Nu-Way Weiners

On April 9, 2008, my wife and I had the opportunity to visit an icon of Georgia hot dog joints, the Nu-Way Weiner Stand in Macon, Georgia. Yes, "weiner" is misspelled in the name, but who's going to argue with a classic like Nu-Way? If you're not from the Macon area you may not be as familiar with Nu-Way unless you've seen it featured in several television shows about hot dogs on The Travel Channel, Food Network, and PBS. Likewise, Oprah once stopped by for a hot dog when she did a special show from Macon. And, it doesn't hurt matters for me that the late, great Lewis Grizzard called it "...one of the world's outstanding restaurants." Even with all of that media attention, however, it didn't take much to convince me to stop by Nu-Way the last time that we were heading through Macon because I'm just a big fan of hot dogs in general.

If you're not familiar with downtown Macon (and I was not), I recommend that you visit Nu-Way's web site (listed below) and review the directions on how to get there. Even with the directions printed off, Tammy and I still had problems finding the Cotton Avenue location. As with most older cities, the streets aren't exactly laid out in the most logical way. The trick is, Cotton Avenue cuts away at a 45 degree angle from the main street that takes you to downtown. Just keep your eyes open and you shouldn't have too much trouble. If anything, just look for the neon sign shown in the picture above.

When you first walk up to Nu-Way, you'll feel like you've stepped back in time. Nu-Way Weiners opened their Cotton Avenue location in downtown Macon in 1916, and it has the classic look of a classic city diner. And, when you step inside, you'll find that very little has changed on the interior as well. I'll admit that I'm a sucker for these old places, and I would eat in them everyday if my cholesterol would allow it. Anyway, you may be a little confused when you first enter, like we were, because its not quite clear if you're supposed to wait in line and order before sitting down. The cash register and grill are at the front of the building, so people ordering some food "to go" might be standing right inside the door when you go inside. Not sure what we were supposed to do, we opted to stand and wait near the door. After standing there for couple of minutes, we were directed to sit down and a waitress would be with us shortly.

While we were waiting at the front door near the grill, you could easily take in that great smell of hot dogs cooking on the grill and the oh-so-familiar smell of chili wafting through the air. Mmmm! I did say that I love hot dogs, didn't I? When you look over at the grill, you'll notice that Nu-Way grills up those red wienies that I know some folks aren't too fond of eating. But, let me tell you, Nu-Way serves up a mighty fine hot dog! After taking our seat in a booth near the rear of the restaurant (one of the only ones that wasn't crammed full of people), a young lady came from behind the counter to take our order. I ordered two chili dogs, french fries, and a good ol' Co-Cola (that's "Coca-Cola" for folks from outside of the rural South). Tammy ordered a slaw dog that she had admired while we waited near the grill. It was amazing to me that Tammy had never seen a slaw dog before - amazing to me because she used to work in a Dairy Queen in Louisiana (this led to a engrossing conversation about regional tastes in hot dog toppings).

Let me tell you, my friends, that Nu-Way Weiners, even with a red hot dog, makes a mean wienie! It's easy to understand why they've been in business at this location since 1916. To be totally honest, however, I should probably admit to myself that the ambiance and sense of nostalgia associated with a place like Nu-Way makes it more enjoyable than just the food. Can you find a hot dog that's just as good, or maybe even better, at other places? Probably. But it's so worth going to an old gem like Nu-Way that you'll keep coming back again and again even if it's not the best food you've ever put in your mouth. If you love a good hot dog, however, you can't go wrong with a Nu-Way Weiner. To quote their jingle, "I'd go a long way for a Nu-Way!"

For a complete menu, old photos, history, directions, and phone number, visit Nu-Way Weiners on the web at http://www.nu-wayweiners.com/

~Dave