Wildwood Tavern’s hot dogs are ‘the bomb’

Wildwood Tavern’s “Bomb Squad Dog” explodes with flavor. The restaurant on Mobile Street offers plenty of dining options, including pizza and sandwiches, under $8.99.

For the majority of college students, finding a delicious meal at a fair price is a daily struggle. Another struggle is finding a place that provides quick service and is close to campus. Wildwood Tavern on Mobile Street satisfies both those needs.

With no meals over $8.99, it can definitely be a hit with the campus crowd.

The Tavern was recently featured on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” and all over Facebook after a paper sack containing some of their signature hot dogs was mistaken for a bomb in downtown Florence.

Because of all that attention, I knew I had to check it out.

The business saw this national exposure as an opportunity and ran with it, creating the new “Bomb Squad Dog.”

My family and I visited the restaurant recently, and I decided to check out this new addition.

The “Bomb Squad Dog” is a 100 percent beef hot dog covered in the house chili, sliced jalapeños and a house-made wasabi mustard drizzled over the top to resemble a police “do not cross” line.

I’m not usually a jalapeño type of gal, but they added an extra kick to the mix that was delicious. The wasabi mustard was new to me as well, and it definitely heightened the flavor. The dog came with a mound of kettle chips, ranch dipping sauce and a pickle spear. The $5.99 price tag was a nice finish to the meal.

Since this was my family’s first time at Wildwood, we decided to try several things on the menu.

The Meat Amoré pizza was amazing. The crispy thin crust provided ample support for the basil marinara sauce, pepperoni, Italian sausage, chicken and mozzarella.

The server recommended the Philly cheesesteak, and it did not disappoint. Roast beef, mozzarella, grilled onions and grilled green peppers piled atop a French roll, served with a pile of chips, dipping sauce and a pickle, all for the price of $7.99 is a bargain lovers’ dream.

For the final dish, the server recommended something not found on the menu. He called it the Pasta Amore. When he brought out was a wooden bowl filled with pasta, marinara and all the meat toppings found on the Meat Amore pizza, we were pleasantly surprised. It was delicious and definitely a family favorite.

With its quick service, convenience to campus and average price for a meal and a drink around $11, Wildwood Tavern should be your next lunch or dinner destination.