Just what I was looking for. Got a chili dog with cheese and onion, it was average, good price, good chili. Also got a cheese burger, now this is where it's at. Burger was large, juicy, perfectly cooked, good bun. Why is this place not on the twin cities best burgers lists? Place is a dive and possibly not too clean but like I said, just what I was looking for. I will be back. read more

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. read more

The menu is vegetarian friendly, the preparation is not. My vegetarian wife and I decided to visit the Wienery recently due to the vegetarian options on the menu and my desire for a Chicago dog. I ordered a dog and a polish, a grilled cheese for our toddler and a mock duck philly to go. As I waited, I noticed the person working the griddle picked up the griddle press, move the bacon under it aside, and then place the onions and mock duck in the exact same spot. They proceeded to place the same cast iron weight on top of the mock duck and onions. I understand they have extremely limited space and it his hard to prevent SOME cross contamination. I don't know if it was indifference or laziness but this is a great way to get your customers sick. Fortunately I noticed this and asked them to remake it. I didn't really want to spend the afternoon holding my wife's hair back. This may fly with flexitarians but it can make anyone that hasn't eaten meat in decades very sick. Other than that, the food was good but nothing to write home about. The Chicago dog had all the requisite components and the chili dog was tasty. The mock duck philly was OK. Not sure if it was seasoned at all. It looked like they just dumped a small can onto the onions and called it. As many note, this place is very divey although that doesn't really bother me. I have eaten in much worse and survived. read more

Ok dogs. Certainly friendly staff (all one of them). $6 for a Polish Ray and fries. My hesitation is with the cleanliness of the place. Sketchy to say the least. Go with medium expectations and you will be happy, go with high expectations and you will be disappointed. read more

It's a great hotdog. Everything else is questionable Ambiance: Imagine a restaurant entirely outfitted by Goodwill Crowd: Locals, college students, and transients Menu: Hot dogs, sausages, burgers, sides, and a soda machine Service: Dismissive and unobtrusive Food Ordered: Two Cleveland Hot Dogs and Cheesy Fries Food Quality: The Cleveland Hot Dogs are great. I'm still craving them. The Cheese Fries are good french fries with barely room temperature packaged shredded cheese sprinkled on top. Value: Not what it used to be. $4 for a hot dog is a little unreasonable. read more

I never was into hotdogs before I ate at the Wienery, and now I totally love them. Kakalios, a well-known Physics prof first brought me here. He liked it cause it was like, Al's (Small and dirty with great food) but with less waiting. Lately though the whole computing dept. for the School of Physics has been coming here and eating once every week or so. We have even come here on the week-ends with our kid. The thing about the Wienery is that it is one guy: he does all the cooking, serving, cleaning up (hardly!) all by himself every day. I have seen him send a customer to the store when he runs out of napkins or something. It is impressive to watch and he turns out a dang good hot dog. I know some people think there is no culinary skill to assembling a hot dog, but everyone who knows jack about it (the authors of Road Food for example, Jane and Michael Stern) know that it is a dying art. Also he makes the fries himself, from scratch. He determines how many potatoes to use by how hungry you look and then chops them up and fries em, just like that. Amazing. Even vegetarian friends like the Winery because they have a veggie burger and a veggie dog (which my meat-eating husband likes to pervert by putting meat chili on). The prices are ridiculously cheap and somewhat random. The owner pretty much makes up a number and you pay him that. There doesn't ever seem to be any ice for the soda machine, it's cold enough for me and refills are free. Edit: Since they were on a cable show on the Food Network, business has picked up. So much so that the owner now has his wife waiting tables at lunch. It's still much the same vibe, but you can no longer say "it's just one guy." I recently strayed from hotdogs for the first time to try the burgers. Incredible. This could be arguably the best hamburger in the Twin Cities. (The Juicy Lucy at Matt's would be a close competitor.) It is big, (but not mammoth), juicy and with a nice crunch to the outside--all for $2.50. read more

Food ok but kitchen scary health wise and I love dives - too scary to go back

Best weiner I ever swallowed In my life. It was so big and juicy. Honored to have the Weinery's finest in my mouth

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. read more

This has become a stop for me whenever I crawl around the west bank. I've never had a Wienery dog sober, but when/if I do, I'm sure it'll be just as good. read more

Family and i were visiting from Texas and heard about this place on DDD, The other places Guy suggested in Minn were great, we figured this would be too. The place was dirty, but the food was good for the price, but the neighborhood was horrible, sadly our experience was ruined by someone trying to steel our car, Guy should have warned everyone about the location read more

Yes, I'm a Guy Fieri watcher. When we arrived at the notorious "dive", I was suprised... it was even tinier and dive-ier than the show made it out to be! I will get my disappointments out of the way first: 1. The owner was out, although his helper was really nice. 2. No coleslaw. With that out of the way, the rest of my experience rocked. There was a group of 6 of us. Way too big of a group for in there, but service was still pretty quick and we managed to get everyone on a stool of their own. My BF and I shared 3 dogs, and I've already forgotten the names, but he got one with chili and cheese (I recommend getting the Tasmanian if you like hot chili, and add cheese). The chili is real mild, but good. I was looking forward to the Picnic Dog, but just got beans and cheese on mine. Beans are good. And we got an Upsetter (I think) with bacon and an egg over-easy on it. Delicous. My fav, especially since the bacon was crispy and the yolk ran on the ever-amazing fries. Breakfasty-spectacular!! We definately only needed 1 potato worth of fries, but got two. Best fries in town. The buns are soft and yummy. The peppers are tangy with a bit of kick. Can't wait to go back for burgers, or even breakfast! It was super cheap, and a great time! read more

Was looking forward to checking this place out when I had another appointment in the neighborhood. Hours were posted as 11-3. Showed up at 11:10 and the place was empty and locked up. read more

Yum! Complete dive, but yummy combinations and great service. And you can't beat the price! I will definitely come back again. And bring more friends! read more

Still serving the best Italian combo in town. If the reviews of the place being dirty has been putting you off well the good news it's been cleaned up. Finally the chili cheese fries are a greasy treat. read more

This restaurant is great if you enjoy customizing your dog. Bathroom was a bit small but it all fits in with this Dive just fine. Nearly all of the Dog's looked good and if a Hot Dog isn't your style they serve breakfast and burgers as well. Its run by two people, one on an oven/stove that you would find in your kitchen, and the other person Waiters the Bar/Tables. I've seen past reviews that say is unlimited pop for 1.25, now its 1.50 but still a great deal compared to other restaurants nowadays. read more

Two people, 4 dogs (pick any 4, they are all delicious) and a mountain of fries covered with chili, cheese, and slaw for under $20. Nuff said. read more

I grew up in Chicago. I'm a fan of Chicago style hotdogs. This place is the closest thing to Chicago style hotdogs. Avoid Steve and Robs or Uncle Frankie's. Come here instead. The only thing that made it not get 5 stars from me is their Italian Beef: it's got decent flavor but it's no different than, say, steve and robs or uncle frankies. read more

Stopped in for dinner tonight and wasn't super packed so we sat down at the bar top, cook was cursing and talking to himself very uncomfortable, especially when he was dropping the f bomb left and right about more people coming in to eat read more

The Wienery is hand's down my favorite restaurant in Minneapolis. Pat Star is the nicest most totally rad restaurant owner I've ever met. When I lived in Mpls, I would go there often enough where I would walk in, say hi and his first response was always, "The usual?". Granted, he almost never gets it right, but he comes close and always makes is worthwhile. When I go back to Mpls to visit, I get off the plane and take the light rail directly to the Wienery. I don't think I've ever paid more than $6, no matter what I order. $10 worth of food? - no problem, it's always, "6 bucks will get you out of of here, young man!" If you like simple food made by amazing people, the Wienery is for you. Added bonus: If you're lucky and happen to go when they're slow, you might even get to see Pat rockin' out on the out-of-tune piano in the corner. read more

When I went to school at Augsburg College this place was one of our favorites. First off, if you are not an open minded person and can't understand what type of people would go to this place you have no business writing a review. If you have some 'snooty' attitude or planning on eating a vege dog, just stay away because you won't be able to appreciate the food and the personality of the restaurant itself. With that being said, the only word to describe the food is awesome. After experimenting with the menu I find myself getting the same thing now, which is the Italian combo and fries. To me the fries are the best I've had anywhere. I'm talking across the state, and any restaurant I've ever been to period. They're hand cut right there, and go right from the deep-fryer to you. The Italian Combo features an Italian sausage topped with Italian roast beef and spicy giardiniera sauce. Damn tasty. Everything on the menu is pretty damn good, and it's all made right there. Understand though this place is always busy around lunch time, and being the size that they are they will only have so much to work with so they're not guaranteed to have have want you want every day. I love this place and so do all my buddies, and whenever I get the chance I try to stop in to indulge. Forewarning though, the neighborhood isn't exactly the sunniest place in the world so go with friends and avoid the Cedar-Riverside towers. I'm not going to let that reason hurt my review for The Wiernery, so like I said if you can't appreciate simple places or are a health nut then just stay away. read more

Awesome hot dog!! What a great little hole in the wall, but if you're afraid of a little dust, don't be surprised if your table isn't cleaned off or the floors unclean. The options are fun, creative and delicious! Get the cheese fries. The fries are real potatoes, too! read more

Favorite place on the West Bank. Staple of the area, and proudly considers itself a 'dive'.

The Wienery is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that is easy to miss unless you're looking for it. It is located within a three minute walk of my office, yet I didn't realize it existed until I saw it featured on Triple D. Big oversight on my part. The Wienery has two tables and maybe 10-12 seats at the counter, and it can be tough finding a place to sit at lunch time. But that's because the food is worth it. I usually get the chili cheese dog combo (includes fries and a soda), which costs a measly $5 - easily one of the best deals in town. The fries are a bit potato-ey and not quite crispy enough for my taste, but they are always hot and fresh. I have to rely on my senses of sight and smell - but not taste, yet - to report that the breakfast offerings are top-notch. The service is friendly, but the amount of time it takes for my food to be served is variable (they only have one cook). It ain't the Ritz, but The Wienery has a friendly neighborhood vibe. One time, I was sitting at the counter by myself staring blankly at the Nader-LaDuke bumper sticker affixed to one of the surfaces behind the counter, when the guy sitting next to me offered to share his newspaper. Not a bad way to enjoy a chili dog. As other reviewers have mentioned, The Wienery only accepts cash, which is a disease that seems to have affected so many of the restaurants near the Cedar-Riverside intersection. read more

Stumbled upon this place (again) after wandering around West Bank after stopping at Keefer Court Bakery. Decided I was hungry enough for a hot dog or maybe breakfast, which is served all day. Got the drive-in hot dog which is topped with chili, cheese, and slaw along with the fresh cut fries. The hot dog had the perfect amount of topping, not too messy that it required a fork. The balance of meaty dog, cold crunchy creamy slaw, and hot stringy cheese atop chili, it was perfect. It would be the perfect stop after a long night out but is unfortunately open only until 3 pm. So maybe the morning after. Keep in mind, this place is tiny and by most, the definition of a dive. Don't let that stop you from trying it. The service is fast, the staff friendly, and the food worthy of your time. read more

This restaurant is easily the biggest dump I've ever been in but somehow is also quite charming. The food is good and cheap. A great place for a quick bite. French Fries are really amazing. It's really fun and I would recommend visiting it at least once just for the experience. read more

Great experience! Casual vibe, and the owner/cook is really nice and funny. The food came quickly and was delicious! Cheap too. We got a cheeseburger with extras, a hot dog with extras, and cheese fries for $11. Nothing fancy, the cheese fries are just fries with shredded cheese melted on top, but did that make them any less delicious? Nope! A dive that knows it's a dive and revels in it. Will definitely go back. read more

Hot dog place that is out of hot dogs? Waste of time. Really excited to try this place, but they "didn't want to place an order this week" or at least that is why they said they were out read more

My friend took me here and I didn't really know what to expect, being a vegetarian. It turned out great, they have a lot of meat free options. I got the Italian style veggie dog with Chicago toppings and it was a messy, delicious treat. The cheesy fries didn't blow my mind but they were good, and there were a lot of then. I'd love to go back to try the breakfast food. read more

These are not the crappy green weenies you get downtown, These are the real deal, the kind of dog that has a little snap to it when you bite down. The location is a little difficult to get to, we take the train and get off at Cedar/Riverside and walk. But the food is fantastic. Everything is cooked to order, johnny on the spot, it may take a little while to get your food during the lunch hour but well worth the wait. There is no ice so don't whine about a cold drink the seating is cramped, uncomfortable and a little scary, I heard that if you give up your Jail/Prison ID you get a free dog, I think it might be true they are all lined up above the counter. Fries are amazing, dogs are incredible, I have not tried the burger but after reading the reviews I will next time. read more

The best hotdogs you can find in mini mogadishu! Get it done Mexican style "wrapped in bacon"!

Brock P's review said it all. All I'm going to say is that they've got good wieners and you should probably have one.

If you want a good, greasy, cheap meal that we heard of on Food Network. It is a total dive but that gives it all the more character. Check it out if you want something different and unique. read more

Pat, the proprieter of this greasy spoon, cooks up the best dogs, brats, polish. My fave is "The Picnicker". And don't be fooled, there is damn fine vegetarian fare here too. It's a small joint, good for 2 or 3 friends, but don't bring a large crowd unless you're getting your food to go. read more

Really unique place. If someone asked me where to get a hot dog in Minneapolis, I'd tell them to come here. Some really delicious dogs too. I prefer the Minneapolis Dog but I feel like this is one of those places where preference will guide you. Cheap, tasty hot dogs. read more

Fabulous chili cheese fries and Chicago dogs (with dill seasoning!). Their fries are way better that the State Fair fries even. Very tiny and narrow place, so it's not the most wheelchair accessible place, but hey, you can get in at least. I miss the old cranky guy that used to own it, but the new hippy couple is cool too. read more

Love the small, old-school, divey, dinner appeal to this place. The food is great. I'd go there more if there was free parking.

I wanted to show T this place one day after looking at some street art near Riverside/Cedar. We enjoyed the counter seating and staff. The dogs were were pretty good too. However, we asked for no onions with the chili dog and......got onions. We know that there are times when things are pre made, just tell us, so we .can decide if we want something else. Love the sculpture above the door. Its one of those places that are unique to MPLS. read more

I thought I was good with directions (especially with the help of my smart phone). But let me tell you that sometimes you are ever so slightly led astray. Myself and my bride were off to the Social Security office to get her name formally changed with the Feds, and we decided afterward that we were too hungry to wait til we got home to eat lunch. Lately I have been on a Triple D kick, if one is nearby I am choosing to go to restaurants featured on the show, hence our trip to The Weinery. This place truly is a hole in the wall. Google Maps happens to think its across the street, so we drove by 3-4 times trying to find it and nearly giving up, my bride spotted it on the opposite side of the street. After parking and venturing across the street, we were in...finally. Let me tell you that this place is truly a dive in every sense of the word. It's possibly that a picture of this place is in Webster's dictionary next to the many other meanings of the word. Having noticed this I immediately went into reconnaissance mode trying to discover if they accept cards for payment, without asking the waitress. For the record, they do not. Nor do they have an ATM on-site to give you easy access to cash. So I picked what I wanted and let my bride know, and literally ran to U of M's Carlson School of Business where my bank had an ATM. Cash in hand I returned triumphantly to my food that was waiting. I ordered an Italian Sausage Drive-In Dog, and an order of chili cheese fries to share. I love that you order your type of dog, and your toppings separate, leading to endless combinations. Also everything that you order is cooked after you order, so you know its as fresh as possible. I am sure this is possible because there really isn't a lot of seating inside the restaurant and no outdoor seating. As for the food itself, I really loved my dog, however the chili cheese fries left a lot to be desired. It almost seemed as if they made these wonderful fries and then dumped Hormel canned chili on top of them. This is the single biggest reason that I gave the rating that I did. Overall I would recommend this place to anyone that asked. Especially with cheap dogs and food, that for the most part are very tasty and satisfying. However, I do wish they either accepted cards or worked to get an ATM in the restaurant or closer than it is now. read more

It's very divey, but I love it. They're known for the Chili dogs and I think they're pretty good, everything I've tried has been good but not extraordinary...it's more about the location/experience. Nothing to phone home about. Food is good and it's a fun divey downtown experience, the waitresses have always been pretty cool here. read more