Scott's Koneys is Alive and Well

I can't believe it has been 3 weeks since I have written about hot dogs. I've had several; but haven't taken the time to write about it. So I will try to remedy that now.

A couple of weeks ago Robert and I started out hoping to eat at a hot dog cart I had spotted one weekend in front of Lowe's at Wildwood. The cart wasn't there that day so we decided to head on into town and make a return visit to Scott's Koneys on Southside. Scott has to have more seating than any other hot dog stand in Birmingham. The picture below shows just part of the dining area.

They are located on the ground floor of the parking deck on 3rd Avenue South at Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. (formerly 21st Street). This is the parking deck located behind the old Liberty National building which is now vacant. If you ever want to have a hot dog party for a big group, this is the place to have it... for more reasons than one.


I already mentioned the size of the facility. Let's add to that free parking in the parking deck when they stamp your ticket. Then there is Scott himself and the good food they serve.

I had forgotten what a nice guy Scott is. He is a real people person who enjoys interacting with his customers. In recent years his business has faced the loss of all the occupants of the adjacent building when Liberty National moved out. He is still hopeful regarding future development of that building. Regardless, his business seems to be good. He once told us that his corporate customers that call on him for big events has kept his business alive; but there was a good crowd there for lunch the day we were there. I noticed him greeting several by name.

Now to the important part, the food. Dogs, to be precise. Scott's hot dogs rank right up there among the best you will find. The hot dogs are served "Birmingham style" unless you request something special. I recently wrote about what I call "Birmingham dogs", the hot dogs served with an owners own recipe for sauce, mustard, kraut and onions. Scott's sauce is as good as any I have had and better than many. The chili for a chili dog is flavorful and thick, a perfect for topping a hot dog.


On this trip I stuck with my usual order of a hot dog and a chili dog while Robert had a chili dog and a slaw dog. We thoroughly enjoyed our hot dogs and agreed that they are among the best we have had. I'm reluctant to call any hot dog the best, but Scott's is definitely on the short list of favorites.

While we were eating these dogs Scott was talking about his sausage dog. The sausage dog is somewhat like the polish sausage dogs available at many hot dog stands, but is made with smoked sausage. We were intrigued so we ordered one to split for desert. Yes we are the same two guys who dieted and had significant weight losses a few months ago, but not that day. Let me assure that this is a good dog and is worth going out of your way for.

As we were finishing up we talked with Scott a little and he was telling about his breakfasts and how much bacon he serves. He then suggested that next time we are there we should ask for a bacon dog. Now, there isn't a bacon dog on the menu, but he assured me that it wouldn't stop him from fixing one and that I would love it. His bacon dog is a hot dog with the addition of some bacon. Scott agrees with the southern cooks who think that bacon is a good addition to any food. I've said before that I enjoy the unusual and unexpected when we encounter it on these hot dog excursions. Well, that day we found another unexpected treat in Scott's sausage dog along with the idea firmly planted that we need to go back for a bacon dog.

I keep thinking about Scott's and his breakfasts and that bacon dog. I really want to find a reason to go downtown one morning and have breakfast and maybe even hang around for a bacon dog and a sausage dog at lunch. Hey, maybe I could take my laptop and work down there one day. I can dream about it whether I do it or not.

More posts to come.

Civic Center hot dogs

A week ago I took some family members to see the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Baily Circus at the BJCC. I had planned on buying a hot dog because that's what I do. But, it was getting close to show time and the lines were long so I just stopped to take a look.

I will admit that my preconceptions regarding these dogs was probably a little too negative. I could see they had a stash of hot dogs already in their buns and wrapped being kept in a warmer. (See above, between the popcorn and pretzels) That's the only way to do it when serving throngs of people in a short amount of time. The buyer picks up his undressed dog and goes to a nearby station where he can ad toppings from dispensers and individual packages. It was all remarkably clean and seemed to be handled professionally. These concession stands are run by independent vendors who contract to do this for all events; so they get lots of practice.


I took a few pictures and quickly got the attention of the workers including the manager, Ms Smith. I can't blame her for coming out to talk since she had no idea who I was or why I was taking pictures during her rush time. I assured her that there was no malicious intent and that it is all in the fun of having hot dogs. While I talked to her I even mentioned that this would probably be the only hot dog place I would ever write about where I didn't try the dog. I told her that the prospect of standing in a long line to get a cold soggy hot dog wasn't appealing. She quickly assured me that her dogs are kept hot and fresh. I will admit that the stash they had in the warmer was not large so they were most likely just as she said; hot and fresh. I wish I had tried one now.

Here's a thought about waiting in lines. There are many places in the world where people do not line up and wait to take their turn, but instead push and shove their way forward. We are fortunate to live in a nation where our heritage has given us an expectation that we will respect and be considerate of others and receive the same ourselves from those around us.

Finally... Sam's

You have no idea how many people have asked or told me about the hot dogs at Sam's, as in Sam's Club. I was a member for years but never tried their hot dogs while I was. A week ago Robert and I started out to visit a hot dog cart I had just noticed a few days before. But that day it started raining and the traffic was bad so we changed our destination in route and went to Sam's.

The picture above is ONE photograph (not two) which shows the scale of the signs
hanging above the food service area at Sam's in Hoover.

I guess most people have been there at least once. Sam's has some appeal for most people along with some frustrations. That aside, I was really impressed with the hot dog deal at Sam's. It has to be the unquestioned best buy at any hot dog stand I've ever been to. Like everything else at Sam's, hot dogs are done on a large scale. When you approach the snack area you see the GIANT signs complete with pictures of the food. Somehow this just all seems to fit at Sam's because it is such a big place and so much is done on a large scale. But the big doesn't end with the signs. The dogs are huge... they must be at least 1/4 pound hot dogs. The drinks are huge, 32 oz! Think about it; that's almost the size of 3 canned drinks combined. Then you can get refills! After you get the undressed dog you then get to use the industrial size dispensers of onions, relish, mustard and ketchup. Kraut in individual packages is also available upon request.

Take a look at the menu and you will see that there aren't many choices. Keeping it all simple keeps it easy to run with a minimum of effort. Robert, being an old hand at Sam's dogs , knew that even though it isn't on the menu they also offer chili dogs for a few cents more. It made me wonder if there are many other options not shown on the menu. With his experience Robert ordered just one dog. I thought he was being "good" about trying to keep his weight down. I in my ignorance ordered two dogs, one plain and one with chili as well as a bag of delicious kettle chips. Of course with the combo we got a 32 oz cup (or is it a pitcher?) to fill with a drink. Robert chose tea while I partially filled mine with coke.





The hot dogs are clearly sold as Nathan's, the famous New Your hot dog since the signs as well as wrappers use their logo. The Nathan's dogs are a good product and are a far cry from the "pencil weenies" one gets some places. Despite the lack of ambiance, and almost industrial presentation this is a great option for lunch, a big lunch and a good lunch on a budget. The chili on the chili dogs was excellent hot dog chili and while the dispensers look a little unusual they work well. I was concerned that the onion and relish devices would dump a large quantity on my dogs but they add toppings with reasonable moderation. It is quality food and the whole system works well. A visit to Sam's will even confirm that college football pictures, plaques and signs are not necessary even though they are found in most hot dog establishments.

I wish I had added something to this picture to provide a sense of scale.
This is a BIG chili dog!

As much as I wanted to I couldn't finish my two dogs. But, the entire purchase was less than $5.00! What a deal, more than I could eat or drink for less than five bucks.

Maybe next week I will make it to the cart I mentioned.

Pop's for a Birmingham dog

Last week, right after Christmas, we decided to go back to Pop's Grill at Five Points South. We had a group of three since Robert and I were joined by his son Michael who was visiting from the west coast.
Almost a year ago during February thru April 2011 we focused on Chicago style hot dogs in Birmingham but never tried the Chicago dog at Pop's when we were doing that. If you would like to read a little about the subject, we started reporting on those efforts with this visit in February. By April we had tried several Chicago dogs and were ready to get back to Birmingham style hot dogs. But here we were again ordering Chicago dogs at Pop's. Robert and I agree that the Chicago dog is pretty good on occasion but isn't our standard for comparison.

Now regarding Birmingham style hot dogs, I had never used that label prior to this visit. Michael has not been around for the hot dog tour and hasn't been exposed to the many options for hot dogs in our area; so we were trying to tell him a little about the subject. That's when it clicked for me that Birmingham does have it's own style of hot dogs. There are many servers who sell similar dogs. They each have their own sauce made using their own unique mix using many of the same ingredients. You can learn a little about that sauce in this video, also linked on the left side of the blog below the alphabetical list of reports.

The Birmingham style hot dog when ordered "all the way" usually comes with kraut, mustard, onions and of course the special sauce. Notice in the pictures the dogs at Pop's have purple onions which I imagine is a touch added by Heather Guarino a graduate of Culinard in Homewood. Heather and her father, Sammy, run Pop's and serve their own version of the Birmingham style hot dog. We were telling Michael how the Birmingham dog can be pretty predictable yet different at each place.
Between the three of us we actually had quite a variety of dogs on this visit. Robert and I both started with one Chicago dog while Michael ordered a junk yard dog. We weren't sure how many to order since some of the Chicago dogs we've had were really big. The ones at Pop's are a more modest size,closer to that of an ordinary hot dog (also priced closer to an ordinary hot dog). To the dogs we added an order of the great chili cheese fries that we all shared. After our first dogs I went back for a chili dog and Robert had a regular (Birmingham style) dog.
So how are the dogs at Pop's different from other dogs? Even though we had Chicago dogs I see an influence of a New York street hot dog. All the dogs we had came with a generous application of mustard, a little more than we have seen many places. This is a key flavor for the New York dog. Of course the Chicago guys also use mustard along with their mix of toppings. Pop's has ketchup on the tables but the dogs don't usually come with it. So predominant flavors include mustard, mild purple onion and a mild hot dog sauce. I also noticed that they cook dogs to order; they aren't sitting there on the grill waiting for you to come in. It takes a little longer but is fresher. Michael really liked his junk yard dog which was enough to not send him back for another dog but he did a number on the last of the chili cheese fries.

The Chicago dogs had all of the ingredients called for by the purist except for the poppy seed bun. They are smaller than most Chicago dogs I have had, but priced accordingly. They even come topped with "sport peppers". Of course I have already given my thoughts about these tough peppers; I would just use basic southern jalapenos, but they are the authentic topping.

Pop's is also the late night place on Southside, with a second shift staying open very late to serve those who work at the watering holes.

Another Visit to Salem's

This past weekend my wife and I were out on Saturday afternoon. We weren't doing Christmas shopping like many others, but were meeting a daughter and son-in-law for a non-holiday task. After we had finished, we all went to Salem's in Homewood for a late lunch since only one of the four of us had eaten.

We all piled into one car to make parking easier when we got there. Once at Salem's, despite the many shoppers who were out, we found a space close to the front door. Upon entering Salem's we discovered a nearly full house. We had to wait a couple of minutes for a table for four to open up. I was a little surprised, but pleased to see how busy they were after 2:00 on a Saturday afternoon.
We were immediately given a warm greeting and the assurance that we would be seated quickly. Once we were seated we were given menus so we could make our selection. This time I decided to try something other than a hot dog. The other guy in our group ordered a slaw dog, fries and a drink which he thought was very good. He even commented on the good fries. One of the ladies had a hamburger and drink, while another ordered a special that day, Santa Fe soup. This time I decided to try the Philly cheese steak sandwich with a side of fries and onion rings. The Philly cheese steak sandwich is something they take great pride in and can justifiably be called their specialty. I will join the voices of many others who praise that sandwich as prepared at Salem's. A word about the onion rings; I love onion rings when they are done right. These were perfect. They were fresh, firm and thick, served hot and make a great side. On their combos they offer fries, onion rings or some of both. With on my hot dog excursions I usually order chips; but since I decided to try a different sandwich it just seemed right. The the fries and rings are a good choice at Salem's; and next time I have a hot dog there I'll get them instead of chips.

Places like this where they that have decided to include a few other choices along with their dogs can be really good, especially when part of your group wants to branch out.

There were no complaints from anyone at our table. As we were finishing up I saw a little break in the business at the counter and took the opportunity to talk for a few minutes with Wayne Salem, the owner. He was really in his element having a good time interacting with a steady stream of customers while overseeing his efficient staff. Most of the customers seemed to be regulars which created a good atmosphere. When I told him about this blog he told me how proud he is to have such a high rating on the Urban Spoon website. We talked about his father's drive in's (Ed Salem's) and how many of the wall hangings came from there. He is quite proud to be the son of the famous football star, Ed Salem.
A few minutes later, Wayne appeared at our table with a sample for each of us of his home-made banana pudding. This treat doesn't even appear on the menu but seems to be there for the asking. Our samples were all quickly consumed and were the perfect end to our meal. I know I wouldn't have ordered it, but really enjoyed the small portion I had. When you go to Salem's be sure to look for the hand made signs offering items not on the printed menu and be sure to try the deserts.

I noticed that they serve breakfast starting at 6:30 and started wishing this place was somewhere convenient for me to stop for breakfast every now and then. Maybe I can do that soon anyway.

Below is a painting of the old Ed Salem's drive in that was on 26th Street North not far from the Neighborhood where I grew up.

Five Points

A couple of weeks ago Five Points Hot Dogs hit the news when they reopened. If you missed it I talked about it here. This week we didn't just talk about it; we went there. Yes, we are ack on the hot dog trail.

As we approached the Five Points South area we wondered how hard it might be to find a parking space, but it wasn't hard at all. We found more than one empty space on the street very close. Then we also saw that Raymond's Five Points Market and Five Points Hot Dogs have their own parking right in front. They seem to do a good job of keeping an eye on the lot to keep the spaces available for their customers. This became evident before we even walked in the door. We paused outside to take a few pictures and ended up with a picture of Raymond III standing in the window waving at us. (See below)

Then when inside as we prepared to order I took a picture of the menu and heard him comment; "You sure are taking alot of pictures."



So here we had another case of camera syndrome. That's what we call it when the camera attracts so much attention that we get questions. That's fine with us because we enjoy interacting with the management and owners. This week we were off to a good start. Both Raymond Jr. and Raymond III are nice outgoing guys who enjoy their business and their customers. They had a steady business, but not so much they couldn't talk. We heard about their business as well as their fondness for hot dogs.We also discovered a connection from years ago when Robert's wife had rented an apartment from Raymond Jr. before they were married.












The two Raymonds are the second and third generation of this family to run the Five Points Market and have been part of this community for a long time. It is interesting to see some of the old pictures on the wall. I didn't notice any of the usual Alabama and Auburn decor, but did see historic photos and flyers related to their business. They have a right to be proud to be continuing the family business and reopening the hot dog side that's been closed for years.










So, how are the dogs? We varied our usual order a little. We each had a hot do, then split a chili cheese dog and a special dog. They use their own sauce that is similar to other hot dog sauces yet different due to their unique mix of spices. They serve good basic hot dog stand fare, better than many and bigger than many. If you want some good hot dogs and find yourself in the area, this is your place, and there's plenty of parking.

YaYa's Yet Again

I know there are a few folks who occasionally read this blog, Please forgive me for the lack of new posts during the last couple of months. It sure hasn't been because I didn't want to get back to hot dogs again. We have a couple of good excuses. One is the busy nature of our lives. We both work in northern Shelby County which makes some of our lunchtime hot dog excursions turn into a very long lunch time. The other reason is that both Robert and I decided we needed to loose weight. My decision was in part due to some input from my doctor.

The good news is that I have reached my weight goal after loosing about 20 pounds and Robert is closing in on his goal. So,hot dogs, in moderation, will become more common lunchtime fare.


Even so, I recently attended an all day meeting in the southern Alabaster area and needed a good protein lunch. I opted for one of the more unusual hot dog purveyors in our area, YaYa's. On our first visit, the owner, Tracy Hale, told us that YaYa's is the home of the "almost world famous Q-dog. The Q-dog is a hot dog topped with a generous portion of bar BQ.


Tracy continues to be one of the friendliest and most out going businessmen I have ever met. And the Q-dog continues to be a great and unique product. I limited myself to only one since I was dieting and skipped my usual coke as well. Actually it might be a while before I have a coke again since I want to keep the weight off. I did take home one of his outstanding fried pies for my wife to have that night; and it made it home intact. Caroline didn't know if she would like a fried pie filled with banana pudding, but later told me it was really good. (They also have more traditional fillings).

That Tuesday, down on 119 between Alabaster and Montevallo, at the trailer parked next to the Pit Stop gas station, I really enjoyed my lunch. YaYas always seems to have a steady stream of regular customers and occasional first timers who are all treated like friends by Tracy and his wife.

I still want to go by some weekend and pick up some of the ribs he does each Saturday. If they are anything like the Q-dogs they have to be good.

A New/Old Hot Stand in Five Points South

The Birmingham News today (Friday 12/2/11) had a story of interest on the front of the local section. I had been given a heads up about this story several weeks ago when one of my daughters sent me a couple of photos taken when she and her husband had observed some late night work at Five Points Hot Dogs.


The picture shows someone working inside preparing for the reopening of this Hot Dog stand after being closed for years. I had spotted the closed hot dog stand over a year ago and even peered in the window hoping to see some action. But until now there were no dogs being served. The article can be read online HERE; but I am also copying it below:

From The Birmingham News
by Russell Hubbard
photos by News staff

One of Birmingham's iconic hot dog spots has made a comeback, after a 10-year hiatus.

It is Five Points Hot Dogs, inside Five Points Market on 11th Avenue South. The market quietly started serving hot dogs and other quick-service fare about three weeks ago.

Owned by the Josof family, the market has been there since 1947, back when Five Points was mostly residential, and housewives crowded the aisles for fresh meat and vegitables.

The area slowly changed into a business and entertainment district and the family began serving hot dogs and breakfast sandwiches in 1989, stopping in 2001 as market founder Raymond Josof Sr. moved into his seventh decade at the store. The elder Josof died this year after working at his market pretty much seven days a week, with time off only for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Now, it is a father-son combo again, with Raymond Josof III joining his father, Raymond Josef Jr.

Raymond Jr. first served hot dogs at Five Points while working with his father, the founder.

"Convenience store gas stations have gas to attract customers into the store," said Raymond Josof III,who is 25. "We don't have that, so we needed an attraction,away to draw in people who otherwise would just pass by."

The lunch counter and cooking area take up about half of the store; it had lain dormant since 2001. The equipment was all in great shape, te Josofs said, and all that was needed was new paint and seating.

"It's been 10 years and in between, people never stoped asking for hot dogs, Raymond Josof III said. "Some people with their own hot dog locations around town even asked if they could lease the space."

Like most of Birmingham's hot dog spots,Five Points has its own sauce, a meaty concoction with some spice to it that Raymond Josof Sr. says must be eaten over a frank to be fully appreciated. He said he devised it in the 1980s with the aid of Bob Stephens, a longtime Birmingham restauranteur.

The spot also serves hamburgers and freshly made chicken and tuna salads, along with chicken fingers,french fries and the usual accouterments. The Josofs themselves prepare,cook and serve all the food.

On the market side,there is beer, wine, eggs, canned goods, lunch meat and other staples.

"People are always going to drink beer and smoke cigarettes," Raymond Josof III said, when asked about the economy.

"He means to say you have to work twice as hard these days to make half as much," said his father.

"Get to work, we need fries," came the reply, as a third generation begins its run at the old market on 11th Avenue South.

A couple of revisits

Things have been so busy around here that I haven't been able to give much attention to visiting new places. But, I have been able to identify a couple of hot dog servers that have been off of my radar screen until very recently. So, we will be reporting on some new places soon.

For the time being I have made a couple of revisits recently. About a week ago I had the opportunity to have lunch with a couple of friends at Johnny Rocket's. I remembered when Robert and I had eaten there early this year. I had been pleasantly surprised at how good the hot dogs and chili dogs were; so I knew what I would order as soon as I knew the destination. The other guys ordered burgers but I opted for a hot dog and a chili dog, both all the way.


The dogs at Johnny Rocket's are a little pricey but are good. They are carefully prepared and served hot. The hot dogs are also served with great attention to presentation; and are among the best looking dogs you will find. One my previous visit the dogs were grilled. This time they were also grilled, but had been split down the middle prior to being grilled. That's a nice touch, but takes a little more time. You can see in the picture that the chili dog was overflowing with chili and toppings making it preferable to eat with a fork. I'm not going to complain about getting an abundance.


They serve large hot dogs making two of them a very filling meal. I didn't eat any of the fries that were shared but still found myself stuffed at the end of the meal. It might make more sense to limit an order to just one dog and a side or desert. Regardless of how you put together your order you will most likely be pleased. I usually approach chain restaurants with lowered expectations due to the absence of an owner operator. But, Johnny Rocket's seems to have communicated high standards to their cooks.



The other revisit this week was to Klingler's in Vestavia.
Klingler's is a favorite for my wife and I; so yesterday we had Sunday lunch there. The hot dog tour first visited here over a year ago to have their wonderful sausage platters, what I called a "German hot dog" and a "gourmet hot dog". You can see on the menu several different options. I have tried them all but usually order the "Bohemian double smoked beef and pork" sausage. There is an option of getting two sausages if you are really hungry, but one is usually sufficient for me.
These platters come with a side of hot German potato salad, hot sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard as well as a generous sour dough roll lightly toasted. You can easily make this into a sandwich if you like.


Everything they have at Klingler's is good. If you like German food this is a "must visit" restaurant; but I think anyone who likes good food will like it. If you like deserts this is a place you should visit. They have outstanding baked treats of many varieties. The picture on the right shows just a few of the options. Take a look at their website and go to the bakery tab.

Here's a Deal

One of my favorite hot dog places is Lyric Hot Dogs and Grill located on 3rd Avenue North, right across the street from the Alabama Theater. There is a Groupon deal you can buy through Monday Oct. 17th. Give it a look. If you have never been to Lyric this is a good opportunity to give it a try... at a discount. CLICK HERE to see the deal.

Sorry the deal is no longer available. Regardless, if you've never been to Lyric you should try it. They are one of the few remaining downtown hotdog sellers, a long time Birmingham business with great hotdogs.

The deal was: $8 buys you Four Hot Dogs (or Chili Dogs), Two Small Fries, and Two Soft Drinks (Up to $16.61 Value).