A Chat with Brandi

I have been eating spicy chili hotdogs at Brandi's World Famous Hotdogs for years. Before Brandi, it was Betty's World Famous Hotdogs, and years before that, around the 1950s and 60s, it was Marble Inn Barbecue.

After I die I might be a ghost sitting at the counter back in the corner that people talk about...swearing they saw a napkin move or heard a belch.

Brandi took over the business from Betty. Eacj day around noon it becomes standing room only and if it was me, I would be strung out. Brandi always appear laid back and not in a big frantic rush. She laughs as she does things and talks about her daughter.

I have made posts on this blog over the years about Betty and now Brandi. They are still there, run a search, or click on the Brandi's name in the bottom right blank.

Paul Roper and I met for lunch at Brandi's today. Before meeting, I asked Paul did he think Brandi would mind if I brought my new toy, the little bitty camcorder and to a video inside. He said he doubt if she would mind.

Paul beat me there about five minutes. While waiting on me asked her if she would mind if I took pictures. She told him, "not at all." We met at 11:00 before the lunch crowd took over. And, with not many people there the stage was set. I didn't know it until today but Brandy knew it is me who does the blog Chicken-Fat. I guess she figured it out. So without further ado -

Take it away Rock, Brandi, and Paul!

Brandi & Randy

What a day!

This morning after Willow and I walked I came home, loaded the truck of stuff we no longer need or want and donated it to a thrift store.

I came home from that, took a shower and left again to the nursing home to visit my high school friend Jerry. Jerry had two strokes about eleven years ago. I had some pictures of the Bell Reunion that he was in that I thought he would like. I sat on the edge of his bed and had we had a nice visit. He is a very appreciative person. His cute life-long friend Donna had been by before this day and also brought him some pictures. I was in one of Donna's pictures.

It is a shame to be only a few blocks from Brandi’s World Famous Hotdogs and not go there. In fact, it is probably a sin. I arrived just a few minutes before noon. It was stuffed with people sitting and standing.

In due time Brandi asked me what I wanted and I told her. She wrote it down but I did not actually see her hand the order to the lady preparing the food. I don’t know how that lady does it. She sees all and knows all.

While I was standing there a lady about my age, or a couple years older, asked me how long Brandi’s has been there. I gave her a brief history of the Marble Mill BBQ owned by the Ravan family, and it became Betty’s World Famous Hotdogs, and Betty retired and sold it to Brandi. And I told the lady you couldn’t beat Brandi's spicy chili.

The lady said she owned a vacant building in Smyrna and wanted to talk to Brandi about maybe opening a second store. I told her that Brandi already had a 2nd store in Cartersville, but maybe she’ll expand to a 3rd store.

All the time Brandi was standing near us on the other side of the counter, and glancing at us from time to time. I think she was keeping up with our conversation.

Brandi asked me had I ordered chili slaw dog and fries and I said yes. She was sacking it all and I caught what I said .. I ordered onion rings not fries… she handed me the sack and I handed her a $20 bill. She gave me change, and bills and as I threw the change into the tip bucket I said, “You did put the onions rings in the sack?” I just wanted to make sure.

Brandi said, “No, I put fries in.” A lady behind me holding a baby said that sounded like her order.

Brandi always appears relaxed and in control. She laughed at the mix-up. She gave me the $20 bill back and took the bills out of my hand and then gave the sack to the lady holding the baby and took money from her.

The change she gave me on the previous transaction, I dropped in the tip jar. I wonder how that would be straightened out?

I felt sorry for the lady with the baby and a sack of food so I held the door opened for her to leave.

Then Brandi had my sack with the onion rings. She told me price which was 10¢ more than I previously paid her. I told her I liked the other price better. She laughed.

Again, I gave her the same $20 bill and she gave me change and bills back and I again dropped the change into the tip jar.

They got tipped twice, on the same order….. but whose pocket did the first tip come out of? It is mind boggling.

When I was backing up out my parking place I noticed in my rearview mirror that the lady with the baby was backing up also – straight towards me. We were meant to cross each other up. I immediately jumped all the way back into the parking spot.

I drove home, gobbled down my chili—slaw dog and onions rings and dressed up and drove to Powder Springs, Georgia, to a funeral home.

Randy, a postal carrier had died. Randy worked at the Sprayberry Post Office, the same as I, for a bunch of years.

Then he transferred to the Kennesaw Post Office and delivered my mother-in-law’s mail for, I think he said 18 years. Sometimes when I was there I would try to be near the mailbox when he drove up and we talked.

Then he quit coming. It was months since I had seen Randy. I asked a female carrier delivering the mail where was Randy. She said he fell and broke some bones and while undergoing treatment for that they found a bunch of other things wrong with him. Now, he was trying to get a disability.

Then yesterday I got the mail out of my mother-in-law mail box and there was a handwritten note saying Randy had died over the weekend. I got on-line, found his obituary. He was cremated and his memorial service would be today.

Sometimes you can know somebody from a work standpoint and when you see people from his home life it is completely different from what you perceived his life would probably be.

Randy worked very hard to go by the regulations of how the mail should be handled, as far as things like the letters on top and the magazines on bottom when delivered… and bulk rate mail would be after the magazines, etc…Randy wanted it right. He seemed to fret over his mail more than most other carriers. He was a perfectionist.

He was slim, had natural curly hair, and big glasses…. He would probably look completely unnatural without his glasses.

When I arrived at the funeral home I went as the sign directed me. There was a little parlor with a monitor showing with a digital picture sideshow of Randy in progress. I was about 20 minutes early, and I didn’t know a thing about Randy’s personal life, so I thought I would sit down and relax and watch the slide show and educate myself on Randy.

It showed Randy as a little boy on a little Shetland pony, and several other typical pictures of a kid growing up. The rest of the many pictures were with him with his daughter, sitting talking with her, sitting in the water with her, sitting here, and sitting there. Then, I thought, “I bet the daughter had an early illness and she is crippled.”

There were a little alcove of a room that I signed the guest book, picked up a program, and walked into the chapel.

It was ten minutes until the services began and only three or four people (including me) were there.

A few more people drifted in.

A young lady in a motorized wheelchair wheeled in. Although she could operate it, she was leaning way back and one armed seemed to be drawn up. His daughter! I thought.

Somebody bent over her and said her name and how sorry that he was. I looked at the program. Yep, the program said survived by a daughter with the same name.

Wait! The other named that said Randy was survived by was a partner named Ron.

I am not critical of this arrangement; I would have never thought it that is all. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Just as the time of the service was to start people suddenly lined up outside the door signing the guest book. The line went out the door. As they came in and took their seats they mostly sat in the section reserved for the family. They were family and I doubt if they are known for being early for events and things.

It was a two man show. The preacher preached and the funeral home person put on CD songs, appropriately for the event; for instance the first song was BLOWING IN THE WIND; we are just sand bowing in the wind.

The bad thing playing about using this CD was that it was a concert CD which had applause with people whistling - which took something from the quiet dignity of a memorial service.

After the last prayer and during the last CD song a lady stepped up on the little rise, and sat in the chair next to the preacher behind the podium.

As the music drew to a close the preacher left his seat, stepped down off the rise in front of the podium. The lady stayed there.

Then the funeral director raised his arms and said, “All Rise!” And everybody shuffled to their feet.

Suddenly the lady sitting behind the podium stood up spoke her booming voice into a mike saying she would like to say a few words.

The funeral director lowed his hands down and I think he said, “Be seated” Which everybody did.

The lady, by things she said, I figured was Randy’s ex-wife. She more or less put the people sitting in the family section in their place. She told them that Randy loved them as well as his new friends and if they had a problem with that, they need to learn to live with it.

Then she mentioned his sisters and how they treated him. And she talked more in her booming voice.

The family members were squirming and crying and handing each other tissues to cry with.

The preacher looked helpless.

After that the partner, the best dressed man there, carried the urn out through the just-opened doors. In funeral precession-order the family followed, row by row.

When the family emptied out we (non family) went out aisle by aisle also.. because I was sitting alone on the last pew I was the last to leave.

There was a crowd of people and a lot of loud talking. I don’t know what the conversation was about.

Why stand around there with some people I didn’t know? I went back through the funeral home and went out another door.

An elderly couple fell in behind me. Since they were not with the bunch outside the door I figured they were not family.

“Are either one of you a postal worker?” I asked.

The lady said she works at the Kennesaw Post Office. I asked if she knew a friend that used to work there and she said yes.

She said to tell her “Dolly said ‘Hi’!

People-Group-Think Confuses Me

In September I wrote a post on my blog about finding out that Betty of Betty’s World Famous Hotdogs had died and also mentioned that my old 8th grade mechanical drawing teacher had died too – and I connected them up by saying that once within a year or so my friend Paul and I ran into him at Betty’s and had lunch with him. Then, if the “Rule of 3” applies - like when someone in Hollywood dies, usually two more follow. I wondered who will be next?

And that was about it, nothing deep or profound. Click on the below and see for yourself:

Who Is Next?


Now, for some reason in the past couple hours I have received over a hundred hits from various countries in Europe and South America all linking to the link I talked about.

Evidently, somebody mentioned that certain post on-line and linked it and now people are visiting it in droves. I don’t see why.

Who is Next? What is Next?

I said yesterday that Betty Jo Stiles Garrett, 75, founder of Betty’s World Famous Hotdogs, now Brandi’s World Famous Hotdogs had died.

Two days ago James Lester Newsome, age 83 died. Mr. Newsome was my mechanical drawing teacher and shop teacher. He was also my coach on B-Team football.

As a student I watched him rule over unruly people and he let them know at the beginning he didn’t take any poo poo. He was as good as you wanted him to be or bad as you deserved.. Your choice.

I think he probably had almost as much hair as Willie B.., the Gorilla. His arms were covered wit hair and the base of his neck had the illusion of having about a bushel of hair forcing its way out from under the top of his shirt. He was a wiry man, small in statue, he reminded me of a comic book character named Aqua-man. They had a similar head shapes and piercing eyes.

One time at football practice he ran backwards in front of two fast players talking to them giving them pointers on how to run faster. That was impressive.

Mr. Newsome was from Alabama – which probably explains his thick southern accent.

I heard he died the same day he was put in hospice. I wouldn’t doubt if that was his will, going down with the ship, so to speak, instead of trying to keep the sinking vessel floating.

Within a couple of years my friend Paul and I were having lunch at Brandi’s World Famous Hotdogs and Paul looked over and said, “Look! There is Mr. Newsome!” He was sitting alone at a table eating. We picked up our hotdogs and Cokes and joined him. He was glad to see us.

He told us he was the president of a local bank or investing company, I forgot which. He gave us his card.

He looked as in top-notch physical shape as he did over 50 years. Little did we, or he, know his insides were rumblings with little cancer cells eating every thing in site up.

They say death comes in three’s. This time maybe the magic number three is revolving the hotdog eatery. Who is next? I hope no one I know is number three – In my eyes I couldn’t be number three because I am number One!

Another unrelated note – Yesterday, I had over 40 hits to my Brasstown Ball Postcard which was not anything very witty or informative or entertaining. Figure that one out?

What is next?

Betty of Betty's World Famous Hotdogs Died

Betty Jo Stiles Garrett, age 75, died last Wednesday, September 3rd.

Betty owned Betty’s World Famous Hotdogs here in Marietta. Her chili she put on the dogs was spicy. The chili was spicy enough to loosen your sinuses and make your nose run. You might say, “upper-lip licking good.”

The restaurant is now Brandi’s World Famous Hotdogs, which still uses the same secret chili formula. It seems that I remember reading in the paper that Betty sold it to Brandi because she was getting up in years and had diabetes – and well, it was just time to retire.

In the year 2000 I worked for the Marietta branch of the Census Bureau. One day in the office I told a couple of workers I was going up to Betty’s World Famous Hotdogs for lunch. They wanted to know more about the hotdogs and chili. Which, I told them about the chili – to me, a hotdog is a hotdog.

I made the mistake of saying, “Can I bring you back anything?”

Suddenly everybody were giving me notes with what they wanted and the money – we had to call and get prices. I think the order came to between $150 and $200.

But, one of the reasons I wanted to go to Betty’s was the people. To me it is interesting and a pleasure to watch the non-pretentious people who have lunch there…. Having to go pickup the huge order took all the fun out of it.

Probably no more than a couple of years after that is when I read the article about Betty selling the restaurant to Brandi. Then after I read the article a day or two later Betty and I rode the same elevator at Kennestone Hospital. She looked at me and spoke. I am sure she couldn’t place me, but I am also sure she had a pretty good idea where she saw me.

My neighbor told me she saw in the paper that Betty had died last week. I dug through a pile of papers to find the obituary. Apparently she was living in Madisonville, Tennessee, when she died.

She had a bunch of survivors, I hope they all liked spicy hotdogs – it is their legacy.

Brandi's World Famous Hotdogs - again

I had two doctors visits this morning and while in the downtown area I visited the City Cemetery to take a picture of an old friend’s grave that somehow I lost the picture of his marker. And also I took a few pictures of what used to be Clay Homes, high up on the hill, of what used to be Waterman Street School.

There are too many “What used to be” places around.

Then, combining my trip, to save gas – or maybe to create gas, while in the area I went to Brandi’s World Famous Hotdogs for a fix.

Her hotdogs and hamburgers come with a chili that can’t be beat. The chili has a secret hot spice in it plus little chopped up onions.

I drove into the parking lot at 11:00am, it was easy to get a parking place, the noon onslaught hasn’t arrived yet.

Inside I placed my order to go and grabbed a seat to watch the three ladies work synchronized to each other’s movements like a Swiss clock. Each knows all and sees all. They know what each person orders, before it is even written down.

Brandi is always relaxed and laid back. She doesn’t let huge crowds of people lined up outside the door pressure her at all, as far as I know. She takes it all, one thing at a time with a relaxed smile.

Today she was sitting at the corner talking to some older gent and you could tell she really enjoyed their conversation. She is a people person.

One of the others is the cook that stayed over from when it was Betty’s World Famous Hotdogs. I can see a resemblance in her and Betty, so I think she may be Betty’s daughter.

The other one is young but I have watched her start off there much younger waiting on tables. She seems to more and more to run things.

As I left a young man got out of a red sporty looking car and said, “Is it any good today?”

I said, “It is always good!”

Just Shuffling Along

Monday we went to Kennesaw Mountain Memorial Cemetery where my parents are buried to put flowers on their grave – which we were late doing. The flowers have been prepared for weeks, but I just haven’t been that way for any reason.

Over my parents’ grave I reached down to pull the old flowers out. The styrofoam that held the flowers was snug in the metal vase. I really had to twist hard to get that Styrofoam that tight in there. Boy, am I good! I tried with force to dislodge it the thing crumbled, leaving me holding the flowers in my hand and I had a vase full of hard Styrofoam. Damn! Pardon my French, Mama and Daddy.

We carried the vase home to work on it. With the aid of a huge screw driver and a knife we got the Styrofoam cut up it in bits, and put the new flowers in it.

Yesterday I returned to the cemetery to put the flowers in the vase on their grave.

As I said, whenever possible I like to combine trips. After I placed the flowers and was on my way home, I thought if I just turned here instead of there, and go down Old Mountain Road at the base of Kennesaw Mountain I could enjoy the view and not only that, I would be in eventually going right by Brandi’s World Famous Hotdogs. I have not had a Brandi’s spicy chili hotdog in 2008. It was time.

In Brandi’s I noticed Brandi wasn’t there. She must have been at Brandi’s World Famous Hotdogs in Cartersville – either that or maybe she is out pregnant or with a newborn again.

Either way, she left three able-bodied ladies in charge. One of the ladies was the cook who has always been there, even when it was Betty’s World Famous Hotdogs. She has similar facial features of Betty, I think she is probably Betty’s daughter. The young lady that used to be new and act new and inexperienced seems to be in charge now and smoothly runs the operation – she has Brandi’s features, so is probably her sister. The 3rd girl is the main waitress… she had a low cut on, to expose more than a couple of inches of cleavage. I read someplace that good cleavage exposure ups the ante in the tips department… and it goes to the ceiling if the exposed cleavage waitress will look the person paying in the eye and make some kind of body contact – like patting him on the shoulder…. Of course it helps if it is a waitress and the customer is male.

I got my food to go. At Brandi’s, and when it was Betty’s, I have always found it amazing that the staff work in perfect harmony with each other with perfect communication without saying a word. All three women listen to the customers when they place their orders and work as a well oiled synchronized machine. I don’t think I have ever heard any of them speak a word to each other but they talk a lot with their facial expressions.

And now I noticed they have tee-shirts available. The lady that I think is probably Brandi's sister was wearing one. It was white, on the front it said, "Brandi's World's Famous Hotdogs" and on the back was a fiery looking race car. Fiery looking race car? If white is the only color they come in, I think their typical diner has that good old southern deep-fried fat around his middle, white would tend to show off that lard. I won't rest until I have one of those tee-shirts!

On the way home I thought it of Willow sadly watching me sadly eating my hotdog and not offering her any of it. So, I went through a fast food hamburger joint and bought a 99¢ hamburger and “had it my way” nothing but meat and bund for Willow.

When I got home, first, I chopped her meat and bund up in bite size chunks. I did this because she sometimes likes to take her food to the carpet and eat it… this way, with bite size chunks she is more likely to eat it over her bowl. She did, but she gobbled it up. She was finishing up just as I was sitting down to eat.

Willow sat and sadly watch me eat my hotdog without me offering her any.

Bluto & Skip Williamson

Bluto and Skip Williamson

Although we visited Skip Williamson the 2nd or 3rd day I held him off as the best until last.
Bluto has been a Skip Williamson fan for a long time. I have been a fan for a fair amount of time, since I saw his work in The Realist, Playboy, and Bijou Comics. Skip had created a comic character named Sammy Smoot which he fined tuned and it was very good cartoon work.

We drove over to Skip’s house which is on the other side of town. He lives around the corner from my sister. While we were shaking Skip’s hand his wife Harriet came out on the back porch and gave me a hug. She said she hadn’t seen me in a while, I should come around more often. I felt like a jerk.

Skip showed us all over his studio and his latest projects. Then we left and I gave Bluto and Skip and tour of downtown Marietta on things I thought would interest them. We also visited some Civil War skirmishes sites near Kennesaw Mountain.

At that time period I was fascinated with Cheatham Hill, which is across from where my parents are buried. There was a big fight there in a big area and many soldiers on both sides were killed or injured. While the fighting was going on a brush fire started. There were dead and wounded soldiers lying there with the fire quickly approaching them. Suddenly, somebody called a truce and able bodied men from both sides ran out and picked up the incapacitated and carried them to their rightful sides. Each side helped each other drag men to safely. While they were mingling they complemented each other on their shootings, joked, swapped chewing tobacco plugs, and realized each were humans. The officers on both sides were not happy the men on the lines put a face on the enemy.

That was the Cheatham Hill Battle Field. Now, it is a huge park that mostly runners take advantage of.

We went to the Marietta City Cemetery. There were some famous people buried there that I wanted to point out. I think the most written about person buried there is little Mary Phagan. At age 13 she was raped and killed at where she worked in Atlanta, at a pencil factory on her off day. She had went to work to get her paycheck. The owner, Leo Frank, Jewish, was accused of the murder. There was a trial and he was convicted of the crime and was sent to the State Prison in Milledgeville.

One night, I think about 1915, a caravan of cars with masked men inside drove to the State Prison – all the guards happened to be looking the other way when the men found the prison doors unlocked and even Leo Frank’s cell unlocked. They carried him back to Marietta and hung him.

There has been many books written about this crime and hanging. There is evidence now that Leon Frank was innocent…. Governor Jimmy Carter pardoned him, posthumously.

There is proof that the group that planned and orchestrated the Leo Frank hanging were the city’s elite. The judges, mayors, representatives, and bankers.

That is why the group had no trouble getting in the prison and why no one was near to prevent them. The warden was told if he made it easy for them he would get the new prison wing he had been begging for. Which, they pulled the right strings and the new wing was built.

Next we visited Jon Benet’ Ramsey’s grave at St. James Episcopal Church Cemetery. Also, there are some other graves here of historical significance – but only to me. I doubt if Skip or Bluto would care about who in this cemetery that streets were named after. You would have to have grown up in Marietta to appreciate that I think.

After visiting that cemetery we went for lunch at Betty’s Famous Hotdogs. Betty’s Hotdogs is now owned by Brandi and it is Brandi’s Famous Hotdogs.

Both Skip and Bluto seemed to appreciate the spicy chili on the hotdogs. We sat at the counter at ate. While sitting there, within earshot of Betty and her daughters Skip and Bluto used such words as Goddamn, Shit, Fuck, Mother-Fucking, Mother-Fucker, Ass-Hole, and well, just normal talk behind the shed. They did not keep their voices down, they talked normally. Each time a FUCK or GODDAMN flew in the air Betty’s eyes would widen and squint in disapproval. Betty was helping her daughter preparing the hot dogs and also running the cash register as somebody came up to the counter to pay. You could almost read by their facial expressions and body languages what Betty and her daughter were saying about Skip and Bluto. Like Bluto might say, “Do you believe that SHIT?” And Betty’s eyes would pop open and way saying silently, “Did you hear that? I don’t want that vulgarity in here!” Betty turned 73 about a month later, it was in the paper that she was selling her restaurant and retiring. Her daughter, under 50, with her hurt look, was silently saying, “Just take it easy Mama, I haven’t seen two of them before, they probably won’t be back, just don’t cause any trouble.”
And Skip might say, “FUCKING A!”
Again Betty’s eye popped open wide. The soothing daughter, silently saying, Maamaaa … easy, easy.”
And this went on and on.
After we finished we paid at the cash register and Betty yanked our money from us, and sent us on our way… I noticed she didn’t say, “Come back!” like she was telling other people.
Next we went to Kennesaw Mountain and rode up top to look down on Marietta one way and Kennesaw the other. Then, we started talking about Dent “Wildman” Myers. Skip and I both know Wildman. Wildman is a councilman in Kennesaw and also owns a business in the Downtown Historic district. He is responsible for one city ordinance of Kennesaw that made national news: In Kennesaw, if you live within the city limits you must own a handgun – period.
Once I asked Wildman, who is an arch conservative wasn’t telling people they must own a handgun a form of gun control? For an answer he gave me a glare.
He wears his gun, fully loaded, in a holster on his gun belt.
But to give credit where credit is due, I read that Kennesaw has the lowest rate of crime than any other town of that size in the United States. Besides, no one, as yet had to pay a fine or any other punishment for not owning a gun. The law had been declared unenforceable.
Before Dent Myers opened up his Civil War Shop in Kennesaw he worked at Lockheed. Back in the ‘70s we had a green Gremlin with a round red, white, and blue sticker, with the peace symbol within the circle. Wildman also had a green Gremlin with something to the opposite way of thinking on the back of his car, maybe something like “Bomb Hanoi!”. He and Anna used the same parking lot. She worked for, as she does now, for the Department of Defense. At times they would past each other in the parking and greet each other with the finger.
Wildman has written several books about the different fights on Kennesaw Mountain and is considered an expert. He has served as technical director for at least two Civil War movies I know of.
We decided to visit Wildman in his shop. For him it is a good thing we did, Bluto spent over a hundred bucks in tee shirts, books, and right wing literature. He claimed he only studying that type of mind – but I wonder.
Wildman was quiet impressed with Skip – as one Wildman to another Wildman, and of course Bluto slinging money around. And he probably recalled my face from someplace in his past but not quiet sure where at, but I am easily forgotten.




Another night Bluto went to Atlanta with Skip clubbing. I guess I have grown old. I hate the superficial life in clubs. They went to a club at the Clairmont Hotel on Ponce de Leon at the Corner of Monroe Drive. There were plenty of strippers there ready to party. So, Skip and Bluto told me on our next adventure. There was a black stripper there named Blondie. She was named Blondie because she had a blond wig. She had a special talent not many women can do or probably haven’t even thought about doing. She can crush beer cans with her tits, even if they haven’t been opened. Blondie also writes poetry.

Another day we just hung around Skip’s studio, he had some work he had to catch up on.

The Return of Brandi's Famous Hotdogs

Yesterday, we had lunch at Brandi's Famous Hotdogs (formerly known as Betty's Famous Hotdogs).

It is treat to go there. To keep visits to the ER Cardiac Unit at a minimum, I keep Brandi's a minimum. Her hotdogs all have spicy chili and her customers are a show.

When you enter you are faced with a sign as you open the door "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service". That tells you they are trying to keep out the rift-raft... I think Ruth Crisp's Steak House should follow suit.

Last time I was in it looke as if Brandi might be pregnant. But she still wore short shorts and a very low-cut. This time Brandi wasn't there, but on the cashier was a sign with a freshly born baby's picture saying, "IT'S A GIRL!"

The next table over from us was a big heavy set man with what looked like his wife but older. Her face was battered. She had blac keyes, strips of tape on each side of her nose, like holding it up, and several other bandages.

What they ordered in hotdogs, hamburgers, onion rings, and French fries took up thier whole table.

It is always interesting at Brandi's.

Brandi's World Famous Hotdogs

So! It is Bandi’s Famous Hotdogs instead of Brandy’s FHd. Photos hardly ever lie.

As I mentioned Brandi is still using the spicy chili recipe that the previous owner Betty used. Not only is she still using the spicy chili recipe but also still using Betty’s oldest daughter (or at least I think it is her daughter). She still works there in the same position in the kitchen area. Which she should get credit for honing in with sensitive ears when a customer gives an order. Many times before Brandi or the waitress can give her the order slip she has it ready.

Brandi looks to be under 30 years of age, maybe closer to 25. Not only did she keep Betty’s recipe for spicy chili but she added a little spice herself. Sometimes she wears short shorts and a lo-cut blouse.

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…..”