Charleston HDJ - Tusie's

Tusie's is across Quarrier Street from the Civic Center

I read somewhere that West Virginia has more places to gamble than any other state, and that seems to be true - at least per capita - since you can barely round a bend in a mountain road without finding a video lottery parlor. I've long been convinced that there are more places to buy hot dogs here than anywhere else, since nearly every restaurant and convenience store has at least some kind of hot dog offering. Many years ago we noticed that some Hot Dog Joints were turning into gambling joints (Sam's in Marmet & Custard Stand in Oak Hill, just to name two), but this is the first time we've heard of a gambling joint being turned into a HDJ.

So here in downtown Charleston, just across from the Civic Center, we have the melding of two WV superlatives: a gambling joint that sells hot dogs. And these aren't just any old hot dog. What we have here is a Five Weenie WVHD.

Long time readers know that we rarely give out a Five Weenie rank. In fact, it has been years since we ran across one. And certainly about the last place we expected to find one was in this little metal building across from the Charleston Civic Center whose primary business is taking quarters away from math-challenged people. In fact, we are very tempted to allow the unscrupulous business model - albeit perfectly legal - to disqualify this place as a HDJ; at least we were until we tasted the hot dog.

$3.50!

Ethics and morals out the window, I plead guilty to being corrupted by the steamed-soft bun, the delicious and aromatic chili and slaw combination and the obvious care and attention that went into making these hot dogs.

This hot dog is great study in the synergy required for a great WVHD. The slaw alone wouldn't make the cut and the chili is good, but not great on its own. But the slaw seemed to be the soulmate of the chili and vice-versa. And sitting on top of a nicely cooked and flavorful weenie that was nestled into a perfectly steamed bun, this is teamwork. A symphony of olfactory and taste delight.

Surprisingly inviting and comfortable dining area

And listen to this: No doubt due to the subsidy provided to the owners by the ultra-profitable gambling going on in the other room, the price of these hot dogs is low. Two dogs, chips and a coke for $3.50 (no doubt meant to keep hungry gamblers from leaving the premises for lunch).

Tusie's also surprised me with its atmosphere, which was much more warm and inviting than I expected. I ordered my lunch to go, but would not have felt at all uncomfortable eating there. The gambling room is separated from the dining area by a door, and the players were too engrossed in their activities to give me a first glance.

I'll be back. Maybe soon.

Huntington HDJ ReReview - Midway West Drive In

This venerable Hot Dog Joint has been getting more than its share of love lately on FaceBook reviews. It seems every time we review a less-than-stellar HDJ there is always someone commenting that we should check out Midway. They are right, of course, because the last time we reviewed this place it was shortly after it reopened in 2008. It didn't get good marks then, but we often give new places a second chance after they have some time to iron out the wrinkles. We usually don't wait 9 years, though. You'd think that after nine years this place would have its act together.

It does. Spectacularly so.

I made the drive to Huntington on Saturday and timed it out to arrive at lunchtime. Expecting it to be pretty busy, I was a bit relieved when I found it not so, and a grabbed a prime parking spot where I could see both the inside and outside activity (there is inside seating for a few folks at the counter). Almost before I could get my window down, the extraordinarily friendly and efficient carhop was there to take my order. I asked what "everything" was and he said it right: Sauce (being Huntington), slaw, onions and mustard. Perfect. I asked for two and side of fries and away the carhop went.

I thought I'd take some notes while I waited on my order to come out. The place look like it has been recently painted, is clean and...WHOA that was fast! I have no idea how they served me so fast. It was dizzying how quick it was. And I wasn't a fluke either; I watched while I ate and everyone was served fast and friendly.

But experience teaches me that fast dogs aren't always good dogs, so I cautiously unwrapped the first dog, which had a nice heft and temperature. Wrapped in paper, the dog was steamy and soft. It smelled heavenly. Nearly a perfect Utilitarian Dog presentation.

The slaw was beautifully chopped and quick taste revealed it to be slightly sweet. The chili was under the weenie - not the preferred placement but a sight better than those crazies who put it on top of the slaw - was rich and complex but lacked much spiciness. It paired well with the slaw, though, so we'll not penalize it much,

Altogether, this was simply the best hot dog I've had in quite awhile. The class of Huntington HDJs for sure, and a definite


contender for the next Statewide Top Ten list. We're going to rate it 4 1/2 Weenies primarily because of the lack of spice in the chili, er I mean, sauce. We never give extra points for service, but if we did they would surely get a bump. Likewise for the crinkle-cut fries which were perfectly crispy and delicious. 

A Sad, Sad Day for WV Hot Dog Fans

We've seen it happen all too many times. Tiger Woods, Brett Favre, Johnny Unitas just to name a few. People who were the best in the game and then sadly went downhill. People now remember them not  just for their greatness, but for the lackluster performance of their declining years.

It happens with Hot Dog Joints, too. And now, it has happened to the King of WV Hot Dogs.

A trip south this weekend gave me the opportunity to stop in for hot dogs at Morrisons Drive Inn in Logan (OK, technically Stollings). When I say "opportunity" I mean it in the most positive way: I look forward to a trip to Morrisons - which has topped every list of best WVHDs we have produced since 2007 - like a five year old child looks forward to Christmas morning. Or at least, I used to. It all changed this weekend.

Driving up to the curb-service parking area, my mouth was already watering. When the car hop came to my window I got my first inkling that this trip might be different when she asked if I wanted slaw on my hot dogs with everything. What? How's that? I did say everything, right?

I found this more than a little unsettling. It was like buying tickets to Disneyland and begin asked if I wanted Mickey Mouse to be included in the price. I expect this kind of behavior up north, closer to Fairmont, and I will tolerate it in Huntington, but please, not at Morrisons. Please, for the love of all things Holy, not Morrisons.

I shook it off.

After few minutes I began waiting on my hot dogs and remembering that they have never, ever disappointed me. I told myself that this "you want slaw with that" moment could be explained by the possibility that the car hop was new, or some other reason that didn't mean that Morrisons was slipping. I waited some more. And some more.  25 minutes for two hot dogs and fries, and they really weren't very busy.

The waiting didn't bother me. Some things, grandma always said, are worth waiting for. And surely, this had always applied to Morrisons hot dogs before.

When my order finally arrived, the first thing that I noticed was that my fries were stone cold. That's OK, I thought, I'm not here for the fries, They are but an accoutrement to the main course. And my hot dogs looked great, there inside Morrisons' signature cellophane wrappers. I expected that when I unfurled them that they would be the same delicious Utilitarian Dogs that I always had before, soft and maybe even slightly gooey from being steamed inside the wrapping.

They weren't.

The buns were hard on the bottom, almost to the point of being crunchy. The temperature of the hot dogs was not sufficient to create steam anyway. And the slaw that I was asked about? Barely there, and completely tasteless. The chili still tasted about the same as before, but it was a little bit cold and therefore had a greasy feel.

Morrisons, whose hot dogs I have never found to be deserving less than a 5 Weenie rating, has fallen so far since I was last there. This hot dog - even adjusting for my disappointment and being as objective as I can possibly be - would barely rate 3 Weenies, and that is generous.

It could have been an off day. But the King isn't allowed an off day. Part of why they were the King was due to the fact that they were 100% dependable for decades.

I am shaken to the core. The one thing that seemed so constant in my life has fallen from its pedestal. The King might not be dead, but he is certainly showing signs of mortality. And now, perhaps, it is a good day to start thinking about who will take Morrisons' place on the throne.

Nominations, please.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Davis Hot Dog Joint - Wicked Wilderness Pub 'n' Parlor

We discovered what might be the highest HDJ in the state. Both elevation-wise and price-wise.

If the Town of Davis' claim of being the highest incorporated town is accurate (and we have no reason not to believe them), and if there are no other hot dog joints in town (we couldn't find any) then indeed the Wicked Wilderness Pub n Parlor must be tops -- as it were-- in the State of West Virginia.

This recently-opened establishment has basic bar food and drinks and is an overall nice place. Located right next door to Sirriani's Cafe, which previously might have been the only bonafide restaurant in Davis (and a little more previously it might have been the only real restaurant in all of Tucker County), the WWPnP is in a good location to catch some of the the hungry hordes that are routinely standing outside waiting for a table there. The Saturday evening we were there they seemed ready for a large influx of customers with plenty of waitstaff, but business was slack early on.

I really wasn't there to do a hot dog review, but when I saw the lovely words "West Virginia style" under the "Wicked Hot Dog" title, I knew I had to check it out. At $6.50, this would certainly be one of the highest-priced hot dogs we've reviewed - a fitting companion to its high elevation, I guess. I hoped it would be enough to satisfy my dinner-sized appetite.

When my hot dog arrived, it was easy to see why it was so pricey - the thing was YUGE and I did not worry about leaving hungry. The weenie was as large as any I have encountered, and as a bonus, was quite tasty. It would have gone well as the centerpiece of a sausage-centric entree with a couple of vegetable sides. To give you a sense of the size of this monster, look at the photo: The bun was actually a standard-size hoagie bun, though, so it lacked the soft feel that one looks for in a proper WVHD bun. It also lacked any substance in that critical space under the weenie, so all of the ingredients started falling out of the bottom with the first bite.

The slaw looked great, finely chopped and liberally applied (yes, you anti-carrot people, it has orange flecks. Why are you SO against color in your slaw?), and tasted good if not great. That chili though...

The chili, or rather I should say "chili," because it was not really chili. It was browned ground beef with almost no seasoning whatsoever. Maybe it was a bad batch, but it was absolutely the most bland tasting chili-like substance I have ever had on a hot dog. With a name like "Wicked Hot Dog" I was really expecting something spicy, but nothing could have been further from the truth.

The bottom line is that, despite the menu's claim, this was not really a West Virginia style hot dog. It was an attempt at a meal-sized facsimile of a WVHD but fails primarily due to the lack of seasoning in the "chili," but also because of the overall size and lack of a real bun. We'll give it a 3 Weenie score for effort, but we'll keep looking for a real hot dog in the Davis/Thomas/Canaan Valley area.

Barkersville HDJ Review - Le Chien est Chaud French Bistro

We have long maintained on this blog that the West Virginia Hot Dog is an art form unto itself, but never before have we found a hot dog joint that embraced the idea more than does Le Chien est Chaud in Barkersville. To call this lovely restaurant a hot dog joint might be seen as a disservice to some, but not to Claude de'Avril, the friendly owner and chef of Le Chien.

"Not at all!" de'Avril said with a chuckle. "When I came to West Virginia I was delighted by the culinary landscape, and what would it be without the West Virginia Hot Dog? We are honored to be called 'hot dog joint'"!

Le Chien est Chuad's signature dish!

With menu items ranging from a hand-cut Delmonico steak to New Orleans Style Bouillabaisse, you might be surprised to find hot dogs on the menu, but there they are right between the Coho Salmon and the Veal Scallopini. Listed as the signature dish, the entree that takes the bistro's name as its own is no ordinary WVHD, but  "two deconstructed West Virginia hot dogs. Delicately grilled frankfurters served with moutarde jaune, onions, chili con-carne and koosla."  Deconstructed dishes are all the rage in fancy big-city restaurants these days, but we were still surprised to find this dish in a small town like Barkersville, even though this little burg has surprised us before with its culinary offerings. We were eager to try it.

While Claude was preparing our dish, we looked around the interior of the restaurant with great interest. A neat display of old photos and newspaper stories from the 1920's illuminated the impact that French immigrants had on Barkersville. According to one of old newspaper clippings, at one time there were so many native Frenchmen on the town council that it almost changed the name of the town to "Poisson," in recognition of the great fishing that could be found in Barker Creek which runs through the middle of town. The native locals, however, though the word was off putting since it was only one "s" removed from a very negative English word. The locals won, evidently.

Culinary artistry!

 After a reasonable wait, our entree arrived and we were simply stunned by its appearance. Certainly this WVHD was far different from any other we had encountered. While the weenies were presented in their entirety, the bun had been carved into bite size pieces and lightly toasted. Small mounds of chili and "koosla" (slaw) were placed nearby on the plate and an artistic stripe of moutarde jaune (yellow mustard) brought color and life to the plate, which was made complete by a beautiful arrangement of delicately sliced onions. After beholding the artistry for a moment we were eager to dig in.

Chili, slaw mustard and onion was our favorite combination

Not wishing to commit a faux pas, we asked Claude how he had intended the dish to be eaten, whether with fingers or knife and fork. He suggested we use utensils, but to vary our bites so different combinations of the ingredients could be tasted. We definitely found the best combination to be a bite of bread, a cut of meat dipped in mustard and dredged through the complex chili and sweet cole slaw. Delightful.

We also took the chef's suggestion for a wine pairing, the 2013 Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet. The wine's rich, hedonistic core of wild berry, blackberry, plum and currant, with a graceful, elegant mouthfeel and supple, caressing tannins leading to a long, powerful and refined aftertaste was the perfect complement to the entree.

So rich! We couldn't finish the meal!

At $21, these are the most expensive hot dogs we've ever bought, but the dish would have been a bargain at even a higher price point. Deceptively rich and filling, it didn't leave us room for dessert; a shame because the Moon Pie Flambe' sounded so tempting! Perhaps the next trip - and there will definitely be a next trip for this Weenie Wonk.

While we never give an official Weenie Rating to hot dogs that are so non-standard as these, we do give Le Chien est Chuad our highest recommendation as a fine dining restaurant and a great place to dine on special occasions, like April Fools Day.

A partial list of some HDJs that have closed since our last review

The Hot Dog business in West Virginia is tough since most every locally owned restaurant includes some kind of hot dog on its menu. Perhaps this is the reason that a lot of promising HDJs have closed in the last few years. Whatever the reason, we feel it is our duty to report the casualties from time to time. Here is our most recent list of formerly great HDJs that have bitten the dust:

Hog and Dog - Charleston 

Sistah's Rib Shack - Charleston

Sammy's Chili Dogs - St. Albans (now called Bammy's)

J's Grocery - Bluewell

Not Franks Pizza - Shrewsbury (we're not sure if the Montgomery location is still there)

Five Corners Cafe - Charleston

The Blossom Dairy - Charleston

Maggie Moo's Ice Cream- Charleston

The Daily Grind - Charleston

Sister Act Cafe - Charleston

Wild Flour Bakery - Fayetteville

In addition to these that succumbed to the natural pressures of competition, we also lost two well-known HDJs to last June's floodwaters: 

Mumsey's Iron Skillet - Richwood

Dairy Queen - Clendenin

On this first day of spring we can only hope that the newness of the season brings us many more great HDJs to take the place of these fallen heroes.

Teays Valley HDJ Review - L&R BBQ

This little restaurant, that has recently changed ownership (and its name) is hidden back in a little cove alongside Route 34 near Hurricane High School. You will probably smell it before you see it, because out front is a high-capacity smoker that seems to be always emitting a large quantity of delicious smelling hickory smoke.

Not knowing that hot dogs were on the menu when I stopped, I had set my taste buds for pulled-pork. But since I rarely get to Teays Valley at lunch time and didn't know when I'd be back this way to do a review, I thought I might as well get the hot dog special, especially since it was called the "WV Special" and the ingredients were listed correctly. At $2.25 a dog, these would be on the pricey side, but would they be worth it?

One very encouraging sign that the hot dogs might be good was that the menu offered their hot dog chili in take-home quantities.

So I ordered the special, straight up, and in a flash my hot dogs had been delivered to my table. Honestly, at first sight I was a little overwhelmed by the sheer volume of slaw on top of the hot dogs, and a little turned off by the onions that were chopped a little too coarsely for my tastes. But all of that prejudice vanished when I took the first bite.

OK, first, the chili: Yes, I think I will take a tub of that to go. I will eat it on hot dogs, spaghetti, heck, on saltine crackers if I have to. This stuff is tasty. Rich, complex and perfect texture. A pronounced chili-powder taste, but not too spicy otherwise. Just delicious.

And the slaw? Heavenly. I was at first a little concerned by all of the green flecks, thinking they were grated bell peppers, but it didn't taste like it. This slaw goes perfectly with the complex chili and even though it was piled high on the bun, it did not overwhelm the chili. It is sweet and perfect in texture. The two were just great together.

The onions were mild enough that the large size didn't hurt, and the slaw was such a beautiful texture that they kind of sunk into it and didn't fall off like coarse onions are often wont to do.

And there was the weenie. OK, you know that we usually get all googly about weenies around here, but this weenie made the whole dog better because it had obviously spent some time hanging out in the smoke house out front. The smoky-grilled goodness took this hot dog from being really good to Five Weenie great.

These hot dogs are so good, it's probably a good thing that I don't get to Teays Valley at lunch time very often. But then again, there's always dinner...

Charleston Hot Dog Cart Review - Super Weenie

On a nice Spring day, there's nothing like a good hot dog served fresh from a cart along a tree-lined street.

That's why I was psyched to find this new hot dog cart sitting on the corner of Capitol and Lee Streets, just outside of Davis Park. How could there be a better location to enjoy a hot dog? Before I allowed myself, though, to get too excited, I recalled past hot dogs I had found at downtown Charleston street vendors. Many people have tried, and almost all have failed, to deliver a good WVHD from the challenging conditions posed by a cart. Would Super Weenie be different?

I had a good feeling when I noticed that the menu had "Chili - Slaw- Onions - Mustard" segregated in a special place at the top. When I asked what "everything" was, I was confidently told the proper ingredients for a true West Virginia Hot Dog. I also was really, really impressed that while Super Weenie had ketchup on its list of possible toppings, it was at the very bottom of the list and in a very small font. Excellent.

My optimism increased when I read that the weenies were Nathan's Famous, and it swelled again when I was asked if I would like my bun steamed! Oh, boy, would I ever! But how is that even possible on a cart? Ingenuity, that's how (I'll leave it to you, dear reader, to find out for yourself how they do it.)

As if I could get any more optimistic, I nevertheless was when the lid came off of the chili container and the rich and complex aroma met my olfactory organ. And seeing the texture of the chili as it was spooned onto the hot dog also added to to my ever-heightening expectations; it looked simply perfect.

Alas, the slaw's appearance did not inspire further confidence, being a little too chunky, But when the finished hot dog was finally delivered into my waiting hands, the heft, softness and aroma combined into a multi-sensory delight.

Tasting the hot dog did not disappoint. All of the visuals translated to taste as I expected, although the chili could stand a bit more spice. Perhaps the most remarkable thing for a cart hot dog was that everything was the perfect temperature: Each ingredient was exactly right, the weenie and chili were hot and the slaw was cold. The only part of this hot dog that needs improvement is the slaw: The texture is far too coarse and the flavor is a bit bland. This should be an easy fix, and for a five-day old business, we can only expect things to improve moving forward. Perhaps by the end of summer, Super Weenie will be truly super.

For now, we're still going to award Super Weenie a very good Four Weenie rating. Better slaw will definitely bump it a half-point.

 You will be able to find Super Weenie on the same corner on most nice days for the rest of the Summer and into the Fall, and you can follow them on Facebook here.

Upper Kanawha Valley HDJ Review - Not Frank's Pizza

So we went to Not Frank's Pizza. Not "Frank's Pizza", "Not Frank's Pizza." And not for pizza, but for hot dogs.

If you found that sentence confusing, you can read about the way this restaurant got its unusual name here. And then come back here to find out about their hot dogs.

Now for the record, we did not go to Not Frank's original Montgomery location, but the new on that is located in the old Twin Hills Restaurant in Shrewsbury. To confuse matter more, the Twin Hills sign is still on the west side of the building, so perhaps this Not Frank's should be known as "Not Twin Hills,"  but that is a business decision they need to make. We're here to talk about hot dogs.

First, be advised that "everything" on a hot dog at Not Frank's will get you ketchup if you're not careful. I, being careful about such things, deleted that from my order. I was first a little dismayed when the waitress told me that she would get my hot dogs "as fast as we can," and I worried that I would be in for a long wait even though there wasn't another soul in the place. Thankfully the wait wasn't too long, and I was further encouraged by the look of my hot dogs when they arrived. Over the last several hot dog reviews I have done, IO have seen a disturbing trend toward coarse slaw that was made with large chucks of cabbage, but Not Frank's was exactly the opposite: Finely grated, but perhaps a bit too runny. It tasted fine, though, more sweet than tart and was applied in generous helpings.

The chili was decent, with a slightly spicy taste and a nice texture. The chili and slaw went together well. I could not detect any onions at all: either they were chopped as small as the cabbage, or they were hidden under another topping.

The bun was one of those Yankee New England Split Top Lobster Roll buns that have been invading West Virginia for some time now (and about which we are going to be having a conversation real soon because the WV Hot Dog Public needs educated - again). It was grilled and tasted OK, but as always added way too much bulk to the finished hot dog.

Overall, the hot dog was satisfying. Nothing to right home about, but certainly not disappointing. We'll award it a 3.5 Weenie rating. With better onions and bun it could be a 4.

Charleston HDJ Review - Big Joe's Bar & Grill

I've been trying to get to Big Joe's for a while, not for hot dogs but for their Pastrami on Rye; a sandwich I had heard about my whole life but have never tasted. As far as I know, Big Joe's is the only restaurant in Charleston - maybe in West Virginia - that serves this New York staple food, and furthermore, they make their own pastrami on the premises. I had to try it, and when I finally made it in I found that they also had hot dogs, so I had to try those too. I should have stopped with the pastrami.

So should Big Joe's. They should stop offering hot dogs. Never serve another one. Ever. Let me explain:

The first indication that this was not good to be a good hot dog experience was when I saw cheese as a standard topping. I of course, deleted the dairy and went ahead boldly, thinking that at least the rest of the standard ingredients were correct - chili, slaw, mustard and onions. But then...

My hot dogs arrived and I immediately recognized a few potential problems: First, the bun had been grilled to within and inch of its life, and was no longer able to hold the weenie and other toppings. When I picked up my first hot dog it fell apart on the way to my mouth, and the second one - still on my plate - fell over when the first one was moved spilling its toppings all over the plate. Easily the messiest two hot dogs I have ever eaten. And I will remind you, I have eaten a lot of hot dogs.

When the "chili" spilled out (and I use quotation marks to sarcastically point out that it was pseudo-chili), from the looks and taste of it, it was nothing more than slightly browned ground beef. Tasteless.

Then there is the "slaw" (yes, there are those sarcastic quotes again), that seemed to be the cabbage portion of sauerkraut with nothing else added to it. It was long, stringy threads of cabbage with hardly any flavor.

There were large hunks of red onions on top of the stringy slaw.

The mustard and weenie were fine.

Big Joe's gets 1 Weenie, and that might be generous.
 

WV Hot Dog Wins National Championship for 2nd Straight Year!

Townsville HDJ Review - The Hot Dog Factory

The WV Hot Dog Blog has gone on record numerous times about the way weenies are prepared. While we prefer grilled weenies, we are not too awfully concerned when hot dog joints use other methods to heat their meat. We've had excellent hot dogs whose weenies just came out of a hot bath, and even the dreaded roller dogs can't hold an otherwise good hot dog down. Generally speaking, we take a "when in Rome" attitude about how weenies are cooked.

But hold the phone, we recently were told about a new hot dog joint in Townsville that did something completely out of the ordinary to their hot dogs: Chicken Fried Hot Dogs. We could not envision what a chicken-fried hot dog would look like, much less taste like, so we scheduled a road trip up Route 12 as soon as we could. Although we didn't have an address for The Hot Dog Factory, we went anyway, figuring that we'd ask around once we got there. It turned out we didn't have to ask, because as you probably know, Townsville has only one street that runs through the center of town and every business (I think there are three) is on this street, so we soon found ourselves in front of a very cool looking little hot dog joint. We hoped that they had normal hot dogs in case the chicken-fried version wasn't to our liking.

Chicken-Fried Hot Dog

Walking in to the Hot Dog Factory, we immediately spied the Chicken Fried Hot Dog on the menu, threw caution to the wind and ordered up. When asked what "everything" meant, I was please to hear that Chili, slaw, mustard and onion were the standard toppings. I didn't however, expect to be asked whether I wanted Original or Extra Crispy, but without thinking I went for original. 

Now I have certainly had chicken-fried steak, and even chicken-fried chicken and I thought I knew what to expect. I envisioned that my hot dog would have its weenie encrusted with a golden-brown crust, nestled inside a bun with the normal toppings applied. I was even a little concerned about my ability to take a good photo of the weenie, and I found myself kind of hoping that the toppings would be more sparsely applied that I usually like so I could get a better look. 

I completely misunderstood. 

When The Hot Dog Factory says "Chicken Fried Hot Dog" they aren't talking about the weenie. No, they take the entire hot dog, bun, toppings and all, and dip it into the chicken batter and then crispy fry the whole thing. So the finished product was a regular old West Virginia hot dog completely encased in a crust. Are you understanding this, dear reader? The Bun, weenie, chili, slaw, mustard and onions were on the inside! Astounding!

After getting over my initial shock, I finally bit into the hot dog and was amazed to find that it was absolutely delicious. The ingredients that we so love in their normal state, were somehow enhanced by the deep frying, and the salty chicken-crust made the whole thing an absolute symphony of flavor! I immediately ordered another one and forgot all about trying the other hot dogs on the menu (of which there are many, including a veggie dog that uses a steamed carrot in place of the weenie). It wouldn't be fair to rate this hot dog on the same Weenie Scale as more traditional hot dogs, but if we did it would surely be worthy of a 5 Weenie score.

We were so impressed by the Chicken-fried Hot Dog at the Hot Dog factory that we made plans for a return trip. We're thinking of going back again next year on the same day, because April 1 seems like the perfect day to have a foolish-sounding hot dog like this.  

Charleston HDJ Review - Dem 2 Brothers and a Grill

Dem 2 Brothers and a Grill is one of the greatest culinary success stories ever in Charleston. Starting out with a smoker/grill along the sidewalk of one of Charleston's famous Five Corners where they developed a huge following, they eventually moved into an actual building on another of the corners. Then most recently moved across the street to yet another corner. But don't think that their largest claim to fame is dominating 3 out of 5 corners, or being the restaurant in town with the most slogans ("We be smokin'," "Home of Bay's Famous Ribs," "The best smelling corner in town"). No, D2B&AG has become the quintessential pulled-pork restaurant in town, and has been featured on a couple different nationwide TV shows to boot.

Having been to D2B&AG for pulled pork and other of their fantastic food, I was looking forward to checking out their hot dogs.

Although the lady behind the counter really had no idea of what "everything" meant ("I don't know what all they put on them back there," she said), I cut through the red tape and ordered mine with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. When they popped out of the kitchen, I was pleased to see they were tightly wrapped in aluminum foil, because I had planned on taking them for a short drive and eat the at home. I knew that the foil would keep them warm and give them a good steaming.

Upon arriving at home and unwrapping my lunch, I was a little dismayed to see the roughly chopped coleslaw that was piled on top of it. Now I should have known, since I had had their slaw with pulled pork, but then it was hidden under the bun. Here, exposed on top of the hot dog, it looked way too coarse. This, as it turned out, was the last complaint I would have about the hot dog.

The bun was very unusual because it was a standard hot dog bun, but it had been grilled; something usually reserved for New England Style buns. I'm not sure if I have ever - in over 10 years of hot dog reviewing - seen a standard bun grilled before. It was a great touch, providing that comfort-food toasted flavor and slight crunch without being overwhelming like those lobster buns.

Next was the split and grilled weenie. It was high-quality and expertly grilled. Covering the weenie was some delicious chili with just enough spice to make itself known. It paired well with the slaw.

This was a very good and satisfying hot dog, and if it weren't for the coarse slaw I would be tempted to award a strong 4.5 Weenie rating, but I have to deduct a half point, but still a strong 4 Weenie hot dog.

As good as it is, though, it's still my second favorite thing at Dem 2 Brothers. Next time I go back it will be for the pulled pork. Man cannot live by hot dogs alone; not even Weenie Wonks.

Eleanor HDJ Review - The Baker's Table

In the town of Eleanor along Roosevelt Boulevard sits The Baker's Table, a little bakery/eatery that
serves up lots of sweet goodies and down-home comfort food. I'm not sure how long it's been open, but it seems to have a pretty loyal following. Having heard good things, I decided to stop in and check out their confections, but that was before I found out that there were hot dogs on the menu. After seeing this, my plans changed.

Now if one is going to sell hot dogs in Eleanor, one must be aware of the competition, chiefly the Eleanor Dairy Queen. The DQ has an enormous fan base, hot dog wise, and it sits just a few hundred feet away from The Baker's Table. I surmised that in order for TBT to sell enough hot dogs in this location to make it worth ordering buns, they must have a pretty good dog. Surmised and hoped.

My hopes were tempered when the waitress told me that "everything" meant "anything you want," but really couldn't give me a list of choices. After a bit of pressing, she finally listed "sauce, slaw, ketchup, mustard, bacon, cheese..." so I stopped her and asked her to bring me two with "sauce", slaw, mustard and onions.

While I waited on my hot dogs I mused over the waitress' use of "sauce" instead of the more common Kanawha Valley term "chili." (Regular readers know that "sauce" is the preferred term for North Central WV and along the Oho River, but most of the rest of the state calls it "chili"). One of the possible explanations that came to mind was that perhaps the sauce was very liquidy, which sometimes explains why the term is used out of character, or that perhaps the owner is from Huntington and doesn't know any better.

When my dogs arrived, the first thing I saw was beautiful, fine grated and creamy coleslaw neatly applied and in a generous helping. I eagerly sampled a taste and was surprised that it was a bit bland. I could tell it was very fresh, as the cabbage flavor and aroma was pronounced, but little other flavor could be detected.

Digging deeper, the "sauce" mystery deepened because it was not at all thin and runny as I expected it might be, but as dry as it could be. The flavor was almost exactly like Taco Bell's taco meat, or what I make at home to go over a taco salad, a concoction with only three ingredients: ground beef, water, and a package of Old El Paso taco seasoning. This is not the first time I have encountered the taco-meat hot dog, but it is the first time in a place that called it "sauce."

The taco meat and chili weren't terrible together, though, so there might have been hope for this hot dog, if not for the bun. New England Style lobster roll buns that had been dry-toasted and not - as most New England Style buns found in WVHDJs would have been - buttered and grilled. The crunchy bun was not at all satisfying and detracted over all from the hot dog.

We're going to give The Baker's Table a 2.5 Weenie rating. I'm not sure if it deserves 2.5, as I might have been unfairly influenced by the delicious frosted cookie that I grabbed at the register.

If you are in Eleanor with a hankering for a hot dog, my advice is to head over to the DQ, or better yet, jump across the bridge to Winfield, go a mile or so up old Rt 35 to Dairy Freeze.

Charleston HDJ Review - The Quarrier Diner

The exterior has been beautifully restored.

This venerable old diner in downtown Charleston has opened and closed more times than I can count. Originally called The Quarrier Diner, it was built in the early 1950s, when it was hailed as an architectural gem by the West Virginia chapter of the American Institute of Architects. In the late 1970s, the restaurant became commonly known as Young's Diner (named for owner Charlie Young), even though the front of the building still sported the beautiful Art Nouveau  "Quarrier Diner" lettering. When the latest owners both the building several years ago, they repaired some of the exterior finish and made slight - and very appropriate - upgrades to the interior. The whole place is still a showplace.

After re-opening to a large fanfare a few years ago, the diner portion of the business closed down again and for a while it seemed that the downstairs bar, Timothy's, was the only viable part of the business. Recently, though, signs of life have emerged upstairs and the diner has once again started serving lunch during the week, dinner on Friday and will soon be starting a Sunday morning brunch service,

The interior is beautifully preserved.

So with the renewed vigor starting to show, I thought it was time to drop in for a hot dog review.

Service was fast and friendly and soon I was seated with a menu. A momentary panic set in as I didn't see hot dogs listed right away, but then I found them listed on the left side under "Specials." That was a good sign, I thought. When I asked what "everything" included, I was dismayed if not surprised to hear ketchup among the condiments, I simply deleted the red stuff and got an "everything else" dog which of course included mustard, chili, slaw and onions.

When my dogs arrived the first thing I noticed was the Lobster Roll bun, which was lightly toasted and strangely small. It was as if the bun had shrunk somehow and it was about 3/4 the size of a normal New England Style bun. It barely contained the weenie, which tasted fine but was a little mushy - like it had been sitting in water for too long.

The chili was extraordinarily meaty and when I isolated a taste of it I found it to be very, very sweet with nary a trace of spice. The taste was almost ketchupy, but a little more complex. Think about a dark sweet Bolognese spaghetti sauce and you will be close.

The slaw was far to creamy and runny for my tastes. The flavor was a little bland, but when paired with the sweet chili it worked well, making this an overall acceptable hot dog. We will give it a 3 Weenie score. With a better bun it could be a 3.5.

While its doubtful that the QD is going to become my go-to place downtown for hot dogs, it is nice to have them back in the mix. Downtown Charleston needs another lunch spot and Friday evening dinner option. I am also looking forward to trying out the brunch!

Charleston Area HDJ Review - One Stop Sub Express

I was in a hurry and had to stop for a quick lunch, so I thought I would drop in at the Sub Express inside the One Stop on Lee Street West. I was thinking turkey sub, but then I saw a sign advertising a hot dog special, so I figured I'd take a chance. Almost immediately after ordering, regrets started creeping into my brain.

First of all, I should have known better than to order a hot dog at a place where the toppings are completely undefined. Asking what "everything" meant was met with a blank stare, and a gesture toward the myriad of toppings available for all subs: Anything from lettuce to tomatoes to olives, to jalapenos and more are all considered fair game for these hot dogs. Thankfully among the cornucopia was chili, slaw, mustard and onions, so that's what I ordered.

The next regret came when I saw the weenies getting warmed up on a roller machine: Never a good sign.

The third regret was when I was asked if I wanted my bun steamed and when I said "yes" they were plopped into the microwave for a good nuking.

So by the time my hot dogs arrived at the register I had very low expectations that they were going to be good, I was just hoping for edible.

And I was surprised.

Despite the problematic beginning, these hot dogs were actually very good. The slaw was sweet, creamy and fresh. The chili was flavorful, if not spicy, and the roller-dog actually tasted more like a grilled weenie. The microwaved bun - usually a sure-fire way to make one tough and chewy - survived its torture and after being double wrapped in wax paper and aluminum foil, actually was soft and delightful. A completely surprising hot dog which earns a solid Four Weenie score.

Charleston Area HDJ Review - Trivillian's Pharmacy & Soda Fountain

It is almost impossible to believe, but in just a few days this blog will be 10 years old, and one of the first hot dog joints we reviewed way back when was Trivillian's Pharmacy (you can read that review here). Trivillian's has been through a lot since then and has seen a lot of changes (you can read more about that here), but we're happy to report that the soda fountain as largely stayed the same through all of the tumult that the pharmacy experienced. Now that the dust has settled we decided to make another visit to see if the hot dogs were still as good as before.

If you read the 2006 review, then really there's not much else to know about the physical attributes of the business. The deer in the parking lot that used to be paisley are now painted in sort of a cow print black and white motif, and the soda fountain now takes up a little more space inside than it did before. Other than that, the place is pretty much the same as it was ten years ago, which is a good thing for a place that is trying to preserve a bit of true Americana like an old-timey soda fountain. Trivillian's is doing a stellar job of this, and the timeless look of the interior from the red Naugahyde bar stools and the chrome fixtures to the black and white checkerboard floor still look great. The hot dogs, however, are different.

The 2006 Trivillian's hot dog had slaw that was nearly perfect in texture and was quite sweet. This slaw is much drier and has a milder flavor. The chili was still just a touch spicy, but where the 2006 version had a pronounced chili powder flavor, the 2016 chili's spice seemed a bit more exotic - sort of Asian flavored. Not bad, just different. The chili and slaw were good together, and the mild onions did not detract from the synergy.

The one thing that was exactly the same was the heavenly soft buns, thanks to the shvitz that each bun enjoys in the vintage steamer that sits prominently alongside the grill. Every hot dog bun should get such treatment.

In 2006 we gave Trivillian's a 4 Weenie rating, and even though the 2016 hot dog is different, we're going to hold that score.

Lastly, we don't give bonus points for non-hot dog criteria, but if we did we would certainly give them to Trivillian's for including on the back page of their menu a printout of our review from our now-defunct website WVHotDogs.com. Good on you, Trivillian's folks!

Charleston Area HDJ Review - Dairy Winkle

Sitting near the mouth of Campbells Creek, just a stone's throw from Route 60, is this venerable old building that has been home to many hot dog joints over the years. Dairy Winkle is the latest incarnation, but perhaps its best-known occupant was Bowincal's, from which - obviously - the current name is somewhat derived.

Dairy Winkle is run by colorful local businessman Kerry "Paco" Ellison. For more about what makes Paco such a colorful character, read here, here and here.

The hot dogs at Dairy Winkle are served by a polite and friendly staff who obviously take pride in their little establishment. The hot dogs are passable but lack any real pizzaz to make Dairy Winkle a destination, or to really even lay a claim to the best hot dogs on Campbells Creek. The slaw is good in texture but lacking much flavor, and you can say pretty much the same thing about the chili. They work together pretty well, though, so we're going to give it a 3.5 Weenie score.

Sorry but a camera malfunction rendered the photo of the hot dog unusable, but trust me when I say it was a fine looking specimen, just wasn't anything to write home about taste-wise.