#11: Charlotte "disses the dog" 🌭
Requiem for a wien(er)
Last week JJ’s Red Hots announced via Instagram that they’d be closing after 13 years. They wrote in the post “We just couldn’t shred enough cheddar to keep it going.”
I can’t say I was surprised because Charlotte, like Leonardo DiCaprio, seems to have little appetite for restaurants of a certain age. Disappointed though? Very.
JJ’s has been around about the same amount of time as I’ve lived in Charlotte (I moved back after college in 2013). The first time I had a Char-Heel with a side of onion rings and styrofoam cup filled with crushed ice and Diet Coke, I was sold. It became a go-to lunch spot and eventually I converted my entire family into JJ’s fanatics. My dad has requested to have all of his birthday and Father’s Day meals there for as long as I can remember. Even my mom, a long-time vegan, has loved their veggie dogs and onion rings.
When people came to visit, we’d always add JJ’s to the itinerary. We’d say, “It was on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives!” as if we needed an explanation for taking them to a hot dog place. In reality, it was just really fucking good.
Their final day of business was this past Sunday and my husband and I attended the hot dog funeral. We’d heard about the long lines all week, so we showed up right around the time they opened at 11 a.m. There was already a line snaking to the back of the parking lot.
It’s a strange phenomenon to see hoards of people showing up for a business that’s closing due to lack of support. It seems that it wasn’t that Charlotte didn’t like JJ’s, it’s that they completely forgot about it until it was too late.
The food landscape is changing and it’s leaving old school restaurants like JJ’s in the dust. I had a thought while standing in line that JJ’s probably would have survived if they’d been in a place like Optimist Hall. I’ve written about the Charlotte restaurant algorithm before and this is just another piece of that theory.
Food and beer halls are becoming more and more popular. Just a few weeks ago it was announced that a new beer hall is opening in South End with 4 different craft brewers and food options ranging from “burgers to sushi”. I tend to think of these places as the Spotify “Daylists” of the food world. Don’t think about it! Just show up and you’ll probably find something you like! There’s something for everyone! The crushing weight of making a decision is lessened by the promise of a predetermined set of options.
In theory there’s no problem with either of these things. I love Optimist Hall and I frequently turn to my Daylist because it’s something to put on that I know I’ll probably like and I don’t have to think about. The problem is that if you keep listening to Pink Pilates Princess Hot Girl Brat Summer Walk or Sad Situationship Rotting Chamomile Tea Time Evening, you never discover other good artists you might like or revisit nostalgic favorites. And if you only go to places that have burgers and sushi, you might miss out on finding a hidden gem that’s doing one thing really, really well or you might forget to go back to a old school spot you once loved. What seems like tons of curated options, ultimately, results in sameness.
Committing to going to one single, freestanding restaurant feels like committing to listening to an artist’s entire album (in this economy?!). Of course, we do go to restaurants outside of food halls all the time. But I’d be willing to bet that more often than not those restaurants fall into one of a few categories:
New, buzzy place that’s making the rounds on Instagram or TikTok
Place promising some sort of novelty (cool aesthetic, seed oil-free menu, speakeasy with a secret location and password, 60 wines on tap, etc.)
Pop-ups or places offering a dish or drink for a limited time with limited supply
The crowds of people showing up at JJ’s last week likely came out for the latter reason: limited supply. This is your last chance! Get one more JJ’s wiener before you can’t anymore!
And people didn’t just want a hot dog, they wanted a piece of JJ’s. Everyone in line was getting photos in front of the sign out front. They sold the very last t-shirt hanging up inside. Some guy behind us even asked a server if he could buy art off the wall, like we were at an estate sale.
I’m sorry but it all feels a little like showing up to Antarctica to get a selfie with the very last penguin. Maybe we all could have cared a little more before it was too late?
JJ’s didn’t close because it wasn’t good. The quality remained surprisingly high throughout the entire 13 year run, which most restaurants can’t say. Their onion rings were in an elite class of their own. They were coated in a thin, crispy batter that would fall off in all the right places.
Their hot dogs deserved at least one Michelin star. I’ll always have a soft spot for the Char-Heel, which was topped with house-made chili, chopped onions, mustard and slaw. Eventually my favorite became the Sonoran (a deep cut). It was a southwestern-style dog that came with borracho beans, shredded cheese, fire grilled salsa, and drizzled with cilantro lime crema. On Sunday, my husband also introduced me to the “Wiener the Pooh” (an even deeper cut). It’s topped with bacon, honey, and….peanut butter. I was initially (and rightly) disturbed by the peanut butter but the flavors all came together in a way that both shocked and humbled me. Bravo.
I’m going to genuinely miss JJ’s Red Hots and I know there a lot of people who showed up last week that will too. The saddest thing about it is that we are ones who let it close. The hot dog blood is on our hands.
It’s easy to forget, when we’re being constantly spoon fed by our various algorithms, that we do actually have control. We can choose to venture out of the comfort and complacency of our Daylists and make our own word soup combinations (Unexpected Peanut Butter Hot Dog Sunday Afternoon) or discover new-to-you spots that didn’t just open, but maybe you’ve driven by a thousand times and wondered about. We can decide to keep restaurants like JJ’s open for decades or we can forget about them until they wither away.
At the closing, there were inspirational quotes written on paper, posted all around the restaurant. One by Steve Martin at the cash register read, “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” We might like to think that sentiment is true but, in the case of JJ’s, I can’t say it is.
5 things I consumed this week in Charlotte & Greenville
For Ever Martini ($16) and Creamy Tomato Basil Rigatoni ($24) from Ever Andalo. The best martini in Charlotte hands fucking down. I’ll write a full sonnet about it sometime. It’s a cross between a traditional martini and a dirty martini. The pasta was also SO delicious and I hope they add it to their regular menu.
Shrimp ceviche tostada ($8) and spicy ranch water ($12) from Mercado Cantina. This is a Greenville spot in an Optimist-style food hall (relevant!). It was our first time here and it was fine. We chose it for our picky eater kids but ultimately they ate the same amount as anywhere else and it was stressful AF finding seating.
A glass of wine ($13) at M. Judson Booksellers. We always tend to find bookstores wherever we go and M. Judson is a great one in GVL. Enjoying a glass of wine while I browse books is the ultimate treat.
Maine-style lobster roll ($29) from Jones Oyster Co. As far as lobster rolls go, this is my reigning champ (unless Hello, Sailor wants to bring theirs back). A go-to on any GVL trip. This place has excellent oysters and the smoked fish dip is the tits.
Sexy little baguette ($4) from Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery. Swamp Rabbit is a really cool spot if you visit GVL. We went there for both lunch and breakfast while we were there and it’s right on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. Brought this bad boy home and paired it with some bruschetta and burrata from Pasta & Provisions.
JJ’s closing had me thinking about other restaurants I haven’t been to in a while. Might be time for a visit to Lupie’s Cafe. What other CLT restaurants do we need to band together and support?
c u next tuesday,
the hag herself
All of the food and drinks reviewed in QCH are paid for by the author. This newsletter does not feature any ads or sponsored content.
Legitimately nobody did it like JJ’s (the onion rings, the Chicago dog 😭😭😭)
Would take to the streets for Good Food (duh), Sir Ed’s, Pasta and Provisions and Thai Taste, though - must protect them at all costs!