Showing posts with label morgantown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label morgantown. Show all posts

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Morgantown HDJ Review - Haught Diggity Dogs

Last year in a review of a new Charleston HDJ named Hot Diggity Dogs, we erroneously wrote that the phonetically similar HDJ in Morgantown called "Haught Diggity Dogz" was defunct. In our defense, we seem to have been partially correct, since according to the WV Secretary of State, the LLC that owned "Haught Diggity Dogz" was terminated in 2013.  But as a recent visit confirmed, there still a hot dog joint of the same name (albeit in Westover, not Morgantown) and they are selling very good hot dogs. We're not concerned with the legalities.

We are concerned with quality, though, and it seems that Haught Diggity Dogz shares this concern. But before we tell you about that, let's talk about a matter that has caused great controversy over on the Facebook Page recently.

Three kinds of "Chili," not "sauce."
We'd like to address this to all of those people who say that "nobody calls it chili" and insist that calling it chili is wrong and/or a southern WV thing. Please note the accompanying photo of Haught Diggity Dogz menu board. Here, just 10 miles from the Pennsylvania border, it is chili. It doesn't have beans in it and it is not eaten out of a bowl with a spoon. Now will you all please shut up?

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about Haught's hot dog. It's good. It could be great with some very small adjustments.

First, the good things: The bun is awesomely soft. It didn't appear to be steamed, nor did it need to be. We'd love to know the brand of these buns so we could recommend them to other HDJs. It was slightly different in shape than the Heiner's product that is ubiquitous n the southern part of the state, and softer than any of those even at the HDJs in Huntington where they are sure to get the freshest ones.

The chili is fantastic. We got the medium and the flavor and spice was nearly perfect. Complex, meaty and just the right consistency. The slaw is good too, but had maybe a bit too much mayo and was served a bit too sparingly.

But the onions. Here's where we need some work. They were simply chopped too coarsely for a hot dog and there were too many of them. Most of them fell off the dog as soon as it was lifted from the tray.

Haught Diggity Dogz also gets a half-point deduction for not fully embracing WVHD culture, as exhibited by its failure to have a stated "everything" dog with all of the required elements. This is not unexpected this close to the northern border, but rules are rules.

We're going to give HDD a very respectable 4 Weenie score.









Thursday, July 31, 2008

2008 Weenie Awards: Best Overall North Central Region Hot Dog

2008 Weenie Award Winner for Best Overall North Central Region Hot Dog Haught Diggity DogzThe best overall award for the north central region presented a challenge in judging on account of there being so many worthy contenders. There was a serious late contender in the form of the Hot Dog Hut in Philippi, but we couldn't fairly give credit for consistency since they bounced from a three weenie rating to five weenies in the course of a few months just before the nominations for the Weenie Awards began. There were several other noteworthy HDJs such as Marties in Keyser, New York Hot Dogs in Wheeling, and Presto Lunch in New Martinsville. While I was fortunate enough to review these terrific hot dogs, I didn't get to review more nearby HDJs to confidently declare them the best in their respective counties. Hopefully in future editions of the awards, we'll include many more counties in the northern region.

Be that as it may, there were two hot dogs in this region that really stood out from all the others: Hank's Deli in Fairmont and Haught Diggity Dogz in Morgantown. Both have outstanding toppings that are made fresh all day long. Both are places you'd want to eat at over and over again with friends and family. Both have great service. Both are the best in their respective counties for the 2008 Weenie Awards. What can be the deciding factor?Haught Diggity Dogz 2008 Weenie Award Winning Hot Dogs for Best Monongalia County and Best North Central Region Overall Hot Dogs

Simple: price.

While Hank's is substantially higher in price than Haught's, both the taste and satisfaction factors make the money spent worthwhile. However, Haught's manages to keep one of the golden rules of a true West Virginia hot dog: making the best possible hot dog with the cheapest ingredients. Haught's dogs taste like a million bucks, but the price is more in keeping with what you would expect from a true WVHDJ.

For keeping the most stubborn of West Virginia hot dog fans satisfied with a tremendous hot dog and awesome service, Haught Diggity Dogz wins the 2008 Weenie Award for the Best Overall North Central Region Hot Dog. A hearty congratulations to the owners and crew. Keep up the great work!

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

2008 Hot Dog Awards: Best Monongalia County Hot Dog

Haught Diggity Dogz, 2008 Weenie Award Winner for Best Monongalia County Hot DogMonongalia County may have presented the easiest decision when it came to the 2008 Weenie Awards. From the first time I stepped through the doors of Haught Diggity Dogz, I fell in love with the place. These were the hands down be-all, end-all of Mon County hot dogs for the past year.

The aroma of the fresh, homemade chili and steamed buns permeates the air just before you walk through the door. It beckons you to come in, take a load off, and enjoy some friendly conversation over the most satisfying West Virginia Hot Dogs around. Like magic, Haught's freshly made slaw has a blend that can seemingly do no wrong whether it is combined with the mild, medium, of hot variations of chili.

I'm always pleasantly surprised by the fact that no matter how busy it gets inside Haught's, there seems to be no shortage of time for the owners to make for a pleasant "hello" and "how do you do" with each and every customer that comes through the door. Service like this can't be bought these days.

A hearty congratulations to Haught Diggity Dogz for giving us THE Best Monongalia County Hot Dog! Here's too many more great years of success and fantastic hot dogs.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Morgantown HDJ Review – Smitty’s Kountry Kreme

With the return of summer comes the reopening of more and more walk-up ice cream stands throughout the region. I decided that a recent jaunt through Morgantown after a business meeting was a perfect opportunity for me to begin exploring more of said stands in hope of finding a really good WVHD.

Smitty’s Kountry Kreme sits next to the exit from I-79 that starts into the Star City section of Morgantown. As I hunched over at the inexplicably small walk-up window, I noticed a listing on the menu for something called the “Hillbilly Mess”, which is apparently a bizarre ice cream dish that doesn't have a description listed (and I didn't take the time to ask). Perhaps one day in the future I’ll come back and find out what this is.

Once the cashier returned with my hot dog, I was thrilled to see that it was wrapped in foil. That’s an automatic bonus in my book. Although there’s something comforting and familiar about getting your hot dog served in a wax paper wrapper, I personally think that foil is superior when it comes to preserving the heat of the hot dog. But that’s just me and I'll leave it open for debate on the blog.

Though I was thrilled with the wrapping, I was less than enthused by the quality. For starters, the wiener had all the characteristics of having been boiled in sea water. It was just that salty. I’m not sure what those salt blocks they put out for cattle taste like --nor do I really want to know-- but I have little doubt this wasn’t that far off.


The chili was thick with a strong tomato flavored base. It seemed to lack any particular type of seasoning to differentiate it from any other chili, save for a trace of garlic powder. On top of that, it didn’t even taste warm. It seemed to be rather tepid.

The slaw was okay, but didn’t have any of the makings of being anything special. The cabbage was coarse with a little crunchiness in it, but seemed to be lacking a dressing with any discernable flavor. The onions were pretty coarse in their own right, but didn’t have any flavor in them either. It tasted as if they were left in the refrigerator for a day or two and lost their punch.

These hot dogs weren’t particularly good and didn’t really offer up any satisfaction. A WVHD fan can find better in Morgantown. I’d give Smitty’s Kountry Kreme hot dogs a weenie rating of two weenies. Hopefully, the “Hillbilly Mess” will make up for the disappointment of the hot dogs.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Morgantown HDJ Review – Hometown Hot Dogs

Of all the HDJs I’ve reviewed so far, I don’t recall any giving me a sensation of panic as much as Hometown Hot Dogs in Morgantown. It is situated in a old, tiny block building adjoining the base of a house along University Avenue. Inside, you'll find a counter with some bar seats. If you suffer from claustrophobia, be warned that the two feet or so between each seat and the glass window quickly fill up with people waiting for place or pick up their orders. There is also a small dining area off to the side that can be accessed via a rather small passageway.

Common sense would dictate that most people know that if one was must cough when preparing food in a restaurant or similar establishment, then one should step away from the food, or at the minimum cover the mouth and nose with the pocket of the elbow. I watched in horror and disgust as one of the cooks proceed to cough her head off while preparing an order for a customer ahead of me who was fortunate enough to be oblivious to what was going on behind the counter. No gloves, no handwashing, nothing. This in and of itself was an automatic huge deduction in weenie points. Luckily for me, my order was prepared by a young gentleman who was quick to take and fill orders, but very slow to remember to stop and collect money from the customers who piled up quickly at the register.

As for the hot dog itself, it was a huge disappointment. I’ve been spoiled by the quality WVHDs that can be had at the Clarksburg, Fairmont, and Grafton locations. They had the same cool, creamy, sweet slaw and the medium chili seemed okay too. The bun, however, fell apart when I picked it up. This was likely a result of either the buns being over-steamed or the dressing in the slaw being too thin and runny. As if that weren’t bad enough, I couldn’t get that image of the other preparer hacking up a lung in the prep area. This marked the first time that I refused to finish an entire hot dog from Hometown.

I really do like the other Hometown Hot Dog locations that I’ve been too and consider them among my favorites. Sadly, I will have to put this location on my list of ones to avoid. Health and safety factors are just a bit more important. A one weenie rating for this HDJ.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Morgantown HDJ Review - Haught Diggity Dogz

An alert reader of WVHotDogs.com recently sent word that a new HDJ had appeared in the Morgantown area, but the thing that stood out about the recommendation was the last line of the e-mail: "And yes, they do have slaw!". With a bit of hope that the slaw culture was migrating further north, I set out to visit Haught Diggity Dogz (which already deserves a prize for one of the most original names).



Located just a stone's throw from exit 4 of I-68, Haught Diggity Dogz is located in a little retail strip along Route 7 heading towards Dellslow. It sits in the near corner of a newer looking building, with eye-catching window graphics. The interior is simple in it's layout, but remarkably clean and inviting. A generous sized lunch counter is complimented by a scattering of tables, each of which has a full compliment of condiments readily available.



I received a warm welcome when I came through the door, and first class attention for the duration of my visit. The menu simply states "hot dogs", and carries a flat price of $1.25 regardless of how much or how little you want on them. The menu also boasts fresh cut fries, which can also include chili and/or cheese, baked potatoes, salads, and pepperoni rolls.

I was impressed to see that more slaw was being freshly prepared during the course of my meal. The ingredients aren't simply stockpiled as -with some lesser HDJs- but rather made fresh throughout the day. The taste was absolutely phenomenal. Haught's seems to have the ability to strike that perfect balance between sweet and tangy, all the while having a perfect consistency and satisfying taste. The chili was also a pure treat. Like any HDJ worth it's salt, Haught's offers the standard choices of mild, medium and hot sauce. My norm is to go middle-of-the-road, and the medium sauce here is exactly what it should be: seasoned to perfection, with all the individual ingredients working in unison. It had a lovely brown color, fine consistency, and inviting armoa that tickled the senses. It blended nicely with the freshly steamed bun, which was likewise done to perfection. The onions were chopped extra fine to allow for a pleasing flavor to each bite, but not leave one with dog breath (no pun intended).

Just how good is Haught Diggity Dogz overall? Well, I usually order two dogs during a visit. This time, I had to have a third before I left.

Positive remarks are all that I can offer for Haught Diggity Dogz. With that said, this HDJ earns an easy...and well deserved...five weenies. I would anticipate that you'll be seeing Haught's in just about every category for future Weenie Awards.