After spending the first 21 years of his life in Pittsburgh and the past 34 in the East Valley, football fan Randy Walters was hoping for a longshot.

When he opened his small Chandler restaurant, Pittsburgh Willy’s Gourmet Hot Dogs, last fall, he even posted it on the wall — surrounded by Steelers memorabilia — for all to see:

Steelers vs. Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.

Sunday, his dream becomes reality, and Walters (pictured at right) is enjoying every minute of it. He’s been interviewed five times by Pittsburgh newspapers, and was profiled on the front page of the city’s Post-Gazette.

“In the past two weeks, I’ve had over 300 people from Pittsburgh in here because of the newspaper articles,” he says. “People who have transplanted here still read the hometown newspaper.”

What they find at Pittsburgh Willy’s are the foods they grew up on: kielbasa, pierogi, chipped ham and Klondike bars.

The restaurant began as a hot dog stand. A painter at Chandler Regional Hospital for 11 years, Walters wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who owned a stand in pre-World War II Pittsburgh.

After two years of operating outside, Walters moved into permanent digs inside the Market Square antique mall on Arizona Avenue south of Warner Road.

His wife, two daughters and their husbands help run the family business, which features an order counter and just three small tables.

“This is what Pittsburgh’s about,” Walters says. “Nothing fancy. Really good food. Friendly atmosphere. Not pretentious.”

A sandwich of kielbasa (Polish sausage) and sauerkraut on French bread pays homage to his wife’s late uncle, Joe Santoni. In 1940, the steelworker won a contest to re-name Pittsburgh’s NFL team, which then shared the name Pirates with the baseball team. Thus, the Steelers were born.

Earlier this month, Walters added made-from-scratch pierogi —dumplings filled with cheese and potatoes — to the menu Wednesdays. Diners can enjoy a half-dozen and a drink for $5, or take home a dozen frozen for $7.50.

After selling 50 the first week, he expects to sell 500 this week and will begin offering them on weekends as well.

Another recent addition to the menu is the Wild Willy, a quarter-pound, all-beef kosher dog topped with chipped ham sauteed in butter and then covered with cheddar cheese (Walters is pictured eating one above).

“It’s a heart attack in a bun, but it’s phenomenal,” says Walters, who was tagged with the nickname “Pittsburgh Willy” by his poker buddies.

Although he’s been a Cardinals season-ticket holder for the past three seasons, Walters leaves no doubt about who he’s rooting for Sunday.

“That’s easy,” he says. “The Steelers. They definitely will win.”

But he’s quick to add: “If the Cardinals win, that’s the only team the Steelers losing to wouldn’t hurt that bad.”

CONTACT WRITER: (480) 898-5690 or jharter@evtrib.com

Pittsburgh Willy’s Gourmet Hot Dogs
Where: Market Square, 1509 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler (south of Warner Road)
Open: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Prices: Hot dogs $2-$5, sandwiches $3-$6, drinks $1-$1.50.
Info: (480) 857-2860 or pittsburghwillys.com.

Posted in: Chandler • Restaurants • Sports • Super Bowl |

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