The Homewrecker Returns To Hillbilly Hotdogs

It was the middle of the week at Hillbilly Hotdogs in LeSage, about 10 miles north of Huntington. People were lined up outside, waiting to get lunch inside and get out of the summer heat. 

Hillbilly Hotdogs is more than a typical West Virginia hotdog stand. It’s a bona fide roadside attraction. The lot is an eccentric collection of rustic-looking buildings covered in graffiti, repurposed school buses and reclaimed junk poking fun at hillbilly stereotypes.

The restaurant has tables inside and out, but also offers dining on the roof, which is a good place for a quirky, first date. There’s also a wedding chapel out back, if things turn serious. 

Reservations aren’t required, but probably call ahead if you’re thinking about booking a wedding.

Sonny and Sherry Knight opened Hillbilly Hotdogs in 1999.

Sherry Knight explained, “Sonny and I were sitting underneath a tree of this old house up here on the hill.”

She told him to plow the land down below and build a weenie stand.

Sonny did that with the help of his brothers and brothers-in-laws.

“We opened Sept. 6, 1999 and closed three days later and got married,” she said.

Everyone thought they were crazy.

The restaurant sprawled and the couple added all kinds of hotdogs to the menu. It developed a following, was added to different travel lists and was featured on Guy Fieri’s “Dives, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

Sonny passed away in 2021 and Sherry continued to run the restaurant.

The menu now features 25 specialty hotdogs, including “The Homewrecker,” a deep fried, one-pound hotdog loaded with toppings. 

The Homewrecker is more than a meal, it’s also a challenge.

The Knights decided to offer a timed challenge. If you could eat a homewrecker in less than 12 minutes, the bar set by Marshall University student David Franke, the restaurant would give you a t-shirt. 

If you could beat the record time, you’d get the Homewrecker for free.

Sherry Knight said the current record was two minutes and 32 seconds. 

Inside Appalachia Producer Bill Lynch decided to give it a try. 

Lynch managed to finish the hotdog and completed the challenge in under 12 minutes, but was nowhere close to the record. 

The Homewrecker has been a part of Hillbilly Hotdog for 20 years, but it almost came to an end last year after the restaurant’s hotdog supplier went out of business.

Not sure what to do, Sherry reached out to Guy Fieri for advice. He’d stayed in touch with her since he’d visited Hillbilly Hotdogs and had checked on her after her husband died.

He told her, “I got you.”

Chefs from all over the country wound up calling her and they found a replacement supplier.

As far as the producer of Inside Appalachia, Lynch agreed that taking on the Homewrecker challenge was probably a once in a lifetime thing, though he did notice they had a bigger hotdog on the menu. It’s called “The Widowmaker.”