LESAGE, W. Va. — The lifespan of a school bus is usually limited.
Most public school buses are purchased new by local school systems across the country, staying in service for a specific number of years, miles or until they get too costly to maintain. They are then disposed of by either selling, auctioning, or donating to a worthy non-profit cause. After running that route, are again sold, auctioned off or purchased by churches or individuals. And once their usefulness in that capacity is exhausted, its time to visit the scrap yard.
Hold on a minute.
What else can you do with a worn-out school bus? How about taking it to the farm and using it for storage or a pen for chickens or livestock? Maybe.
What about using it for a restaurant? You can’t be serious?
“Great idea!” thought Sonny and Sharie Knight of Lesage.
That was the ticket.
In 1999, Sonny and Sharie Knight built a 12-by-16 foot building to house their hotdog business. Hillbilly Hotdogs opened Sept. 6, 1999, and closed three days later. They were deeply in love and wanted to get married.
“Sonny grew up here and wanted to stay in West Virginia so this is where we built our business,” said Shari Knight. ” I am from southern California,” she added.
Now about the school buses. Make that church buses.
“We added these around 2011, ” she said.
The old model International buses were placed side-to-side and shared a common door in the middle for patrons to move about the buses. Each bus has its own air conditioner and heater. Seats are arranged similar to seating arrangements in a railroad passenger car with a table in between.
Graffiti is encouraged. Just about anywhere and everywhere were messages from all those who chose to dine at Hillbilly Hotdog. The only place that is off limits for graffiti is the larger than life hotdog monument that is located outside near a parking lot of the business.
According to the Knights, thousands of guests visit Hillbilly Hotdogs yearly. A map inside the business has stickpins placed by customers on their hometown. International customers are also noted on the map.
This past Monday, my son and I made the roadtrip to Hillbilly Hotdog for lunch. We have planned this all summer but finally made it happen. He has eaten there numerous times and always mentioned to me that I need to try it.
I had no idea what was in store for me. We pulled into the parking lot and were greeted by long lines and piles of, excuse the word, ‘junk’, which was arranged in a neat and orderly manner. Lanterns, old bicycles, license plates, yard implements just to mention a few.
Later I discovered how most of these items got there and why. “Our customers who have been here before always bring items with them when when returning for another visit,” said Sonny Knight. “It gives people something to look at when they are waiting to be served,” he added.
Also on the grounds within walking distance is the Sugar Shack and Wedding Chapel. “The Sugar Shack is open in warmer months for those wanting ice cream,” said Shari Knight.
For some reason my son decided to ‘lag’ behind as we made our way to the front door of Hillbilly Hotdogs. Once I figured out that the door knob to the business was purposely put on the hinge side of the door for amusement, Josh had to point out that I had selected the wrong knob to open the door. I think he did the same thing on his visit from the laughter that I was hearing over my shoulder.
We were handed menus to order from before finding our seat on the school bus. I had no idea that we really were going to be eating our food on a bus! The driver’s seat and floor gear shift were still in place. Graffiti adored just about every inch of the bus’s ceiling, side walls and tables. A far cry from my childhood days when getting caught marking on the bus meant a trip to the office.
Food arrived in a timely manner. I selected the Coalminer which came with a deep fried ‘weenie,’ a term that is preferred when ordering, and came with hotdog sauce, mustard, onions, and Cajun seasoning. I also ordered the Mettwurst Dog. It came with a hot-n-spicy smoked mettwurst covered with mustard and sauerkraut. Both ‘weenies’ were outstanding!
The menu consisted of several pages of both hotdogs and burgers. Each had a unique name. One in particular may be considered their signature. The Homewrecker. It weighs a whopping 3 pounds! It is a 15 inch all beef dog covered with jalapenos, sauteed peppers and onions, nacho cheese, habenero peppers, chili sauce and mustard. It has slaw, lettuce tomatoes and shredded cheese all on a 15 inch bun. If you can eat it in 12 minutes or less you will receive a free commemorative t-shirt. It you can break the world record of 2 minutes and 34 seconds, you owe nothing!
For those with an appetite for burgers, the Big Bad Bubba Triple Wide waits on the menu for you. However, it must be ordered hours before your arrival. It consists of 30 pounds of all beef meat covered with American cheese, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, onions, pickles, mustard, ketchup and mayo and will easily feed 12 people.
Hillbilly Hotdogs has been featured on the Food Networks’ Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives as well as David Letterman.
Lesage is about a two-hour leisurely drive from Maysville, located between Point Pleasant and Kenova, W.Va. It is along the Ohio River and West Virginia State Route 2. Additional photos and information can be found at www. hillbillyhotdogs.com.
