Ma's Hot Dog House

 Hankering for new Carolina hot dog experience and headed to Emerald Isle, I decided to see what might be along the way. Kinston seemed to be a good place for lunch, and Ma's Hot Dog House caught my attention.

The eatery is an old store, the kind where you might picture older men playing checkers and smoking cigars. It still has the ambiance of an old country store, including the dirt/gravel parking lot--so you may want to visit before you clean your car's interior.

While it looks like an old country store, and they do sell soft drinks and other items, the main feature is the grill. Along with hot dogs, hamburgers, and fries, they also serve home-style meals with vegetables you don't often see at most "home-cooking" establishments.

We placed our order: two hot dogs for me, and a cheese burger for my husband. We also snuck in a taste of their squash and onions and a couple of diet Mountain Dews. No Coke products, despite some remaining hardware mentioning the brand.

The dining area feature several tables and chairs and a small lunch counter, but considering the times, we opted to eat outside. 

The hot dogs were good, if not astounding. Quite messy. The slaw was rather coarse, wet, and a bit sweeter than I'd prefer. It overwhelmed the chili. A little more kick would have been nice to balance the slaw. Not a bad dog, but not my favorite. 

The squash, similarly was fine, a bit over seasoned and under cooked for my taste. My husband did love his burger--and it was huge.

My verdict: three weenies.