Snappy Lunch

 Wow. It looks like I completely missed 2023. Sorry about that. Hope to do better in 2024.

First up, Snappy Lunch in Mount Airy, NC. Mount Airy was the home of Andy Griffin and is the inspiration for the Mayberry in his television shows. Interestingly, in the entirety of the shows, Griffin only mentioned one real local business: Snappy Lunch.

Their biggest claim to fame is a pork chop sandwich--with many of the same topping of a Carolina-style hot dog. I had one, but I preferred the hot dog.

The joint is on the main drag in Mount Airy, among the Mayberry souvenir shops, candy shops, ice creameries, bakeries, and antique stores. If you go, be prepared to wait in line. It's a busy place, but they have a pretty quick turnaround, so the line moves. 

The inside features several tables and booths--and lots of the expected Mayberry memorabilia. The owner stands behind a bar and takes your order. Speedy and friendly service. No fries.

The hot dog was quite respectable, not my favorite ever, but a reasonable showing. Clearly the slaw and chili were made in-house. Just looking at the picture, now, makes me want one.

If you still have room, you can get really tasty pies and ice cream just a few doors up.

My verdict: four weenies.

Hope Valley Diner

 

First off, happy National Hot Dog Day. What better way to celebrate the day than to add a new Carolina Hot Dog review?

Most of the places I review are hot dog stands, burger joints, or other fast food establishments. 

Not this time. Hope Valley Diner is a respectable, full-service restaurant in southwest Durham. Rarely a week goes by that we don't pick up food or dine here on the sidewalk.

For years, I'd noticed that they had a Carolina hot dog on the menu. Footlong, no less. And their slaw is among the best I've ever had. Really awesome slaw. I've always been curious. So, I figured, "Why not?"

I ordered it... with sweet potato fries...

It looked so good. I topped it with the slaw, and took a bite. The slaw was perfect, as always. The weiner was a quality all-beef dog. the onions were spot on. Just the right amount of mustard. The chili, though, it really was the weakest element. Well, the chili or the fries. The chili looked delicious, but it really wasn't. It was quite disappointing.

Hope Valley Diner isn't a hot dog place, so it's not surprising that their hot dog isn't amazing. But with some improvements to the chili, it could be.

My verdict: 3 weeinies.

El's Drive-In

 On our recent trip to Pine Knoll Shores, we experimented with two hot dog eateries. The second was El's Drive-In. This is not a stand, though not much bigger, but an honest to god drive-in. 

Servers come to you car, take your order, and bring you your food. I'm still about astounded at the number of steps these servers must get in a day. The parking lot is paved with no lines, and these servers make it look effortless to flit from car to car and back to the kitchen.

We arrived mid morning on a Saturday, and my husband ordered a bacon egg, and cheese, sandwich--with mayo, but I went straight for the dogs. Service was quick, and the food was very good.

A delicious Carolina Hot Dog

My hot dog had a pleasantly smoky flavor. At first, I thought it might be the chili, but as I thought about it over a few more bites, I believe the wiener itself was smoked. What a great idea. The chili was meaty, and the slaw, though a bit too sweet, was clearly homemade--chili and slaw both being crucial to a better Carolina dog.

The breakfast sandwich was also great. 

El's Drive-in is a definite do again next time we're in the area.

My verdict: 4 weenies.

Big Oak Drive-in & Bar-B-Q

Big Oak Drive-in

 My husband and I got the chance to break away for the weekend and decided to go to Pine Knoll Shores, a beach we do not normally haunt. The trip offered us the opportunity to try a new hot dog or two.

First up: Big Oak Drive-in & Bar-B-Q.

After searching for hot dogs near Emerald Isle, I read about this little barbecue and seafood joint. It's really an old fashioned fast food stand. Irresistible, right?

Featured in Our State magazine

Purely for research, ya know, I ordered a couple of dogs all-the-way. 

I love how these days all-the-way means mustard, slaw, chili, and onions. When I was a kid, all-the-way meant mustard, chili, and onions. But I digress.

So, I got my dog--and an oyster burger. Didn't care much for the oyster burger. In fact, I didn't finish it. I had hoped it would be like an oyster po boy in New Orleans. Not. But this is about the dogs!

Quite a contrast to the oyster burger, the dogs were delightful: a nice combination of meaty chili, homemade slaw, onions and mustard. The chili had a hint of spice, and the slaw was clearly fresh and homemade. All worked pretty well to make a nice Carolina hot dog.

Yummy Carolina Hot Dog

If you go, just know that there's no place to sit, cash only, and they don't post any closing time. If you're in the area, definitely a good place to grab a tasty dog. My hubby said the burger was great! And the fries were, too!

My verdict: 4 weenies

Yum Yum Better Ice Cream

Despite the name, any discussion of hot dogs in North Carolina, and more specifically, Greensboro, Yum Yum's name is sure to come up. 

I'd heard about the establishment for many years. Last Saturday, bored with the pandammit, my husband and I decided to try a couple of NC Scenic Byways around Durham. We took the Football Road from Chapel Hill to Greensboro; and for a meandering ride home, the Colonial Heritage Byway.

We got to Greensboro a bit past lunchtime and hungry. Not wanting to rely on a quick drive-through chain, we decided to give Yum Yum a try. We plugged the address in the GPS and were there in minutes.

Curbside pickup and online ordering would have been better, or an exterior ordering window... But at least outdoor seating was plentiful, and the weather was perfect for dining al fresco. It wasn't too crowded, and folks were generally social-distancing.

Yum Yum interior

Even inside, the staff were all masked, as were all but one of the customers. People seemed to consciously avoid violating one another's space.

We ordered a couple of dogs each and a can of diet Dr. Pepper and Diet Mt. Dew. Yum Yum serves Pepsi products in cans--and Cheerwine in bottles.

Service was quick and efficient.

My husband, not being from around here, still prefers his hot dogs with mustard and relish. Of course, mine were real Carolina Hot Dogs. If you want relish, they give you condiment packets for you to add your own.

Carolina dog

Anticipation made me begin to drool a bit as I unrolled my first dog to see the familiar mix of mustard, slaw, chili, and onions. The slaw was tangy and sweet, and the onions a bit sharp. The chili was there, but it seemed overshadowed somewhat by the slaw and onions. Respectable if not remarkable.

We also decided to try the "better" ice cream. I had coffee and peach, and my husband had chocolate. To be honest, neither of us were impressed. The flavors were muted--mostly just cold and sweet, not that cold and sweet is bad... but better than what?

While not my favorite hot dog, it was fairly satisfying and might just hit the spot when you're craving a Carolina dog. 

My verdict: 3 weenies

The Dog House

I’ve been going to the Dog House for years, literally since the first one opened back when I was about 9 years old. I should have featured the Dog House sooner; better late than never.

It’s a cute theme. The building looks like Snoopy’s dog house. Trash cans are fire hydrants and mailboxes. And the hot dogs have names like Collie, Puppy, Ol’ Yallow, Boxer, German Shepherd, and my favorite, the Bull Dog. They used to have a Chiahuahua, my second favorite, but I haven’t see those in a while. 

I grew up in Bahama, and on Friday nights, it was a big deal for us to “go to town.” Lots of times, we’d visit family or shop in downtown Durham before Belk, Thalhimer’s, and all the other stores moved from the center of the city to the malls in suburbia.

On these trips, we’d “eat out,” and that usually meant grabbing a hot dog at King’s Sandwich Shop or the newcomer, the Dog House. I loved the Dog House back then. And I’ve loved it throughout the years.

When I was a kid, the only location was the Miami Boulevard spot. 

When I was in working in a grocery store on weekends in college, the Guess Road location was my favorite. Back then their employees stuck around, and I remember watching several familiar faces age through the years--always delivering awesome Bull Dogs, my dog of choice.

For a while, my grocery store transferred me, and I lunched on Miami Boulevard, at the location of my childhood.

Later, when I worked at a software company in Morrisville, I’d grab a satisfying lunch at the now-departed Dog House on Airtech Drive. After that closed, I’d sometimes make the trek to the one closer to the intersection of NC54 and NC55 on Allendown Drive.

I even remember when one Dog House sat near where the Durham Farmers’ Market stands now. 

According to their website, now they have locations in Hillsborough and Kinston. There’s even one in North Durham, near where I went to high school.

The most convenient Dog House for me is the one on Hillsborough Road. I like that it has a drive-thru window. Sadly, it's not my favorite.

Hillsborough Road, Durham

For most of my life, I found their hot dogs to be near the best one could get.

As time goes on, things, change. That’s true for the Dog House, as well. 

I noticed that sometime in the last 10-15 years, their dogs changed. Gone were the older ladies who served me great dogs over the years. And along with them, some of the magic also disappeared.

It’s hard to put my finger on just what changed. 

Until the past decade or so, I never got a wrong order, but I’ve gotten my dogs home upon occasion to find poor hot dogs smothered in a nasty cheese sauce with fake bacon bits—something I’d never order. Other times, I’d pay for a quart of slaw and find I received a pint.

It’s not just the accuracy, the look and taste seem to have changed, as well. 

I think it’s mainly the care. It all seems to have happened when they stopped wrapping the hot dogs in the white tissue paper and started using an unbleached, thicker paper, but I doubt it was the paper that caused the change. The slaw doesn’t seem as fresh—and I really loved their slaw. 

Maybe it’s just because I’m older and have romanticized my earlier experiences. But I’m not so sure.

Despite all that, I still find myself hankering for a couple of Bull Dogs. And sometimes, I give in. I gave in a couple of weeks ago—and I decided to go back to where I first experienced the Dog House: Miami Boulevard.

I ordered two Bulls and a large fry. 

Two Bull Dogs

Despite being wrapped in the new, unbleached paper, my dogs were pretty darn good. I wouldn’t say they were as good as my memory, but they were pretty decent. And the fries were delightful. These fries are beautiful crinkle-cut fries. The salt sparkles on them, and they’re best when they slightly burn your fingers. The slaw isn’t quite as delightful as I remember, but it was homemade, and that’s the key to a good Carolina dog.

Crinkle cut fries

I think the original location is the closest to what I remember as the Dog House I grew up with.

My verdict: 4 weenies

Durham Filling Station

 

What a great find!

I had assumed the old Wimpy's Grill location was still a vacant building. Then I happened across a listing for the Durham Filling Station and realized it opened in that spot a bit over a year ago. With their awesome curbside service, I do wish I had discovered them earlier in The Pandemic.

Like Wimpy's the Durham Filling Station offers comforting fast foods like burgers and dogs. But unlike, Wimpy's, the menu takes a bit more of a foodie turn. Nearly EVERYthing is homemade, and everything I've had is really good, from hot dogs to burgers to onion rings to biscuits to fatback, not to mention an amazing banana pudding.

But this is about the dogs.

Their hot dogs are probably the best in Durham. I've had some good ones, but these are exceptional. The chili is flavorful and meaty. The slaw is decidedly better than the slaw at most other hot dog stands. The onion and mustard round out the near perfection.

No dine-in option, but in a welcome improvement to Wimpy's, The Durham Filling Station features tables under a shelter to save you from eating on your hood or tailgate--or in your car!

The only downside is the hours of operation, Monday-Friday, 7AM to 2PM and 10-5 on Saturdays.

My verdict: 5 weenies! Damn close to perfection.

Fetch Hot Dog Co.

Fetch was a food truck.

Sadly, it rolls no more. Another dog-gone-bye.

Even thought their Carolina dog wasn't really what I grew up loving, I miss that truck. It used to stop on the occasional Wednesday at the office park where I work.

Fetch was all about creativity. From the food to the way they coordinated orders, cleverness ruled. When you placed an order, they gave you a card from a regular playing cards deck. Then, they called your card, (i.e., seven of clubs) when your dogs were ready.

Their Carolina dog was a bit higher brow. For one, they used locally-sourced, all-natural dogs. Hey, that's a good thing. But the toppings, mostly the chili and slaw, and the composition, were a bit too gourmet to be a traditional Carolina dog. Their slaw was more of a cabbage salad, and it lacked the mayo to give it a creamier texture. The mustard was artfully zig-zagged across the top of the dog--not exactly the same thing as our beloved Carolina Hot Dog.

A fancier Carolina dog

But for the occasional, 5-buck, fancy hot dog, Fetch was a treat. Their menu featured several regularly occurring dogs and a daily or weekly special or two. Always with creative toppings and combinations.

I guess the cost of that kind of quality ingredients made the business model hard to maintain. They still hold a soft spot in my heart.

My verdict: 4 weenies for creativity and healthier dogs

Sam's Hot Dog Stand

Sam's Hot Dog Stand

I love an accidental discovery.

A gloomy Sunday at the beach made for a good time to drive to Wilmington.

As we drove in on Oleander, a man dressed as a hot dog caught my attention. I made a note to return and investigate.

An hour or so later, we headed back, keeping alert for a hot dog man. Sadly he was gone. Or maybe we missed him.

We turned around.

On the final pass, we saw the big hot dog sign and a sign for Sam's Hot Dog Stand just behind it.

It looked quiet and deserted. Afraid they were closed for the day, we investigated a little further and found they were open for a couple more hours. Let's do this!

Inside, an open kitchen looked out upon a handful of tables and numerous stools with the Sam's Hot Dog Stand logo encased in shiny varnish. Near the register, a menu board detailed their offerings: hot dogs and BBQ sandwiches in various combinations.  The menu board was surrounded by various cans of soft drink, including Sun-Drop and diet Sun-Drop. Score! A chalkboard on another wall detailed their daily deals.

After inquiring about their slaw, I ordered two with the signature Carolina Hot Dog toppings: mustard, slaw, chili, and onions--or as they call them, "All the Way," including their spicy chili.

The two dogs arrived nicely packaged in a Sam's Hot Dog Stand paper bag, along with my chips and diet Sun-Drop.

They looked great and tasted better. The slaw is clearly fresh and made on-site, a perfect blend of cabbage, mayo, and seasoning. 

.

The spicy chili added just a bit of kick. It was meaty and savory. Not sweet like so many lesser hot dog chilis, this was near perfect.

The mustard, onion, hot dog, and bun  each played their part to support the starring chili and slaw. Truly a great Carolina dog.

Before I left, I also sampled the mild chili and the BBQ. The mild chili was almost as good as the spicy--but without that little extra something. The BBQ, imported from Siler City, was smoky and delicious.

What a great find. I loved Sam's Hot Dog Stand. It is now my favorite hot dog in Wilmington, easily the best southeast of Raleigh, maybe further.

My verdict: 5 weenies

L & D Grill

I first heard of L & D Grill at an impromptu family gathering on Boxing Day last year. My cousin’s cousin makes deliveries and gets the chance to grab lunch at a wide variety of eateries, and when he discovered my love for Carolina-style hot dogs, he said I had to try L & D’s dogs.

Not Abandoned!

Locating the business was a challenge, but finding them was a bit easier than finding them open.  My first attempt was New Year’s Day. I really didn’t think they would be open, and they weren’t. In fact, I really wasn’t sure I had found the place, at all. I drove southwest on Angier Avenue from Driver Street to Ellis Road, looking for something that looked like a hot dog stand.

I passed many old commercial buildings, some abandoned, some being used, a few rather impressive specimens of by-gone architecture. I couldn’t remember the name, but it wouldn’t have helped. The name is only clearly displayed INSIDE the building.

On New Year’s Day, most of Angier Avenue was deserted, and I noted what appeared to be an old abandoned gas station on the right. It really looked boarded up and out of business, but a sign off to the side caught my eye: “You’re in hot dog country.”

Order and Pick-up Here

I really did think the building was abandoned, and I was sad that I had missed this “Hot Dog Country.” But I thought I’d continue searching for the legendary eatery my cousin’s cousin had mentioned.

This abandoned place haunted me throughout the spring. I also did some research and found that it probably was the right place. And I tried to find out when it had gone out of business.

On Memorial Day, I decided to venture back down Angier Avenue. Maybe it just looked abandoned in the dead of winter. It still looked long deserted late that Monday afternoon.

A couple of weeks later, I had taken the morning off work. What the heck, I’d give it one more try--this time in the morning. I wasn’t expecting it to be open, and as I drove past, I noticed the window looked fresher. I could have sworn the windows had been boarded up… but these were real windows. And wait, an OPEN sign flashed!

Ambiance

Thrilled and excited, I hit the empty cement slab of a parking lot and pondered where and how folks parked there and went for it. Someone else parked close behind, and I followed him in.

Bingo!

Inside, there’s not much fancy ambiance. Two rooms: the grill and a room with a soft drink case and a bench where customers can “dine in.”

I’ve read glowing reviews of the fried chicken and chicken-fried steak, and the chicken looked amazing. But I was there for the dogs. I ordered two with mustard, slaw, chili, and onions and quicker than most other hot doggeries, my food was ready.

While I can’t say they are my favorite dogs in the Triangle, they are quite respectable. Their chili is tasty. It reminds me more of chili with tomatoes or tomato paste than the chili I grew up on at King’s Sandwich Shop and the Dog House. It has a definite chili-powder flavor. The slaw was very sweet. In fact, at first, I thought it might have been a very sweet chili, but I’m pretty sure it was the slaw. The onions were mild and tasty.

Yum!

I enjoyed the hot dogs, and I’m thrilled I finally found this place isn’t just a legend. Their service is friendly and inviting, and if I can make it back when they are open, I’d love to have a dog or two again and explore other offerings on their menu. They have chuckwagon sandwiches, and I haven’t seen those since the Bavarian Inn at AppState.

My verdict: 4 weenies