Mr. Choo-Choo's Hotdogs made an appearance at Charleston's most recent Food Truck Wednesday. I had never heard of them, so I made the trip to Slack Plaza on Wednesday just to check them out. They have a small cart setup, with a sign out front that led me to them.



They serve all beef hotdogs that are pretty large topped with anything you'd like. I ordered one with chili, slaw, onions and added my own mustard (which is why it's looking a little messy). 



These hot dogs are cooked perfectly where they have that slight char on the outside that makes the skin have a snap. It was also split down the middle, so easier to eat, and the toppings fell into the center. I loved both the chili and the slaw. I mayyy have put too much mustard, but still, really tasty overall. And a nice little change from the regular. 

Grade: A

Sam's Hot Dog Stand is a well-known hot dog joint in southern West Virginia. And me, being me, decided to try all of them so I can complete the list. Well, friends, this is one of the last ones.



We're at a gas station on Robert C. Byrd Drive in Beckley. The Sam's has a whole separate section with an awning, and those are my favorite. It looks like a true little shop of its own. 



And on this day, I somehow got lucky! They were giving out a coupon for two free hot dogs with any purchase. So I purchased a pepperoni roll and a drink and got two hot dogs - with ketchup and onion on this day.



I'm always a fan of the English bun, so that was perfect. Nice little hot dog overall.



The pepperoni roll, though, was definitely homemade and really tasty. Just a touch over the "well done" side, but good nonetheless.


Grade: B

I've been dying to go to Tito's Sloppy Doggs in Wheeling forever.



I've heard such good things, but their weekday lunch hours are not conducive to my schedule.



When I found myself in the are during their open hours, I made it a point to stop by and check it out. 



The space is narrow, but long. The counter in the back is where you place your order, and there's a large markerboard menu above the counter showcasing the various types of hot dogs and sandwiches.



The first one that stuck out to me was "The Barking." It had "sloppy sauce," French's crispy onions, buffalo ranch and cheddar cheese.



It was one of the more unique sounded hot dogs, and it was pretty good, too.



It had just a little bit of a kick, but some crunch for the texture and some smoky flavor. All around, it was a pretty solid dog. I wouldn't mind trying each on the menu!

Grade: A

In Salt Rock, West Virginia, there is another Sam's Hot Dogs location. Inside a gas station, this location serves both Sam's Hot Dogs, as well as Godfather's Pizza - and a few other odds and ends like breakfast biscuits.



At this point, I have had a lot of hot dogs, so I wanted to see what else was on their menu.



And, I was pretty happy to see onion rings, mozzarella sticks and corn dogs. Since I was driving, I figured a corn dog would be perfect. And corn dogs are fun - you don't see them every day, so I usually associate them with a fair or carnival or something.



It may have been under the heat lamp a bit long, but not bad.

Grade: B

I've never been to Harts, West Virginia - that I can recall. But two restaurants prompted a recent visit: Creekers and Sam's Hot Dog Stand. I'll talk about the former later, but let's chat about the latter.



Sam's Hot Dog Stand has just a few more locations I need to visit. A friend recently asked me if there's really much difference between the locations. And, there's not really. Sometimes they have a local favorite. But, mostly, I have a list and I want to complete it.



The Harts location is located in a gas station, along with a Subway, too. This Sam's Hot Dog Stand is a mash-up of hot dogs and pizza from Godfather's. They have a little bit of everything - which I imagine is necessary in small towns that don't have a ton of other options.



The hot dog I ordered was a regular steamed bun, mild chili, slaw and onion. It's a standard Sam's hot dog, though I did like how the chili was a bit thicker here. What's your favorite Sam's hot dog?

We're finishing up the Sam's Hot Dog tour in West Virginia. I have just a few left, and Huntington was up next.



The hot dogs are already great - we know that. And this spot had a bit more of an expanded menu. So I wanted to try something else. Something that still shows off their chili sauce. Taco In a Bag it is. I don't know the last time I had one of these, but something about the combination of Fritos, chili, sour cream, jalapeños and onions was magic in my mouth.



Grade: B

We're making our way through all of the Sam's Hot Dog stand locations in West Virginia, this time in Kenova.

This one has a drive-thru, which is always convenient. And the menu is a good bit more expansive. Nonetheless, I had to get a standard hot dog to compare. And, as always, it's solid with chili, slaw, mustard and onions.

But it made me think about how this whole thing got started. And, I didn't realize it took off with some help of Rocco Muriale in Ceredo.



The Story of Sam's:

Frank Lucente grew up in a small town in West Virginia. As a young boy, Frank often enjoyed spicy chili dogs at the town hot dog stand. Even as he grew older and moved away, Frank would always stop in for a hot dog on his visits home. Years later, the town stand closed and Frank was forced to look elsewhere to satisfy his craving. He went to see the owner of the old stand to convince him to pass on the recipe. But the owner refused saying he would "take it to the grave".

Denied, Frank soon discovered that the original recipe for the chili sauce belonged to an elderly woman still living in his hometown. For years she had been cooking up the sauce and selling it at her church bazaar. According to her, the stand owner had changed the recipe over the years but the woman gladly provided the original recipe.

Frank recruited his business partner and good friend Rocco Muriale to help invent an even better chili sauce recipe. The chef at the popular Rocco's Ristorante, Rocco spent several months cooking up batches of chili sauce. After six months, he had the perfect recipe! In 1983 wanting to share the delicious invention with the public, Frank and Rocco opened the first Sam's Hotdog Stand in Huntington, West Virginia....ending the search for the perfect hot dog.

Grade: B

We know Sam's Hot Dogs has a solid, standard hot dog.



And at the Barboursville Sam's location, that was an option. Along with pork BBQ, burgers and fries.



On this day, none of those were cutting it. Instead, I opted for a corndog. A corndog is usually reserved for a special occasion for me - a carnival, an amusement park, etc. But this day felt special enough.



And, it was good. I won't bore you with my deep thoughts on this culinary delight. But, it had a nice crisp on the outside and the sweetness with the hot dog just makes me think of every fair I've ever been to. No culinary miracle but definitely a pleasant treat.

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.