Weenie Dogs hot dogs are doggone good
<p class="p1">Before Tuesday, I cannot remember the last time I ate a hot dog. But the Rick James Hot Dog at Weenie Dogs Hot Dog Joint put an end to my hot dog drought. I ate it and doubt I’ll forget it any time soon. It was a flavorful, fiery treat served with the restaurant’s garlic butter fries which are as tasty as the name sounds.
<p class="p3">The Rick James Hot Dog comes with pepperoni, bacon, sriracha, jalapeño mayo, red onion sauce, cheese and jalapeños. It will definitely wake up every taste bud in your mouth.
<p class="p3">When I first walked into the restaurant at 305 College St., I wondered why there was a tall, red container at the front counter loaded up with so many paper napkins. It seemed like overkill. As I ate my super-cheesey Rick James Hot Dog, I learned why it was there. I used every napkin I brought to the table and could have used more.
<p class="p3">Weenie Dogs, once located inside the old Chicageaux Bar on University Drive, is owned by Kristi Wooldridge, known in some circles as the Lake Charles hot dog lady. The business has been at this new location a little over a year, said the lady who took my order.
<p class="p3">Weenie dogs has taken the basic old-fashioned hot dog and run up a mountain with it. It’s as if Kristi Wooldridge sat down and said, “OK. Here’s a plain hot dog. What can I do to make it insane?” And she’s done that. If diners want to personalize that insanity, a long list for optional toppings in available, everything from pineapples to crushed chips.
<p class="p3">Besides the hot dogs, other food choices include egg rolls, sandwiches, nachos and eight different kinds of fries.
<p class="p3">Three healthy/veggie options are also available. I almost went with that. But I listened to that inner voice that told me it would just be wrong to come to a place named Weenie Dogs and not try a hot dog.
<p class="p3">Prices are great. There are $3.50 hot dogs and $4.50 hot dogs. If you go during hot dog happy hour, which is 4-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, then all the $3.50 hot dogs are only $2.
<p class="p3">If the 27 different hot dog varieties aren’t enough to draw you in to this place, the cool and quirky interior might do it for you.
<p class="p3">You’ll see Jack Skellington, the “Pumpkin King” from the 1993 film “The Nightmare Before Christmas” on the dining room walls.
<p class="p3">And then there are the wall signs. They’re everywhere. Signs that say things like: “Caution: I do not have time for stupid people,” and, “We have no Wi-Fi. Guess you will have to resort to talking to each other” or, at the entrance to the kitchen, “No stupid people beyond this point.”
<p class="p3">Orders come out fast and hot.
<p class="p3">Apparently lots of people know about this place and like it a lot. When I left, the dining area was packed.
<p class="p3">If the parking lot looks full, there is parking in the back.
<p class="p3">Weenie Dogs will cater parties.
<p class="p3">Weenie Dogs Hot Dog Joint hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is closed Sunday.
<p class="p3">Call them at 564-6703.