On the corner of Hillsborough and S. West Street, a brightly lit “Hot  Weiners” sign draws attention to an otherwise hidden downtown Raleigh  hotspot.   The Roast Grill has served hotdogs to Raleigh residents, workers  and students for nearly 70 years.   The low-key diner seats no more than 15, but that doesn’t stop people from cramming corners and waiting in lines out the door around noon every day. The wait is only a minor inconvenience for the “Best Darn Hot Dogs on the Planet”.   Eric Miller, professor of microbiology, went to the Roast Grill recently for the first time.  ”I have had hot dogs up and down Hillsborough Street, but these are distinctive because they are roasted, not boiled,” Miller said. “But the best thing about the Roast Grill is that it has local character. It adds a lot to the community. ”   “It’s like having a traditional North Carolina backyard grilled hotdog in a downtown atmosphere,” Miller said. “Although it would be a far walk for  N.C. State students from campus, it is great for the downtown area.”   George Poniros, the owner since 1992, inherited the restaurant from his grandmother, Mary Charles. Charles was born in Greece in 1913 and came to Raleigh for her cousin’s baptism, where she was introduced to an American man, George Charles. The two were married in 1929.   Ernest Charles, Charles’s son, remembers when his mother started the Roast Grill. “I was born upstairs”, said Ernest Charles, pointing to the ceiling of the restaurant. “I remember when my mother decided to turn our front porch into a diner.”   That was in 1940, and the Roast Grill has been in business ever since.   “All of the equipment is original,” said Ernest Charles, “We started with a variety of food, including vegetables and hamburgers, but for the last 30 years we’ve been roasting hot dogs.”   Poniros said that the restaurant has between 100-150 customers on a typical day. “99 out of 100 of those customers are regulars,” Poniros said. “We have lawyers, politicians, blue-collar workers, locals and students that come in.”   Zack Lentz, a freshman in engineering, has already been to the Roast Grill since he started school. “I really like the atmosphere of the place,” Lentz said. “It is cool to see so many different types of people there, from young guys in suits to older women in sweaters.”   One of the most unique aspects of the Roast Grill is what they don’t allow with their hot dogs.  Ketchup, pickles, mayonnaise and cheese are all off-limits. Customers can choose their hot dogs to be topped with mustard, chili, onions and/or slaw, and can also choose their “degree of burn”. The drink choices are beer or soda served in old-fashioned glass bottles. For dessert, customers can have homemade pound cake, baklava, a traditional Greek dessert, or free tootsie rolls.   As he roasts hotdogs to customers’ preferred burn degree, Poniros does not hesitate when asked if he likes his job. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said. “I would never be able to work for a company after having a job like this. But it is a lot of commitment — I have to be here from 11 to 4 almost every day.”   The restaurant is also famous for its homemade chili. “My grandmother used this exact same recipe when she started the restaurant,” said Poniros. “It is probably at least 100 years old.   Unlike ketchup, which hides the flavor of the hotdogs, this recipe brings it out.”   Previous Governor Jim Hunt and Senator Jesse Helms have both been visitors of the Roast Grill. “When Governor Hunt came, his security guards called us ahead of time so we could be ready,” said Poniros.   The Roast Grill has an ongoing contest to see who can eat the most hot dogs in under an hour. Just last week Kelly Phillips broke the record by eating 21 hot dogs with mustard and chili in 32 minutes. Besides eating contests, the restaurant promotes community involvement in many other ways.  This past weekend, Raleigh held it’s annual Greek Festival, which was actively advertized in the grill. The Roast Grill also sells T-shirts, hats and stickers with the restaurant logo.  A scholarship in Mary Charles’s honor gives $1000 a year to students through the Greek Orthodox Church, sponsored by the Roast Grill.   Check out the Roast Grill next time you are downtown. You can get a hotdog (or two), a glass-bottle drink and a baklava for some pocket change, but you will also get a first-hand view of the American diners of the past. Take some time to talk to the people sitting at the bar; they probably have good stories to tell.   The Roast Grill is open from 11 to 4 Monday through Saturday and is located at 7 South West Street.