On a chilly Tuesday evening, I made my way to the "Original Hot Dog Stand" in Oakland. Even though the car had been parked well over one-hundred feet away from the restaurant I could smell the overpowering aroma of the fries. When I went inside, I was shocked to see how grungy the restaurant was. Having lived in a small town all my life, I was used to going to a local McDonald's or a Burger King which were usually tidy. The floor at "The O" was slippery due to all the grease that had been accumulated on the floor.
When I arrived at the restaurant it was fairly empty. This was surprising because it is usually full of PITT students. I only saw a few people; there were two young ladies, who were wearing PITT sweatshirts speaking Spanish to each other. I understood a little bit, they were talking about "la comida", what they were going to eat.
English: "Animal" style fries, consistin...
Curly Fries at Hooters
McDonaldsThey seemed to be regulars at the restaurant because on their way out, the cook said bye to them using their names. I also saw two young girls in pink ski coats come in with their mother.
Ordering at "The O" is a challenge in itself. It is hard enough to choose what you want, due to the large variety, but when you do finally decide what you want you have to find the right counter to order at. We kept our order pretty simple despite the many options we had. We ordered six hotdogs, one hot pepper steak sub, and not to mention one medium fry that gave hefty portions to all eight of us. The best part about "The O" may be their unique hotdogs. The hotdogs had a crispy outer covering and a soft but slightly tough inside.