Carney's - West Hollywood, CA

If you have ever driven along the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, two of the most recognizable landmarks both share a Western theme.  One is the cowboy-themed Saddle Ranch, which has been featured on VH1, while the other lies right next door.  Carney's sits as an old rail car-transformed-into-a-restaurant, undoubtedly a factor that led me to grow fond of it as a youth.

Carney's offers up casual cuisine, specializing in chili burgers, hot dogs and sausages, though they do offer a few other options.  The prices are quite cheap, especially given the location.  A burger is under five bucks, even with chili on it, and comes with lettuce, cheese and a thickly sliced tomato.  It can also be enjoyed with a view of one of the most well-known stretches of road in the world.

As for the food, so far I have tried the chili hot dog, chili cheeseburger, and chili cheese fries.  The chili cheese burger is my typical go-to when at Carney’s.  I recommend getting a double as the patties can be a bit thin, but two patties will solve the problem.  To perfectly describe a Carney’s burger, think of it as the spot that you might end a long Saturday evening.  The burger comes with a heavy slab of chili, thickly sliced tomato, lettuce and onion.  The chili is usually pretty good, though can occasionally fall on the mushy side.  Keep it mind though, that is not a frequent occurrence.  Overall, a nicely sized, tasty burger that reminds any westerner of an In-N-Out burger plus chili and minus the secret sauce.  

The chili cheese dog is a steamed stretch dog.  On the downside, it disappointed me to see that the hot dogs are precooked and sitting in a steamer until ordered.  On the plus side, once the toppings are added, it turns out that does not make much of a difference.  The hot dog features a nice layer of chili, onions and mustard.  Despite being quite messy and prone to falling apart, it actually tastes pretty good.  The fries are about as thick as a McDonald's fries, but a little crisper.  They are a little bland flavor wise, though that can be slightly improved with a little chili and cheese.  The fries are topped with a layer of chili then a few slices of American cheese and then another layer of chili.  Although I am a bit turned off by the fact that the cheese is merely a few slices, the chili on top does help to melt it.