Hot Dog Of The Week: Slaw Dog
"Slaw dogs can be found all over West Virginia, in dedicated hot dog joints, drive-ins, bars, delis, and old-fashioned dairy bars."
Past Weeks' Dogs
Puka Dog
The Philly Combo
Tijuana Dogs
Texas Weiners
Flo's Hot Dogs, Cape Neddick, Maine
Two weeks ago I had my first real Slaw Dog at Martie's in Keyser, West Virginia. I wasn't expecting much from a hot dog joint on a half abandoned strip of shops in the middle of nowhere. But walking into the colorful diner-style counter decorated with old deli signs and hundreds of bottles of hot sauce, complete with a chest of ice cold beer and a smoke-filled video poker parlor in the back, I knew I had come to the right place.
My hot dog was grilled to order, placed on a lightly steamed bun and piled high with chili and cole slaw. I took a bite and my suspicions were confirmed that this place is incredible, and slaw dogs are delicious. Everything was fresh and the dog had just the right balance of bread, hot dog, chili, and creamy slaw.
Martie's in Keyser, West Virginia.
The secret of a real West Virginia hot dog is in the sauce and the slaw. A subtle smear of yellow mustard on a steamed bun, topped with a grilled or steamed hot dog, and layered with a hearty chili that's just thick enough to hold up heaping mounds of cole slaw. This is not your light and healthy vinegar slaw either. We're talking thick, sweet and creamy mayonnaise-based slaw with super finely chopped cabbage and possibly a few carrots, a touch of vinegar, and maybe some mustard or celery seed if you want to get fancy. Diced onions are optional but not required. West Virginia hot dogs are soft and messy, served in a sturdy vehicle for consumption, usually a paper boat or styrofoam container.
We recently examined the Texas Weiner, and the West Virginia hot dog seems to be the logical next step in the evolution of the American hot dog. Central southern Pennsylvania is riddled with Texas lunch stands, and a bit south of that in Cumberland, Maryland, we find Curtis Coney Island Famous Weiners that's been around since 1918. Great hot dogs and Coney sauce but no slaw here. Travel 20 miles south down Route 220 and you'll cross the slaw line and hit Martie's in Keyser.
Nowhere in West Virginia is there a hot dog stand with the words Coney or Texas in the name. And no references to Greek sauce are to be found either. In some areas it's simply known as "sauce" but the majority of West Virginia hot dog joints proudly call their hot dog topping "chili."
There are also non-slaw dogs in northern West Virginia, especially in Marion County which has a history of Italian influence going back to the coal mining communities, not to mention is the birthplace of the pepperoni roll, another unique West Virginia delicacy. Yann's in Fairmont is one such example, which serves a heavily spiced dark chili, and where asking for slaw or ketchup will get you kicked out.
Slaw dog from Martie's.
Legend has it that slaw was first placed on a hot dog at the Stopette Drive in in Charleston, West Virginia, during the 1930s. After that, the trend took off like crazy. Slaw dogs can be found all over West Virginia, in dedicated hot dog joints, drive-ins, bars, delis, and old-fashioned dairy bars. The closest thing to a "haute dog" restaurant is Hillbilly Hot Dogs in Lesage where you can pick up a taco dog or a three-and-a-half pound "home wrecker" that comes with a free t-shirt if you eat it in 12 minutes. West Virginia even has an annual Hot Dog Festival in Huntington with eating competitions, dog races and of course hot dogs from lots of local vendors.
Don't miss the West Virginia hot dog blog for an extremely thorough guide to West Virginia dogs. The blog's founder also appears on this great segment for West Virginia Public Radio that gets into some of the sociology of regional hot dogs.
All throughout the South we find institutions such as the Nu-Way in Georgia that serve slaw dogs. The slaw further south usually has more tooth to it than the West Virginia-style, having more to do with mustard and vinegar than mayonnaise—sort of a cross over with barbecue culture. West Virginia still claims to be the birthplace of the Slaw Dog. Regardless of who made the first, I'm glad they did.
Martie's Hot Dog Stand
96 North Main Street, Keyser West Virginia 26726 (map)
Hillybilly Hot Dogs
The original: 6951 Ohio River Road, Lesage West Virginia 25537 (map)
1501 3rd Avenue, Huntington West Virginia 25701 (map)
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10 Comments:
after 20 years of living in the south, only now can I put slaw on hotdogs and hamburgers
ontheleftwing at 1:37PM on 08/07/09
i love this segment, please don't ever stop them :D
harmonica at 1:41PM on 08/07/09
My OH will be all over this dog when he hears about it.
Also: I love the artwork in this series.
Kerosena at 2:13PM on 08/07/09
Love slaw on hamburgers, too.
Glad to see the Goya hot sauce on the shelf. It's mostly tobasco flavored hot sauce, but unlike any other hot sauce I've tasted. For a while it wasn't available here, and the Goya people graciously shipped me a case. I don't use it on a lot of things, but it's essential for my favorite meal, black beans and rice with onions, orange zest, and goya hot sauce. topped with sour cream.
lemonfair at 3:27PM on 08/07/09
Grew up in Huntington (home of the WV hot dog festival and hot dogs stands too numerous to mention) and the only thing I took with me when I left 11 years ago was my love of slaw on hot dogs. But as the author of wvhotdogblog.com notes, "I don't like the huge "slaw dog" label [in the artwork] because everyone knows that in West Virginia you don't ask for a "slaw dog" - you just get one" - amen!
jslander at 5:54PM on 08/07/09
Hawk,
Do you know what brand of dog was served at Marties? At the Hot Dog Hootenanny we had a Carolina Packers dog which most agreed was the worst sampled. Down South the focus is on the toppings; especially the slaw and chili, rather than on the dog itself. To me, if you start with a low quality dog, it doesn't matter much what you do to it. I've found that in states like New Jersey (where I'm from), New York, and Connecticut, the focus is much more likey to be on the frankfurter itself.
hotdoglover at 6:18PM on 08/07/09
I love hot dogs, and the BEST hot dogs are found in North Carolina. There are so many places with amazing hot dogs, and when you order "all the way" here in NC, it always comes with slaw, chili, onions, and mustard, served on a lightly buttered and toasted bun. My boyfriend and many others I know will only eat "pink hotdogs", which many of the places serve, but I like any hot dog.
jessleigh at 6:33PM on 08/07/09
Jslander-
Yeah I struggled with whether to title it "slaw dog" or "west virginia hot dog" but I wanted to give respect to the non-WV slaw dogs while still giving a nod to West Virginia as the probable birthplace.
While I'm interested in authenticity in regional foods, I'm not necessarily against variations if it's done with respect - and if it tastes good! The way a lot of these hot dog styles have evolved is by vendors putting their own twist on things.
Also Martie's did offer plain hot dogs, and the WV dog was listed on the menu as a "Slaw Dog". This is in Northern WV, which is not slaw-mandatory territory according to wvhotdogs.com.
My mistake was ordering a "slaw dog with chili" and 5 minutes later I was presented with a hot dog (chili and slaw) and a big steaming bowl of chili. I guess no chili is not an option... not that I would want it to be..
hotdoglover-
Didn't ask what kind of dog they used. I would say it was similar to an all-beef kosher dog in flavor, but no natural casing or anything. It was decent but the garnish is definitely what made it unique and delicious.
sort of like what makes a good hoagie- the balance of the ingredients and how they work together is what does it for me.
Hawk Krall at 6:49PM on 08/07/09
Are the posters available for purchase yet? I want to hang these up in my room and have them seep into my dreams.
Nebagakid at 8:06PM on 08/07/09
I would love to buy these posters. I used to collect beer related items (cans, bottlecaps, coasters) but they just sit in my attic. These hot dog illustrations are a work of art that would look good on the wall.
hotdoglover at 6:53AM on 08/09/09