"Our Hometown" Glynn County: Willie's Wee-Nee Wagon

Nothing beats a down home hot dog with all the fixings.  Chili cheese, or how about a “Bull Dog” with slaw, pickles, tomato, mustard, and cheese?

Willie’s Wee-Nee Wagon has got you covered.

Tonight in “Our Hometown” Glynn County, we take your taste buds on an adventure to one of the oldest restaurants in the area where they “relish your buns.”

“I need a pan of peppers up here please!”

One right after another, bags and bags full of hot dog deliciousness flies out the window at Willie’s Wee-Nee Wagon.

Owner Yvonne Chambers and her employees work like a well oiled machine; as they should, they’ve been at this long enough. This September, the Wee-Nee Wagon will celebrate its 40^th anniversary.

To this day, Mrs. Chambers still can’t believe the success.

“We’ve been so blessed with good customers. They come back. They care about us.  It’s just such a pleasure to come here every day. “

But Mrs. Chambers and her husband, Willie weren’t always in the food business…

“He had a business in Illinois, he was an electrician. He had a large company. He thought he would come here and do the same.”

But when they got here, they knew it was time for a change. They’ve been slinging dogs ever since and folks from all over can’t get enough.  

Tony Polite is a long time customer. Originally from New York, he says the dogs at the Wee-Nee Wagon could put some of the best street vendors to shame.

“People are late getting back from lunch, from getting in line and waiting at Willie’s. And for good reason, the food is outstanding!”

Every item is made to order- they even cut their own meats so everything is as fresh as can be. Mrs. Chambers says that passion for the food makes all the difference.

“There was a woman who called who was expecting a child and she wanted a slaw dog. She happened to know our home telephone number. She called my husband, he got up and came down here made her a slaw dog! She had that hunger for a slaw dog and nothing else would do!”

For some it’s all about the hot dogs, but for others like Jennifer Davis, they travel far and wide for a savory sandwich.  

“I brought my boyfriend from Portland and he had never had a pork chop sandwich. Now, he gets cravings for them all the time and we have to try to make them at home because you can’t get Willie’s pork chop sandwiches anywhere.”

Willie’s might be the Wee-Nee wagon, but they are known for their pork chop sandwich.

It’s made with mustard and grilled onions, and they are so confident theirs is the best, they will pay you $2,000 cash if you can find a better one in Glynn County.

After 40 years in business, Mrs. Chambers says they haven’t had to pay up yet.  But the offer still stands.

Polite agrees, the pork chop is the best. But no one would question it because the Chambers family is like family to the community and the employees.

Lorie Banks worked at the Wee-Nee Wagon back in college.   Now, she is a registered nurse and credits Mr. and Mrs. Chambers for much of her success.

“Well they were pretty though, but it was a good experience. I draw on that experience often in my job even now, just thinking about how you had to make sure things were done right. And you had to treat customers well.”

Mrs. Chambers says Willie was full of joy but like things done right.

“He had rules and regulations, and they have proven to be good. Nothing has changed. So many of our past employees have come back and said that no matter what they do, they say we are the reason they have achieved.”

And Banks says that is what keeps them coming back.

“Now, my children love to come here. As a matter of fact, the call I got just now, was my daughter making sure I was going to bring her a sandwich from Willie’s!”

The food might still be the same after all these years, but there is one thing that has changed. Mrs. Chambers lost her business partner, husband and best friend almost three years ago.

“I remember when we first started, he said, ‘Honey, you know in life, you never know what is going to happen. I don’t want to leave you in a position of not knowing what to do if something were to happen,’ So, he taught me everything.”

But she says he continues to live through her and the business. Everyone who loves Willie’s is now his legacy.

“You are here for such a short time. Life is not that long. You should really make a mark. Give a gift. I think we have given a gift.”

And all of the customers agree.

If you would like to meet Mrs. Chambers and try a famous dog or pork chop sandwich, the Wee-Nee Wagon is open Monday through Saturday from 8 AM to 10 PM.  They accept cash only.