Flat Nutrisystem Hot Dogs?

OK, as far as I'm concerned this is clearly in the category of weird.


I was humoring the lovely Caroline recently by shopping with her at Big Lots. I certainly didn't anticipate encountering a hot dog at Big Lots; but life is full of surprises.

Here it is... a turkey hot dog in a pretty flat little box no more than a half an inch thick. It's all ready to be microwaved and devoured for a satisfying (?) lunch. Please notice the picture that even shows a somewhat flat hot dog in a bun (not included). I thought this was so bizarre that I was really tempted to buy one just so I could open it up and see what it looked like. I restrained myself.

Tasty Dogs - Cart at Wildwood

A while back we visited another hot dog cart. The cart that goes by the name "Tasty Dogs" is a regular fixture outside the front door of Lowe's at Wildwood. I had spotted this guy one day when I had just eaten; so I made a note. We tried on another occasion to eat there but that day he wasn't at his regular station.

But we did finally connect.

Some of our past episodes have convinced us that eating at a hot dog cart can be a little bit of an adventure. You don't know quite what you'll get. It can range from the best hot dog you ever had (That really happened!) to a somewhat regrettable experience.

Tasty Dogs ranks toward the upper end of that spectrum for carts. This guy knows what he is doing. He's a musician in his other life,but makes a pretty good hot dog by day. His cart is right there with all the John Deeres and other equipment on display right in front of Lowes. But Lowe's also displays picnic tables at the other end of the covered front area; so one can actually sit down there rather than eating standing up or in the car.


This would be a good place to stop for a quick lunch if you find yourself in the Wildwood area.

A New (To Us) Cart

We are always on the lookout for hot dog servers that are new to us. So, when Robert spotted a new cart downtown we put it on our short list of places to visit (Unfortunately, the whole list is short since we have visited so many).

This visit was to Greg's Hot Dogs, the new cart in town. Greg Nuckolls likes to park his cart at the corner of 5th Avenue and 20th Street (southeast corner) where once upon a time the original Tutwiler Hotel stood. These days he is in front of a steel and glass office tower that is currently totally empty. There was talk of converting this building into a hotel but it remains empty.

So, this day we headed downtown to visit this hot dog cart. The weather has bee a little unpredictable lately due to the summer rains and storms; but this day was beautiful. A perfect day to dine alfresco (I think that means outside).

Greg has a "cart"; but it's hard to call it a cart. It is pulled as a trailer into location daily with lots of other coolers and equipment carried in the tow vehicle. These cart guys definitely work hard to make their sales. Set-up and take-down every time they work. Add to that licenses, health inspections and the mandated commissary where the cart/trailer is cleaned and prepared every time. They also deal with weather and the various whims of the city government.


Let's talk about dogs! Greg has good hot dogs. It's hard to maintain the standards one would have in FBO (fixed base operation) from a cart, but Greg does a pretty good job. We had our usual first visit order of a hot dog and a chilli dog. Actually Greg doesn't have a standard "hot dog all the way" or "chili dog all the way". He prefers for the customer to tell him exactly what to put on the dog. The dogs we ordered and ate were outstanding (not just out standing on the sidewalk) but outstanding food. I don't think you can go wrong at Greg's. We were so busy eating these good hot dogs we almost forgot to stop and take pictures. We did manage the picture below of a custom chili cheese dog.


My only complaint, if it is a complaint, is that he has way more topping than he reveals on his menu. Only after talking with him a while did we learn that he has a few specialty dogs up his sleeve. One of these sounds like it's worth a special trip. He told us about a blue cheese dog. He like to add sauteed onions, kraut, a little Tabasco chipotle sauce and blue cheese to a dog. My mouth waters just writing this.
Of note also, take a look at his health inspection rating below. It doesn't get any better.

Greg has a history in the food service industry and chose a hot dog cart for his operation when he returned to Birmingham. I was particularly encouraged to find that he had read much of this blog as he was making up his mind about what he should do in Birmingham. When I started telling him about the blog he stopped me and told me he had read most of it already and was glad we had come for a visit.

Lastly, I couldn't help but think about Steve Malone who used to park his cart just one block north of this location. Look back Here and Here. Steve served the best hot dog I have ever eaten prior to his early death from pancreatic cancer. He left his mark in this world and his life continues to remind me that we are all a breath away from eternity. We need to live our lives accordingly.

Catching up

Where have we been? Good question. I guess I've been a little off pace during the first of the summer. I have my excuses, but I'll sum it up by saying; "Life is hard."

The lovely Caroline and I have had two different times of keeping two different two year old grandchildren for many days and nights. Wow, these kids are fun and touch the heart, but it's not always easy for some of us to take care of two-year-olds around the clock.

Then to follow that, Susie (our youngest daughter) gave birth to our sixth (count em) grandson.


Regardless, what about hot dogs? As I said in my previous post we have been making a few return visits as well as looking for some new places to visit.

A few days ago Robert and I started out to visit a new (for us) hot dog cart downtown. Robert had spotted it a week before and stopped by to talk with the guy. Unfortunately, the day we headed downtown to try his dogs there had been a weather forecast of rain around noon resulting in the guy not showing up.... (Wimp). So we decided to head for Homewood on our way back toward our respective offices.


The plan was to visit Mike's Chicago Dogs since there has recently been a change in ownership/management there. But, when we got there it was obvious that the new owners had not yet figured out how to serve on a timely basis. We saw numerous folks standing around waiting for their orders and watched the cashier take a very long time to review the order and finally poke the food out the window for one customer. We decided we would wait and try again at a later date. I hope these new owners can get this right.

So, when we left there we went a couple of blocks down the street to Salem's Diner. Actually I had been there on a Saturday about a week before but Robert had never been there. It was a good choice. Salem's is becoming one of my favorites!


On my previous visit I had a chili dog combo with a chili dog, a mix of fries and onion rings and a drink. The chili dog was one of those that needs to be eaten with a knife and fork. Being not terribly hungry, I was well fed with just one dog. On that day I opted for one of the Philly Cheese sandwiches which are the specialty of the house. Robert had a chili dog combo like I had eaten a few days before. He agreed with me that these dogs are among the best we have had. The option of a combo including their perfect onion rings also takes it up a notch.

Salem's is a must try place in the Birmingham area. Wayne Salem and his helper Ernie Dease will make you at home. I will give this advice; the place is small so you might need to wait for a seat. Then if you are at a table, watch the flow of people and try to finish up and be on your way if they are full.

Now here's another recent visit. We have gone back to G-Dogs a couple of times. Read about our previous visit Here. These revisits are fun. When we make our first visit we have a standard order of a hot dog all the way and a chili dog (also all the way). The revisits give us an opportunity to try more of the offerings. Below You can see our latest orders. I decided to try their sausage dog and a corn dog. Robert ordered a chili dog and some chili cheese fries.



I would say that between the two items I ordered I liked the sausage dog better. There is something about recipe used by whoever makes some of these previously frozen corn dogs that tastes a little too sweet for me. Nevertheless, G-Dogs remains a good choice for hot dogs in the Hoover area.

Year Two for 3rd Grade Hot Dog Day

Let’s talk about hot dogs. I can’t believe it’s been over six weeks since I posted here. We have continued to make visits to hot dog sellers around here with an emphasis on revisits. We are coming to realize that we have been to most of the hot dog sellers in the area, yet we do hear of or spot a new one occasionally.

But this post isn’t about one of our usual visits. Back in May, right at the end of school, Robert and I served charcoal grilled hot dogs to a bunch of third graders. For the second year now we had hot dog day for the third grade class taught by my son-in-law, Aaron. He teaches at Restoration Academy in downtown Fairfield. Restoration is an urban Christian school that does a wonderful job with these kids. You can read about last year Here.

This year I made a visit to his class a few weeks before hot dog day. My goal was to encourage them to try some toppings other than the usual ketchup and/or mustard often used by kids. I took a few pictures of some “serving suggestions” and led a lively discussion. I concluded that the visit wasn’t needed because I heard a big variety of preferences. So, as I prepared for the big day I collected a huge variety of condiments some of which I had never even had before.

On hot dog day Robert and I arrived early to unload and set up a grill and serving table under the big old trees in Fairfield City Park, right across the street from the school. We were then joined by the very pregnant “Miss Susie” my daughter, the wife of the teacher Aaron. I manned the grill and started some regular Oscar Myer dogs, polish sausages and smoked sausages as well as a pot of chili.I included the sausages after having had some great hot dogs made with these during the last year. I have particularly come to like the hot dog size smoked sausages and convinced a few to try one for the first time.

I also added something that I've never found commercially. I bought some really big chicken breasts and cut them into long fat strips. I then marinated them in Moor's Marinade (Dale's is also good) and grilled. These "chicken dogs" were served in a hot dog bun with Zoe's slaw and other toppings chosen by the individual.My personal preference is to have these with mayonnaise or white barbecue sauce and slaw or maters.

We were joined by my friend Dr. Edwards and the staff of Hope Health Center also located right across the street from the park. They came out at our invitation to get an early start before all the third graders came out.

It was a delightful time. Like last year, all who were served were appreciative and had a good time. I was impressed with the variety of toppings chosen by everyone. It was hard work but also rewarding to do this for these kids.

Mexican Hot Dogs at Mexico Beach

Last week the lovely Caroline and I, along with Susie and Aaron, spent a few days in Florida. We decided to go to "Florida's forgotten coast" which is east of Panama City. So we went to Port St. Joe Florida and also visited the neighboring towns of Apalachicola and Mexico Beach. This trip was like an excursion in a time machine for me. I experienced something I thought I would never see again, Florida the way it was 40-50 years ago. There were no high-rises, no roller coasters, no goofy golf, no water-slides and no traffic. There were limited choices for eating out; but it wasn't hard to find the good ones.

That brings us to the topic of this posting. I have written a couple of previous entries about tamales and called them Mexican hot dogs; but this entry is about a hot dog that is Mexican. One day we ended up at Mexico Beach looking for a place to have a late lunch. The consensus seemed to be for us to stop at Playa Tacos. We had been having a pretty steady diet of seafood so we opted for a little variety.

So here we were stopping at a little taco shop in a row of wood frame commercial properties right on highway 98. These buildings just look like they belong at the beach. They are painted different colors and are connected by a deck across the front. Playa Tacos is the yellow building on the left end. The owners, Jimmy Lopez and Kristen Valko moved to Florida from Austin Texas to start this taco business. What better place for a taco restaurant in Florida than appropriately named Mexico Beach.

The first thing I spotted when we walked in the door was a sign on the counter advertising the "Mexican Hot Dog". Then I think each of my companions pointed it out to me. I guess they know me well; because when I saw that sign it simplified my decision about what I would order.


When it came, the frank/sausage/dog looked a little different, but it was good. It is a big fat frank filled with chicken, cheese and spices. It ends up being kind of orange in color with lots of dark speckles from the seasoning.


The Mexican hot dog comes in tortillas with the addition of cooked peppers, onions and a choice of sauces. When given the choice of what kind of tortilla I asked Jimmy which one he prefers and he recommended the corn tortilla which was a good choice. The pepper and onion are billed as sauteed but looked more like they were steamed. Maybe they had just been warmed again in a steamer, but I had no complaints. After I added the hot salsa, they were the perfect compliment to my Mexican Dog.

I was the only one in the group to order one. The others opted for tacos and fajitas. After I finished my dog I also returned for a taco which I also found to be very good. As I've been trying hot dogs on this "Great Birmingham Hot Dog Tour" I have found that I usually like the unexpected when I find it. This was another case of that happening. This Mexican Hot Dog is definitely worth looking for if you are in the area.

The shop is small with limited seating inside; but there is additional seating on the deck between Playa and the next building. The little deck was a nice place to eat around a table under an umbrella and the wind blowing around.


Now regarding the area, this whole area east of Panama City is worth a visit if you want to see the Gulf Coast without the crowds and massive highrise developments. It's a great place see coastal life that isn't just tourists. This is a great place for those who want to go to the coast to rest, relax, and enjoy the scenery and abundant wildlife.

VJ's for Hot Dogs?

When I first started thinking about a Birmingham Hot Dog Tour I started trying to assemble a list of hot dog stands around Birmingham. The first place I went was to the internet where I did a lot of looking and making notes. I don't remember what site it came from but I definitely remember seeing VJ's on the Runway listed as having great hot dogs. This place has been on the list ever since but we have never gone there until this visit.

VJ's is known as a "meat-and-three" place, but the web referral I found also told of their great tamales so that gave another reasons to want to try them. So we finally decided to visit a long time Birmingham lunchtime server, VJ's on the Runway. VJ's has been around for decades out on the backside of the airport on Eastlake Boulevard. In all of my MANY years I have always heard good reports of this place and wanted to go there... some day. Well, the day finally arrived.
 

 Guess which one is the original location and which is the new location.

Robert and I went there recently planning on trying both the hot dogs and the tamales. Here's what we found. VJ's was once upon a time a pretty small place located literally near the end of the shorter runway of the Birmingham International(?) Airport. We knew they had moved and had a newer location so that was no surprise. When we went in for our usual late lunch the place was 3/4 full. It's a pretty big place so there were lots of people around. By the time we left at maybe 1:30-40 the place was almost deserted. This place has always been a lunchtime favorite of working people and it looks like those working people don't take late or long lunches. So if you want a leisurely lunch with nobody trying to hustle you out the door to make room, this is a good place.

What did we find? When we selected a table and sat down we discovered that the table was a little... no, a lot sticky, so we moved to another table. We commented to the waitress about the condition of the other table but she didn't seem concerned. I guess she thought we were late for lunch and should be happy to be seated. Apparently clean, non sticky tables are not always a high priority. So, here we were at a table that met our high(?) standards of acceptable cleanliness. We scoured the menu and found NO hot dogs... at all. OK. plan B, tamales. We had talked about it on the way and had planned on having some of both the dogs and the tamales. With no dogs on the menu went went for the tamales. We both ordered "Mexican chili" (4.99), and two tamales (hand rolled) 1.99 each. We found that there is a special for that combo that saves a dollar or two. Sorry, I don't remember the exact deal.

As far as we were concerned this was a good plan. Robert and I both love good tamales. In fact, we both remember growing up in Norwood where occasionally a "tamale man" would pass our house in the evening, selling tamales from his cart that was half bicycle/half cart. Our dad loved to get a few when he had the opportunity; so we grew up having hand rolled tamales on occasion.
 
How was it? Very good. The chili was obviously made from scratch and has never seen the inside of a can. It was a little mild to be called "Mexican" chili on the menu, but it was still good. The tamales were great! They are prepared with ample meat filling and a good flavorful sauce is provided. This was an excellent combo that would really be good on a cool day. But even on a hot day I bet this would be good.

I almost forgot; look at the biscuits in the picture above. VJ's serves great Mexican biscuits. These biscuits definitely contain peppers. Even without real butter (they have Country Crock - whatever that is) these are fantastic. Is real butter that expensive? I bet they save at least a dollar a day by serving something that came out of a chemical plant and doesn't even have a real food name like "yellow somewhat-greasy spreadable food product". On second thought, maybe Country Crock of Unknown Yellow Stuff is better.

Bottom line, in spite of the first table and the yellow food product, I'm glad I finally went to VJ's, and hope to return.

Big things in Springville

Many months ago James Grigsby posted a reply on one of my posts saying how he had discovered the Hot Dog Tour and have enjoyed the read. He went on to say; "I would like to invite you to my place in Springville, Al. We're 13 miles up I-59 from Trussvile. My place is called The Shack Burgers & BBQ. Although we're not "Dog" stand we serve what we think is one of the best around! www.shackburgers.com"

It took a while but I finally got around to visiting the Shack. He says 13 miles, but it's more like 30 miles from where Robert and I work out in Shelby County. The occasion for the visit was a short trip that the lovely Caroline and I were making to Chattanooga this past week. When we left it was getting close to lunchtime so we planned on getting something on the road. Our default stopping place is all too often "Chick Away" as one grandson once called it. I was able to convince her that we needed to find The Shack in Springville, so here we went. Caroline is a colon cancer survivor so her tastes in food are not quite as adventurous as mine, but she indulges me. It turned out that finding The Shack wasn't as easy as I thought. It turns out they have recently moved and the sign giving the new location might communicate to locals but not me. I had no idea where the old "Big Bolton's" had been. With a little assistance I found the new location up a side road very close to the I-59 interchange at highway 174.

Now for The Shack; this place is worth the time it might take you to get there. Their web presence is Here.
They have just moved into a much bigger building that they reportedly have already filled up on occasion. The Shack is run by James and Chauntelle Grigsby. James is the cook and really knows what he is doing. It clearly isn't just a hot dog stand and never was; but they fit very well on our agenda since they very clearly take pride in the hot dogs they serve.

The sign on their old location bills them as "The Shack, Burgers and Bar B Q". They also include south Louisiana Cajun food on their menu. This is an area they hope to emphasize as they grow in the new location. I just hope they keep their old products including the dogs.

I wasn't real hungry and knew that I would have a big dinner with a desert that night so I only ordered one chili cheese dog with a side of potato salad. It's good I only ordered one dog because it was giant when it came. This has to be a quarter pound hot dog topped with a very generous portion of hearty chili. Just take a look. There is no way to pick up this hot dog and eat it with any sense of decorum. I didn't even try but resorted to a fork and knife.

How was it? Outstanding! This is another unique product that the owner has clearly placed his mark on. I love it when I find the unexpected or unusual hot dogs,and this is clearly one of those. Then it gets even better! I had asked the waitress to tell James that the "guy from the hot dog blog" was there since he had invited us, so he came out to talk a little. As we talked he told me; "I want you to try our shack sauce,this doesn't come on the hot dog unless you ask for it." The Shack sauce is a Southern Louisiana style bar B Q sauce that is very sweet and spicy. I have never had a sauce quite like it, but it was sure good added to that chili cheese dog. Caroline had a chicken salad sandwich with a side of slaw which she reported as very good. (It's hard to get away from that chicken sometime).

Here are James and Chauntelle Grigsby the owners.

I wish them great success.

It is clearly worth a trip to Springville for one of these dogs; but I can hardley wait to go back some evening for a cajun dinner. Cajun food is another favorite of mine.

My advice to the reader is; "Go to Springville and try this place!" James knows what he is doing in the kitchen. They have made a big move and we should all want to make sure that this place makes a go of it and is around for years to come.

Picabu Dog

OK, what's a Picabu dog?

I didn't know either; but I recently got an email from Robert giving a report on his hot dog adventure in Orlando. The post below is entirely his.


I went to Orlando for a business conference.  It was one of those conferences where all the meals are provided, but I  arrived at the Disney Dolphin hotel before lunch and the conference did not begin until late afternoon.  So, there was an opportunity to explore the culinary options for lunch.  The just inside the door from the walkway to the Swan was crowded, so I went around the corner to the Picabu Buffeteria.

The last thing on my mind when dining on an expense account was a hot dog, but as I was about to place my order for loaded nachos, they served up a delicious-looking hot dog to the person ahead of me in line.  The plate appeal, coupled with the realization that Karl was in the height of his busiest season at work, so there would not be another entry on hot dog blog this week, made my decision a no-brainier. 

The tube  steak looked like it weighed a pound, although it probably approximated half a pound.  It was served hot on a fresh bun with one's choice of toppings.  They don't offer the type of hot dog sauce one finds on a dog in Birmingham, so I simply got onions and kraut, then added mustard from plastic packets.

When you consider the ambiance, it really wouldn't matter if e hot dog were mediocre for one to enjoy the experience.  But, I am glad that I can report that the hot dog was excellent.  It was served hot, and on a fresh bun with the onions and kraut heaped atop the massive dog.  I say massive, as it hung out both ends of the bun by at least an inch and a half at each end.  The plate was heaped with lots of crispy and hot french fries as well.  The flavor of the dog was much like that of a polish sausage dog, bursting with flavor.  Its size made it difficult to take a bite without getting mustard and kraut all over my face, and I must admit, I went through several napkins during this meal.  The kraut was hot and flavorful, witha minimum of sourness.  By the time I had eaten half the hot dog, I was mostly full, and only ate the rest of the dog and most of the fries because they were so tasty and the fries had the perfect degree of crispness.  I think Picabu's chef has room to be proud of the product served-up from his galley.

After enjoying my lunch, I launched off on a walk around the property with two goals in mind.  One was to enjoy the sights and sounds of the property and the other was to try and work off some of the weight I had no-doubt added during my visit to the Picabu Buffeteria.  When dinner was served for our conference, it was in the form of heavy hors d'oeuvres during a meet & greet and vendor fair.  The few hors d'oeuvres I ate were very tasty, but I had little appetite due to my filling lunch.  The best was a large scallop with bacon bits around the edge, but I only had room for one.  I think the only thing I ate was one of those, a little two-inch taco looking thing with a small amount of buffalo chicken nugget in it and one very small bun with fresh prime rib of beef on it. 



So, if you go to the Disney Dolphin or any of the neighboring resorts (Swan, Beach Club and Yacht Club), you might not be thinking about a hot dog, but if you are, you can get a good one at the Picabu. At $6.50, it is one of the best bargains on the property.

Two great links

Last week a friend who knows of my interest in hot dogs sent me a link that I want to share. This stuff just looks so good that it gives me lots of ideas. These are definitely not the usual kids dog with mustard and ketchup. Just have a look at some of these pictures.

Take a look HERE.

I keep thinking I've done enough on Chicago dogs and then I see something like this. It does prove that contrary to what some would tell you, there is not just one way to have a Chicago dog.

And as long as I'm passing on links, I posted this link from the Food Network last July. The site is still there and is still worth looking at for anyone wanting some adventure in their hot dog recipes. Here are a couple of their pictures below. Then if you are interested follow the link.

Take a look HERE.


Now a look ahead. Last Spring near the end of school I did a hot dog day for a third grade class taught by a son-in-law. If you didn't see that post take a look HERE. The time is getting close again. I talked with Aaron about possible dates and am looking forward to doing it again, probably in late May. It was definitely a fun event. I'll try to get more pictures this year. If any readers want to join us let me know because it takes extra hands to pull this off.

G-Dogs - The New Guy In Town

There’s a new hot dog stand in Hoover. G-Dogs has just recently opened in the Plaza at Riverchase shopping center, at 1837 Highway 31 south. They are located at the Data Drive end of the strip shopping center where Hobby Lobby is located. The abundant parking and easy access seems to make this a good area for eating establishments as there are several others close by.

Robert had spotted G-Dogs and realized that it was a new place. It didn’t take long before we went for a lunchtime visit since it is fairly close to our offices. We arrived to find a clean and brightly decorated little place with lots of windows. Located on the end of the shopping center the building has not only the usual windows facing the front but also on the side. This side of the café looks out on a covered area containing a couple of outside tables. This looks like it would be a pleasant place to eat, especially on the mild days we have been having. The thought had entered my mind to eat out there but we ran into a friend of Robert’s and ended up eating with him inside.

It turns out that there is another G-Dogs located in Pinson that until now had totally escaped our attention. The new Hoover location is a joint venture of Charles Matsos, of the Golden Rule Bar BQ chain and Paul Curcio, owner of the Golden Rule in Pelham. On the day we were there, Paul was working behind the counter.

So how was the food? It was very good! The name, G-Dogs, is short for Good Dogs and is not misnamed. Like all of the other Birmingham hot dog sellers they use a hot dog sauce made from their own recipe. These sauces are all similar, yet unique. The G-Dogs sauce is one of the best that I have had.

We both started with a special consisting of two dogs, fries and a drink. We each chose a hot dog and a chili cheese dog, both all the way. The menu has some other tempting items; but we stuck to our usual plan of trying a hot dog and a chili dog on a first visit. Two of the other dogs we noticed were a bacon dog and an Irondale Dog. It turns out that the Irondale dog is a hot dog with slaw and topped with Golden Rule Bar BQ. This is only the second time we have encountered a hot dog with Bar BQ added as a topping so we had to try one. After we had finished our first dogs we ordered just one Irondale dog which we cut in half so we could give it a try. This Irondale is totally different from the Q-Dog we had previously loved, but was good. We both agreed that even though it was good it needs a little Bar BQ sauce to top it off. Robert suggested this addition to Paul before we left; so we are hopeful that the next Irondale dogs we have will include Bar BQ sauce.

A day later I ran into a friend who started telling me about how he had eaten a foot long hot dog at G-Dogs in Hoover. I guess word is getting around about this place. I suspect that there will be more G-Dogs locations opening in the future. According to the Birmingham News, they have their eyes on several locations around the area as well as downtown. I also suspect that I will be having more good dogs from G-Dogs in the future.

Hot Dogs at Hamburger Heaven

This started when a friend told me he had eaten hot dogs at Hamburger Heaven recently. I had no idea they even served hot dogs. It has been a long time since I have been there so I suggested we give it a try. In fact the last time I went to Hamburger Heaven it was to the original location out on Crestwood Blvd. For this trip we went to the location on hwy. 280 close to Lloyds.

I remember my dad used to say that you shouldn't order fish at a steak restaurant or steak at a seafood restaurant because it wouldn't be as good as you hoped. That came back to me after we went to Hamburger Heaven to have hot dogs. Hamburger Heaven is clearly a place that specializes in hamburgers. Don't get me wrong, the hot dogs were not bad, but they were nothing special either.


The dogs they serve are large and I presume are Nathan's brand since there is a Nathan's sign on the wall in the rear of the side seating area. We each tried a chili dog and hot dog as usual on a first visit to a place. The hot dogs come somewhat like a "Birmingham dog", with sauce, mustard, kraut and onions. But, the sauce is different from any hot dog sauce I have ever seen. It is actually their own hamburger sauce that appears to be a mix of mustard and ketchup with a little something else thrown in. The chili on the chili dogs is good chili. I didn't think to look but I bet they have a hamburger topped with chili, thus the chili is hot and ready.



We sat there eating and finally talked about the food. It was then that we agreed that while it all seemed OK it just left us wishing we had tried something else. The hot dogs showed no evidence of being grilled and were actually warm rather than hot even though served in Styrofoam caskets that could have kept them warm. It's really hard to come up with specific reasons for our reaction other than the serving temperature and not having been grilled. The bottom line is, both the temperature and the flavor left something to be desired. It is our opinion that at over $2 each, you would do better to have a hamburger at Hamburger Heaven rather than a hot dog.





The thought came to us that despite the many businesses along highway 280, we can think of NO hot dog stands between Homewood and Chelsea. I think there is a business opportunity for someone there.