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.

A Requested Re-Review - The Hot Dog Hut, Philippi

When I originally reviewed The Hot Dog Hut in Philippi, I gave them a three weenie rating, stating that I found their hot dogs to be just "safe". The biggest problem I had with my hot dog at the time was that when I unwrapped it, the chili and slaw had mashed together into a rather ugly looking presentation. Consequently, the flavors of the chili, slaw, and mustard became indiscernible from one another. As a result, I stated that the chili tasted as though it had fillers in it.

Immediately thereafter, a response appeared on the blog from Angie, the owner of The Hot Dog Hut. She pointed out that since the photo of the hot dog was posted, Hot Dog Hut had changed the way the they prepare to-go hot dogs, favoring a paper boat and sleeve instead of wrapping up tightly. Another point she made was that the homemade chili did not contain any filler, and that the slaw was also made with TLC (as were soups and salad dressings). In addition, she pointed out that the restaurant was one of the best looking places to eat in town. Angie finalized that she believed The Hot Dog Hut was worthy of at least a four weenie rating. Being as she was unbelievably polite, I agreed to a second chance review.

For my revisit I ordered WVHD by the numbers and ate in. I was greeted with a warm and enthusiastic smile, and had my order delivered to my table almost before I got fully seated. The statement about the appearance of the restaurant is definitely true. The place is spotless and appealing to the eye. The hot dog was certainly a major improvement from my last visit. The bun was the definition of "steamed to perfection". The chili and slaw were not blended together in a slurry, but rather sat majestically on top of one another in a fantastic presentation.

For taste, the chili had a rich and wonderful beef flavor. The beautiful brown coloring owed itself to how well prepared the mixture was. The texture was complex and satisfying. Each bite tasted like heaven. This was easily one of the best chilis I've had in this north central area. The slaw was seriously fresh, crunchy, and had a nice balance of sweet and tart. This slaw will certainly be in the running for the Weenie Awards.

Sorry folks, but I still can't bring myself to give The Hot Dog Hut four weenies. Nope...I have to say that I can give no less than a five weenie rating. It says much that The Hot Dog Hut picked up the game and hit one out of the park.

Don't Forget...July is National Hot Dog Month!

Just a reminder that July is National Hot Dog Month, and July 19th is designated National Hot Dog Day. Be sure to patronize your favorite HDJ this month.

In keeping with tradition, I'm reposting the rules of Hot Dog Etiquette from the newly redesigned National Hot Dog and Sausage Council website at called "Hot Dog City" www.hot-dog.org.
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Hot Dog Etiquette
Everyday guidance for eating America's sacred food

Don't...Put hot dog toppings between the hot dog and the bun. Always "dress the dog," not the bun. Condiments should be applied in the following order: wet condiments like mustard and chili are applied first, followed by chunky condiments like relish, onions and sauerkraut, followed by shredded cheese, followed by spices, like celery salt or pepper.

Do...Serve sesame seed, poppy seed and plain buns with hot dogs. Sun-dried tomato buns or basil buns are considered gauche with franks.

Don't...Use a cloth napkin to wipe your mouth when eating a hot dog. Paper is always preferable.

Do...Eat hot dogs on buns with your hands. Utensils should not touch hot dogs on buns.

Do...Use paper plates to serve hot dogs. Every day dishes are acceptable; china is a no-no.

Don't...Take more than five bites to finish a hot dog. For foot-long wiener, seven bites are acceptable.

Don't...Leave bits of bun on your plate. Eat it all.

Don't...Fresh herbs on the same plate with hot dogs over-do the presentation.

Don't...Use ketchup on your hot dog after the age of 18. Mustard, relish, onions, cheese and chili are acceptable.

Do...Condiments remaining on the fingers after eating a hot dog should be licked away, not washed.

Do...Use multi-colored toothpicks to serve cocktail wieners. Cocktail forks are in poor taste.

Don't...Send a thank you note following a hot dog barbecue. It would not be in keeping with the unpretentious nature of hot dogs.

Don't...Bring wine to a hot dog barbecue. Beer, soda, lemonade and iced tea are preferable.

Don't...Ever think there is a wrong time to serve hot dogs.

Morgantown HDJ Review – Hometown Hot Dogs

Of all the HDJs I’ve reviewed so far, I don’t recall any giving me a sensation of panic as much as Hometown Hot Dogs in Morgantown. It is situated in a old, tiny block building adjoining the base of a house along University Avenue. Inside, you'll find a counter with some bar seats. If you suffer from claustrophobia, be warned that the two feet or so between each seat and the glass window quickly fill up with people waiting for place or pick up their orders. There is also a small dining area off to the side that can be accessed via a rather small passageway.

Common sense would dictate that most people know that if one was must cough when preparing food in a restaurant or similar establishment, then one should step away from the food, or at the minimum cover the mouth and nose with the pocket of the elbow. I watched in horror and disgust as one of the cooks proceed to cough her head off while preparing an order for a customer ahead of me who was fortunate enough to be oblivious to what was going on behind the counter. No gloves, no handwashing, nothing. This in and of itself was an automatic huge deduction in weenie points. Luckily for me, my order was prepared by a young gentleman who was quick to take and fill orders, but very slow to remember to stop and collect money from the customers who piled up quickly at the register.

As for the hot dog itself, it was a huge disappointment. I’ve been spoiled by the quality WVHDs that can be had at the Clarksburg, Fairmont, and Grafton locations. They had the same cool, creamy, sweet slaw and the medium chili seemed okay too. The bun, however, fell apart when I picked it up. This was likely a result of either the buns being over-steamed or the dressing in the slaw being too thin and runny. As if that weren’t bad enough, I couldn’t get that image of the other preparer hacking up a lung in the prep area. This marked the first time that I refused to finish an entire hot dog from Hometown.

I really do like the other Hometown Hot Dog locations that I’ve been too and consider them among my favorites. Sadly, I will have to put this location on my list of ones to avoid. Health and safety factors are just a bit more important. A one weenie rating for this HDJ.

Weirton HDJ Review - Chili Willie's

On the north side of Weirton next to one of the many old steel plants along Route 2 sits a small building that could easily pass for a local ice cream stand in, except for the fact that the walk-up windows are blocked by benches. This humble abode is home to Chili Willie's. There is no room to sit inside at all, and there are only three picnic benches on the outside to sit and enjoy your meal...weather permitting, of course.

According to the flyer I picked up, Chili Willie's dogs are "Voted #1". I can't say that this exactly a scientific poll, because I can't recall seeing any other HDJs along the route I took into town to compare it too. Of course, they could be comparing to some HDJs in nearby Stuebenville, Ohio. Who knows? All I know is that this is the first HDJ I've seen that touts call ahead pick-up service on the menu. As for the dogs themselves, well, they certainly must have a lot of fans. I found myself waiting in a line that extended just outside the door for a few minutes before I was waited on.

The downsides are in the bun and the wiener itself. Both of the buns of the two hot dogs I ordered were rather stale tasting. I couldn't really sense that they were steamed, but maybe just warmed over. The wiener, at least tasting like it had been cooked, seemed to be only tepid at best. It was a bit of a shock to the taste buds.

On the plus side, the chili was certainly different than any I had sampled in a while. I'm used to the old north central WV pattern of spicy chili, varying from 'tongue warming' to 'ohmuhgawd' to the more subtle-but-flavorful southern WV sauces. Chili Willie's, on the other hand, seems to strike an uneasy balance between those two worlds, but remaining totally different from either. While the meaty flavor is there, it takes a back seat to the added spices and flavorings. I know I picked up a nice hint of garlic in the mix. Whatever else they added was certainly a plus.

The slaw had a fresh taste that seemingly worked better because of the extra bits of carrot in it. Normally I don't care much for carrots one way or the other. But in this instance, they give this slaw that little extra something . It wasn't overly creamy, tangy, or even sweet for that matter. It just seemed to be good enough to compliment the chili.

I give Chili Willie's a 3.5 weenie rating. I would have easily given it a four weenie rating had it not been for the flavor flatlining in the bun and the weenie. Hopefully another visit in the future will see the tide turn.

Huntington Hot Dog Joint: Knuckle's Sandwich Co.

A few weeks ago, WVHotDogs.com received an email from a reader regarding a new sandwich shop in downtown Huntington called Knuckle's Sandwich Co. on the 400 block of 11th St. that supposedly served a mean hot dog. As they seem to only be open for weekday lunch, I had a bit of trouble getting in there until my hot dog "stay-cation" as mentioned in my review of the Pritchard Building Coffee & Sandwich Shop.

They have a selection of sandwiches/grinders/hoagies (whatever you like to call 'em) and a hot dog called "The Franken Furter," for which the menu claims sets the standard for local hot dogs. It costs $1.75, slightly on the pricey side, but still a fair price for a delicious, well-dressed dog. Can it live up to price and promise?

The sausage is made of a mix of beef and pork. While I am generally partial to all-beef, I figure that if they were upfront about it on the menu they must be doing it for a specific reason. It is, indeed, very tasty. I see where they are coming from; it was a compliment, not a dominant.

They give you a choice of a fresh bakery-soft Heiners bun or a grilled New England split-top. I'm gonna take a traditional bun ten times out of ten, but I am glad that they have options. It shows an attention to detail and a respect for the customer found in an alarmingly small number of restaurants these days.

After a minute or so, the cashier hands me my dog, wrapped in wax paper (some has been doing their homework). I notice that it was rather heavy for a dawg and well-dressed, as lots of brown sauce and white slaw is mushed against the paper.

Knuckle's sauce is a ménage à trois of some of my favorite Ohio Valley culinary delights. The heat is just shy of a conservatively-mixed batch of Sam's Hot Dog Stand spicy sauce. The texture is very much like that of a good Cincinnati chili, a mark of slow-simmering ground beef, as opposed flash fry of the meat. As for the taste, while it doesn't taste like Jim's Spaghetti sauce, it is reminiscent of something made by someone who has enjoyed many a'plate of Huntington's signature diner's finest product and is slightly inspired by its sweet zing. The sauce is just plain ol' excellent. Sam's might not be able to repeat as best sauce this year.

The slaw is sweet, creamy, and tangy; not the best in town, but certainly above the 70th percentile. It plays the necessary supporting role for the superstar chili with the skill and devotion of a Walter Brennan or a Brad Dourif.

As Stanton has noted in the past, we don't mention onions unless they are exceptionally good or bad. Knuckles is certainly in the former, at least for as long as Vidalia onion season lasts. Any place that has the consideration to serve the world's best onion for the brief time in which they are available is alright in my book.

So to answer my initial question, yes, Huntington officially has another first class HDJ. In fact, the great dogs, top-notch service, and commitment to excellence earn Knuckle's Sandwich a 5 weenie rating, making it the first joint in Huntington's city limits to earn this distinction.

Good luck, guys, I hope y'all have many years of success. Might I suggest, however, staying open 'til 6 PM or so for folks who don't work in the CBD? Well, either way, I'll be back many times, I'm sure.

Charleston HDJ - The Capitol Food Court

About 10 stories directly under the gold leaf covered dome of the state capitol building lies the newly renovated cafeteria that serves our state's public servants who work at the capitol complex as well as anyone else who might find themselves in the capitol and having a hankering for some vittles. We found out at our recent rendezvous with the folks from Fork You that they are familiar with the cafeteria and so we tentatively scheduled a second Great Food Blogger Summit and decided it should be a joint effort of our two blogs to sample the new food they offered.

You can hop over to Fork You's review to see what those folks have to say about their pinto beans, hamburgers, pizza and the other things they sampled. Me? I think I'll stick to hot dogs.

I was eager to see if the capitol cafeteria would serve an appropriate hot dog for our state's tastes, and I was pleased to find out that they almost do. Almost.

I found the the serving area that made the hot dogs and I asked the chef (yes, he was a chef and had the hat to prove it) what "everything" meant and he said "chili, slaw and onions". Before I could ask him about mustard I saw a little basket of mustard packages sitting on the counter so I stifled the questions and ordered two hot dogs. I was disappointed, though, when I found out this was one of those "some assembly required" HDJs. Not only was the mustard self-applied, but the slaw came in a little container on the side and I had to apply it. The silver lining was that having the hot dog sitting there with its chili exposed gave me a rare opportunity to taste test the chili without having to excavate. And since the slaw was sitting there in a cup by itself, it also yielded easily.

The chili had a good texture and it was almost spicy and almost flavorful. In other words, it was almost decent chili. The slaw was almost sweet, but a little too creamy and bland for my tastes. It was almost good, but not quite.

The weenie tasted like it wanted to be a premium all-beef dog, but it didn't quite clear the premium taste bar. In other words, it was almost good. The bun was OK: almost fresh tasting and almost warm.

We're gonna give the Capitol Food Court hot dog an almost good rating of 3 Weenies. If any one part of the hot dog was better than almost good then it could creep a little higher, especially given the value price point of $1.50 each with a generous helping of toppings.

The only thing that wasn't almost good about my lunch at the capitol was the companionship of my new friends from Fork You. That part was good indeed. I'm not sure if there will be more joint ventures such as this, but I hope they keep me posted if their travels take them to new restaurants with hot dogs on the menu.

West Virginia Day - Let's Celebrate With a Hot Dog!

Over the past couple of years of blogging about hot dogs I have learned two things about my fellow West Virginians: We are proud of our state and its culture, and we are a damned creative bunch of folks.

Consider the evidence that I have unearthed just doing hot dog reviews:

Hillbilly Hot Dogs - While poking fun at a tired, old stereotype, Sonny and Sharri have created a whole new genre of theme restaurant, and from all appearances are doing quite well in its promotion on a national scale. Their appearance on The Food Network's Dives, Diners and Drive Ins this past year has made Hillbilly Hot Dogs a bona-fide tourist destination. I can attest that many visitors to this blog come from Google searches for "WV hot dog bus" and other such combinations of words that make it unlikely that the searcher is looking for anything other than Hillbilly Hot Dogs. They could be accused of exploiting the stereotype, and in doing so helping to solidify it, but I prefer to think that people who actually take the time to check it out will be forced to see that it's all in jest and the only logical conclusion to which they can arrive is that the whole stereotype is built on exaggerations and fed by prejudice; which it absolutely is.

Barnyard - In Buckhannon there is another theme restaurant that confronts our cultural reputation and instead of letting people see the ugliness in it, they make it as cute as a speckled pup. Barnyard is a great little restaurant that brings a kind of sophistication to some of the staple foods of our culture while at the same time showing the real charm of rural Appalachian culture. The creativity that exists in the motif of the restaurant and the menu makes it obvious to any visitor that there is a sense of pride that caused this kind of effort to be unleashed.

But it doesn't take a theme restaurant to show pride and creativity in our culture. Last year I took a couple of kids from New Jersey to Skeenies Hot Dogs, the quintessential West Virginia Hot Dog Joint on Sissonville Drive near Charleston. After enjoying a couple of Skeenie's famous hot dogs, my guests had the chance to meet the owner of the restaurant as she was leaving for the day. Her genuineness and charm made a tremendous impression on these two young men. They found out how good our hot dogs are, to be sure, but what they really learned was how happy a person could be in her work and how much a person can express themselves through their work. What she has created with Skeenie's isn't art by any normal definition, but it is something that demonstrates and communicates who we are in ways that words can never express, and she obviously receives great validation through sharing her art. All over West Virginia there are hot dog joints that proudly sell this simple little sandwich that in itself is a testament to our creativity. Our Huntington Weenie Wonk, Chris James, has said it best: A WVHD is all about taking the most simple elements and combining them in such a way that they taste phenomenal. In other places hot dogs depend on the best quality premium weenie or the best gourmet toppings or an artisan bun for its worth. Here, we take any weenie, the cheaper the better, throw on some stuff from pot that has been simmering for hours, plop a dollop of slaw and we have a creation fit for royalty.

A few years ago I read Richard Florida's book "The Rise of the Creative Class" and was amazed at the parallels that I saw between his description of the values of this new "creative class" and those I had been exposed to my whole life. I remember thinking then that Appalachians might be the model that this new class is unknowingly imitating as they express their creativity in ways that transform their culture. Could it be that we are the original creative class? I think a decent argument could be made that we are.

I know that what we create as a people might be seen as simplistic and unsophisticated when compared to standard set by Madison Avenue and Hollywood, but I also know that people from all over our country are drawn to whatever it is that we have here: It strikes a chord in the souls of people who are yearning for something different in their lives. The people who have left here for greener pastures nearly always long to return and those who come here often wish they could stay forever. I heard a transplanted Mountaineer say once that sums up how he felt about his adopted homeland: "I wasn't born in West Virginia, but I got here as soon as I could."

Well, I was born here. And I stay here on purpose. I've traveled to many other states and have never found anyplace with as much to offer as this one.

Especially when it comes to hot dogs.

Huntington Hot Dog Joint: Prichard Sandwich and Coffee Shop

The Prichard building, an old-skewl skyscraper (from back when such a building would qualify) has a small sandwich shop located on the street level that is quite popular with downtown workers, especially from Amazon.com. The Film Geek has been bugging us for years to review this joint, but, as I don't work downtown, I'm never in the area when the place is open.

Recently, however, I took myself a little stay-cation and took the opportunity to check the place out.

I cannot say for certain whether or not this was on purpose or by accident, but the nice lady gave me two hot dogs for the budget-friendly price of $.89 + tax. I can't think of a place in town that hooks you up with one dawg for under a buck, much less two. Heck, if they do indeed regularly sell hot dogs at this price point, this is probably the best lunch value in town.

Enough gushing about the price and the super service and on to the weenie, starting with the centerpiece of any Huntington hd, the sauce. They serve a beefier, zestier version of Stewart's. It is almost like someone was trying to work from the Mandt's family recipe towards something for those who like a meaty chili with bit of seasoning. It isn't the best sauce in town, but it gets the job done.

The Slaw is sweet and tangy with cabbage so fresh that I imagine the slaw was made within an hour before my arrival. The taste and texture are top-notch and they have to be a serious contender for a 2008 Weenie Award for Best Slaw.

Decent sauce, killer slaw, and a low low price...this has to be a great hdj, right? Um, well, no. They have their Achilles heel. When dressing the weenie, they use nowhere near enough toppings, so the taste is dominated by the not-so-great weenie and a gooey bun (which should be a component of texture, not flavor). It truly breaks my heart that such great topping are essentially wasted due to conservative topping theory. I've said it before and I'll say it again: great sauce and slaw make a cheap protein stick taste like a million buck, not the other way around.

I understand that they are trying to keep prices down by cutting back on the fixin's, but I would gladly pay $.99 for one of their dogs well-dressed. Therefore, if you work or live near downtown, I can recommend this as a pretty good lunch option if you only have a dollar in your wallet. Otherwise, there are some better dog options downtown. As an WV HDJ, The Prichard Coffee and Sandwich Shop can be summed up as such: great value, flawed dogs.

3 Weenies.

Keyser HDJ Review: Martie's Hot Dog Stand

I was recently travelling on an assignment when I found myself with the opportunity to divert my route to travel through downtown Keyser. On the recommendations of a WVHotDog.com reader, I sought out Marties Hot Dog Stand.

Marite's wasn't all that hard to find, and it seemed like it was long-time fixture in the community with walls covered with photos of the local high school football team all over the place and clippings of local events hung near every conceivable area that the eye would see. One thing that caught my eye were the various clippings regarding the awards that had been received for the owner's chili and salsa entries at numerous competitions. At that point, I was a bit more anxious to see if the chili would translate into an equally good hot dog.

All I can tell you is that the same town that gave us John Kruk is also the home to one mean hot dog. We can now lay to rest the question as to whether or not the eastern panhandle has any trace of hot dog culture with an affirmative.

The chili was absolutely phenomenal. I don't believe that I have tasted as rich of a chili, save for perhaps the one time I was introduced to Romeo's in Charleston during one of my early business lunches with Stanton. Martie's chili is very robust with flavor that captures the essence of the ground beef, which is balanced perfectly with seasonings and a tasty sauce.

Martie's slaw is also a pleasant surprise. The dressing has just the right consistency, being neither too thin or too thick with a nice contrast of sweet and tangy. The cabbage was more coarse than you usually expect on a hot dog, but that didn't hurt this sampling at all. I found some scatterings of pimentos in my slaw mixture that only served to enhance the flavor. Purists might say a weenie deduction would be in order for adding something like that to the slaw, but I would have to respectfully disagree. By far and wide, the slaw was nearly as good as the chili.

Martie's also uses a 100% beef wiener that is cooked to the perfect temperature so as to allow the juiciness to come through in every bite. The buns were steamed nicely and particularly fresh. I didn't seem to have a lot of onions or mustard on mine, but I really didn't mind it at all since the other toppings were in a league of their own.

The restaurant itself is located along a busy row of buildings, and the large plate glass window made it impossible for me to get a photo of the place without having every single person sitting inside staring at me the whole time I stood across the street. The interior was a bit of a squeeze and there was a thick smell of old cigar smoke lingering in the air. I didn't see the group of fishing buddies swapping stories over their hot dogs and some cold beers complaining, so I wasn't about to either.

The kind woman behind the counter was very polite and prompt with my order, which after a long trip was more than welcome. Without a second thought, Martie's Hot Dog Stand gets a five weenie rating. I don't know if or when I'll be back out that way, but I have no doubt that I'll make the effort to stop by for another satisfying meal from their again.

WVHotDogBlog.com goes big-time

From MSNBC.com:

Stanton Means, a 48-old hot dog afficionado-turned-blogger from Charleston, W.Va., figures he downs nearly a dozen dogs every month while running the Web site WVHotDogBlog.com. "In our culture, it's definitely a staple," said Means, who prefers his franks topped with chili, cole slaw, mustard and onions. "I often say that it's an obligatory item for a menu in West Virginia. If you have a restaurant, you have to have a hot dog, even if it's not a hot dog type restaurant." But if he's cooking for friends, Means admits that even the finest-grade frank doesn't hold a candle to whatever's on sale at the grocery store — Oscar Mayer, Ball Park or otherwise. "We'll probably look at price point, more than taste," he said. "If I'm buying wieners just to make hot dogs for a picnic, I'm buying the cheap ones."

All of this success has gone to Stanton's head. My salary has gone from 2 hot dog lunches per year to $225,000 with the only added responsibility being carrying Stanton's jewel-encrusted pimp cup around while we are at the club. Pretty sweet.

Chesapeake, OH Hot Dog Joint: Chesapeake Flea Market Snack Bar

As I mentioned in my review of M & M Dairy Bell in Chesapeake, the section of Lawrence County across the river from Huntington (Chesapeake, Proctorville, Rome, etc.) has many elements of Appalachian, West Virginian, and Huntingtonian culture despite the minor technicality that it is, in fact, in Ohio.

One such common cultural tradition is the flea market. The Chesapeake Flea Market is just one of the many in our area and, as is often the case, it features a snack bar where we find another commonality: West Virginia-style hot dogs.

A regular dog was a buck, while "everything" costs an extra four bits. This was concerning, but I was told that everything includes "sauce, slaw, onions, and mustard" without a mention of any ketchup-based heresy, so they did earn a bit of redemption.

A major red flag, however, popped up as prep on my dawg commenced. The weenie-istas seemed too keen to not use gloves when handling food products and they may have even handled money (flea market money, at that) while making the grub.

I guess I'm spoiled by Cabell-Huntington's health dept., which requires gloves for all food handlers. Putnam County also doesn't require gloves, which initially freaked me out at the Teays Valley Sam's Hot Dog Stand a while back, but in their defense, they washed their hands like Marc Summers on crack.

Sadly, I saw no such behavior at the snack bar.

One of the requirements of this job, however, is to be an intrepid eater of hot dogs and always, always, put the weenie first, so I tried to focus on the food and not the conditions as much as possible.

They feature a regular Heiners bun, but they very lightly grilled it with some butter. This act, while not the traditional method of bun preparation in central Appalachia, is a pleasant touch. The butter and griddle give the bun a nice, light flavor and a gentle toasting that gives it a bit of a textural bite. If we still gave out Weenie Awards for the Best Buns, this place would be a serious local contender.

The weenies are grilled and have a nice flavor to them. Any hot dog fan who is primarily concerned with getting a good grilled weenie, with all other considerations secondary, should be satisfied.

They serve Homemade sauce, with dominant notes of ground beef and chopped onion. The sauce is not my favorite and certainly could use more heat, spice, and salt (always season your food, so say the judges on Top Chef). That being said, there is an element of thoughtfulness put into the sauce that put it in the category of comfort food. If your mom or grandma made fair-to-middlin' hot dog chili sauce when you were younger, it may bring back fond memories of yesteryear.

The slaw is finely diced, but is also dry and not at all sweet. It has the taste and texture of a bad knock-off of Hillbilly Hot Dogs not-so-great-itself slaw.

As long as you are not a child, elderly, or have a compromised immune system due to advanced HIV or bone marrow disease and you really enjoy a undressed dog with just mustard, this place really isn't half-bad. The buns and weenie are among the best in Huntingtonland.

As a WV Hot Dog Joint, though, I give them a 2.5 weenie rating. With some salt and chili powder for the sauce, some sugar and mayo/Miracle Whip for the slaw, and some disposable plastic gloves for the help, this could easily elevate to the 3-4 weenie range.

Finally! Midway set to return!

TriState hot dog lovers, rejoice!

"JASON" has just left this comment on an old post about the return of Midway Hot Dogs in Huntington:

"Midway Hot Dogs will be opening this week , June 11th 2008, Come join us for the RETURN of the best hot dog and SAUCE in Huntington. "

See you there.

Charleston Re-Review - The Grill

The reason for this re-review of The Grill on Charleston's West Side has nothing to do with the restaurant (which I like and eat non-hot dog meals there all the time), nothing to do with the review they got last time (which was a fairly poor 2 Weenie rating), and nothing to do with fairness or giving them another chance. It had everything to do with making sure that a historic event was held in an appropriate venue. You see, there's a new food review blog in Charleston called "Fork You" that reviews mostly locally owned restaurants in Charleston and throughout the state. I contacted the proprietors of that site when I first discovered it and made a polite threat that if they ever reviewed hot dogs that I would immediately file a huge lawsuit. Obviously scared by my legal maneuvering, they immediately agreed to my request, adding that they recognized that this blog was the king of weenies and they would not presume to attempt to usurp our throne. A kinder, gentler exchange of emails ensued. After a few weeks of reading Fork You, I realized that I had better make friends with these folks because it is obvious that they will soon supplant this blog as the premier food review site in Charleston and I want to stay in their good graces. They write good reviews, pick interesting places, and are prolific enough to already have over 20 reviews in less than two months. So in order to foster this new friendship it was decided that a summit would be held to get acquainted with each other and perhaps do a joint posting to celebrate the momentous occasion. But where in Charleston should we meet? There really is only one place for such a meeting. When Dick Cheney came to town, where did he eat? Where do all of the political power-players meet for lunch in Charleston? That's right, The Grill. The place that looks like it is what people had in mind when they coined the term "hole in the wall." The place that is short on charm and atmosphere, but long on simple, decent and greasy food. I reviewed The Grill's hot dogs in 2006. Follow that link, read the review and then add this addendum: The only thing different about a 2008 hot dog from The Grill is the bun. They offer two different versions: New England Style Split Top (buttered and grilled) and regular. I had one of each. Both buns were good (the regular wasn't hard this time), but the rest of the hot dog was still lackluster. I don't think I can upgrade the score. But this post is less about the hot dog review and more about telling our regular readers about the fun folks of Fork You. Really, I learned nothing in our meeting that I hadn't already gleaned from their blog except that their little avatars look amazingly like them. Misty, Susan, Daniel and Phil were the four Fork You reviewers that attended and they were all very impressive with their commitment and the way they went about the task of reviewing. I immediately recognized that being so unrestrained by having more than one menu item to review could be a bad thing. Susan changed her order about 23 times before the poor, beleaguered waiter finally nailed her down. Daniel took my advice and ordered a fish sandwich and I could tell after his first bite that he regretted taking a Weenie Wonk's endorsement for a non-hot dog item. (I swear Daniel, I had a fish sandwich there once and it was really good.) Here is the link to their review of The Grill. I hope everyone wil go over to Fork You and read through their archives and give them your support. What a great service they are providing to us, having a free and honest food review site to reference when making dining plans. It's a great alternative to other food blogs that might be a bit timid about being honest, lest they tick off an advertiser.

Blog For Sale

According to BlogShares, this blog is worth a cool $2.5 million. What with our recent downturn in posting frequency and the busyness of the summer season coming up, I am giving serious thought to selling out. I am willing to entertain offers, but it seems to me that $2.5 million is a good starting point.

Here is a quick summary financial statement for those interested investors. This covers the period from January 2006 thru today:

Income

Google Adsense $100

Net from Sales of T-Shirts & Merchandise $17

Total Income $117

Expense

Hot Dog Purchases $450

Ancillary Food Purchases $700

Fuel for review trips $900

Domain Registration & Hosting $220

Misc. Printing & Computer Costs $400

Total Expense $2,670

Net Profit - $2,553

Now I know that it might not look like a good investment on paper, but just think of all of the benefits that can't be measured in dollars and cents, like being recognized as an authority on hot dogs by misguided people all over the world.

Interested investors can express their interest in the comments section. Let the bidding begin!

Vandalia Gathering Hot Dogs

The Vandalia Gathering is the big Memorial Day weekend party thrown by the W. Va. Department of Culture and History each year on the grounds of the Capitol. You can read about it in this post from the Charlestonian Blog.

The Kiwanis Club of Charleston always has the hot dog concession for the festival. Normally I don't review hot dogs from festivals and church sales and other such temporary HDJs, but since the Kiwanis are there year after year selling the same hot dogs I thought I'd go ahead and give it a shot.

Despite including ketchup on an "everything" dog, the Kiwanis seem fairly serious about offering a decent hot dog. The chili seems to be home made and not bought in bulk (although it tastes a little too much like DQ Coney Souce to be called "good") and the slaw seems to be homemade (but won't be winning any prizes). The weenie is tasty and larger than your average HDJ weenie.

If I were giving this hot dog a serious rating, it might garner a 3 Weenie score. Since Vandalia is supposed to showcase the culture of our state I wish that they had a better hot dog to offer to visitors.

Deion Sanders wants to ruin your hot dogs.

Anyone else remember this infomercial from a few years back?




After the success of the Foreman grill, athletes started putting their name on any meat-related product, including this machine that allowed you to recreate the taste of a 7-11 dog in your own home.

Personally, I was always partial to the Dick Butkus newspaper grill for a great dog.

Nitro HDJ Review - Jake's Dawg House

Located inside Brandywine Flea Market on Rt. 25, Jake's Dawg House is one of those kind of HDJs that has unpredictable hours that you have to be fairly intentional about visiting. I tried three times before I finally found it open. The sign says it is open Wednesday - Sunday 9-5 but I had been there during those hours and found it closed. Such is the way of small HDJs. (I am forever getting mail from people who ask me to post hours for the places we review, but I have always resisted because most places are like this one: Open when they get there, closed when they leave.) The menu at Jake's is full of different combinations of hot dogs and toppings, and a request for "one with everything" got me a blank stare. So I special ordered one with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. The person behind the counter was friendly, but not too speedy. I was surprised by how long it took to get my order and disappointed to see it served in a coffin. Jake's buns are the split top New England Style variety and are nicely grilled. The weenie was hefty and had the distinctive all-beef flavor of a premium brand. I couldn't tell how it was prepared. On top of the weenie was a good measure of tasty, meaty chili. It wasn't very spicy, but was flavorful. The slaw was really creamy and nicely sweet. The whole ensemble worked nicely. It was a good, tasty and filling hot dog that earns a Four Weenie rating.

Charleston HDJ Review - Mrs. Winkle's

A staple of the old Plaza East shopping center was the little hot dog joint on the corner, Bowincal's. It closed many years ago but it has sat virtually unchanged through the years. You could walk by and see the tables and chairs sitting there waiting for people to fill them, and the serving counter waiting for someone to order one with everything. I was pleased when I heard that the place had reopened under a slightly different name.

Mrs. Winkle is presumably no relation to the former occupants, and her menu is definitely more diverse than the old place with things like Greek salads, hot wings and other trendy fast foods. But hot dogs still hold a place of honor on the menu, and the menu has several different versions and different toppings to work with. When I asked what "everything" was, I was greeted by an exasperated stare and so I withdrew my question and just asked for two with spicy chili (they have regular chili, but I wanted to see what "spicy" meant), slaw, mustard and onions.

My hot dogs took a long time to get to me, but I was not alone, quite literally. There must have been about 12 people waiting for their orders when I got there and another 4 or 5 came in after me. One disgruntled customer finally voiced his displeasure and left, donating his pre-paid food order in the process. I hung in there and waited almost 20 minutes. It was the heat of lunchtime, so I'll forgive them, especially because even though they were slammed I could see that they were still taking great care preparing the hot dogs instead of just throwing them together. Each bun was steamed, the mustard was carefully applied, the chili was lovingly spread and the slaw and onions were spooned into place like presentation actually mattered to them.

When I finally got my order I noticed that the two hot dogs "to go" were served in kind of a double-wide styrofoam coffin. No matter, the steamed bun and the piping hot toppings preserved themselves well on the short drive back to my office. When I opened the coffin I was greeted by a heady bouquet of really potent onions, but they didn't taste as strong as they smelled. The first thing I noticed when I bit into my dog was the unmistakable "snap" of a premium weenie: Probably either a Nathan's skinless or a Boar's Head. It was quite tasty like both of those brands and larger in size than your typical HDJ weenie.

The next thing that caught my attention was the spicy chili. It was indeed spicy; not Fairmont spicy, but pretty darned spicy for Charleston. It was really nice and complex too, with a tartness that one usually doesn't find in the spicy stuff up north. The slaw, while pretty tasty and fresh, wasn't quite up to the task of offsetting the chili. I'd imagine it would go well with the regular stuff, but the spicy just kinda burned through it. Still, this is a very good hot dog. It's a bit pricey for these parts at $1.90, but the premium ingredients are worth it.

Let's give Mrs.Winkle a 4.5 Weenie rating to leave her room for improvement. Sweeten the slaw and make it a little creamier and it would be flawless.

Presidential Endorsement

Based only on this photo I have to declare my support for Barack Obama to be the Democratic presidential nominee. We need a president who eats hot dogs.

This would be so much better if the hot dogs had slaw on them, but this photo was taken in Altoona, PA; not exactly the center of the WVHD universe.

Clendenin HDJ Review - Almost Heaven BBQ

With one 4 1/2 Weenie and one full fledged Five Weenie HDJ, Clendenin is already arguably blessed with more great HDJs per capita than any other town in West Virginia. What would be the odds that a new place that just opened up halfway between those two excellent HDJs would be a winner, too? If this were a typical town I'd say slim to none, but Clendenin seems to know its hot dogs so I went with an open mind.

Almost Heaven BBQ is a little window service carryout located on Spencer Road (the road that connects Clendenin with I79). While primarily a BBQ joint, the banner across the front of the building proudly states that they have hot dogs, always a good sign, and when I asked what everything includes I got even a better sign: "Chili, slaw, mustard and onions" I was told without equivocation. It only got better from there because my hot dog came wrapped in wax paper! My anticipation grew by the second and was rewarded when I opened up the paper and saw a huge mound of slaw that was finely chopped and just creamy enough. The slaw was rather colorless, with no carrots or anything else showing, but it tasted nearly perfect. The tiny pieces of cabbage were crisp and fresh, and slight sweetness matched the chili perfectly since it was fairly tame, spice-wise. It had a nice flavor, but was served very sparingly.

The weenie was remarkable because it was large in caliber and very tasty. I couldn't tell how it was prepared, but it was quite good. The bun was standard. The mustard was perhaps a little lightly applied.

We're gonna give Almost Heaven BBQ a 4.5 Weenie score. A little spicier chili would have kicked it up to a Five, but it is still a great hot dog.

Now please pay attention to this fact: Along one stretch of road in Clendenin there are two 4.5 Weenie HDJs and one 5 Weenie. Take a left and head a short distance up Elk River Road and you'll find another 3.5 Weenie HDJ that is a teaspoon away from a 4. I am very close to naming Clendenin as the hot dog capital of West Virginia, but I need to make another trip to Logan before I do that.

Fairmont HDJ Review – Dairy Creme Corner

If there's one thing that there never seems to be a shortage of here at WVHotDogs.com, it's recommendations for a favorite local HDJ. Case in point was the recent e-mail that Stanton forwarded to me from a reader named Cathy with the subject line “Need to try the BEST!!!”, referring to the Dairy Creme Corner in Fairmont.

Dairy Creme Corner is an inviting walk-up-or-eat-in type HDJ that primarily focuses on ice cream and summer comfort foods. It features an extensive menu of short order goodies on one of those menu boards that seemingly spans the width of the restaurant. You name it, chances are they've got it: all sorts of cool treats, burgers, salads, cheese steaks, nachos, funnel cakes, and the like. Places like these can take you back to summer nights when you were a kid. To boot, the service is friendly and prompt. Dairy Creme Corner should win the award for having the “Money Location”. It literally sits right at the base of the exit ramp of exit 137 off of I-79.

To be completely honest with you, I take any claims of the hot dogs at any given place being “the best” (or some similar claim) with a grain of salt. While it means a lot that someone thought enough of the product to recommend it, the rule of thumb is that no two tastes are the same. At any rate, I found the hot dogs here to be well worthy of high marks.

For starters, it's one flat price for any hot dog with any topping, to include slaw. In Marion County, this is a rarity since many HDJs in the area still believe in the phantom “no-slaw law”. The buns are steamed just about right to allow some absorption of the toppings, but not too much that they turn to mush. The weenie seemed to be adequately done. For some odd reason I had a hard time finding the onions and mustard in each bite, but they were still detectable.

The regular variation of the chili seems to be geared more to towards the southern WV formula, in that it doesn't rely on an overdose of spices, but rather a hearty flavor. The texture of the meat is nicely ground and cooked just to the point that the juices of the beef are released into a pleasing mix that compliments the weenie. The only drawback seems to be that there is a hint of ketchup stirred into the formula somewhere. Not enough ketchup to throw the formula into complete disarray, but just enough to make its presence known in fashion that annoyed my anti-ketchup palate.

The slaw as fresh, with an emphasis on a crispness in the finely cut cabbage. I found the flavor to be middle-of-the-road in terms of sweet/tangy ratio. On the downside, I thought the dressing was a bit too thin and runny for my personal liking. Again, this didn't ruin the hot dog, but it was a little unpleasant to have it running into the palm of my hand.

All in all, Dairy Creme Corner is a fun and pleasant place to take the family and enjoy the best of America's favorite summer treats. The hot dogs are really good, but come up a hair short of being the best they can be. Therefore, Dairy Creme Corner gets four and a half weenies.

Philippi HDJ Review – The Hot Dog Hut

Right next to the famous Philippi covered bridge rests a simple and unassuming brick building where The Hot Dog Hut serves up some halfway decent dogs. There's nothing flashy about the place, but the interior is spacious, clean, and comfortable.

One of the things I liked best about this place is that there is one flat price for hot dogs with whatever toppings you desire. This is a change from the standard menu offerings in this region of the state, which is usually chili, mustard, and onions (and ketchup if you're not careful), with slaw running extra. The list of toppings available at no extra cost, runs the whole gamut: the aforementioned ingredients as well as cheese, jalapeños, and sauerkraut.

As far as preparation goes, I was a bit amused by the attempt to place the chili and slaw side-by-side on the bun. It was a nice try, but after I unwrapped the wax paper, it looked like something of a car wreck. Looks aside, the overall product tasted good enough to just get by.

The bun was slightly warm yet stale, like it had been tossed in a toaster oven for a minute. This took away from the taste more than I anticipated, but not enough to make me give up on the dog. The beef in the chili was ground far too fine for a passable WVHD mix. There didn't seem to be a lot of liquid in the sauce, which would normally be a welcome thing. In this case it gave the chili a mealy texture, like you would find in a cheap chili that had cracker meal mixed into it. I didn't really find any of the said filler, but I also noticed that the spices were on the weak side. A little more chili powder or pepper flakes would've been a welcomed addition. In the end, the chili came through as more of a “safe” recipe in that it had a minimal beef flavor but not enough spice to cause any upset stomachs.

I couldn't really pick up anything notable about the slaw. It was cool and slightly sweet, but not over the top. In other words, they played it safe with the slaw (like the chili). The wiener and onions were adequate as well.

In the end, there's not a lot wrong with The Hot Dog Hut's version of a WVHD, but it's not necessarily great either. I don't know if I'd go out of the way to go get one, however. The Hot Dog Hut gets a “safe” three weenies.

Hillbilly Hot Dogs on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives"

Looking for Hillbilly Hot Dogs?

With last night's premiere of the Food Network's piece on Hillbilly Hot Dogs, this blog has seen a huge number of referrals from search engine queries looking for info on the place, Here are a few links to make your search easier:

Hillbilly Hot Dogs Web Site
WVHotDogs.com review of the original Lesage location
WVHotDogs.com review of the Huntington location
A local (Huntington, WV) newspaper article about last night's premier party

For those of you not familiar with West Virginia style hot dogs, you might be interested in this FAQ page that will clue you in on the reasons West Virginia hot dogs are the best hot dogs in the universe. Of course I should point out that most of the hot dogs that Hillbilly Hot Dogs sells are not typical West Virginia style hot dogs. They specialize more in the bizarre. While they do have a "West Virginia Hot Dog" on the menu, it is a rather inferior specimen since they refuse to have decent slaw, the main ingredient of a proper WVHD.

But hey, they do have the atmosphere, gotta give 'em that.

Charleston HDJ Review - Tricky Fish

This little restaurant, a spin-off of the Bluegrass Kitchen, has been rumored to be opening any day now for the better part of a year. Since it was also rumored to have hot dogs on its menu, I was particularly interested in seeing the "open" sign pop up. It finally did.

Tricky Fish sits in an little old house on Washington Street East just a block or so from the State Capitol building. Inside it is has been remodeled nicely with some interestingly constructed holes in the interior walls to give the place a more open feel. There are a couple of cool concrete counter tops with exposed glass aggregrate that are obviously new but most everything in the place looks like it's been there for years. It reminded me of a little restaurant one might find a few blocks from the ocean in any number of beach communities in the Carolinas or Virginia.

At the top of the menu at Tricky Fish are its hot dogs. a "House Dog" (all beef, nitrate free, no hormones antibotics or steroids), WV Produced Italian Sausage, and a Veggie Dog. I opted for a House Dog with chili, slaw and onions. Mustard (four different kinds) are available from the condiment stand. My hot dog had a base sticker price of $4 and chili & slaw added 90 cents to the bottom line. A canned Coke cost $1.25. Pricey, yes, but I hoped it would make up for it in volume and taste.

It half did: This is big hot dog. Meal sized, for sure. But the flavor was nothing like I hoped for. It was OK, but not a WVHD. The huge weenie was very flavorful, so much so that it shouted down the toppings. The chili seemed good but was served very sparingly so I couldn't get an adequate taste. The slaw was the same way. The onions were strong. The bun was huge, proportioned to hold the giant weenie, and the taste was pretty good.

The whole hot dog was flavorful, but not the kind of flavor I was looking for in a WVHD. It's difficult to give it a fair rank. In fact, the hot dog reminded me very much of the one I got at Barnyard in Buckhannon and I didn't give it a rank either. This site is about West Virginia Hot Dogs. I know West Viginia Hot Dogs. West Virginia Hot Dogs are a friend of mine. And this is no West Virginia Hot Dog.

PS: I will, though, go back to Tricky Fish to try an Oyster Po' Boy. It looked yum.

WV Hot Dog Festival video.

From the youth group of Lewis Memorical Baptist Church and posted to YouTube.

They manage to show video what seems to be all of the booths at last year's festival. In the comments on the video, the uploader calls Stewart's the best, which obviously means that he or she did not stop by M & M Dairy Bell's stall. :)

Great job, you guys.

PS - Mark your calenday, this year's fesitval will be on July 26.

Hot Dogs: It's What's For Dinner, Dammit!

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- A 28-year-old woman in Orange County stabbed her husband during a fight that sparked over having hot dogs for dinner, according to a sheriff's office report. Officers said Alfreda Van Bladel apparently had prepared a dinner for her husband, Anton, that consisted of hot dogs. At some point, the man snatched the plate of hot dogs from his wife's hands, the report said. The action prompted the woman to stab her husband in the shoulder with a steak knife, according to authorities. Anton Van Bladel then alleged grabbed a handgun and pointed it at the woman's head and said he was going to kill her. Both a knife and a handgun were recovered from the couple's home. The husband and wife were arrested and face several charges in connection with the incident, including aggravated battery and aggravated assault.

Oak Hill HDJ Review - Tom's Carry Out

I can safely say that I have received more email about Tom's Carry Out in Oak Hill than any other HDJ in the state. It took me a while to get there, but I had a little extra time on a recent trip to Beckley and was able to travel the extra 10 miles or so to Oak Hill. I didn't have any way of knowing where Tom's was located because no phone book or directory assistance service could provide a phone number or address. I figured though, with all of the love that readers had shown for Tom's, it wouldn't be hard to find someone to tell me. Sure enough, the very first person I asked, a lady walking along side the road, gave me impeccable directions. Soon I was heading down Jones Avenue and before long I saw the red and yellow sign that screamed "Hot Dog Joint." And let me tell you, Tom's is a real Hot Dog Joint: The kind that Weenie Wonks dream about.

The ambiance begins on the outside, with the aforementioned sign and the classic square cinder block structure with wide overhangs, and once inside the bright yellow paint and bare florescent tubes practically screams HDJ: I mean really, what other food could you possibly sell in a place like this? (The menu has hamburgers and a few other items, but every person that ordered while I was there ordered hot dogs.) Tom's is a no smoking establishment, but interestingly enough you can buy cigarettes there. A jar of pickled eggs sits on the counter, further enhancing the atmosphere of unrefined unpretentiousness. No less than a dozen hungry looking people waited on their orders as I came in, and another dozen came through before I left. Most got bags full of hot dogs to go.

One has a choice at Tom's between regular and foot long hot dogs. Regular are $1.09 each and foot longs are $1.99. "Everything" I was told, includes chili, slaw, mustard and onions: Music to my ears. I ordered two because I was pretty sure at this point that one wasn't going to be enough. I was right.

The first thing I noticed when I got my order was that the hot dogs were wrapped in wax paper, which meant they were really steamed nicely in their own moisture by the time I unwrapped them. But then I saw something somewhat disturbing: The chili was on top of the slaw! Wait a minute, I know what the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council says about this: Chili ALWAYS goes on the bottom. Now I have run into this disturbing upside-down presentation before, mostly down in Hinton, and whenever I do I struggle with the temptation to deduct a half-point just because it's weird, but more about that later.

One thing about having that chili right there on top, it gives a Weenie Wonk easy access to do the taste test. I was able to get a good taste, and it really tasted good. I mean really good. This is hot dog chili that is good on purpose. It is meaty, but fine textured; spicy and complex. Even the color is right: Dark brown and obviously prepared with care. They sell the chili in pints, quarts and gallons and I'll bet they sell a ton of it.

But the upside-down presentation completely hides the slaw and prevented a thorough tasting, which readers of this site knows is a bad thing: After all, it's all about the slaw, isn't it?

But it's also about the whole hot dog, too, and this whole hot dog is nothing but great. Tom's knows hot dogs. They care about hot dogs and it shows: It shows in the way they carefully spread the mustard on the bun instead of squirting it on like most HDJs; it shows in the way they mix up small batches of slaw when needed instead of having a monster-sized container of stuff that was made yesterday or last week. It shows in the way people flock to Tom's and write emails to hot dog blogs. It's inspiring.

But is it inspiring enough to offset the upside-down-ness? Can we award our highest honor, a Five Weenie rating, to a hot dog that is put together upside down? How can this be a real statewide treasure when it looks so wrong? Isn't it worthy of more than a merely mortal Four and a Half Weenies? What would Joe Manchin do?

Well, when the Gov and his administration was faced recently with the unsavory choice between labeling some less than pristine waterways as "Tier 2 Streams" because they didn't qualify as "Tier 3", why they just created a brand new level: Tier 2.5. Now West Virginia boasts the only Tier 2.5 streams in the whole USA. Now that's something to be proud of, huh?

So it would be completely reasonable to create a brand new 4.75 Weenie rank just for Tom's, right? Reasonable maybe, but too much work making a new graphic. Sorry Tom's, upside-down presentation gets a half-point deduction in these parts. So 4.5 Weenies it is.

But it might be the best tasting 4.5 in the whole state.

Barkersville HDJ Review - Lil' Pups Hot Dogs

I've always been fascinated by the popularity of White Castle Hamburgers. For those of you not savvy, White Castles are little hamburgers that people up north buy by the bag full when they are drunk. In my humble opinion you have to be drunk to eat them because they taste disgusting, and therein lies the fascination for me: I know people who eat them when they are sober and profess to think they are the best thing in the world. There is no adequate explanation for this. I'll just leave it as one of the unsolved mysteries of the universe.

I hadn't thought of White Castles in a long time, but when I ran across Lil' Pups Hot Dogs in Barkersville it all came back to me.

Lil's Pups sits right alongside Surveyor Drive in downtown Barkersville. I was intrigued by the sign that promised 4 hot dogs for a dollar, and a dozen for $2! How could I not stop and check it out? You're right, I couldn't!

I immediately discovered two things about Lil' Pups: They sell tiny hot dogs and the hot dogs they sell are not WVHDs at all (which is surprising since Barkersville is the quintessential southern West Virginia small town). "Everything" on a Lil' Pups hot dog includes mustard and ketchup. And the weenie on a Lil' Pup hot dog is basically a cocktail weenie without the yummy BBQ sauce that is typically served on these little hors d'oeuvres. Of course I could not bring myself to order ketchup on any hot dog, even a micro-dog, and so I got mine with just mustard. There really wasn't much room for anything else in the little bun anyway. Hard to complain about value, though, as two dogs, chips and a couple of pickle slices only rang in at 75 cents.

Of course a hot dog this size is a one-bite affair, and since I only got two I could barely even tell what they tasted like. I noticed, though, that other customers were getting them by the dozen and so I asked some of them what they thought (I immediately noticed that most of the clientèle were large, burly men who looked like they were not too discriminating about what went into their stomachs as long as it was voluminous). Most of the answers to my questions about why they liked Lil' Pups had their reasons based in quantitative terms, not qualitative. And most of Lil' Pups' customers probably would not understand that last sentence.

Large quantities of beer would no doubt help make Lil' Pups more palatable, and like White Castles I'm sure you could get used to the taste to the point it would grow on you and you might even begin to like them when sober. I decided quickly that I don't want to get that familiar with these hot dogs, regardless of how cheap they are.

Since Lil' Pups had neither chili or slaw they don't get a weenie rating, but if they did it would probably be a very low number: Maybe a 1.

As in April 1.