Super Weenie closing downtown location

Super Weenie is now available at the South Charleston Farmers Market

Two new coffee shops coming, Bourbon Street opens outdoor patio

Well, doggone it. 

After about 8 years operating a brick-and-mortar hot dog joint in downtown Charleston, Super Weenie is closing that location – at least for now.

Chicago dog from Super Weenie

Owner Jason Myer announced that he is closing his restaurant at 805 Quarrier St. this week to focus on his mobile and catering operations. This Friday will be the downtown location’s last day open for the foreseeable future.

“I’ve heard so many times that doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results could be considered a definition of insanity,” Myer said last week. “In line with that wisdom, I am not going to continue to make these piecemeal changes to my formerly successful hot-dog shop. They all just end up being Band-Aids on a train wreck and we still can’t get anywhere close to the sales volume we did before the pandemic changed downtown.”

As a result, Myer said he can no longer treat the shop as the “main event” of his business and is taking a lead from what Dem 2 Brothers did last year when they closed their downtown restaurant and went back to being a mobile operation.

“I’m going back to my hot-dog carts as the primary focus for my business,” he said.

The Quarrier Street location will close for at least three months, he said, while he focuses on building a presence at the South Charleston Farmers Market at 4006 MacCorkle Ave. SW, where he’s been setting up on the weekends. He’ll start opening there five days a week while he considers his next move.

Tex-Mess dog from Super Weenie in Charleston

“It has not been easy to come to this decision, but it’s a far better choice than continuing what I’ve been doing until the business just goes under and has to close,” Myer added.

“I appreciate everyone who has continued to patronize the shop so very much, but there just aren’t enough folks to feed during the business day anymore.”

As for the future of his downtown Charleston location, he’s not sure what that holds. While he hasn’t ruled out reopening there, he’s leaning toward letting the new commissary he opened next door support his mobile carts and catering gigs for long-term stability.

“If I do continue to have a shop in downtown Charleston, it will be a much more streamlined operation with the primary focus still being the hot-dog cart, catering and mobile operations,” he said. “In the meantime, please come see us at the South Charleston Farmers Market beginning in September, Wednesday through Sunday.”

I adore this place and have waxed poetic about its fantastic hot dogs, sausages and incredible sauces and toppings during past reviews. And don’t just take my word for it: Their excellence landed them on one of Yelp’s national “best” lists, too. 

For more information, check out Super Weenie’s Facebook page.

New coffee shops coming to Charleston

A new business is brewing inside the building that formerly housed the once-popular, but long-since vacant, Bluegrass Kitchen at the corner of 1600 Washington St. E and Elizabeth Street in Charleston.

Brulehr Coffee in Charleston, WV

Capitol Common Grounds has announced it is bringing a “full-service coffee lounge” to that space, offering a comfortable environment where customers can enjoy high-quality coffee, handcrafted beverages and a variety of food options while relaxing, socializing or working. Learn more at www.capitol-cg.com. 

And the new drive-through coffee shop I told you was coming near the foot of the South Side Bridge has now launched a website and Facebook page to make the news official.

Brülehr Coffee will be located at 330 MacCorkle Ave. SE next to the auto repair shop between Laury’s and the new Arby’s across the river from downtown. The locally owned shop will cater to those who want their caffeine fix to go, featuring a menu of classic espressos, Americanos, mochas, cappuccinos and lattes, plus specialty and seasonal brews.

A menu teases creations like the Aloha with macadamia nut breve and cheesecake cold foam, the Dubliner with Irish cream and pistachio, the Campfire with cinnamon and marshmallow, and the Gold Coast blending vanilla and salted caramel, among others.

There will also be teas, matcha, fruit refreshers, energy drinks, lemonade and snacks like pepperoni rolls, croissants and cookies. Get a sneak peek at www.brulehr.com.  

Stay tuned for opening dates and more details about both new businesses.

Bourbon Street Bistro adds outdoor patio

Bourbon Street Bistro in Charleston, WV

Charleston’s only New Orleans-inspired restaurant has opened a new outdoor patio, bringing another al fresco dining option downtown. 

The patio at Bourbon Street Bistro is tucked behind the restaurant at 714 Lee St. in an area overlooking Davis Park, with a wrought-iron fence, strung lights and cityscape views reminiscent of a much smaller version of Pat O’Brien’s, an iconic indoor-outdoor bar in New Orleans’ French Quarter.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, check out the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Steven Keith is a food writer and restaurant critic known as “The Food Guy” who writes a weekly column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and has appeared in several state, regional and national publications. Follow him online at www.wvfoodguy.com or on Facebook, X, Instagram and Pinterest as “WV Food Guy.” He can be reached at wvfoodguy@aol.com.