If you ordered a burger and a dog from Bob's you would get a burger about the size of your fist smothered with cheese, chili, onions and slaw. Then you would drench it in hot sauce and as the cheese melts into the grease of the burger, it becomes the best thing you've ever eaten in your life. The chili was incredibly plain, but delicious. You could easily eat a bowl of chili on its own, but it complimented the burger and dog perfectly. The dog came the same way as the burger, and it was impossible to say which was better. Being the Guido he was, Chris always asked for the burger and dog with everything but the slaw. The slaw was good, tangy and crisp, but in Chris's opinion it had no place on his food. Having the unique opportunity to eat such a good, simple meal and wash it down with a glass bottle of Cheerwine was one of the greatest gifts North Carolina could offer. The cold, sweet cherry-flavored soda made the food go down so smoothly.
It was a ritual for Chris and his fellow coaches to make a Bob's run every Wednesday, rain or shine. Hayf would always go way off the deep end and order an egg salad to try to be healthy. Then he would get a bag of chips, a slice of apple pie and a Coke, and at that point he may as well as just ordered a burger and a dog. Clarky and Meade would stay much more traditional, eating their food slowly to savor every bite while loudly debating, "The dog is strong today, Clarky." "No, Meade, the burger is much stronger today." And then the epic decision would lay ahead... Do we get back in line and get an additional dog? It was impossible to crush two burgers and one dog, but two dogs and a burger was not out of the realm of possibility. They knew what effect this would have on the inner stomach lining, but nobody really thought about that until about a half hour before practice started.
With the newspaper clippings and NASCAR pictures all over the wall, Bob's personifies what is beautiful about family owned businesses. The restaurant has been around since the early 1900's and stands as a fixture in downtown Mooresville. It is packed every morning and especially every Wednesday with a line that extends onto the sidewalk. Everyone there knows you by name, knows the way you like your food and knows that they will see you every week. It is a simple place, with simple food and dirt cheap prices, and they have absolutely perfected what they do best. Pound for pound, Chris would put Wednesday's Meal Deal up against any other in the country.
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