While those residing in D.C. proper rely on Ben’s Chili Bowl for their half-smoke needs, Arlingtonians have long had their own classic half-smoke purveyor: the Weenie Beenie.

We’d been foolishly ignoring the Weenie Beenie for years until a recent conversation with a co-worker convinced us that we’d been missing out on a genuine slice of old-school Arlington. He clinched it for us when he noted that his old man used to hit the Weenie Beenie for two half-smokes every Saturday morning, which may be one of the most disturbing testimonials to excellence that we’ve ever heard.

The Weenie Beenie -- an orange-roofed shack perched on a dusty semi-industrial/semi-residential stretch of Shirlington Road -- is actually the vestige of what was once a billiards champion’s modest fast food empire. Bill “Weenie Beenie” Staton, who died earlier this year, was a champion pool player and a trick-shot master whose prowess garnered him appearances on the Tonight Show and the Mike Douglas Show.

But Staton’s foray into fast food entrepreneurialism was the result of a month spent out in Little Rock in the mid-fifties schooling a bunch of fellow pool hustlers in the game of One Pocket. He scored nearly $30,000, which became the seed money for the very first Weenie Beenie. The Weenie Beenie eventually burgeoned into a mini-chain of roughly half a dozen stands before dwindling to just its original location.

The Weenie Beenie happens to be flanked by a well-known day laborer site, so any hapless drivers of SUVs or pick-up trucks who idle for a few seconds in the Weenie Beenie parking lot can expect to get rushed by five or more men anxious to work. Indeed, we saw this scenario unfold twice in just the 15 minutes that we were there. And aside from a few old timers trickling in, the vast majority of the Weenie Beenie’s customer base seems to be comprised of day-laborers, as is evidenced by the presence of a La Nacion newspaper box and the menu listing everything in English and Spanish.

The half-smoke can be enjoyed topped with mustard, relish, onions, and chili. We opted for everything but the chili. The half-smokes are split in half and splayed on the grill, resulting in a wonderful char down the middle. The casing has the perfect amount of snap and the insides are smoky and spicy.

We had to satisfy our curiosity about the half-smoke and egg pairing listed on the menu, so we decided to live dangerously and score another one. Though the counterman asked us for our toast preferences, we prevailed upon him to serve our half-smoke and egg in a hotdog bun. The resulting sandwich featured another half smoke lovingly draped in a blanket of fried egg, no condiments necessary. What seemed like an unlikely offering turned out to be an epiphany: a close luncheon cousin to the breakfast sandwich. The Weenie Beenie should really make this a featured combo, even if it might require some folks to follow it up with a Tums chaser.

We noticed a few postings on Chowhound where longtime Weenie Beenie patrons swore by their “North Carolina-style” barbecue pork sandwich. Unfortunately, this sandwich must merely satisfy their nostalgia. The mince of pork is feebly spiced, requiring not one, but two packets of Texas Pete hot sauce to add a bit of flavor. Even the cole slaw topping lacked any real presence. Nevertheless, we dutifully scarfed it down in about a minute.

Though the Weenie Beenie offers wrapped slices of layer cake from an area bakery and packaged mini sweet potato pies, we recommend heading a minute further down the road to Shirlington Village for the Carlyle's “old fashioned banana pudding” served “while it lasts.”

Weenie Beenie
2680 South Shirlington Rd.
Arlington, Va.
(703) 671-6661