Some of my social media friends have been posting about a new restaurant in town, Juan’s Wieners off North Hamilton Street in Dalton. The food looked so great that I knew I had to make a visit.
I also knew that I had to take a guest columnist with me to enjoy the food, my hubby, Sid. My hubby loves, loves hot dogs, so he’s rather an expert. He is like the TV character Ben Matlock who had an insatiable appetite for hot dogs. I like hot dogs, especially with coleslaw and chili, but my hubs lives for the delicacy.
Our visit to Juan’s Wieners did not disappoint. The location is easy to find, there’s plenty of parking, and the restaurant is very nice. The huge windows, the cozy seating, the attractive décor and the spectacular flooring just drew me in as a customer. There’s seating downstairs and upstairs, and upstairs can be utilized for a large group space for those business or social meals or occasions.
The location did not serve as a food establishment prior, so much work had to be planned and constructed to make the building suitable for a restaurant. The four local owners have done such an outstanding job of preparing a unique, upscale hot dog eatery. They even did much of the work themselves.
They’ve brought something different and delicious to downtown Dalton. They don’t offer just a standard hot dog, they offer 100%, all-natural beef wieners. If that wasn’t enough, the friendly staff and owners, plus the delicious food, make it a perfect place to enjoy lunch or supper.
They opened in June of this year. (The conversation to begin a restaurant began in 2020.) Hours of operation are Monday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. You can select your food to take out or dine in. Their goal is to get food to customers in five to 10 minutes, and that they do. Our food arrived at our table very quickly.
Now to what you’ve been waiting for, the awesome food. The menu is a large variety of items, which include hot dogs, baked potatoes, sandwiches, sides, desserts and drinks. The vast toppings available for the hot dogs and for the baked potatoes offer something for each customer. And yes, you will certainly select more than one topping. In fact, you will probably select several. They are just too good to pass up.
I selected a jumbo baked potato, and jumbo is the correct word. The restaurant wants customers to get food for the money spent. I like taking home leftovers for another meal while watching TV or a movie. That way I get to enjoy the delicious food more than once. You can see I’ve thought this out.
I had tons of toppings on my potato: cheese, butter, sour cream, onions, shaved ribeye and bacon. Let me tell you, it is one of the best-tasting foods. The potato was tender and hot, the toppings were a perfect combination with the spud, and I was in heaven with each bite.
I selected a combo, so I enjoyed the coleslaw and lemonade with my potato. I also selected a side of roasted corn dip, and it was so great that I’m still thinking about it right now. The restaurant puts its special twist on the corn dip, and they sure have that special knack for making it perfect. They also put that special touch on their cowboy beans (jalapeño pintos) and their special sauce.
My hubs, of course, selected a hot dog. His toppings were slaw and chili. The sourdough bun, which was soft and tasted great, could hardly hold the hot dog plus the toppings. He used a knife and fork to eat the hog dog because it was so large, which is perfectly all right. He also selected a combo and ordered fries and a drink with his meal.
I had to sample some of his food, and the fries were hot, tender, and had a great taste. The owners experimented with the preparation of the fries and have created a perfect balance of seasoning.
The dog was pretty perfect. The taste was so flavorful and tender. My husband describes it as a wonderful taste combination with the chili and slaw. The chili had a little kick, which he enjoyed, and the slaw was what he described as “great hot dog slaw.” His mom was famous for her homemade slaw, and this matches right up there with what he grew up eating. Pretty good slaw, I’d say. A return visit will be in his future, and trying toppings of cheese and onion on the dogs will be a given. The other things that impressed him were how quickly the food was served and served hot and delicious.
Dessert is always a must for the Derricks. We selected the funnel fries, which I totally love. The warm, delicious treat, covered with powdered sugar, was a perfect ending to the meal. The next time we are trying the gourmet Ding Dong, a brownie topped with cheesecake, covered in a chocolate coating. Did I mention that my better half is a chocoholic?
The best-sellers are the MVP Chili Dog, which is topped with chili, shredded cheddar cheese and chopped onions, and the Grand Slam Dog, which is topped with shaved ribeye, grilled onions, beer cheese, bacon and chorizo. I can definitely see why these are top choices for folks, and I will have to try these on my next visits.
Meeting the owners was a pleasant plus. I know they were extremely busy running a restaurant, and they were so nice and welcoming and easy to talk to. Serving and pleasing customers with high-quality food is what drives them each day. Opening a restaurant has been a dream in the works for a few years.
The owners are always looking to add or tweak menu items to make this hot dog experience great for customers. They are always open to suggestions from customers and are always keeping customers in mind when making decisions about the menu or the service. Their clientele covers people from all areas of the community, well, because everyone loves hot dogs, great food and great service.
Just talking to them I could see the wheels turning for plans of future events, merchandise, menu items and anything else to make a customer’s visit enjoyable. Our community is very, very lucky to have such fine people caring so much about our area to devote time and energy to creating a special place to dine.
Important factors are necessary to them in operating the business: the restaurant be clean, offer consistent great food, offer great food presentation and create a friendly environment. I think they’ve just about covered all the things that are important to us customers. (I told you they were great community members we are lucky to have.) The owners want the community to know that Juan’s Wieners is a local establishment and not a chain restaurant. An important thing for my husband and me.
As you can see, my husband and I really enjoyed the food and fellowship at Juan’s Wieners. We felt like invited guests to their home. We are already making plans to go back very soon and try more of their huge menu to find additional favorites. Now my friends on social media will be looking at my photos of hot dogs, baked potatoes, desserts and more from my visit to this awesome place downtown. I’ll be looking for your photos, too.
Sandra Derrick, a lifelong Daltonian, is a retired educator who taught home economics for 30 years in Whitfield County Schools.