if one is as into seeking great hot dogs as I am, one goes where ever the trail leads - even to the…read morefront of a Lowe's Home Improvements store in Cary, and this trip was definitely worthwhile.. There Jim Rivers has been setting up his steel hot dog stand for nearly 14 years now, and is there almost everyday beginning at 11:30 - he misses some days because he also sets up at the North Carolina State Fair each year.
He steams his weiners - Red Hots (neon red Southern weiner)for $1,50, Nathans All Beef for $2.00, Jalapeno (with the pepper already in the weiner) for $2.50, and a Sausage dog, also for $2.50. His toppings(whatever you want at no additional charge) include mustard, ketchup (ugh!), chili, onions, slaw, mayo (double ugh!), cheese, sauerraut, red onion (foo foo), and relish (we get visitors from the far north).
The Red Hot is your basic Southern Chili dog with a weiner of questionable parentage, chile, onions and/or slaw, on a nice, soft bun. This is a very good hot dog. The chili is not home made since the All Knowing, All Seeing Wake County government has decided that only brick and mortar restaurants can prepare such items in their duly and regularly inspected kitchens - this apparently is true even if the rating is not particularly good.
Jim uses Patterson's Grand Slam All Beef Chili, which is available in 5 pound tubs or #10 cans. This is very good commercially prepared chili, right up there with Matinee brand used by Allen & Son in Chapel Hill.
The Nathan's All Beef hot dog with chili, mustard, and Jim's slaw is an outstanding slaw dog - one of the best I've tried, and I've tried more than a few. The quality of the weiner reals comes thru, and is very well showcased by the soft bun, tasty chili, and not too sweet mayo based slaw.
On my next visit, I'll try the Jalapeno dog and the Sausage dog instead of the All Beef - well, probably in addition too it. Jim is friendly and personable, the service is quick, the pricing reasonable - there is no seating available, but sitting in an airconditioned auto munching several dogs ain't at all bad.
