Food Guy: Huntington Area Hot Dog Trail loaded with memories, great eats | Features/Entertainment

Not just because the dogs are messy and delicious, or that you can still find them at old-fashioned stands and drive-ins that have lovingly welcomed friends, families and visitors for decades. But because the iconic restaurants serving up tasty dogs, hamburgers, fries, onion rings, ice cream, milkshakes and more are special places that are deeply personal to me.

These are the spots where my parents took us for lunch after our Saturday morning bowling league and to drown our sorrows with ice cream after a loss in a Little League baseball game. They were a place to celebrate birthdays and good report cards and, well, sometimes just a random Tuesday.

All of those memories came rushing back when I recently spent two delicious days following this trail, which features nine local hot dog stands stretching from Milton, Cabell County to Lavalette, Wayne County. That means you can spend a few days exploring the greater Huntington area while enjoying dressed-up dogs morning, noon and night.

That’s exactly what I did on an epic culinary journey during which I scarfed down nine hot dogs, three BBQ sammies, four orders of fries (one of them loaded), three milkshakes, two cheeseburgers, two orders of onion rings, two sides of chips, two root beers, two sodas, one bowl of mac ‘n’ cheese, one massive pepperoni roll and one plate of roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy — all in 24 hours.

The Huntington Area Hot Dog Trail is a great way to enjoy delicious food and win prizes, too. Get your passport validated at any five participating locations to receive a novelty hot dog pin. Visit all nine and you’ll be crowned a “wiener” with a commemorative T-shirt. You can snag your passport and get more details at visithuntingtonwv.org/hotdogtrail. 

Here are all of the bite-by-bite details of a tasty trip you won’t forget.

Huntington Mall, Barboursville

10 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday

“The Big Loafer,” as we called it growing up, is a recent addition to the Hot Dog Trail. As one of the first restaurants to open in Huntington Mall’s food court back in the early 1980s, this was the place to eat during a day of shopping and movies at the mall.

Big Loafer’s claim to fame is made-from-scratch sandwiches featuring various fillings baked inside house-made bread and served with fat crinkle-cut fries. While the signature meatloaf sandwich is a classic and the hot dogs are always a hit, the restaurant’s fresh-baked cinnamon rolls and thick pepperoni rolls stuffed with melted cheese are incredible.

5965 U.S. 60 E., Barboursville

10:30 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday-Saturday

Opened by the Farley family back in 1968, Farley’s serves hot dogs on steamed buns in an old-school roadside Barboursville drive-in. What makes them famous? The secret house-recipe sauce and tangy slaw that has topped their dogs for nearly 57 years.

And while many come for the hot dogs and giant batter-dipped onion rings, Farley’s now sells almost as many cheeseburgers as they do franks.

1449 Hal Greer Blvd., Huntington

11 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Saturday

You can’t miss the larger-than-life mug of root beer that spins atop this retro drive-in tucked alongside the city’s bustling Hal Greer Boulevard. You won’t want to miss the food and floats here either.

Founded in 1959 by Rupert McGinni and William Warnock back when Frostop was a national chain, the Huntington location is now one of the few Frostops still in operation. McGinni’s daughters now own the restaurant. Frostop has a sensational slaw-smothered hot dog, a savory smoky barbecue sandwich and a righteous root beer float that dripped all over the place as I slurped it down.

4450 Fifth Street Road, Lavalette

9 a.m.-9 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday; 9 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday

Having grown up a mere 15 minutes away, I’ve driven by “Triple H” thousands of times. Looking back now, I could kick myself for not stopping by more often. 

Opening in my birth year (1969), I guess you could say Hazelett’s and I literally grew up together. Still operated by the same family — and still offering the same curb service in addition to its retro counter stools and booths inside — it’s a popular hangout for locals. Many adore the restaurant’s meal platters, dinner baskets and daily specials, but their larger-than-most hot dogs (drowning in delicious slaw) can’t be beat.

6951 Ohio River Road, Lesage

11 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday-Monday

Some places need no introduction. And then there’s Hillbilly Hot Dogs, which is so kitschy-cute and bizarro-wild at the same time that it defies description. But I’ll try by telling you it’s a roadside “weenie stand” along the Ohio River in Lesage adorned with so many signs, structures, décor and more that it’s hard to miss. When you order, they may sing to you. That big yellow school bus you see parked on the side? You can dine inside. The wedding chapel over yonder? You can get hitched there. The colorful owners’ names? Sonny (who died in 2021) and Sharie. You can’t make this stuff up.

There’s nothing wacky about the food, though, which is just plain good. A menu of decked-out dogs are dressed with toppings like pizza sauce and cheese, taco fixings, fried spam, scrambled eggs, grilled bacon and much more. And then there’s the famous “HomeWrecker” (a 15-inch, 1-pound weenie with 2 pounds of toppings) and “WidowMaker” (a 30-inch, 2-pound weenie with 4 pounds of toppings).

445 Sixth Ave. W., Huntington

10 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday-Saturday

Of all the hot dogs I ate in Huntington as a child, Midway’s was definitely one of my favorites. Revisiting this corner stand for the first time in decades, I was thrilled to discover that some things never change. The Food Network loves it, too, featuring it as part of an episode of its “Guilty Pleasures” show. Opening back in 1939 near the former Colonial Lanes bowling alley, Midway Drive-In has been a staple in West Huntington for 86 years. 

Those hot dogs I fondly recalled are still topped with a signature sauce made with ground beef, onions and a secret blend of seasonings, and slow-cooked for hours. They were just as good as I remembered, but Midway’s cheeseburger (seasoned beef with super-fresh lettuce and tomato on a soft bun) was a new revelation. That and the peanut butter milkshake I devoured with it? Chef’s kiss.

526 Camden Road, Huntington

2885 Fifth Ave., Huntington

11 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday; 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday

Although there are dozens of Sam’s Hot Dog Stands around the region today, the original in Huntington was founded by Frank Lucente when his favorite hot dog place closed. When he couldn’t find another restaurant that made dogs as good, he joined forces with friend Rocco Muriale (the man behind Rocco’s Ristorante in Ceredo).

Those 100% all-beef hot dogs lived up to the hype, but it was the house-made mac ‘n’ cheese here that blew me away. Thick, rich, creamy and silky with just a hint of heat to give it a nice kick. A+.

10 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Saturday

Family owned and operated at their roadside spot in Milton, Shaffer’s has been serving up a large menu of classic American fare for generations, including dozens of flavored milkshakes.

Try a classic West Virginia dog topped with sauce, slaw, mustard and onions. And yes, they call it “sauce” in Huntington. In these parts, “chili” is something you put a bowl and eat with a spoon. Don’t sleep on their thick-cut chips, and their house-made tangy barbecue is top-notch. Shaffer’s was my first stop on the trail, but it landed near the top of my taste list as well.

2445 Fifth Ave., Huntington

10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday

10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday

Considered the granddaddy of them all by hot dog purists, Stewarts is Huntington’s oldest drive-in, opening in 1932 on the same lot along Fifth Avenue where it still stands. There’s also a second location in Kenova. 

Originally selling only root beer and popcorn, the menu has expanded to include a delicious hamburger, popular thick-crusted onion rings and signature hot dogs still topped with founding owner Gertrude Mandt’s original recipe. And you wash them all down with a cold Stewarts root beer served in a frosty mug.