(This article was written by Remi Gibbs and appeared in the May 2024 issue of Explore Harlingen Magazine.)
A cute little purple and white building sits on Wilson Road next to La Victoria Adult Day Care Center. At first glance, one might think it is a Mexican snack bar, but it’s not. It is something a bit more unique: Glizzey’s Food Hut (Glizzey being an urban slang word for hotdog). Glizzey’s is the brainchild of entrepreneur Jarmain Walton.
Jarmain grew up in Toledo, Ohio, and was raised by his aunt and grandmother. He graduated high school in 1989 then joined the Army where he got the travel bug. He had some serious struggles re-entering civilian life, but eventually found his way and decided he wanted to break generational chains so his children could lead better lives (he has 11 total).
Through hard work, he eventually developed into a Safety Officer working in the environmental industry. He landed in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) in 2017 working on wind turbines. He started researching the idea of having a food truck but discovered the laws around it were challenging. In 2023, the company he worked for wanted to move him to Canada, but he was ready to settle down in Harlingen with his wife of 13 years and their 4 (now 5) small children. So, he went in search of a place to have a hotdog hut, and Glizzey’s was born.
Jarmain and his wife experimented with 30 different combinations of hotdogs before settling on the best 10 to put on the menu. The spicy Harlingen Jalapeno Popper, Sonoran Style, and Chicago Style are the most popular for adults. To make the Chicago Style as authentic as possible, Jarmain gets several of its ingredients from Chicago.
Jarmain is a true family man at this point in his life, so he wants to make sure the hotdog hut is family friendly. The back is enclosed, and there are picnic tables and games such as Corn Hole, Connect 4, giant Jenga, and much more. Kids love the Regular Schmegular and Pizza Glizzeys. He’s in the process of installing a tarp and screen so that he can host movie nights.
On Saturdays, Jarmain showcases a special dog of the day, although sometimes there is no dog included. One such showcase was “Heaven in a Bun” with bananas, strawberries, Nutella, and churro bites in a bun. He always promotes specials on his social media pages. Jarmain loves his customers and often calls them out on his social pages and even has a group that he calls “Glizzey’s Gang” that he is very thankful for as they fully support his endeavors.
Glizzey’s has started catering. They are also considering purchasing two hotdog carts to vend at local markets and on South Padre Island. Jarmain’s goal is to be the “undisputed hotdog king of the RGV!” His final inspiring thoughts were to, “Follow your dreams. If you can think it, you can do it.”
Glizzey’s Food Hut is located at 3131 Wilson Road in Harlingen. Jermain suggests you call in your order to 956-224-8217 so you don’t have to wait. Or you can have your dogs delivered through DoorDash. They are open Monday through Saturday, from 12 noon to 8 pm. You can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok (@glizzeysfoodhut).