We’re nearing the dramatic finale of our noble mission of eating at every food stall at Norwich market now and this week was Banger Stop. James and I had forgotten about our visit in 2023, when I commented that the stall was “reassuringly reliable” which still seems appropriate after this visit.
The service was efficient, friendly and engaging with only a short wait. The prices have gone up around 70p per hot dog since we did this before, but the value for money remains high. The stall accepts card and cash with extra sauces being free of charge and cans of drink are £1.50. It’s always positive to see a five star food hygiene rating proudly on display as well.
I went for the chilli dog without cheese and huge credit that they pro-actively took 30p off the price even though I hadn’t expected them to do that. The roll was soft and fresh, the sausage was of a generous size, the fried onions added flavour, the lettuce added colour and the crispy onions added texture. The sausage itself tasted of a decent quality, perhaps it could have been slightly meatier, but I very much enjoyed it. The whole arrangement was filling and it was helpful that it came with a piece of kitchen roll as this was quite messy to eat.
James opted for the cheese-topped option, which involved a blowtorch and very nearly some unexpected singeing. He reassured me that told he survived unscathed, although I can’t help but feel it would have added some drama to the review if I could write “the hot dog was hot, but James was hotter”. James had expected more of a chilli con carne sauce, but was happy with what he got and he once again managed to avoid spilling any of it. As usual, we spent most of the time at the market with James acknowledging his many middle class friends in the city. I am wondering whether he’s joined the masons to know this many people, but I didn’t say anything.
This was really all rather lovely and the whole experience combined to be one of the best visits so far this year. The prices were relatively low, the service was personable, the food was of a decent quality and I left feeling satiated. And James wasn’t set on fire, which I suppose is for the best. One thing I thought would be interesting, as the menu is small, is for a hot dog of the month with some innovative toppings just to keep surprising and delighting the customers.