Yes, I ate that

Char-Grill is a Raleigh institution, a mini-chain that grew from a single location in 1959 based on its ability to serve reliably tasty burgers and very good steak fries.  I grab a burger there from time to time, but the fries are the main attraction, because for my taste, the burgers tend to be over-cooked and dry.  I have never, though, eaten one of their hot dogs.

Today, on the way to the grocery store and rather hungry, I decided to stop there and eat a hot dog so I wouldn't enter the Whole Foods hungry.  (I've learned that doing so can hurt my wallet far more than the price of a tube steak.)  I chose a hot dog with cheese.

This is what awaited me inside the very cheerful "Hot Dogs! Enjoy" wrapping paper.

Click the image to see a larger version--if you dare.

I'm not sure which red dye this dog was, but I'm pretty confident that dye was one of the tube steak's major components.  The bun was white and soft, a full commitment to 1959, and the "cheese" seemed to be some sort of mini-slice of cheese food, though it's possible this cheese was just a very weak real cheese.

Of course, I ate it.  It wasn't bad.  I've had far worse hot dogs--which, unfortunately, tells you way more about me than about this particular dog.

On balance, though, in future Char-Grill visits I'll be sticking to the fries, maybe even a burger, but I won't be ordering another hot dog.