A group project: Share your favorite roadside eats

Everyone has a favorite roadside place to eat, right--something that's not a chain and offers a taste of the area? So let's hear some and see if we can develop this into a real resource for the community.

I'll start.

Chickin Lickin serves honest, no frills BBQ. My wife and I eat there whenever passing through.

Counter service: yep

TV sets: one

Credit cards: yes

They're located just off I-95 in Hardeeville, South Carolina. Hardeeville is at the southernmost exit on I-95, so this isn't too far from Savannah. Head east as you exit I-95 and you'll find them. As a bonus, there's a gas station next-door that sells fireworks.

And other favorite is Barbecue Kitchen, located on the south side of Atlanta. They have a College Park address, meaning they're just north of Atlanta's airport. Head west after getting off I-85 at the Virginia Avenue exit and you'll see them. They're a fraction of a mile off the highway. It's where the motorcycle cops tend to eat, so you know it's good.

Sit-down service: very long tables

Payment: can't remember--might be cash only

Anti-good- we did a trip to Atlanta and back (picking up a car) only using Waffle House. My veins twitch when I admit that.

Smoked hamburgers in Dayton Ohio! Random and sketchy but awfully tasty in Dayton Ohio.

Smoked burgers!

Here's one for the West Coast. La Toutuga is located in Seaside, California, not too far from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

It's not fancy, but for just a few bucks they will you up--with a torta as big as your head or a burrito that you will not be able to finish.

See. It's huge:

Credit cards: yes

Counter service: friendly

Parking: around in the back

lexxington bbq. great bbq. business 85 in Lexington nc. counter/tables, parking is always limited, credit card accepted. id recommend the slixed brown meat tray, or skin sammich.

hills bbq on Patterson ave in Winston salem, nc. great bbq. next doo to the best pull-a-part in the state. plenty of parking. takes cards.

the goody shop. Albemarle, nc on main street. cash only. limited seating. no real parking. best burgers I have EVER had, anywhere. even better that a bison burger in Colorado. wat there, now.

David S. Wallens wrote: See. It's huge:

That's what she said.

Portland,OR downtown: voodoo donuts. A bacon maple bar is sinfully good.

The Red Caboose on 51 south of Pittsburgh. Hot dogs and kielbasa, cheap and delicious. And a train car! Well, used to be.

Beatty Nevada ( 100 miles north of Vegas on the way to Reno) there is a Mexican restaurant (only one in town) after you eat there stop at the big gas station on the north end of town and stock up on red licorice. The sugar high will carry you all for at least the next 300 miles.

Little BBQ place are always the best but my wife's family are originally from a small town in Alabama and getting BBQ better than they make is really tough. It's akin to getting pizza in New York or Chicago.

alfadriver wrote: Anti-good- we did a trip to Atlanta and back (picking up a car) only using Waffle House. My veins twitch when I admit that.

Welcome to the south.

You know you are deep into Georgia when you exit from I-75 and there are Waffle Houses on BOTH sides of the interstate.

Stingray's Cape Charles, Virginia

If up for the interesting drive that is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, a few miles up from the north side of the bridge is a speakeasy type restaurant, Stingray's. Located down a hall that sits behind the counter of a convenience store of a Citgo gas station is one of the best seafood restaurants that you're ever likely to stumble across. Assuming that you enjoy your seafood fried. The soul food sides, corn bread, mac and cheese, greens, hushpuppies and any number of homemade soups also not only warrant mentioning, but reconigition for they're quality.

If you enjoy fishing the area has world class game fishing year round, from 50+ striped bass in December-February, which also happens to be when the 600+ bluefin tuna run offshore to tarpon, redfish, cobia, speckled trout, red and black drum, bluefish, shark, rays, sheepshead, spanish and king mackeral and flounder all showing up in the bay at some point in volume from April-November. While offshore yields marlin, mahi, shark, wahoo, tuna and the occasional sailfish.

Mike wrote:

alfadriver wrote: Anti-good- we did a trip to Atlanta and back (picking up a car) only using Waffle House. My veins twitch when I admit that.

Welcome to the south.

I now refer to them as "TwatWaffle House".

If you're passing through Biloxi on I-10, take the Vancleave exit east of town, go north of the interstate to a cool little BBQ place called The Shed. They're right on the swamp & have a little outdoor music venue too.

Emlenton Diner

The Emlenton Diner is special to me because it was the half-way point between home and our cabin. We used to stop on the way home on Sundays for dinner. While Dad would sip his third cup of coffee, the kids would explore the gift shop. As a truck stop, the gift shop had an amazing array of oddball stuff, supplies for long-haul truckers and candy.

I stopped recently with my kids, and the diner still serves up classic diner food and you can still get lots of weird stuff in the gift shop.

It's right off I-80.

jacks cosmic dogs in Mount Pleasent SC.

Mr. Chicken in Watkins Glen is a must stop when I'm there. It is across the road from the state park. Mostly chicken BBQ, cash or check, no CC.

Caroline BBQ on 79 outside of Ithaca was a favorite. Friday and Sunday only. 1/2 chicken or beef ribs. Unfortunately they never opened this summer, as my new commute for 6 weeks had me going past it.

Jockos in Nipomo California just south of Pismo Beach

Off of 93 in Wikieup Arizona there is a Chicago style restaurant. Italian beef, chicago style hot dogs, italian sausage, brats, etc. I always stop then when i drive between Phoenix and Las Vegas.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/dazzos-restaurant-and-rv-wikieup

All the places like that in Vegas are on the south side of town......

Helen's Sausage House - DE 13 / DE 1, just north of Smyrna. Sausage, scrapple, and all kinds of other good things featuring either sausage or scrapple. Cash only, breakfast / lunch only. A heart attack wrapped in tinfoil, a limited menu, but hooo boy, is it good.

I get mine with fried egg, cheese, and hot sauce. I'm drooling thinking about it.

Oh, and Elvis. The world's worst collection of cheap Elvis memorabilia, including The King himself keeping you company while you eat:

Circleville, Ohio - The Tuscan Table.

We were on our way back from a family reunion and realized we were going to need to eat before getting home. We found this place as one of the first listings for Circleville on Yelp and the reviews were generally positive. Well, we were blown away by the food. It's not cheap - ~$14 an entree - but the food was great. It was easily the best Italian food I've had in many years. My wife likes eggplant Parmesan and usually gets it at Spaghetti Warehouse, but after eating it from Tuscan Table said, "I'm not sure I can go back to Spaghetti Warehouse." I got Sicilian blackened chicken with linguini alfredo and it had just enough kick and the alfredo sauce was great. Baby loved all of our food and ate plenty. (Actually, her first reaction after trying my linguini was, "More!")

If you're at the intersection of I-75 an I-16 in Macon, Georgia, stop for breakfast or lunch at the H & H Family Restaurant. It's not really the family run place it was when Mama Hill and Mama Louise kept the Allman Bros fed, but it's still pretty damn awesome. A classic meat-and-three with more Allman memorabilia than you can imagine.

I'd say it makes a good stop on the way to the challenge, but there's not really any reliable trailer parking downtown...

I have another one for the list. If passing through Nashville, you gotta visit Gabby's Burgers & Fries. Know what they server there? Burgers and fries! They're near I-40.

Added bonus: They're also located near the Lane Motor Museum.

I'll pipe in here and in Nashville, Pied Piper Creamery for some Trailer Trash ice cream after dinner.

I'd also recommend Jim Dandy's BBQ east of I75 at the Sharonville exit, just north of Cincy. Always ate some of the best bbq there for when I had to go ther for Chrysler training.

Off the beaten path kind of place would be Hillbilly Hotdogs in Lesage, WV.

Midland, Texas Can't remember the name but an old gas station painted orange just off interstate. BBQ pork, brisket, chicken, sausage all sold by the pound. You take a tray and piece of butcher paper and attendant says "what kind of meat and tell when to stop cutting" They then weigh the BBQ and you pay after that everything else else on the buffet is free. Some of the finest BBQ I ever ate. Was in Midland on business and went there two nights in a row. Always people standing in line waiting to get in. Out in the old work bays were wooden picnic tables just find a seat!