The Wienery

Drive thru burger, every time. Great fries and veggie options if you’re into that sort of thing. Never change Wienery, you are beautiful.

I found this place searching on Reddit for date night ides, ironic, as this place is one of the smallest, diviest places I’ve ever been to. But you just can’t beat the price and the taste of their food. We researched the menu and recommendations from other Unilocalers. We got the Minneapolis dog, the picnic dog, and the drive in fries. We almost got a 3^rd dog to share but I’m glad we didn’t as this was plenty of food. The Minneapolis dog was amazing. I love Chicago dogs but adding the coleslaw took it to another level. The picnic dog was pretty good as well. The drive in fries though stole the show. I normally HATE chili cheese fries, mainly because they just leave me feeling heavy and gross. However the chili that they used was pretty mild and paired with the cheese and coleslaw it was amazing! Our bill came to about $ 12. What a cheap date. We left an extra large tip for them and both left promising ourselves that we would return for more. Whatever they are doing, it’s working well for them. I almost considered giving 4 stars just because of the dive atmosphere but who am I kidding? I don’t even care!

I had read so many reviews on Unilocal,but either we all have very different views on what a good hot dog is, or maybe this place has gone downhill. The place was pretty rundown and cleanliness was not high on the list. There was one guy working and he took our orders. I ordered the drive in dog which included coleslaw, chili and cheese. The coleslaw was not well seasoned and neither was the chili. It led to a very soggy, mess that didn’t taste very good — don’t get be wrong, I don’t mind eating messy food, but it better be delicious! The fries were okay but we also ordered them with the chili and they were pretty boring. If this is supposedly the best for hot dogs, then I’m disappointed Minneapolis. You can do better.

This is my kind of dive. It would fit in the outer neighborhoods of San Francisco perfectly. Untouched by time, this is a relic of a finer time. A time when people were civilized and craved meat in tube form, and wanted down to earth genuine place to satiate that need.
There was just one guy behind the counter, cooking and taking orders. He was friendly, and made great suggestions. Handled a busy Saturday with ease and personality.
I don’t eat red meat, so I asked the awesome dude behind the counter about my options. They, surprisingly, have way more than one! I had a vegan dog Chicago style. I was not disappointed. One of the best vegan dogs I have ever had.
The eclectic collection of stuff on display gives you something to look at the whole time. I particularly enjoyed the arrangement of arrest bracelets.
A for food flavor, A for service, A+ for personality.

Don’t let the small inside fool you — this place is amazing .
You sit where you want, someone will come up to you. They give you cups; you go get your own soda. The menu is very large with lots of different fry options, hot dogs, burgers and breakfast served all day .
Nothing is pre cooked. They cook it after you order. They use Vienna hot dogs and steam their buns. I was almost disappointed when my cheese frys where not the nacho cheese kind .The shredded cheese melted on top was amazing because the fry itself was so good. I saw him literally take a whole potato and chop it for the fries. I tried a couple different hot dogs and they were all amazing. The portions are big, including the toppings ! When your done, you go up to the counter to pay.

My favorite kinda of place. Diner seats, small cramped tables, serve yourself soda and water, and a space that has seen everything and anything. Great dogs and plenty of toppings make this an easy destination. Plant eaters are welcome to, veggie brats and sausages adorn the menu as well. This is a for sure return-​to venue and can’t wait.

«There is a Norwegian author in whose resume you find both masterpieces like the novel Mysteries and also a short obituary for Hitler; a man among whose admirers you see the brilliant Thomas Mann, but also some high-​ranking Nazi officers. Have you ever thought how one can be simultaneously praised by the anti-​Nazi and excellent writer Arthur Koestler and also the Nazi Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbles, himself? Anyways, in the 1880s, that Norwegian writer, Knut Hamsun, gave a series of lectures at Dania Hall, half a block down the street. Dania Hall, an iconic work of the Norwegian American architect, Carl Struck whose other buildings you’ve probably seen throughout the town, got destroyed in an unintentional fire on Feb 28, 2000. On the wall here at the Wienery you could see the Dania Hall’s farewell poster. In the building’s memorial gathering that took place in spring of 2000 at the Cedar Cultural Center, two doors away from where we’re standing now, several hundred people gathered and shared their memories…»
This paragraph is the transcript of the beginning of one of my imaginary history lessons at the Wienery that I hope I can one day give to a group of high school students. Why my imaginary classes take place at the Wienery? Because in there you will find a full school year’s worth of objects that you can use to illustrate your lessons about not only the history of the Twin Cities, but also the world’s history. For example, another of my imaginary lessons starts with the different accounts of Rep. Wellstone’s death and ends with discussing the concept of conspiracy theory. How can a lesson about Wellstone’s death (or murder, if you don’t believe the official accounts), the progressive political, social, and economic ideas he represented, and the US domestic and foreign politics in the 1990s start from inside the Wienery? You should go and see for yourself! The Wienery is something way more than a hot dog establishment. It is an unintended museum – an organic museum of some sorts!
Every time I lunch at the Wienery, I took note about different objects I am seeing inside the small diner. On my way back to my office, I usually google things I saw in there and come up with new lesson plans for my imaginary class. I now have many of those lesson plans. But if one day I run out of them, I will take a close look at the Wienery’s jail bracelets collection and I am sure there are myriad of history lessons awaiting there.
As a side note, everything, including the fries, is cooked to order. And with all due respect, I think the young guy makes better fries than that prepared by the owner! I usually get a Maxwell Street Hot Dog with a one potato order of fries.

I’m gonnaaa have a hot dog Chicago-​style with coleslaw and extra celery salt and a potato on the side.

Taking off another star. Wait time could be pretty long, even when there are apparently not that many customers and for something as simple as a burger or cheese steak. This counteracts the whole purpose of this place which is to be causal, easy, and fast.

My Brother and I tried it a few years ago. It was not very good. Neither of us is ever going back.
The girl who was there alone didn’t bother cleaning the tables. Being a Dive doesn’t mean it’s okay to be dirty. The tables were just covered in dirt. I actually grabbed some napkins and some water from the soda dispenser and cleaned our table myself.
And the Hot Dog was just average. And the Cheese Fries I got were awful. Everything tasted flat. My Brother wasn’t much impressed either. We both tried the Chicago dog and We’ve both had better.

This is the kind of place that makes America great. Got the same hamburger with only pickles and meat for three straight days in a row. Perfect spot to visit while your collegues stand in line for the boring food at a conference. In addition, the neighborhood was very funky.

Great food and service. Great prices as well. In a rough part of town and might make you wonder where you are but very safe. Street parking was available.

First impression…
On the surface-​level, Wienery comes across as a real greasy spoon. The scent emanating from the deep fryer slaps you in the face upon entry. The space is narrow, with a row of stools lined up at the counter and just a few tables. Chili cheese fries, hashbrowns, and hot dogs grace the menu.
Reality…
But, thankfully, this is a far cry from the stereotypical truck stop style-​diner. After all, *mock duck* is a prominent ingredient on this menu!
Highlights…
*Vegetarian-​friendly. Mock duck and tofu-​based wienies team up to make The Wienery a fine option for meat-​free folk. I think you can even get away with labeling some of the menu options as healthy, though oil is not something skimped on here.
*Friendly and casual. An intimate neighborhood feel here. The staff is genuinely cool and likable. Just a really laid-​back place.
*Quick. As a function of smaller crowds during peak lunch hours (versus, oh, let’s say, AfroDeli), the order-​to-​deliver turnaround time is generally reasonable. (Side note: I’m stumped trying to understand why more students don’t swing by here. It’s really just steps off the West Bank campus.)
*Cheap. You can get away with spending just a few bucks on lunch here.
Drawbacks…
*The food. In all fairness, I have yet to try the hot dogs. But, sadly, the food I have sampled is very mediocre. It’s not bad per se, but not truly good. In general, the ingredients don’t convey straight out-​of-​the-​garden freshness nor are they particularly creative (lots of standard peppers, onions, etc.).
–Omelettes. I’ve had a few, and they are just ok. They lack fluffiness. Reminiscent of something I’d quickly throw together at home (not a positive).
–Fries. These are freshly sliced using a nifty potato press contraption. As such, 1 or 2 potatoes is not simply a cute way to order a small or large serving. While this process is unique, the final product is not a fry that tantalizes. A bit too greasy and lacks flavor. But, let’s be honest, aren’t fries only a vehicle for ketchup anyways.
–Subs. The mock duck philly on a roll was edible and filled the stomach, but just not at all exciting.
Bottom line, the food is very simple. But, I will continue to come back because I really appreciate the casual, friendly vibe and the low impact on my wallet.

One of the lone hot doggeries in which I can get a veggie dog. Amaze-​balls! Picnic fries have changed my formerly skinny life.

There is a fine line between ‘dive’ and ‘dump’ and The Wienery walks that line closely.
If you’re the kind of person willing to walk into the Wienery and order a meal, then you’re the kind of person who’s likely to love it.
The servers, the décor, and the menu at The Wienery is quirky and eclectic. If you’ve got a taste for hot dogs, then it’s not to be missed. During a recent visit, I opted for an ‘Upsetter’ dog with bacon, an any-​style egg, and cheese. Over-​easy was the perfect choice for my Upsetter as were the crispy fries. Everyone who ordered the ‘California Dog’ with mayo, onion, lettuce, pickle and tomato raved. Another popular dog was the ‘Drive in’ with coleslaw, chili and cheese.
Although it’s known for dogs, everyone in our party of five agreed that the fries (regular, chili fries, or cheese fries) were not to be missed. The were freshly cut and fried to oily perfection. They were the star. The dogs were good — but the fries were fantastic.
The Wienery is a diamond in the dingy, cluttered, rough.

I’m a fan of dives. Any place where you can get tasty, filling food for a few bucks is worthy in my book; and Wienery fits this description.
As dives go, Wienery is on the grungier side in terms of decorum. But the dogs and other goodies make up for it. We arrived on a chilly afternoon and no one else was around. The server looked like he was the only guy in the building, but he was friendly and helpful. We took some coffee and pored over the menu.
Ultimately we got three different types of wieners, prepared in three separate styles. the upsetter would be a great hangover cure: eggs and bacon together with a beef dog in a bun. The Warsaw dog was good too, but our favorite was the Briny dog. Imagine all of the pickle-​y goodness you can get on a weiner, (sauerkraut, gherkins, jalapenos), piled up to the sky. Put that on top of a large brat and you can’t really go wrong.
Along with the dogs, we ordered chili fries with coleslaw on top. It’s messy food, nothing special, but the slaw worked as a counterpoint to the chili in a satisfying way. For a freezing, MN winter, this kind of comfort food was just what we were looking for.
Anyways, don’t take your girlfriend’s parents to this place. Unless they’re really chill and non-​judgemental. Do take your drunk, cold, and hungry friends, though. They probably could use some hot weiners in them.

Alright, so I had a large craving for some hot dogs and had decided that since this place was close to campus that I would stop by.
First, the divey will is pretty awesome. I haven’t been to a hole in the wall in quite some time. When we first came in we sat at the counter. My partner and I were greeted by the waitress and she had told us that our beverages were self serve and over by the end of the counter.
We then took a look at the menu. They had a many different items to choose from but I specifically wanted hot dogs.
My partner had a hamburger and I had a California dog and also Manhattan dog. I asked her to pile on the onions because I enjoy onions a lot. (Look at the picture)
The overall price wasn’t killer. It was actually very affordable. It was really nice to actually pay a reasonable price for the amount of food that we had got. I can’t remember what the price was but it was either $ 15 or less than $ 15. That was for two soda’s a burger and two dogs. It was kind of cold near the window, but it is the dead of winter in Minnesota.
I would like to come back and try more of their food. That is for sure.

Came here while on vacation & wow.
It smelled like cats & dust in here. It was filthy & just outright disgusting.
I don’t know when this was featured on television, it must have been a long time ago & was probably bought out. There was a young guy working who also looked filthy. They were out of everything & also out of ingredients to make their signature burger.
Can I just ask where are the health inspectors & why weren’t you there like yesterday?
Oh & its also in a very bad neighborhood.

I was in the mood for a hot dog for some reason, and saw that this place has vegetarian options. So we hopped down to Cedar-​Riverside and stopped by The Wienery. Boy, this place is the definition of «hole in the wall», but they deliver on flavor!
The place was crowded, but we did manage to get seats after a few minutes of standing around. I think they were out of the vegetarian hot dog option, so we got vegetarian brats instead. Our meals were tasty and satisfying.
As other reviewers stated, it’s a dive, so don’t expect cloth napkins or anything like that. All in all, a solid restaurant choice if you’ve got a hankering for a hot dog.

This place is gritty as all heck and is roughly the size of a walk-​in closet, but I love it anyway. It’s cheap and satisfying, and they have vegan and vegetarian options. my only real complaint is that they close so early (M-​Sa 8pm, Su 7pm)! I could see myself wandering over here after a show at the Nomad or Acadia and ordering some cheap dogs. It would be like West Bank’s answer to Dinkytown’s Mesa (except less tool-​y).
I am a big fan of Chicago Style (vegan) dogs and they do that well here, but I’m dying to try their super appetizingly-​named «Steaming Pile» (Fries w/​baked beans, cheese, coleslaw, mock duck, grilled onions, & green peppers). I’ve never tried their breakfast but they apparently serve it all day. It’s worth checking out when you’re in the area. Just be aware: cash only!