Whether you have your dog on a traditional or a grilled English bun, Sam’s are better, hands down. | Photo by Mike Dillion

By Mike Dillion

“Hmmm…” you say to yourself, “his second post here is about hot dogs.” So be it.

I love good food. Not necessarily food that is good for me, but food that tastes good. Whatever happens to be on the plate in front of me doesn’t have to be fancy, so long as it as it is properly prepared in a clean, sanitary environment. (Take that to mean I’ve given up eating at Charleston Town Center restaurants for the time being. I pay fairly close attention to the health inspection listings in the Charleston Newspapers, as well as the reviews in Patrick McMurtry’s “Behind The Kitchen Door” series at www.wchstv.com.)

Which brings us back to hot dogs. Not just any hot dogs, mind you, rather those at the Sam’s Hot Dog Stand/TCBY outlet at 57 MacCorkle Avenue in South Charleston. This is definitely not an upscale restaurant. No over-priced coffee beverages, no Wi-Fi, no sofas on which to lounge. Just a few no-frills tables-for-two and a half-dozen seats at a counter in the front window overlooking MacCorkle Avenue and the former FMC (now Clearon Corporation) fly ash pond. Eat, clear your table, hit the door.

But, it’s clean. The store’s management posts the most recent inspection report in the area where patrons order their food, and the reports are always good. And so is the food, all of it. But today we’re talking hot dogs. I love good hot dogs. I used to go to the frozen custard place (you know the one, with the delicious frozen concoctions made of soft-serve and different kinds of candy, and named after one of Mother Nature’s cruel winter temper tantrums) for my hot dogs of choice. Not so, since Sam’s came on the scene several years ago.

Whether you have your dog on a traditional or a grilled English bun, Sam’s are better, hands down! The all-beef franks are made to Sam’s specifications, as is the chili. This Sam’s location is consistently good. Some other outlets in this area (I’ve eaten at three others, plus one in Beckley) are sporadic in the quality of their chili, available in mild or spicy versions. My favorite is the spicy. It isn’t scorchingly hot, mind you. No tears in your eyes, just a hint of garlic, and only enough cayenne to give it a good after-burn, much the same way a good bowl of chili will do.

Sam’s has the traditional fare we West Virginians demand: mustard, ketchup (on a hot dog?), slaw, onions, even cheese. Sam’s has good slaw, although I don’t care for slaw on my dogs. And yes, I am a native of the Mountain State–I just prefer it on the side. I have no idea where Sam’s get their onions. They may have some demented farmer grow onions genetically altered to their own specifications because they are nothing if not strong. But that’s OK. I want to know I have onions on my hot dogs, and Sam’s delivers. After all, the onion has to have some bite to make it’s presence know over Sam’s spicy chili. Now, if they only had sauerkraut, spicy brown mustard and beer… (Where’s that Ireland guy when you need him?!)

Sam’s also has BBQ, hot bologna, fries and an assortment of chips. It’s all good. But the hot dogs are special. They offer combinations of sandwich, drink, and chip specials, and recently began issuing a buy so-many, get one free card for their most popular special, the #1, which is two hot dogs, chips of your choice, and a fountain drink with free refills for $3.95. The card is good at the South Charleston location only, which is just west of Riverwalk Plaza. This location also takes phone-in orders for carry-out. The service is fast and friendly and you’ll leave full and happy without breaking the bank.

The place isn’t without flaws. During the lunch rush, parking can be a problem, but isn’t always. There are only spaces for eight or so vehicles, and there is usually a pretty quick turnover. Another fault (and this is really petty, but it bothers me if I’m having lunch alone) is the fact that the two televisions in the dining area are usually tuned to a music video station, yet the sound is muted and a local radio station is playing over the speakers. I’d prefer one or the other, but if that’s the worst I can come up with, it isn’t too shabby.

By the way, the best day to visit this Sam’s location is Wednesday. That’s when TCBY, which is under the same roof, has waffle cones for just $0.99 cents all day.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 25th, 2007 at 9:21 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.