Famous Uncle Al's - Granby Street, Norfolk

It was National Hot Dog week and Laine and I decided this was the perfect time to review Famous Uncle Al’s Famous Hot Dogs. Tucked in a seemingly small spot on Granby Street, Al’s does a heck of a day business. Office folk are constantly ducking in and coming out with a brown paper bag filled with a breakfast sandwich, one of the many dogs, a sandwich or fries and sometimes a few of those items all at once. I’ve seen many of that brown bag enter our office in the morning hours. Laine and I wanted the full experience so we opted for the dine-in option. I had no idea there were so many tables in the back of Al’s. You enter and immediately order and if you choose to stay, you jockey for a table or wait for a server to seat you. Ordering is easy because the menu is straight forward. I had heard the egg salad was a hit and ordered that on toasted wheat with some cheese fries and a drink. Jumbo sodas are $1.79 with all the refills your heart desires. Music to our ears.

It was pretty packed when Laine and I arrived and upon ordering, we spied an open two-top, which I pounced on it while Laine waited for our food. Our meals came out within five to seven minutes as Al’s staff kept things humming along at a slightly crazed pace. My source had not led me wrong and the egg salad on wheat was just right. Thankfully, Al’s does not make the all too frequent mistake of putting too much mayonnaise in their egg salad (hate that) and it is seasoned perfectly. The cheese fries were decent. I have complained about cheese whiz before but remember, that involved nachos. Nachos should have real cheese, end of story. I have no problem with cheese whiz, or processed cheese product as my childhood friend and I lovingly referred to it, on fries (we used to love to create our radioactive dish or Velveeta and Pace Picante Salsa to eat with our chips (her) and pretzels (me) while watching General Hospital and MTV after school - those were the days). I sampled one of Laine’s onion rings and while the flavor was pretty good, they could have been crispier - fry them babies up! For about $8, my meal was perfect for this Friday. I noticed a few things I would like to try the next visit, the grilled cheese and either Cole slaw or the sweet potato fries. Laine and I will report back, as always.

~Alex

For National Hot Dog Day (7/23/2010) this Al's location ran a $1 hot dog promotion. What better day to give them a try? We arrived minutes before the noon rush and they were already hopping busy. However, we were waited on almost immediately, found an open table quickly and had our food in less than 5 minutes. I have to say the service impressed me. Everyone was very nice, very apologetic about any wait (which we didn't have), and the server checked on our table about 2-3 times. Nice!

I love the snappy dogs and today mine was as good always. The onion rings were not the best I've had here. These were a little squished up when they arrived, but they still tasted good. Alex got egg salad and cheesy fries. The egg salad looked great and she concurred. I've had theirs before and it is one of the best in town in my opinion. The cheesy fries were just okay. They could have been cooked a minute or two longer to get a tad crispier.

Overall we were pleased and would recommend this Al's location without hesitation.

_Laine

Uncle Al’s is located at 155 Granby Street and is open 7am-3pm Monday through Friday. They suggest faxing or calling in larger orders, so if you are having an office breakfast or lunch (recommendation), this might be a better option. You can call in single orders as well, if you do not feel like waiting on location.

www.famousunclealshotdogsofnorfolk.com

Bobbie B's Deli - Granby Street, Norfolk

So many restaurants, so little time. How did we miss this one for so long? Bobbie B's Deli was a wonderful surprise. Located down at the "other end" of Granby Street, it's well worth the walk. They was not an empty table when we arrived last Tuesday at lunch time. A lot of folks get their food to go, and a girl parked at a 4 top while waiting for her order gladly gave it up. Bobbie B's is not fancy. I am pretty sure no one paid a designer to help with the decor. There is a little "shrine" to NASCAR behind the register, and a couple of bobble head figurines on the counter. You order at the register, grab a seat if you can, and they call our your number when it is ready. They use Dietz and Watson meats. All the ingredients from the bread, to the veggies, to the meat are very fresh. Prices in this place are beyond reasonable. And.....drum roll please...cheapest soda in town! (If you have reading us for awhile you know I have a thing about over-priced sodas. We non-coffee drinking people need our caffeine too!) $1.45 for a super-sized large with free unlimited refills while you dine in.

I ordered one of the daily specials, Ranchero Chicken Wrap, and it came with a side. I selected the cucumber salad. The salad was a little different than your typical cuc salad, adding red onion, pimento and chunky cucumber. I liked it very much. The wrap was wonderful. It had a sneaky hot sauce that I didn't really recognize until I was almost through the first half. By the end of the wrap I was really feeling it, but in a good way. I am not really a fan of "hot" spice, but I liked this wrap and didn't leave a crumb. Our Friend Brianna* ordered one of my favorite deli sandwiches, a Reuben, replacing the sauerkraut with Cole Slaw. Of course, this means it really wasn't really a Reuben anymore, but it still looked great. There was a nice, thick layer of corned beef. They didn't grill it either, another Reuben requirement, but toasted it instead. Brianna said it was delicious.

Once again, Alex and I got sucked into buying dessert. Why did they have to put cake, Red Velvet cake at that, right next to the register? I have no idea where they get their cakes, or who baked this but...WOW. Alex and I have been privy to some bad cake recently. It is such a let down. This cake was dynamite! The center layer was not icing, it was cheesecake, then the traditional white icing was on the outside. I couldn't even wait until after taking the picture to take a bite!

So two thumbs up, only because I don't have three thumbs. Print of their online coupon, bring it with you and a friend, and get half off the second meal. I also have to mention the menu typo (intentional perhaps) that lists "Cold Slaw" as one of their salads. It got a few good giggles in the office.

_Laine

I have passed Bobbie B’s without going in more times than I can ever count and now I am sorry I did not investigate sooner. Laine, Brianna* and I were leaving another restaurant in the vicinity and made a point to put this deli on our to review list. A day came when it was under one hundred degrees and we decided to make the journey down Granby Street.

Bobbie B’s is a no frills type of locale but the kind of establishment that has regulars; businessmen and other office folks, police officers and some young adults who live downtown. Bobbie’s has sandwich selections along with a build your own variety. I had previewed the menu online, as I usually do with a new spot. This prevents me from dawdling in my decision making. We approached the counter and I knew I wanted the vegetarian sandwich with avocado, sprouts, tomato, onions, cucumbers and provolone on wheat. Sandwiches come with a side and between the Cole slaw and the cucumber salad, the nice girl at the counter preferred the cucumber salad and I went with her recommendation. As I waited, I contemplated some of the other downtown deli vegetarian sandwiches, which have not always impressed me. I have to say I did not have high expectations and was waiting for something mediocre. Fortunately, I was proven very, very wrong. My number was called and my sandwich looked like a picture, the ones that never match the actual food you receive. The bread was toasted and the vegetables fresh, even the tomatoes. So many times, when I order a sandwich, the tomatoes are so pale and tasteless. I was tickled with the cucumber salad as well. Homemade with just the right level of tang, this side was an excellent choice. All sandwiches come with a pickle as well. For $5.25, that is a steal. The large sodas are $1.45 and you can have all the refills your heart desires. This price is the best yet.

Laine and I saw slice of homemade red velvet cake and decided we must split a piece. I think is the best red velvet cake I have ever had. It had a layer of cheesecake in the middle and then the cream cheese icing. The cake was moist and we both could not believe the price, $3.

I am very excited to have Bobbie B’s as another casual option where prices are more than reasonable and the food is solid. This strikes me as the place where a take-out would be as good as a sit-in meal. They have soups and salads, which we spied on other diners’ tables and which looked like something we will try the next time around. Sandwiches come ‘double-stacked’ for a small fee, if you are ravenous and other sides include potato salad, mac n’ cheese and fruit salad. Desserts are homemade and change daily. While Bobbie B’s does not have servers per se, the staff there is friendly and fast. The gentleman who refilled my drink three times did not seem annoyed at all.

The group having lunch around us included office types, a few police officers and a young couple, who gave us the table they used to wait. Bobbie B’s is small, so you may have a wait a few to grab a seat, but this is the type of place that moves patrons quicker than other establishments. I would imagine they have a lot of to-go and catering business and Bobbie B’s also serves breakfast until 11am.

~Alex

433 Granby Street
Norfolk, VA 23510-1913
(757) 623-7444
(Look for the chef statue out front.)
Breakfast
7:30 AM until 11 AM

www.bobbiebsdeli.com

Dog-n-Burger - Norfolk, VA

Alex and I have a list of all local restaurants that we pull out whenever we are uninspired about where to eat lunch. It has been a while, but last week the list came out. We narrowed our options down from 2-3 choices to Dog-n-Burger. Sometimes you just want a good hot dog (if you're a carnivore like me). Alex has been several times, but this was going to me my first venture to this Ghent staple. I have driven past it too many times to count, and it is always fairly busy. Since on street parking is often difficult, I felt fortunate to snag a spot near the corner of 20th Street.


Dog-n-Burger is in no way fancy, and that's exactly how it should be. There is a vintage coke machine greeting you at the entrance for some reason. The line was short, only two girls ahead of us, but one of the girls managed to make ordering as complicated and lengthy as possible. Once up, I placed the uncomplicated order of a #2 Beef Dog Combo, which is a 1/4 lb. "Hebrew National" beef hot dog, fries and large drink for $4.25. Nice price! You have to pay for drink refills, which irks me. Restaurants pay pennies for fountain drinks. Gimme a break. The menu offers the kind of variety you would expect: Hot Dogs, Burgers, Gyros/Pita, Philly Cheesesteak, and several "BBQ" options. If you are up for it, you can get a full rack of ribs with two rolls and two sides for $17.99.

I moved on down the line and quickly received my order. Orders are served in a brown bag, with the sandwich/dog/burger wrapped in waxed paper. As I said, not fancy. The similarity in packaging gave me a momentary Doumar's flashback. We opted for outdoor seating in their covered patio area, as there was a semi-cool breeze and they have overhead fans. They have additional outdoor seating in a fenced in area, featuring picnic tables with festive red and white umbrellas. The hot dog was excellent. They offer a good number of toppings, but I settled on the classic combination of mustard and relish. I also loved their Crinkle fries. They had just the right amount of crisp. Not a bad way to spend a lunch hour.
_Laine

If you know me, you know one of my favorite places in town is No Frill Grill. Those geniuses also own Dog-n-Burger, a small hamburger and hot dog joint near 21st Street in Ghent. People always ask me, “What in the world do you eat at DnB?” since I am a vegetarian. Well, I will tell you. They have a veg burger and also a veg pita. The pita is very similar, if not the same, as the veg pita at Frill. This pita is also featured at the Stockley Gardens Art Festival, but under a different brand. Lettuce, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms, shredded cheese and pepper Parmesan sauce are wrapped in a warm pita. I requested the sauce on the side, but this was a mistake. Have it just as it is normally served, otherwise, it is slightly dry. I added a side of coleslaw to my wrap and that coleslaw somehow ended up on top of my wrap. I said side but the gent who took my order put it in the wrap (weird). It did not ruin it, but I asked for my side after I discovered what had occurred. I want what I ordered. I did not order a soda because there are no refills and they put a lot of ice in the cup which says ‘rip off’ to me.

Started in 1969, DnB is a step back in time with the old Coke machine and the diner style napkins, which are actually terrible, but you let it go here. Laine and I decided to sit outside in the shade, which is a lot less cramped as the inside. I had to keep my paper bag and napkins from flying away in the breeze, but all in all, I enjoyed myself. I know what to do next time (get my sauce on the pita) or try the veg burger and try one of the Brownies by Sheila. DnB has chocolate and blonde brownies that look out of sight. An evening or two, I have walked up to DnB and ordered the cheese fries. Now, in another entry I complain about cheese whiz style cheese, but actually, it goes on these fries quite well (and is what DnG serves on its cheese fries) and when you can eat for $5-6, can you really complain? If a dish is over $6 and comes with cheese whiz, I am not as forgiving.

Dog-n-Burger is open 11am-9pm Monday through Saturday, but note they close at 8pm most winter days. I found this out when I showed up at 7:55pm and the guys look quite annoyed but still served me.

~Alex

Dog-n-Burger
2001 Manteo Street
Norfolk, VA
757-623-1667

Famous Uncle Al's - Chesapeake VA

Not all Al's are created equal! This particular one is a family favorite. It was standing room only at this location on Monday. As luck would have it, we snagged three seats at the counter right as we walked in. This is a great location. They are always busy. The food is consistently good. The same people have been working there for years and years. Service is always friendly from the servers to the cooks. Consistency pays off!

I had a hot dog with chili and onions and... onion rings. Al's has great onion rings. My daughter got a dog and fries, by husband a cheeseburger and fries. Everyone was pleased. My only negative is the restroom. It is not dirty, but looks 'old'. At the very least, it could use a fresh coat of paint on the door. (Oh yeah, and paper towels or SOMETHING to dry your hands.)

_Laine


Famous Uncle Al's
Crossways Shopping Center
1412 Greenbrier Pkwy
Chesapeake, VA 23320
(757) 424-5705

Perfectly Frank-Chesapeake VA

I ran in for a quick lunch last Tuesday with my 6 year old. We were on our way to the Target near Edinburgh and I remembered seeing this restaurant in the adjoining shopping center. (There are actually a few restaurants here I would like to try.)I like this place. It is VERY clean. Service was quick and the hot dogs were good. Prices very reasonable. They have a menu board of daily specials and a nice kids menu. There is a lot of menu variety, but I went there because I wanted a hot dog! I commented on the Famous Uncle Al's T-Shirts that the two girls working there were wearing. Both are former Al's girls who opened up this franchise together. Nice story. Service was pretty brisk for a late Tuesday lunch. Everyone was getting dogs!

_Laine

236 Carmichael Way Ste 300
Chesapeake, VA 23322
(757) 432-0212
www.perfectly-frank.com