Nu-Way vs. Varsity Hot Dogs!

Have yall been keeping up with whats going on at the movies lately? One of the biggest surprises over the past couple of years has been the success of the film, Freddy vs. Jason. It was the top box office grossing film for two straight weeks, and has taken in close to ninety million dollars. This success has really taken critics by surprise, but, if you really think about it, it probably shouldnt have. Freddy and Jason are the Frankenstein monster and Wolfman of this era, and everyone loves seeing two legendary horror characters battle it out to see who the baddest of the bad really is.

Now, with that concept firmly in our minds, we need to think about other whispered and oft talked about match-ups. Match-ups that fire the imagination, and get peoples tongues a-waggin about who might be the best in this or that situation. So, for all of us who hail from Georgia, and for all of us who have ever whispered or talked about this, we are now gonna discuss one of the most hotly debated questions of all time. A question all true Georgians need an answer for, and a question that were gonna resolve right here. The question Im referring to is this – Which place has the best hot dogs, Nu-Way Weiners or The Varsity?

Yeah, yall heard me right, Nu-Way vs. The Varsity. If you come from Georgia, you can go ahead and skip on to the next paragraph. In case youre a newcomer, the two best known hot dog establishments in our state are Nu-Way Weiners and The Varsity. Nu-Way hails from central Georgia, getting its start in Macon back in 1916, and is still going strong today with a number of mid-state locations. Im also proud to say that Im good friends with Spyros Dermatus, the President of Nu-Way Weiners. The only thing is, Spyros hasnt slipped me any free Nu-Ways lately, so Im more inclined to be somewhat objective in our upcoming contest. As for The Varsity, its been going strong in downtown Atlanta since 1928, and its also in one other location, which I will not mention here for personal moral reasons. Their hot dogs have been eaten by people all over the world, and, just to give you an idea of the scope of their operation, on the day of a big Georgia Tech vs. somebody game they can serve as many as 50,000 hot dogs. So, what were talking about here are the two heavyweights of Georgia hot dogs, the two undisputed champs. And, with those facts now firmly in place, its now time to decide which one of them is really the best.

To properly evaluate them, were going to examine the following three factors:

Who has the best chili dog?

Who has the best slaw dog?

Whose fries are the best?

These are the true standards any proven hot dog gourmet would go by. And heres how they shake out:

Best chili dog – This is close, but Nu-Way has to get the nod. The Nu-Way chili dog is a work of art, Grecian chili, onions, mustard, and that great red hot dog. The Varsitys version is real close – great chili, mustard, and a good dog as well. The one intangible that gives Nu-Way a real edge is that you order their chili dog all the way. Since the concept of all the way raises wonderful sexual connotations in my mind, I have to firmly give Nu-Way the nod on their offering.

Best slaw dog – This is really close, as I love both establishments offerings, but Ive gotta go with The Varsitys slaw dog. Their slaw is outstanding, and it sort of blends into the flavor of the wiener, if that makes any sense. They also stack it in such a way that it hardly ever falls off the bun while youre eating it, which is a real plus. Nu-Way has no reason not to hold its head up high, though. The New York Times, in a recent article, stated that Nu-Way had the best slaw dog in the entire USA! You cant beat that with a stick, can you?

Best fries – A statistical dead heat. I could total up the merits of either establishments offerings. Nu-Ways are hotter, crispier, and longer. The Varsitys are greasier and have a touch more flavor. So, this is a dead heat, any way you look at it.

Now, as we look at our overall results, we can see that…. what? Yall think the results are inconclusive, and that this column has resolved nothing? Hmmmmmm, I sure do hate to hear that. I really, really do. I guess the only thing to do now is to start working on this columns sequel…..

About The Author

Eds latest book, Rough As A Cob, can be ordered by calling River City Publishing toll-free at: 877-408-7078. Hes also a popular after dinner speaker, and his column runs in a number of Southeastern publications. You can contact him via email at: ed3@ed-williams.com , or through his web site address at: http://www.ed-williams.com .

Ed Williams