Hillbilly Hot Dogs

This spring, we found ourselves in Huntington and knew that we had to make a stop at Hillbilly Hot Dogs while we were there.

Located 12 miles outside of Huntington in Lesage, WV, Hillbilly Hot Dogs is a quintessential American roadside eatery. Think Route 66 roadside dining - if it ran through Appalachia. It features crazy menu items, even crazier kitsch and an opportunity to stretch your legs after a long stretch of driving.

The menu has something for everyone. Their primary vessel is a deep-fried weenie topped with an assortment of toppings that pay tribute to WV culture (the Coal Miner dog) and lore (Mothman Dog). In total, there are 27 different dogs on the menu, not including the HomeWreckers.

Let's talk about the HomeWrecker

These are the menu items that, when ordered, draw the envy of teenagers and scorn of spouses.

The Original HomeWrecker is a 15-inch, 1-pound weenie with 2 pounds of toppings, while the Original WidowMaker is a 30-inch, 2-pound weenie and 4 pounds of toppings! Up for a challenge? If you can eat the Original HomeWrecker in under 12 minutes you get a free T-Shirt. The cost of the stomach pump is up to you.

In addition to the hot dogs, they also offer burgers, salads (rabbit fixin's), subs and sandwiches. Let's be honest. No one is going for anything other than a hot dog so forget that I mentioned them.

Garçon, Table for Two!

If the assortment of food options isn't overwhelming enough… eating in (and lightly vandalizing) the bus is its own experience. The interior of the school bus has been retrofitted with dining tables and window unit air conditioners to make it about as comfortable an experience as can be had in an old school bus.

On the ceiling of the bus you will find all kinds of messages from past visitors and if you bring a sharpie, you can add your own inspirational message. "Brad wuz here!" was my own contribution to the fount of knowledge that is the Hillbilly Hot Dog bus ceiling. Think, "The Histories" by Herodotus. If it were written by weary travelers on the ceiling of a single-wide.

All in all, it was a fun diversion from the trip that we were on. I went with a couple teenage boys and they both loved it. So did I. And, you probably will to.

$1 - $40

The hot dogs, of course! Also, we were in the area for the day and this represented the only truly West Virginia cultural thing that we could do in our short amount of time there.

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Worth a stop for the kitsch and the Homewrecker, if you feel up to it. The hot dogs are good and there is enough variety to please just about anyone.

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