Christy's Hamburgers (Cottleville, MO)

3957 Mid Rivers Mall Drive, Cottleville, MO 63376, T: 636-926-2222

I had just seen a game of the St. Louis Lions, around the corner, where they had virtually nothing to eat, so my hungry eye fell on Christy's as I was getting ready for my 3.5 hour drive back. It had just opened and, as it turns out, is part of a new, and so far very modest, chain with two other restaurants in Columbus and Starkville, Mississippi. They seem 'inspired' by the Five Guys chain.

Christy's Hamburgers has a limited menu, based mostly on its Big Christy (1/2 lb) and Double Christy (1 lb) burgers. I ordered a Big Christy basket with spicy fries and a sod ($9.15). It was quite a lot of money, but when the burger arrived, I knew why. The Big Christy is a beast! The burger itself is thick and crunchy outside. And the great thing is, they have a 'fixings bar' where you can put whatever sauce and other condiments on it. I had already added fried onions and took mayo, bbq sauce, lettuce, and jalapenos from the fixings bar. The final results was close to perfect (I should not have gone for the fried onions and mayo). The spicy fries were crisp, but had too much coating for my liking.

VERDICT: 93/100

There is no doubt that Christy's makes "simply the best burgers around". Even in places with more variety on offer, I doubt Christy's would often loose a comparison. Its burgers are huge, crispy and juicy and you can top them with whatever you feel like. I wish I had a Christy's closer by.

Waka Dog (Mishawaka, IN)

114 Lincolnway E, Mishawaka, IN 46544, T: 574-252-4627

Wake Dog is a small place in downtown Mishawaka, Indiana -- they also have a small stand in from of the South Bend Court House during the summer. In addition to broad variety of hot dogs, including the 1/2 lb. Waka Dog, they have a broad range of typical snack bar items, ranging from burgers to chili fries and from onion rings to pork tenderloins.

I ordered a chili dog ($3.29), a Carolina pulled pork sandwich basket ($6.99), and a medium soft drink ($1.29). The chili dog was basic, though the bun wasn't steamed. The pulled pork sandwich looked gross. It was as if the meat was raw and rotten. That said, I did force myself to have a bite and it didn't taste bad. In fact, it was quite tender. I had several more bites and it was definitely tender, and the slaw added flavor. That said, there was no bbq sauce on it, nor available at the table. The fries were regular coated and crispy fried.

VERDICT: 78/100

I feel a bit conflicted, as the pulled pork sandwich didn't taste bad, it just looked gross. Still, presentation is also part of the eating experience. Overall, Waka Dog didn't impress.

Ft. Wayne's Famous Coney Dogs (Fort Wayne, IN)

Ft. Wayne's Famous Coney Dogs, ‎131 W Main St, Fort Wayne, IN 46802, T: 260-424-2997‎

I know what you are thinking... coney dogs in Fort Wayne, Indiana? Really? And famous ones at that? I shared your sepsis, but I was in Fort Wayne anyway, so I made a quick stop at Ft. Wayne's Famous Coney Dogs.

I ordered a coney dog ($1.25) and a cup of chili ($2.50). The coney dog came on a steamed bun with mustard, fresh onions, and meaty chili. It was ok, but far from remarkable. The chili was much more interesting: it was more a kind of meat sauce soup; no beans, no strong taste, but still intriguingly tasteful.

VERDICT: 82/100

Let me make this clear: Ft.Wayne's coney dogs might be famous in Fort Wayne and surroundings, it is not ,and will never be, anywhere else. It is a decent hot dog place with a unique chili, which shouldn't be tasty but it.

Initially I wrongly referred to this place as Dawson's Famous Coney Dogs.
Thanks to my readers for pointing out the mistake! My bad!

Yesterdog (Grand Rapids, MI)

1505 Wealthy Street Southeast, Grand Rapids, MI 49506, T: 616-336-0746

Yesterdog is an institution in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and deservedly so. It looks like a pub, inside and out, and is located in a gentrifying hipster area in the east of the city. The people who work here look like they are all aspiring rock stars, full of tattoos and attitude.

Yesterdog sells six types of hot dogs... that's all. You can get them with a bag of crisps and a drink; including a homemade lemonade. I ordered two yesterdogs ($1.80 each) and a lemonade for $5.30 in total. The lemonade was ok, but a bit too sweet for me. The yesterdogs, on the other hand, were amazing! The snappy if tiny wieners come on a freshly steamed bun with ketchup, mustard, chili, onions, and fresh pickles. Absolutely heavenly!

VERDICT: 96/100

If hot dogs is all you want, you'll find few better places than Yesterdog. I had two and had only one wish: one more (wish I also had).

Trolly's (Nashville, IN)

11 Gould St E, Nashville, IN 47448, T: 812-988-8333

Trolly's is a trolley-like snack hut in the center of Nashville, a small touristic town in South Indiana. It has the usual (hot dogs, ice cream, etc.), but also it's own smoker.

I ordered the smoked bbq sandwich, which in essence is a pulled pork sandwich, not expecting too much. As was to be expected in such a touristic town, the sandwich was quite pricey ($6.95). However, it was also very tasty! The pork had a nice smoked taste to it, but was also quite juicy. There were various different bbq sauces available to spice it up a bit.

VERDICT: 87/100

Tolly's looks like your average snack hut in a touristic town, but it's pulled pork sandwich definitely goes well beyond this.

Krispy Kreme (Mishawaka, IN)

5615 North Main Street, Mishawaka, IN‎, T: 574-271-7099‎

Krispy Kreme is one of the two biggest chains of doughnut stores in the US; the other being the clearly inferior Dunkin' Donuts. Most people buy their KK donuts in supermarkets or gas stations, but anyone who has a real KK store nearby, should definitely go there... when the red light is on! As this means that the original glazed donuts are fresh!

The Mishawaka shop has a policy of giving customers a fresh original glazed for free when the red light is on. I bought another one as well as a (new) banana caramel donut ($2.01 in total). The original glazed donuts I ate directly, while still hot. It's difficult to describe the sensation... it is like sucking warm doughy sugar. Divine! The banana caramel donut was fairly crumbly and chunky.

VERDICT: 84/100 (96)

Overall, Krispy Kreme provides decent donuts, definitely better than Dunkin' Donuts. However, if you have the opportunity to buy the original glazed donuts fresh and warm, you are in for one of the best donut treats ever!

Hot Dogs Plus (Niles, MI)

2303 South 11th Street, Niles, MI‎, T: 269-684-2633‎

Hot Dogs Plus is a small hut on a busy road north of South Bend, just across the border of Michigan. It's been around for a while, and probably hasn't invested a cent in its interior since opening. This notwithstanding, it seems to be popular among the locals, as it has loyalty cards and some loyal patrons (mostly very old, rather poor, white people).

I order a Chicago style dog ($2.19), a chili dog ($1.89), French fries ($1.95), and a soft drink ($1.69). The chili dog (typical Vienna beef dog) comes on a steamed bun with chili, fresh onions and mustard. Unfortunately, the chili is not very remarkable, which makes the chili dog overall fine, but not remarkable. The Chicago dog comes on a poppy seed bun (unfortunately, not well steamed) and has on it a pickle, tomato, onions, green relish, hot peppers, and mustard. It's ok, but the bun is partly dry and old. The crinkle fries, finally, are nice and crunchy.

VERDICT: 84/100
A nice old-school hot dog place with nice fries and decent, but not remarkable, hot dogs.