Weinie Dog’s offers unique takes on classic dish

By Justin Phillips / American Press

I couldn’t be a competitive eater. Well, I could, but just not with foods that I actually enjoy. If there was a popular, nationally televised eating competition where the competitors had to scarf down as many bowls of canned peas as possible, I could probably do that. Nobody truly likes canned peas and eating them quickly is almost like doing your taste buds a favor.

The eating competitions that would trip me up are the popular ones. Chicken wing eating contests, donut eating contests, and most importantly, hot dog eating contests, these are the activities where I’d easily lose.

While the rest of the field is wolfing the food down in as few bites as possible, I’d be on stage next to them in a chair with my feet up while eating slowly and enjoying the flavors. They may see it as a hot dog-eating race, but I’d just see it as free hot dogs.

“Look at them,” I’d think while pieces of hot dogs went flying past me as my competition raced against the clock. “Eating that fast, they can’t possibly be enjoying this stuff.”

If you’re like me and you love hot dogs so much that the annual Nathan’s hot dog eating contest seems like a crime against humanity, then I have a place you’ll love — Weinie Dog’s Hot Dog Stand. The stand moves around, but the place you can find it most often is inside Chicageaux Bar at 829 University Drive. In the past, it could be seen at a few other local late-night establishments as well. They’re even planning a move to a permanent building in the future.

Since about 2011, Weinie Dog’s has been specializing in not only the art of the hot dog, but also the art of anything that sounds like a filling mid-afternoon or late night treat. The menu includes burgers, sandwiches, unique french fry dishes and delicious spins on egg rolls.

The stars of the menu have to be the hot dogs. From the Rick James dog that comes topped with pepperoni, bacon, jalapeno mayo, Sriracha, red onion sauce, nacho cheese and jalapenos, or its the homemade macaroni and cheese covered Mac and Weenie — every version is special in its own way.

Tuesday, I stopped by the little shop for lunch and ordered two incredibly unique hot dogs — the Viator and the Chicageaux. These two are obviously references to pillars in our community. The Viator name is synonymous in Lake Charles with McNeese football. Well, it was. Matt Viator, who led the Cowboys to an incredible season last year, is now coaching in Monroe. While that stings, it doesn’t mean I can’t eat the hot dog bearing his last name.

The hot dog comes with cheese, chili, bacon, Sriracha, jalapeno, onions, pepperoni, bacon, crushed Frito chips, and nacho cheese. Everything on this item goes well together. The chili isn’t too thick or too runny. Together with the heat of the Sriracha, the jalapenos and the bite of the onions, the dish is packed with flavor. It takes everything great about a concession stand at a college football game and crams it into one hot dog.

The Chicageaux comes with mustard, onions, tomatoes, pickles, sweet relish and peppers. The hot dog has a classic taste. Its foundation of big, full-flavored onions, tomatoes, and pickles only highlights its delicious simplicity. It’s a throwback to the hot dog versions people could possibly get on the streets of Chicago and I think that’s the point with this one.

I also ordered some of the Philly steak and cheese egg rolls. They were crunchy and filled with seasoned slices of steak and melted cheddar cheese. Not to forget about the fry list, I also ordered the chili cheese option. Similar to the simple beauty of the hot dog named after the bar, the fries were a throwback option to simple flavors.

All together, with what amounted to four legitimate lunchtime meals on one order, my bill was still less than $20.

So remember all of you competitive eaters out there, hot dogs aren’t just some junk food to be scarfed down haphazardly. These simple items are cornerstones of the food universe. A little twist here and a slight adjustment there and any hot dog can become a work of art, uniquely suiting the person lucky enough to be eating it.

My dream is that one day there is a hot dog eating competition where the point isn’t to eat as many as possible. Instead, the winner would be decided by which person was enjoying their meal the most. The competitor with the most nonchalantly blissful chews would win. Wait, I guess that’s not really a competition. It is basically just eating a meal without being in a rush. And honestly, there’s nothing wrong with that.