Betty's World Famous Hotdogs

There was another eatery near by in Marietta that is a more down to earth non-pretentious place, that if you complain about your food there you might just leave wearing it on top of your head. It was Betty’s World Famous Hotdogs.

Betty retired and sold it, now the name of it is Brandi’s World Famous Hotdogs. But this blog is mostly when it was Betty’s, since that is when I mostly there.

Betty’s was very close the railroad tracks. You could stand in the doorway and spit and hit a train roaring by. Once I saw a little boy standing by his dad at the cash register and when he looked up and saw a huge window-filling train flying by you could tell he was amazed.

On the door as you enter from the dirty, sometimes muddy, parking lot, is a sign that says:
No Shoes,
No Shirt,
No Service

As you can tell, Betty is more likely cater to blue collar (or no collar) working class.

Her menu was simple and short. Well, actually there was no menu you would hold in your hand. The menu was printed on a little sign above the cash register. It was Chili Hot Dogs, other types of chili hot dogs, such as chili slaw dogs, but I think you must eat the chili, then Chiliburgers, french fries, onion rings, and various Coca-Cola products in a cooler that you self serve yourself.

The chili is Betty’s secret. She says the ingredients are a secret that she will stay in her family. I don’t know the present owner Brandy got the list of the ingredients, but it still has the same taste and just as spicy. My sinuses still loosen up and run every time I eat there.

The building is a ex-old fashion service station. The dining area is the area that when it was service station, that you would drive your car under and someone would pump the gas with a roof over their head. The dining room is L shape, thus the counter elbows itself it what used to be the service station’s office. In the front, the counter separates the dining room and the kitchen.

Before Betty owned it it was Marble Mill Barbecue. Marble Mill Barbecue was owned by Judge Ravan, who also owned Ravan’s Barbecue a few miles away.

Betty and her daughters ran Betty’s World Famous Hotdogs. When I there along I always ate at the counter. It was always interesting to watch Betty and her daughters, and maybe granddaughters interact. The would have quick one sentence conversations without saying a word – just by their facial expressions and body language. I have observed these unspoken sentences, maybe not all in the same day:

“Look at Maureen over there flirting with that man!”
“Hah! She’s wasting her time, he an’t gonna leave a tip’!
Customer says a four letter word.
Betty’s eyes flaming – “Don’t he know better than that? I don’t allow no cursing!”
Customer again says a four letter word.
“Wait ‘til he comes up and pays his bill, I am going to tell him if he’s gotta sit there and curse, he needn’t come back.”
“You tell him Mama!”
“Hand me the slaw.”
“There she goes at it again, flirting!”
“She an’t hurting nobody Mama.”
“Just her reputation, that’s all!”
“Well…..”