while having a perfect consistency and satisfying taste. The chili was also a pure treat. Like any HDJ worth it's salt, Haught's offers the standard choices of mild, medium and hot sauce. My norm is to go middle-of-the-road, and the medium sauce here is exactly what it should be: seasoned to perfection, with all the individual ingredients working in unison. It had a lovely brown color, fine consistency, and inviting armoa that 
tickled the senses. It blended nicely with the freshly steamed bun, which was likewise done to perfection. The onions were chopped extra fine to allow for a pleasing flavor to each bite, but not leave one with dog breath (no pun intended).
Just how good is Haught Diggity Dogz overall? Well, I usually order two dogs during a visit. This time, I had to have a third before I left.
Positive remarks are all that I can offer for Haught Diggity Dogz. With that said, this HDJ earns an easy...and well deserved...five weenies. I would anticipate that you'll be seeing Haught's in just about every category for future Weenie Awards.
Lodge #78 of the Fraternal Order of Police opened not all that long ago at the former Jim Reid’s restaurant in Nutter Fort. Jim Reid’s always served up great food in a fine dining atmosphere. I didn’t really pay much attention when the F.O.P. bought the place, thinking it would just be another club that I’d never step foot in or care about.
Word had recently started circulating around town that the organization had opened up a public restaurant and lounge, and supposedly one or more of the original chefs from Jim Reid’s had been hired. There was no doubt that some good, 100% home cooking would once again be available for one and all: some terrific surf and turf, Italian specialties, all day breakfasts, and much more.
I was really surprised by all the suggestions that I try the hot dogs at the F.O.P. With nothing to lose, I went in one day to give it a try. After getting seated, I took some time to read through the rather lengthy menu. Hot dogs are listed for eighty-five cents, but that only includes relish, mustard and ketchup. Slaw and chili are fifty cents more. In the end, I found this was a bargain considering how good the dogs were.
It was a little busy on one particular visit, and I wound up waiting close to twenty minutes. My patience was rewarded though. The hot dogs are grilled to perfection, as is the split-top New England Style
bun that it comes on. And to be served on a real plate with a dill pickle? Nice! The chili is stupendous, with just the right consistency of not being too thick yet smooth enough to gently seep into the bun without making it soggy. The flavor should be to the liking of just about anyone, as it has a nice hint of spiciness, but not overpowering heat. I made a point to spoon some of it off of the dog so I could enjoy it on its own. This may very well be one of the best chili sauces around.
The cabbage in the slaw was very coarse…maybe too coarse. I’m sure it’s only intended to be served in a standalone mode, but it does the job in the case of topping the dog. It was sweet and not too tangy, cool, extra creamy, and full of flavor. It’s worth buying some as a side order for just about any meal, should you get the urge.
I have to go with four weenies here. These dogs are well worth the wait, and the restaurant is one place you can be assured will always have something for everyone.
So, I get drafted by the Band Boosters of the high school where my daughter is in the band to volunteer in the concession stand at Laidley Field for the Kanawha County Band and Majorette Festival. I arrive at five o'clock having absolutely no idea of what I'll be doing but in possession of a willing spirit to perform the most menial and demeaning task for the next five to six hours. My enthusiasm was dampened greatly when I walked behind the counter and found the calzone oven, deep fryers, hot tables and bun steamers made the temperature hover at about 115 degrees with 110% relative humidity. I was determined though, that I would persevere.
So I offered myself up in service to the person who seemed to be in charge. I told her I was completely inexperienced but a quick learner and I would be glad to scrub floors, clean out the grease traps - you know, the kind of stuff this guy does. The boss puts her finger on her chin in a thoughtful "hmmm" kind of way and then with eyes full of hope she asks, "Do you know anything about hot dogs?"
"Yes", I told her trying to hide my smile of conceit, "I know a little about hot dogs." To myself I thought "Ha! Little do these mortals know!"
And thus began my journey into the hot, sweaty, greasy world of hot dog slinging at the concession stand.
Now before you little league parents get all high and mighty and say that you know concession stand work, let me tell you that the Majorette Festival is a doggone big deal in Charleston and there are probably 12,000 people in attendance. All of them came to the concession stand at least once, I am convinced. Most, it seemed, ordered hot dogs. In large quantities.
Now the process of assembling hot dogs is fairly simple: Load the buns in the steamer, take them out and put on the weenie, apply the toppings and put them in the hot table bins as appropriate. There are five models of hot dogs at Laidley: Everything (chili, slaw and onions), Chili and Slaw, Chili and Onions, just Chili and, finally, Plain. The people who work the front counter are supposed to take orders for only those combinations with no special orders. This isn't Burger King: Special orders DO upset us.
In addition to assembly, the hot dog team also has to keep a good supply of chil and weenies on the stove at all times, lest you run out and be lynched by the starving mob.
Our two-person hot dog team worked feverishly all night to keep an adequate supply of all of the various combinations on the hot table bins, but sometimes it was like bailing out a leaky boat with a tea strainer. An endless stream of humanity flowed through the concession stand entrance. Their methods were devious yet simple: They would eye the available hot dogs in the bin (which are clearly visible from the ordering area), pick out the category with the fewest number of hot dogs and order a half-dozen of that type. If the hot dog team was ever in danger of satisfying the demand of any supply point, a special operative was immediately dispatched to place a special order for a hot dog with slaw only, or onions only, or some other non-standard configuration that made the entire assembly line screech to a halt while the primadona's special needs were addressed. Once the special was passed to the front, the work of re-supplying the bins began again.
And again. And again. For five hours. Over 500 hot dogs. I really don't know how many we made because I simply lost count after about 480, a milestone that was passed about halfway through the evening. The total might have been closer to a thousand, I really don't know: I was in The Zone.
After a while I entered a transcendent state where my brain just switched off and muscle memory took over and I began to make hot dogs like a robot. The only time my trance was broken was when I reached for onions and found that someone had moved the onion container to the prep area where it was being loaded with a new supply of fresh chopped stuff. After that it took me a few minutes to find The Zone again but once I was there it lasted throughout the night until that glorious moment when the doors to the concession stand were closed for the evening. After an hour or so of cleaning up, my sentence was over and I was released from my bondage.
Now I'd like to say that my evening on the other side of the counter has made me more understanding as to the plight of the Weenie Workers of America. I'd like to tell you that I'm going to be a kinder, gentler Weenie Wonk as a result of walking a mile in the shoes of a Weenieista. But the truth is, I found out that even in the midst of crushing crowds that far exceed what a typical HDJ experiences on the busiest of lunch hours, there is still time to create a hot dog with care. So there will be no excuses accepted in the future for sloppily prepared hot dogs. You have been warned.
A word about the ingredients they serve at the Laidley concession stand:
Custard Stand Chili - OK, as a good West Virginian I should support this state success story. But it's just OK. It's not great.
Gunnoe's Slaw - Huge, hard chunks of cabbage and other cabbage-like substances. Not very good.
Weenies - Generic Food Service.
Buns - There was no name on the packaging, but I assume they were Heiners. They insist on steaming them at Laidley, which is a good thing.
Here are some hot dog updates from in and around the Jewel City:
You can read his reviews here and here. Pay close attention to the look on Paul's face as he gets his first taste of a real WVHD at Romeo's. He was in hot dog Almost Heaven!
We would have never, ever found this little HDJ if a reader hadn't emailed us.
