"Jim ‘Biker Jim’ Pittenger is not your ordinary culinary chef. He is however, the undisputed Gourmet Dog King of Denver. With an appetite for grilling exotic game meat ... Pittenger has redefined an American icon in his own image in more ways than one ... Pittenger has generated local, regional, national, and international acclaim for his grilled gourmet dogs, cream cheese, sizzling caramelized onions ..."
I had to check out this quirky place. Their menu offers dogs made of ostrich, elk, boar, rattlesnake, rabbit, veal and more. I went with a slightly less adventurous option in the chicken peach chipotle - "fresh fruit, hot peppers and lean chicken make this a flighty delight."
There are also a bunch of different topping options with everythint from cactus to mustard cream sauce. I added "THE CONSPIRACY - Bleu cheese, bacon red onion marmalade, lemon aioli, and French-fried onions." That sweet and salty combo is my jam. It's a whole different hot dog experience with an unconventional dog and unconventional toppings. A whole new flavor profile that is unexpected - and delicious.
Grade: A
I'm on a mission to visit every T&L Hot Dogs location. These WV classic hot dog joints are usually decorated in the theme of a diner. That is certainly the case at the location in Clarksburg at Rosebud Plaza.
"With seven great locations and our famous hot dog chili for sale at your local grocery store, you’re never far from a dining experience that is pure Americana. Enjoy our classic hot dogs, made-to-order Black Angus burgers, hand cut french fries, homemade cole slaw and thick milkshakes – while surrounded by great American nostalgia."
I went for the standard West Virginia style hot dog complete with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. I was surprised to see hunks of carrot in the law, because that's usually not as noticeable. Not a bad hot dog; a solid quick choice when the hankerin' hits.
Grade: B
My quest to try all of the different Sam's Hot Dogs locations takes me to some interesting places – namely gas stations. To be fair, there are some gas stations that indeed have great food. So, off to Cross lanes, I ventured.
I ordered a hotdog with mild chili, mustard, onions and slaw on an English-style bun. A traditional West Virginia-style hotdog is not on an English style bun, but I find them to be one of life's little delights. how did this one stack up? I like onions, but this one had way too much. The chili and slaw are both fine, and the English bun may have been a bit too toasted. But all in all, a decent dog.
Grade: B
Cryptids are pretty popular these days; Mothman turned from a terrifying monster to a friendly anti-hero we celebrate through merchandise, at festivals - and even at restaurants.
Bigfoot Hotdogs, named after another cryptid, in New Martinsville serves up primarily a few hot dogs, but also friees, wings, onion rings, chicken tenders and sloppy joes.
The restaurant portion itself is not very large; I assume the bar/gambling area brings in more money. But, I thought the tin ceiling and counter front were cool, and there was some fun merch. Overall, though, it's fairly simple and unassuming.
I ordered a hot dog with chili, cheeese and onion. It's a hefty dog, but flavors were all pretty mild. I did, however, get some more flavor from those jalapeno poppers with raspberry dipping sauce. Love the play on spicy and sweet there.
Grade: B
On a dreary day in Keyser, I ducked into Hometown - The Last Stand to get out of the rain and get a bite of food. The restaurant has two main offerings: paninis and hotdogs.
They offer a number of custom hotdogs, which include toppings like pickled Vidalia onions and brown mustard.
I ordered the "Gettin' Crazy," which includes macaroni & cheese and bacon. How can you go wrong with that combo?
There is a reason why the creamy macaroni and cheese, and the salty combination works so well. This hot dog capitalized on that, but I do wish that the macaroni was warm. It didn't quite get to temp, which affects the texture and flavor a bit.
Grade: B
There is a bright teal food truck making an appearance in Kanawha City lately. It is dishing out the unlikely duo of coffee and hotdogs, but the name pulls it all together: The Beanie Weenie.
Beanie options include a peanut butter coffee with strawberry drizzle, a mocha coffee with peanut butter drizzle, and the one that caught my eye was The Dudded Milk: caramel coffee with chocolate and caramel syrup. (Side note: Milk duds are one of my favorite candies).
My coffee was quite tasty. Sweet, milky, and no hint of bitterness. Just well-rounded satisfaction.
I ordered the Country Roads hot dog, which is a deep-fried hot dog with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. I don't know that I noticed a big difference with the deep-fried hotdog, and I wish the slaw was a little bit more cohesive and had something to hold it more together. It was a bit piecey, rather than a paste consistency.
Overall, not a bad meal if you are in the mood for brunch: breakfast - coffee and lunch - hotdog.
Grade: B
Hot Dog Hut in Philipi is a hometown restaurant that features, you guessed it, hot dogs.
But they do have more than just hot dogs; they also have meatball sandwiches, pepperoni rolls, sloppy joes, and more.
The space is actually quite large and has some cute decor of wiener dogs. I decided to try a few different things.
So, I went with pasta, salad, hot dogs, and the pepperoni roll, just for good measure.
Pasta salad was fine. I like mine a little bit more zesty. It was fairly mild – average.
The pepperoni roll was much of the same. Pretty standard, for what it was, which is better than being too dry. The grease made its way through the bread to give it all some decent flavor.
I know there are some folks who are very passionate about what you got on top of your hot dog. I decided to split the difference and go with my boring, ordinary order of ketchup and onions. But I also got a West Virginia style one with chili, slaw, mustard, and onions.
I liked mine, topped with ketchup and onion. It added sweetness and texture, and it just reminded me of a backyard dog.
The West Virginia style dog was also tasty; it's a totally different experience. This dog is more wet and has a totally different flavor combination. I liked that the slaw was really finely chopped, so it made a sort of paste. The chili was good and the onions and mustard were minimal so they didn't overtake the flavor. I was a fan.
Overall, a solid, local joint that has some decent food options with local charm.
Grade: B
"Wienerschnitzel is an American fast food chain founded in 1961 that specializes in hot dogs. Despite the name, the company does not sell Wiener schnitzel, only selling it once as a promotional item ... The chain is recognizable by the A-frame-style roofs of its older restaurants. Structures that have been converted from Wienerschnitzels into other restaurants often retain the distinctive architecture. The chain's advertising mascot is an anthropomorphized hot dog known as The Delicious One, who runs from people who want to eat him."
This building was just so interesting; it was like you were driving through the middle of a building. It caught my eye, and I was interested to check it out.
I went with one of their specialty hot dogs, The Kansas City dog, which had bacon, beer mustard, grilled onions, and Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. This is just one of their specialty dogs that include everything from chili and cheese to sport peppers and tomato slices.
It was a decent hot dog. A lil bit on the mooshy side, even though it was a new, fun flavor combo. The texture could use a bit of improvement. But I'd be curious if somee of their hot dogs that didn't have so many toppings might be different.
Grade: B
Another day, another hot dog joint.
Drummy's Bar & Grill in St. Albans opened in 1994 and is known for their hot dogs, but they do have sandwiches and pizzas.
The space is a bit underground but not far off the main street in St. Albans. It's a bit dark with low ceilings - definitely a dive bar vibe. But I felt welcomed and the atmosphere was light.
I ordered a hot dog with everything, which, here, means chili, mustard, slaw and onions. That's a true West Virginia-style hot dog. This was a decent hot dog - a touch messy, but hot, a nice mix of ingredients (if not a big heavy on the mustard) and good chili flavor.
Grade: B
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