Reggie's Hot Dogs (Demolished)
Augusta, GA
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Need a quick bite while exploring downtown Augusta? Reggie's Hot Dogs was the kind of place that was hard to pass by, especially since it occupied a former Gulf gas station instead of a typical restaurant. The old service station canopy gave the little stand plenty of roadside character and made it look right at home along the corner of 10th and Reynolds streets. 01-08

Walk up to the window and you could order a grilled hot dog, a basket of crinkle-cut fries, or an ice cream cone before heading down to the nearby Riverwalk. It wasn't fancy, but that's part of what made the place memorable. Sometimes an old gas station makes an even better lunch stop than it ever did a filling station.

UPDATE: Reggie's Hot Dogs and the old gas station building were demolished in 2010 during downtown redevelopment. 08-26

Circus Hot Dogs (Closed)
Cary, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Driving through Cary, this colorful little building was hard to miss. Circus Hot Dogs, also known as Circus Family Restaurant, occupied a former Red Barn fast-food building, giving it a look unlike just about any other hot dog stand around. The bright red gambrel roof made it stand out from the traffic long before you spotted the sign. 03-08

If you stopped by on a Thursday, you could grab one of the restaurant's famous 99-cent hot dogs, a deal that kept plenty of locals coming back. It was the kind of no-frills roadside place where a quick lunch didn't cost much, and the quirky old building was almost as memorable as the food itself.

The building had already lived a few different lives before becoming Circus, first as a Red Barn restaurant and later as a Dairy Queen. Somehow the old structure fit each new business, but it always looked like it belonged beside the road waiting for the next hungry traveler to pull in.

UPDATE: Circus Family Restaurant closed around 2019, and the colorful old Red Barn building has since been demolished. 08-26

Dog House
Hillsborough, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

You don't have to wonder what they're serving here. The Dog House looks exactly like its name, a giant doghouse sitting beside the road that's almost guaranteed to make you smile as you drive by. It's the kind of roadside building that has people hitting the brakes just for a second look. 07-08

The Hillsborough location has been welcoming hungry customers since the early 1970s, although the building itself was later moved across town to its present spot in Boone Square. The menu sticks with the theme too, offering hot dogs with names borrowed from different dog breeds.

Whether you're stopping for lunch or just snapping a photo, the building is the real attraction. It's another reminder that not every memorable roadside stop needs flashing neon or a giant sign. Sometimes all it takes is a hot dog stand shaped like a doghouse.

UPDATE: The Dog House is still serving hot dogs from its one-of-a-kind building today. 08-26

Skeeters
Wytheville, VA
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

If you're hungry while passing through downtown Wytheville, it's hard to go wrong with a stop at Skeeter's. This little lunch counter has been serving its famous hot dogs since 1925, tucked inside a historic Main Street storefront that's easy to recognize with its vintage soft drink signs out front. 06-10

The nickname "Skeeter's" came from the founders' son, and over the years the little restaurant has grown into one of southwest Virginia's best-known roadside stops. Most folks come for a Skeeterdog piled high with chili, mustard, onions, and slaw, then squeeze in at the well-worn counter alongside locals and travelers doing the very same thing.

The building itself has a story too. Dating back to 1872, it was the birthplace of First Lady Edith Bolling Wilson, making this one of those rare places where a quick lunch comes with a little history on the side.

UPDATE: It looked like Skeeter's might be gone for good in 2024, but new owners stepped in and gave the old lunch counter a new lease on life. It's once again serving hot dogs in downtown Wytheville. 08-26