I don’t remember when I fell in love with Nu-Way hotdogs. But I do know that after I left my hometown of Macon, GA, back in 1978, I always dropped by Nu-Way when I went back to visit.
I don’t have any auction finds today that tie into Nu-Way, although I did come across some old photos from 1948 on the company’s website that reminded me of a time when my mother and aunts and uncles couldn’t sit down and eat there. Nu-Way was founded in 1916 on Cotton Avenue in Macon, and there’s still a location with the original neon sign at that site.
But that was then and this is now. When I was in Macon over the Christmas holidays, I had my yearly ration of Nu-Way hotdogs (or Nu-Way Weiners, its official name). The small hotdog shop located near my mother’s home is a throwback to the 1950s: A long U-shaped low counter with white formica top, short twirl-around red-cushioned stools and lots of chrome.
High on the wall was the menu (they also serve sandwiches, hamburgers, breakfast), along with their trademark poster of a little boy dropping juice from his hotdog, his puppy at the ready, and other paraphernalia.
Behind the counter (unlike in the photos on the website) were young black male and female waitresses, busier at the takeout window than inside. There were only four of us at the counter. It was around midday on Christmas Eve, and most folks, I’m sure, were at the mall on such a delightfully sunny day.
I ordered what I always ordered: Two all the way. Two hotdogs with mustard, ketchup, onions and that famous chili (not crumbly but more minced). I’m not sure what’s in the hotdogs or chili (I don’t normally eat pork, so I don’t ask what type of hotdogs they serve. I’m not ready to give them up.). The buns are melt-in-your-mouth soft, the chili is hot (not as in spicy) and the ‘dogs are heavenly.
I was there with my niece, nephew and sister-in-law, all of whom love the hotdogs as much as me (my sister-in-law ordered the slaw dogs). They had joined me at a bookstore to buy a Christmas gift for my 10-year-old nephew.
I only buy books for children; their parents buy toys. He chose one from a series called “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” by Jeff Kinney (My nephew’s a very smart kid, and I encouraged him to write us a children’s book so we can all get rich) and “Go Long,” a children’s sports book by Tiki and Ronde Barber. When I was paying for the books, a woman in line behind me saw the Barber books and went back to buy one.
Savoring Nu-Way hotdogs was a great way to end a very nice day with family. In tomorrow’s post, I’ll write about more Southern treats from my visit.
Read about my other Southern treat MoonPies and hot boiled peanuts. For ways to make Southern food a bit more healthier, check out blogger Fatimah Ali’s Healthy Southern Comforts.
That was a good blog you wrote.