Barker's Red Hots recently opened their second location on King Rd, directly adjacent to Roswell High School, in Roswell, GA. The restaurant has been in the works for some time now and represents Barker's first step towards franchisement. I wrote a glowing review of Barkers the first time I visited their original location. Everything that was excellent before is just as excellent now. The hot dogs are still the best in the city, as are the onion rings. The loganberry juice is still the city's most interesting non-alcoholic beverage and is the perfect accompaniment to a dog and rings.
What has changed for the better is the space. Where the original Windy Hill location was intimate and sometimes crowded, the new Roswell location is roomy and comfortable. One of the quirky and fun parts about Barker's has been the intense effort to recreate the sights, smells, and sounds of a boardwalk. Glenn and Vivian maintained the boardwalk theme in the new location and even expanded on it a little bit. In addition to the sound of seagulls that has always been a Barkers mainstay, there is now the sounds of a roller coaster full of screaming people as you exit the main dining room and head towards the restroom.
Barkers has always offered to sell their Sahlen's hot dogs to customers so they can take them home and enjoy them. I pick up a pound of hot dogs every time I go. In the new location, Barkers has expanded their Sahlen's inventory to include deli ham and turkey. Above you can see the deli case at the new Roswell location.
