Greenville (SC) Eats: Dawgs on Pelham

If there's one thing about my childhood that I look back fondly on, it's the atrocious (though delicious) amount of hotdogs I had growing up. Many food enthusiasts may look down on the tube of mystery meat, but for me there's something heartwarming about a good hotdog. There's a difference between a good hotdog and trash though, without question. Unlike a good hamburger, few hotdogs have what it takes to stand on its own. That's where the zany combination of condiments come in and take over and make a normal dog something special.

Craving a good dog on a hot summer South Carolina day, I decided to try out Dawgs on Pelham, a small, but homely establishment featuring some American staples along with some not-so-ordinary twists on the classics, including a variety of interesting burger twists such as the stuffed burger. As intriguing as some of the burger options sounded though, I came for the name, grabbing a slaw dog plate with an extra Mexican dog thrown in. The Mexican was, well, kind of disappointing. Topped with jalapenos, onions, and tomatoes, it didn't really do much for me except provide a little kick. The slaw dog though - a relatively dry, but meaty chili topped by a cool purple slaw also served as a side for the plate - was a huge improvement. The purple slaw was somewhat baffling. On its own, it was a little bland and didn't provide much crunch or flavor. Topped on the dog, however, it made for a great companion to the chili creating a nice creamy, meaty, textural bite on top of the dog. That may sound kind of horrendous on paper, but you'll have to just trust me on that one! The dog itself wasn't anything special in my book, just an average dog with no real pop like I've had other places in my day. The whole thing in general was just a really attractive, bit-better-then-average slaw dog. Along with the plate came homemade fries. Kudos for being homemade, but they unfortunately came rather bland and just not crisp at all. If I return, I think I'd just stick to the dogs and order an extra one instead of a plate - or grab a burger.

No Reservations, the lowdown on Dawgs
Atmosphere: Mom and pop kind of place,
real local. It's a burger joint y'know?
Costs: $5 range for most. Good prices for lunch.
Try: Slaw dog, or the burgers. Looked good.