W.Va. Hot Dog Joint Review

Bob's Hot Dogs

Norton (near Elkins)

I've been getting mail about Bob's for a long time and I was glad when a recent trip to the mountains afforded me the opportunity to finally check it out. While some folks told me that they had great hot dogs, the main thing I heard about Bob's was that they have an incredible selection. This last assertion is not in dispute: There are well over a hundred combinations on the menu board that takes up an entire wall of the roadside stand. In fact, one of the non-standard hot dogs on the menu was the reason I made Bob's a mandatory stop on this trip. As I approached the Norton turnoff on Corridor H, I was already salivating over the prospect of the treat that awaited me: A combination of the two most scrumptious food items in the state: Ramps and Hot Dogs. But when I got there I quickly found out that Ramp Dogs were out of season.

I opted, instead, for a customized version of their "Slaw Dog" (I only had to ask for onions and mustard - it included chili) so I could give Bob's an apples-to-apples comparison with hot dogs from the rest of the state.

Not a lot to say about this hot dog: The bun was OK, the weenie was OK, the slaw was not too good. The most remarkable thing was the chili: It was the most perfect texture I have ever seen. It was meaty but the meat was so fine that the sauce was liquid enough to be poured over the top of the dog. It tasted good, but it was the texture that I'll remember most.

I'll put a note on my calendar to head back to Bob's in the springtime, but the modified slaw dog only rates a 3 Weenie rank.