Porgie’s Chow Wagon serves “fair food” with a twist
PICTURE YOUR FAVORITE FOODS from the fair—hot dogs, burgers, nachos, chicken wings and tacos. Now imagine them creatively prepared with top-quality ingredients by culinary school graduates. Put it all together in a welcoming storefront by Rough River Lake and you’ve got Porgie’s Chow Wagon—a laid-back eatery in McDaniels owned by Emilie and Chris Berry.
“Without bragging too much, I think it’s safe to say that we have the best hot dog in Kentucky,” Emilie says. The hot dogs are made in-house—a blend of beef, pork and spices, stuffed in casings and smoked on site. Customers love the 17 specialty hot dog combinations, as well as hamburgers, burritos, wings and more.
Inventive hot dog flavors include the Baja dog (bacon, pico de gallo, banana peppers, chipotle aioli and cilantro lime ranch) and the PB&J dog (bacon, peanut butter and raspberry preserves). Can’t decide? Get a flight—three half-size dogs. Feeling less than adventurous? Order a plain dog—the Lil Weinie.
The Berrys’ restaurant was born out of hardship. Chris’s father, George, passed away during the pandemic, and Chris lost his job shortly afterward. Emilie and Chris were camping at Rough River Lake when they saw an opportunity to open a restaurant and began to dream. The restaurant opened in 2021, dedicated to Chris’s dad, whose nickname was Porgie.
It might have been hard to envision five years ago, but Emilie says the pressures of the pandemic pushed them to take a leap of faith.
“For a lot of people, it was a little bit of a reality check—like, anything could happen, just go after your dream,” Emilie says. “And so, we did that.”
Served by Meade County RECC, Porgie’s Chow Wagon is located at 406 State Route 79, McDaniels. Hours change seasonally; confirm online at porgieshotdogs.com or Facebook: Porgie’s Chow Wagon.
