I'm working my way through all the Sam's Hot Dog Stand locations in West Virginia, which brought me to Lavalette.



This spot had its own location - connected to a larger building - but not just a small outpost in a gas station.



The dog is a classic Sam's dog - steamed bun, mild chili, packed slaw. A standard, utilitarian dog.

The Pinch Sam's Hot Dog Stand is a bit elusive. It tends to only be open on weekdays during lunch hours.



But on this visit, I got lucky. I was able to snag a pepperoni roll - stuffed with pepperoni and thick dough! Pretty standard.



UPDATE 10/29/23: Finally was able to check it out - and they have a really solid hot dog - if not a little mushy.



Grade: B

Comfort is a town I had never heard of - but I ventured there in search of hot dogs.
The Sam's Hot Dog Stand here is primarily a gambling spot - I had to buzz to get let inside. And when I asked for a hot dog, they said they didn't carry any.



After looking puzzled, they prepared me one.



I gotta say, it was a pretty sad looking hot dog. It looked like they cut it a few times, so it wasn't entirely appetizing.

I've made my way to Danville to try the Sam's Hot Dog Stand. This Sam's had a cute little set-up in a gas station with cute overhead signage and a decent space on the side.



But what caught my eye first is that there were a whole, fresh pile of pepperoni rolls on the counter. I got a "Zesty" roll, which had salami, sauce and banana peppers. So, so tasty.



The hot dog - this time with just ketchup - was solid. If not a bit too much ketchup.

Sam's Hot Dog Stand is a hot dog stand that has locations throughout southern West Virginia.


So, of course, I now have a goal to visit every location.



So, I made my way to some in the area. The first was the location in Alum Creek. It's located in an Exxon and features other options like burgers, corn dogs and even BBQ. But I went with a classic hot dog - chili, slaw, mustard. onions on an English bun. All in all, pretty tasty.

Charlie Graingers is a small chain located in North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina - and one in Huntington.

They are known for their hot dogs, as well as brisket and BBQ. So I made my way to downtown Huntington to check it out.

They have a bunch of different kinds, but I went with the "RAY'S WAY" - Housemade Pimento Cheese and Chili Charlie's Way.

The bun was pretty big and fluffy, but the chili had some depth and smokey flavor, and the pimento cheese paired perfectly. A pretty tasty dog overall.

Grade: B

Tucked away in a One Stop gas station in Kanawha City, Hotdogs R Us is a bare bones hot dog stop.

They serve hot dogs, sides of chips, and a few canned sodas. That's it - and just a single sign to indicate that it is a hot dog shop.


I ordered two hotdogs, chips and a drink for $7. One hot dog had ketchup, while the other had chili, slaw, mustard and onions.



At first, I wasn't impressed. They were a little sloppy looking. But after a bite or two of the West Virginia dog, I took a liking to the chili - which was very dark and slightly sweet. The slaw was nice and finely chopped. Overall, a pretty good dog - if not a bit too many toppings.

Grade: B

The Kanawha Valley is home to a new food truck: Joey's Rockin' Dogs and Tacos.

This area is no stranger to hot dogs or tacos, so I'll be honest - I wasn't overly excited to check it out. However, I was driving through the area and caught the bright red and yellow food truck and decided to give it a go. It was very cold on this day, so I did a little turnabout and pulled up alongside the truck. Convenient and warm? I'll take it.

So tacos include carne asada, pulled pollo, and grilled mahi. You can also get pulled pork, chicken wraps and quesadilla. On the hot dog side, there is a Chicago dog, a baked bean dog, a chili dog and more.

And I had to try a little of column A and a little from column B: Pulled pollo taco with homemade marinade, fresco cheese, avocado, fresh cilantro and lime juice. And then a classic dog with sweet green relish, raw diced white onions and yellow mustard.

Both of these were delicious. I was absolutely blown away by the quality of the taco. That fresh cheese, the fresh avocado, the tender chicken. The bold flavors blended beautifully. It was really, really good. I could've eaten like five of these.

But don't sleep on the hot dog! I'm not usually a relish person. But I liked this sweet relish with the mustard and onion and the dog was like fried. All these flavors together made for a dang good hot dog. I would eat both of these again, hands down.

Grade: A

Farley's Famous Hot Dogs has two locations in the Metro Valley, and I was excited to finally try the Hurricane spot. Farley's is known for tasty hot dogs and has been named the best in the area multiple times. I went with one hot dog with chili, slaw, mustard and onions - plus a small lemonade. Can't beat it!

Sam's is a local hot dog chain that is typically connected to a gambling establishment.

I'm slowly venturing out of the Kanawha Valley more and trying restaurants a bit further out. That brought me to the Sam's Hot Dogs location in Poca.

So I went with a hot dog on an English bun, topped with mild chili, slaw, mustard and onions. Perfect combo.

It's always a good time for a hot dog.

In Vienna, the go-to spot is Mr. Diggity. This lunch spot features hot dogs, sandwiches, salads and more.

So I ordered a #1 Top Dog - which has sauce, onion, ketchup and mustard.

And, I couldn't go without their lobster bisque that they're known for. And maybe a cherry milkshake just to go with it.

What's your favorite item here?

Walzzy's Hotdogs is a new restaurant in the Cheat Lake area of Morgantown.


Serving up unique hotdogs, this small shop also features salads, sandwiches, a pepperoni roll, cabbage bowl and deep-fried corn on the cob.


It's an interesting mix, and I was sure to take advantage of some of the unique offerings.


I went with a Walzzy Dog, which is topped with chili, American cheese, slaw, onions and Walzzy's powder.


And a pepperoni roll, of course. And mac & cheese.