I first heard about Spirals, a hot dog-centric eatery located in Norman, when an accomplice told me about the innovative way they cook their franks – spiral-sliced down the whole wiener, and then topped and dressed in only a few short minutes.
Hot-diggity dog!
Intrigued, I put them on my review list, and there they sat like a dried-out coney, clinging to life on a roller grill at your local 7-Eleven, ready to be devoured by a hungry traveler... or food reviewer.
But recently, I learned the owner of Spirals suffered a stroke. Even though I have him beat by a couple, stroke brothers must stick together, so I bumped his dog house to the top of my list, ready to see what treats Spirals had in store.
Arriving at 2203 W. Main St. at around 2 p.m., the place was pretty dead, with only one or two customers munching on a late lunch hot dog.
With my stroke-addled speech impediments giving me stammers, I looked over the menu and slowly gave them my order and, thankfully, they took it.
Before the trio of hog dogs arrived, I started with the Spirals’ Special – Larry’s Loaded Fries ($5.99). It was a mountain of food, starting with spiral-cut fries, topped with white cheddar sauce, chili, onions, bacon, tomatoes, and sour cream.
For a few dollars, this by itself felt like a full meal!
The freshly fried spiral-cut potatoes and the immense toppings were fit for a childish king, but after only a few massive bites, I had to stop or risk being full for the main feature. Who wants that?
With the appetizer out of the way, my trio of hot dogs arrived. I chose Carter’s Corn Dog ($5.50), the Classic Lou ($5.25) – hey, I like that name! – and the Un-Baylee-Vable ($5.50).
They're pictured in order below:
I started with the classicly simple Classic Lou. It was a spiral-cut frank tucked inside a hearty toasted bun. The beef, naked and innocent, had a well-defined flavor that would make any hot dog lover proud. Swallowed in only a couple of bites, I ate it up like it was going out of style!
Next up we had the Un-Baylee-Vable ($5.50) dog – a thick item that took over most of the plate!
Every meaty compartment of the spiral-cut wiener was engulfed with the hottest chili mac and cheese on this side of the Red River. I foolishly tried to pick up the dog, but quickly surrendered and used a fork to imbibe the starches.
For my third and final weiner, I went full vegetarian and tried Carter’s Corn Dog ($5.50). A steamed, slow-marinated carrot-dog, it was topped with cream cheese, roasted corn blend, sour cream sauce drizzle, and feta cheese.
Out of the three hot dogs, I think the vegetarian one might be my new go-to junk food. With the slight edge of roasted carrots, it totally mimics a hot dog and with the cream cheese, roasted corn, and other flashier things, was a real taste winner!
While typically not thought of as “gourmet” food, Spirals is near the top of my list for a new spin on hot dogs. Their inquisitive combinations of great taste and exceptional promise should inspire any Normanite to give them a college try. I wish the owner the best of luck in his recovery and can't wait to meet him when I come back.
Cómpralo ya!
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Follow Louis on Instagram at @louisfowler78
