Snoopy’s Hot Dogs & More

After our jaunt through the Raleigh Farmers Market, someone was hungry and perhaps a bit grumpy (not me this time!).  We drove past a place that Guy Fieri featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, but the line was out the door so we drove a few extra blocks and landed at Snoopy’s.  I was curious about the name… but it didn’t appear to have any affiliation with Charlie Brown at all. 

The menu was pretty straightforward – all American drive through type of place with hot dogs, burgers, fries. 

I went with Snoopy’s Famous Hot Dog – it’s famous, after all! – which is served with mustard, chili and onions – “unless you tell them differently.”  The counterperson did check with me when I just said “Snoopy’s Famous Hot Dog, please” – which is $2.09. 

I didn’t see a reason to eat it any other way than how they intended it to be eaten, since I’m not allergic nor do I dislike any of the toppings listed.  The hot dog wasn’t all that large, as you can see it against my hand there, but it wasn’t that small, either – though a little smaller than I expected it to be.  I don’t know why I had any expectations of size.  I just know that I thought “Hm, that is smaller than I thought it would be.” 

And the dog itself?  Okay, I like hot dogs quite a lot, though I don’t eat them very often.  I like the way they smell, that salty meaty smell, and I love the first bite where you snap into the hot dog, case or not, and it just has that nice texture to it.  (I eat only a small handful of brands; Nathan’s, Hebrew National, Sabrett, and that’s about it, though I keep Nathan’s at home in general.)  And while the toppings on this hot dog were flavorful – the bite of the raw onions, a bit of a kick from the mustard, and a nice meatiness from the chili – the hot dog itself failed me.  It tasted like… and it probably was… a boiled, low quality hot dog.  By low quality I mean it had the texture of a Vienna sausage – which is fine when you’re eating a Vienna sausage – but it is NOT OK when you think you are biting into a hot dog.  It was so soft!  I was very sad.  But at the least, I had the toppings to help mask the sad pink softness of the hot dog, and I ate it to tide me over until dinner.  

Yvo says: If you like boiled hot dogs topped with chili, mustard and onion, this place is for you.  I’d not avoid returning – I’d just know to order something else in the future, maybe try the burgers.  Given the popularity of these places, though, I’d say that my hot dog preferences aren’t the majority preference in this part of the country.  Maybe hot dogs with snap are just a NYC thing?  (The Dodger Dog at Dodger Stadium is also a sadly boiled/steamed hot dog that offended my mouth when I ate it.) 
I wouldn’t recommend the hot dog