Meadow’s Billy Station

I had heard what a great place this was for hot dogs, but I had my doubts. After all, it is out in the hinterlands of Athens. I admit, I am something of a hot dog snob. In my opinion, hot dogs should be pork in natural casing and grilled only. Sahlen’s are my preference. I kept my expectations low. After all, the pinnacle of hotdoggery in Georgia for most folks is the Varsity, which I think is garbage. Barker’s in Atlanta is the best in the state.
So in order to hedge my bets, I ordered a hot dog and a corned beef sandwich. The hot dog was probably recently removed from the Oscar Meyer packaging that morning and had been drowning in what I hope was water for some unspecified period. It was served in a roll that looked like someone had recently found it under a couch cushion. It was, in the end, edible though barely. That’s the best I can say.
Can’t say as much for the «corned beef». I don’t know what passes for corned beef in Georgia, but I have never seen anything like it before. It had the consistency of Alpo though the flavor was a little off. Perhaps it was Ken-​L-​Ration. This glop was then sparingly, and thankfully so, spread between two slices of toasted Wonder bread. Never in my life have I ever had corned beef served on anything but rye. And I suppose I still haven’t. Perhaps it might have been a corned beef *hash* sandwich though even that unsavory description would be too generous.
The folks seem nice enough and, by all accounts, seem to do a thriving business with the locals. I doubt this review will change that. I wish them well.
They have a lovely cash register from 1910 and cool pictures of perhaps every deer shot and trout caught in the past few decades around the area. On the far wall, they have framed two invoices for cases of cigars and cigarettes from 1958 with quaint prices. Beneath the register is a curio collection of antique Coke and Pepsi bottles to round off the curious décor.
This place is to food what the Clermont Lounge in Atlanta is to strip clubs though not as funny and you can’t get blind drunk with a 65 year old stripper. You gotta go just for the experience if nothing else. Two stars for that. None for the food.

Best place for hotdogs!