Restaurants

Roadfood restaurants aren't only about good food. They are places with memorable personality: diners, town cafes, BBQs, street carts, even some deluxe dining rooms.

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Restaurants Near Me

Memorable | One of the Best

Ace Biscuit & Barbecue

Ace of Charlottesville, Virginia, makes everything from scratch, extraordinarily well. Not just biscuits and BBQ; also pancakes, waffles & fried chicken.

Backyard Cafe

The Backyard Cafe is a destination for handsome hamburgers, after-5pm Dixie dinner & from-scratch ice cream atop squares of gooey butter cake.

West Columbia, SC

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Bar Gernika

Saturday is the day to visit Bar Gernika in the heart of Boise's Basque Block. That is because beef tongue is available all day, sided by croquetas.

Bavarian Bistro

You feel like you’re on a German vacation at Bavarian Bistro, where Washington ingredients take the form of crispy schnitzel and ‘wursts of all kinds.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

BBQ Barn

Ribs are literally fall-off-the-bone tender in the clean-cut BBQ Barn, which also serves fine chopped pork & chicken. Remember dessert: cake is a big deal here.

Bertha’s Kitchen

Founded by the late Albertha Grant in 1979, Bertha's is a modest cafeteria restaurant on the outskirts of Charleston that is a primer in Lowcountry soul food.

Betsy’s Around the Corner

A bustling Aiken restaurant serving sandwiches, salads, burgers, and square meals, Betsy's also is a layer cake-lover's dream. *CLOSED*

Big Bad Breakfast

Chef John Currence's Big Bad Breakfast celebrates the most important meal of the day with a menu of hearty, creative meals that are diner fare deluxe.

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Big Boy’s Smokehouse

One of the best BBQs in South Carolina, Big Boy's is a casual restaurant serving ribs, pulled pork, chicken, turkey wings, even first-rate beef brisket.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Big Mike’s Soul Food

Locals know and love Big Mike's as the best of Myrtle Beach. Offering authentic soul food and genuine hospitality, it's a treasure.

Memorable | One of the Best

Bill Spoon’s Barbecue

A best BBQ restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bill Spoon’s is famed for chopped pork, Brunswick stew, mustard slaw and hushpuppies. *CLOSED*

Blue Ash Chili

Blue Ash is one of Cincinnati, Ohio's great chili parlors, serving bountiful layered plates of 3 to 5 way. Double-deck sandwiches are some of the best in town.

Memorable | One of the Best

Bobkat’s Purple Pie Place

Pie's the thing here in Custer, South Dakota (bumbleberry and rhubarb are especially good); and there's a pre-pie menu of sandwiches, soup, chili and BBQ.

Memorable | One of the Best

Boss Hogg’s BBQ

Family-friendly, comfortable, colorful BBQ just outside Pigeon Forge, Boss Hogg's serves great pork, brisket, chicken and all the right side dishes.

Memorable | One of the Best

Broom’s Bloom Dairy

Ice cream stars at Broom's Bloom Dairy; lunch is great, too, especially gooey grilled cheese and smoky mac n cheese made with cheddar and gouda.

Memorable | One of the Best

Bryce’s Cafeteria

** THIS RESTAURANT IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED ** Bryce's is a beautiful Texas cafeteria serving more casseroles and vegetables than most Yankees see in a year. Dessert: peach cobbler, please.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Buckwheat’s BBQ

Buckwheat's pitmaster is a formidable player in BBQ competitions. Authentic smoke-cooked fare at his restaurant in Aiken, South Carolina, reflects that talent.

Bull Valley Roadhouse

Family style meals and craft cocktails draw folks from all over Northern California to this updated old roadhouse in a hidden Bay Area village.

Memorable | One of the Best

Burro Cheese Kitchen

A bright yellow shipping container in Austin's South Congress district is source of artisan grilled cheese sandwiches and charming picnic seating.

Bush’s

A humble seafood restaurant where all kinds of fish are prepared with expertise. On the side: Dixie-best soul-food vegetables.

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Busy Bee Cafe

Busy Bee Café is one of Atlanta's best soul food restaurants. Try fried chicken sided by southern vegetables; save room for red velvet cake dessert.

Cafe Reconcile

Cafe Reconcile is a New Orleans treasure, serving Creole soul food in a Central City location that brims with personality.

Calvin’s Roasted Fish & Salads

A quiet soul food cafe on the outskirts of Augusta's downtown, Calvin's focuses on seafood, but the menu also includes beef, chicken & flavorful vegetables.

Carolina BBQ

A family-run restaurant since 1969, Carolina BBQ is a traditional all-you-can-eat pig pickin: smoky pulled pork plus a constellation of side dishes around it.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Carolina Buffet

A no-frills but big-flavored southern-style buffet featuring great fried chicken, vegetables, and banana pudding and/or peach cobbler for dessert.

West Columbia, SC

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Chandler’s Deli

Chandler's Deli is a soul food cafeteria restaurant that serves some of the best BBQ, fried chicken, and classic southern side dishes in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Chef Bob’s Café

Daily downhome buffet lunch and lavish weekend dinner make Chef Bob's a restaurant for big appetites. House motto: "If you leave hungry, it's not my fault!" *CLOSED*

Chef Eddie’s

Chef Eddie's is a superb soul-food destination in Orlando, serving three meals a day and great feasts for after church on Sunday.

Chicken Place

A diner by the railroad tracks, The Chicken Place fries dark and light meat to well-spiced excellence. There also are burgers, seafood, and a fine Philly steak.

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Cochon Butcher | New Orleans Swine Bar by Chef Donald Link

Smoked meats star at this New Orleans "Swine Bar" progeny of the original Cochon. Boudin sausage and BBQ pork are featured attractions.

Compton’s Kitchen

A friendly diner with cheap breakfast (buttermilk biscuits!) starting at 6am and square meals at lunch, Compton's has been a Columbia favorite since 1977.

Crosby’s Chicken

Crosby's is a take-out shack by the side of the road serving expertly fried chicken along with mac n cheese followed by ooey-gooey brownies or sweet potato pie.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Crossroads Cafe

From-scratch Southern comfort-food served cafeteria-style in a diner as comfy as favorite slippers makes Crossroads Cafe a good stop for breakfast & lunch.

Memorable | One of the Best

Dandelion’s Cafe

A friendly, eccentric cafe in North Augusta, Dandelion's serves Quebec poutine, mac 'n' cheese skillets, exuberant pizza, & killer cheesecake. *CLOSED*

Dave’s Grill & Grocery | Carolina Cheeseburgers & Chili Dogs

Dave's is a rural grocery / gas station / cafe / butcher serving downhome breakfast, meat & 3, cheeseburgers & chili dogs.

Dennis BBQ | “Where the Good Food Is” | Augusta GA

An out-of-the-way Augusta BBQ where most business is take-out, Dennis' motto is: If you want good food, then come to where the good food is.

Memorable | One of the Best

DeShawn’s Seafood and Chicken

Top-quality, no-frills seafood and great fried chicken make DeShawn's a destination feast in North Augusta. [*PERMANENTLY CLOSED*]

Detroit Soul

Detroit Soul is a meat-and-3 cafe on Eight Mile Road specializing in Southern classics during the week and barbecue ribs on Saturday.

Memorable | One of the Best

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

Billed as a "Genuine Honkey Tonk Rib Joint", New York's Dinosaur offers Americana in the form of BBQ and blues music. Don't forget Syracuse-style salt potatoes.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

Dinosaur BBQ began in Syracuse and has multiplied. The food that made it a hit seems every bit as good in the offshoots, including this one in Rochester.

Dottie’s Diner

Traditional farm house chicken pie is still available at Dottie's restaurant / diner, as are some of the best cake donuts in Connecticut and all of New England.

Dutch House Restaurant and Bakery

A southern cafeteria with such tempting options as fried chicken and catfish plus good side dishes like sweet potato casserole, Dutch House is a Georgia gem.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Fat Man’s Cafe

An Augusta favorite now located in a repurposed industrial complex, Fat Man's offers fine Dixie vegetables along with masterful fried chicken or pot roast.

Fish Eye Grill

Fish Eye Grill in the small town of Girard, Georgia, offers estimable southern-accented fare in modern/ rustic lodge-like setting. Save room for dessert.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Four Way Restaurant | Memphis Soul Food Destination

Legendary home-cooking cafe since 1946, Four Way has been through many changes, but it remains a worthy Memphis soul food destination.

Fox Smokehouse BBQ

Fox Smokehouse is a charming little BBQ dive where competition pit-masters serve excellent wings, rings & slow-cooked brisket.

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Frog and The Hen

Cutting-edge style, casual ambience, and a menu of brilliant takes on homespun Dixie dishes make Frog and The Hen an Augusta best bet.

Augusta, GA

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Frog Hollow Tavern

Local, seasonal, organic: Augusta's Frog Hollow Tavern does it right. Shrimp & grits is kaleidoscopic; in-season peaches are spectacular; cocktails are clever.

GoodLands BBQ Restaurant

GoodLands BBQ Restaurant is a buffet in a former gas station, serving hickory-cooked pork, fried chicken, mac 'n' cheese & all South Carolina complements.

Memorable | One of the Best

Grapevine

A small-town Arkansas restaurant with a big culinary personality, the Grapevine is an oasis of home cooking, plain and fancy.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Hannibal’s

Hannibal's is a ramshackle treasure of Lowcountry soul food, offering such Charleston standards as lima bean supper and okra stew.

Harvest Table Buffet

For over 40 years, Augusta families have flocked to the Harvest Table, a hospitable buffet offering a tremendous variety of expertly-prepared Dixie favorites.

Hattie B’s Hot Chicken

Hattie B's has quickly gained a reputation as one of the hottest and best hot chickens in Nashville. Cool the burn with a cup of banana pudding.

Hawaiian Style Cafe

Hawaiian Style is a small chain of diners with big portions and real island flavor. Specialties are the three “Ps”: pukalah, poke, and pancakes.

Memorable | One of the Best

Heid’s hot dogs

German franks, Texas hots (red wieners), and white hots made of beef, pork and veal are stars of Heid's menu: a vintage upstate New York treasure.

Memorable | One of the Best

Hidden Valley Eatery

Breakfast and lunch are outstanding at Hidden Valley Eatery, a casual, rustic restaurant in the foothills of the Berkshires.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Highrail

A rustic / modern town cafe featuring Dixie fare, rugged burgers, evening pizzas, and peach-state cocktails, Thomson's Highrail is worth a detour off I-20.

Hitz BBQ

At a highway exit in Berea, Kentucky, Hitz doesn't look like a first-rate BBQ joint, but it is. Meats are expertly smoke-cooked; side dishes are extraordinary.

Memorable | One of the Best

Horace & Dickie’s

Expertly fried seafood stars on a menu that includes southern vegetables, banana pudding & sweet potato pie. Horace & Dickie's is a DC best!

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Hubba Hubba Smokehouse

Authentic, old-style BBQ slow-smoked for hours over native hardwood coals makes Hubba Hubba a foodie destination in the Blue Ridge Mountain foothills.

Hubbard’s Off Main

A small town restaurant serving sophisticated versions of dishes from the South, Louisiana, and beyond, Hubbard's is an Oxford, Alabama, jewel just off I-20.

Memorable | One of the Best

Iron Grate BBQ

Iron Grate BBQ’s Milwaukee rib is both rib and pork belly: a fatty, melt-in-your mouth experience that should put this spot high on your Wisconsin hit list.

J.R.’s Ribshack

A humble roadside BBQ with some of the finest chicken and ribs in the Florida panhandle. JR's Brunswick stew is not to be missed.

Memorable | One of the Best

Jackson’s Corner

Jackson's Corner is a locavore cafeteria that nails sourdough brick-oven pizza, homemade pastas and hearth baked breads inside general store digs.

John Mull’s Meats/Roadkill Grill

When this deer processor and butcher started a BBQ stand, it caused a sensation. John Mull's beef ribs are worth driving out of town for.

** THIS RESTAURANT IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED ** A huge cafeteria with a cornucopic array of meats, salads and lovely heartland pies. Among the most memorable dishes are macaroni and cheese with a good portion of crusty, chewy top-cheese, a buttermilk drop biscuit that is a textural joy, and bread pudding laced with slices of cooked-soft apple and plenty of sweet caramel sauce.

Good | Worth a Return

Kanab Creek Bakery

Stop by Kanab Creek Bakery for strong coffee and the best pastries, like buttery croissants, chewy macaroons and a ham and Swiss clafoutis.

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Keaton’s

Keaton’s of Cleveland, North Carolina, is home to some of the best chicken anywhere -- deep fried, then saturated with BBQ sauce. Unforgettably delicious!

Memorable | One of the Best

Killen’s | True Texas BBQ | South of Houston

Fall-off-the-bone ribs and sweet-and-juicy pulled pork draw hungry diners from near and far to Killen’s for true Texas BBQ.

Memorable | One of the Best

Kingsman

The Kingsman is a Columbia restaurant with a full menu, but burgers put it on the Roadfood map, magnificent pimento cheeseburgers in particular.

Memorable | One of the Best

Kuma’s Corner

Kuma’s Corner is a special place: heavy metal music, elaborate beer selection and, most importantly, some of the best tasting and most creative burgers known to man. A melting pot of hardcore rockers and demanding foodies, Kuma’s always has a crowd; if you don’t time your visit well, expect to wait at least an hour. … Continue reading

Chicago, IL

Excellent | Worth a Detour

La’wan’s Soul Food Restaurant

Serving such soul food favorites as fried chicken, salmon cakes, catfish, and pork chops, La'wan's has become a Charlotte soul food landmark.

Charlotte, NC

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Legnon’s Boucherie

A regular award winner for boudin perfection and a practical community center, Legnon is a Cajun country legend.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles

Lo-Lo's specialty is crisp fried chicken and soulful sides accompanied by waffles you can gild with butter and syrup or beefy onion gravy. A Phoenix find!

Phoenix, AZ

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Lunch Supper | Memorable Meals | A Richmond, Virginia Best

Lunch & Supper's three memorable meals a day offer inventively crafted food and drinks and herbs & veggies from the garden.

Richmond, VA

Memorable | One of the Best

Lupie’s

Lupie's is a Charlotte locals' favorite restaurant, for fresh vegetables (& mac 'n' cheese!), beautiful burgers and bountiful banana pudding for dessert.

Charlotte, NC

Memorable | One of the Best

M&M Catering

M&M is a take-out only Knoxville BBQ with four-star pulled pork, ribs, brisket, etc., outstanding side dishes, and a choice of 5 brilliant sauces.

Knoxville, TN

Memorable | One of the Best

Martha Lou’s Kitchen

Martha Lou's is a small, hospitable Charleston soul-food restaurant where everything is cooked with brio and served with grace. *CLOSED*

Charleston, SC

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Martin’s

Martin's serves meat & 3 at its best: great fried chicken, vegetables galore, plus pies that are the pride of Montgomery, Alabama.

Montgomery, AL

Memorable | One of the Best

Mary Mac’s Tea Room

Mary Mac’s Tea Room is an old-fashioned urban lunch room in Atlanta where specialties include such Dixie standards as pot likker, sweet potato souffle & fried chicken.

Atlanta, GA

Good | Worth a Return

Maryland Fried Chicken

A surviving Augusta, Georgia, outlet of a once-bigger franchise, Maryland Fried Chicken offers good eats at reasonable prices in a colorful urban setting.

Augusta, GA

Memorable | One of the Best

Matthews Cafeteria

Matthews Cafeteria is a Main Street restaurant popular among locals who come for fried chicken, meat loaf, or catfish sided by well-cooked Southern vegetables.

Memorable | One of the Best

Maurice’s Piggy Park

Righteous Midlands barbecue includes pit-cooked pork with mustard sauce, hash on rice, a full roster of vegetables, and banana pudding for dessert.

West Columbia, SC

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Mayflower Cafe

A Mississippi gem featuring okra gumbo, fried shrimp and oysters, Mayflower is known for comeback dressing, for dipping fries as well as adorning salad.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

MCL Cafeteria

MCL of Richmond, Indiana, is a cafeteria featuring homey vegetables and Jell-O, pies and puddings and cakes galore, and excellent fried chicken and catfish.

Memorable | One of the Best

Medley

Taos’ medley serves the tastiest farm-fresh dishes, like broccolini with garlic chips and saffron yogurt, and lamb chops with crispy leeks.

Memorable | One of the Best

Miami Smokers

Miami Smokers' artisan smoke-cooked BBQ is classic fare with a modern edge. The restaurant is a serious venture, but a fun place with urban-hip vibe.

Miami, FL

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Mike & Jeff’s BBQ | South Carolina Upstate BBQ at its Best

A small place with a big personality and tremendously good smoke-cooked meats, Mike & Jeff's is South Carolina upstate BBQ at its best.

Greenville, SC

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Miller’s Bread Basket

Loaves, rolls, buns, pies, and cakes are featured attractions at this Main Street Mennonite bakery, where whole meals are southern meat-and-three.

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Miss Jane’s Restaurant

A small-town Main-Street cafeteria, Miss Jane's is a treasure-trove of Southern fare including succulent fried chicken and beguiling cakes & pies.

Memorable | One of the Best

Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House

Mary Bobo's Boarding House offers old-fashioned, boarding-house dining in Lynchburg, Tennessee, the home town of Jack Daniel. The menu varies day to day.

Memorable | One of the Best

Monell’s

You don't need a southern family to enjoy the southern family dining experience at Monell's. Meals feature kettle-fried chicken, some of Nashville’s best.

Nashville, TN

Memorable | One of the Best

Mr. Perkins’ Family Restaurant

Mr. Perkins’ is a Milwaukee soul food restaurant serving baked chicken and dressing and some of the best mac and cheese anywhere.

Milwaukee, WI

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe

Mrs. White's Golden Rule Cafe is a small Phoenix, AZ cafe that has become a southwestern legend for its exemplary soul food, especially fried chicken and fried pork chops.

Phoenix, AZ

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

My Three Sons of Charleston

A humble soul food / Gullah gem in North Charleston, My Three Sons serves emblematic southern comfort food, from 4-star fried chicken to creamy banana pudding.

Memorable | One of the Best

Nana’s Soul Food

Offering some of the best soul food in Charlotte, Nana's is a cafeteria with a vast array of choices. Great vegetables! Prices are low and service is friendly.

Charlotte, NC

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Niki’s West

Niki's West is a Greek-accented cafeteria near the Birmingham farmers market. Specialties are seafood and a vast selection of Southern vegetables.

Birmingham, AL

Memorable | One of the Best

Nikki’s Place

A small soul food restaurant with a big personality, Nikki's is an Orlando gem. Shrimp & grits, available all day, is a Roadfood best.

Orlando, FL

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Off Da Chain Seafood & Mo

Fine fried seafood plus crab legs, pork chops, chicken wings, burgers and "Mo," make Off Da Chain a colorful, unique destination. ** CLOSED **

Aiken, SC

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Old Hickory Bar-B-Que

Exemplary western Kentucky BBQ at Owensboro's Old Hickory includes off-the-pit mutton, pork, ribs & chicken. Plus burgoo, beans & banana pudding.

Memorable | One of the Best

Patriots’ Smokehouse

Patriots' is a welcoming, family-run smokehouse not far from I-20 near the Georgia / South Carolina line. The theme is Independence day. The BBQ is grand.

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Pecan Lodge

In the heart of Dallas' Deep Ellum, Pecan Lodge uses a unique combination of Texas and North Carolina styles to smoke brisket.

Dallas, TX

Memorable | One of the Best

Perry Foster’s BBQ

** THIS RESTAURANT IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED ** In this 365-days-a-year Augusta BBQ, lamb and beef are standout meats. Perry Foster's good sides include mac 'n' cheese and thick, porky baked beans.

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Perry’s Pig

At this hidden Augusta BBQ, chopped pork sandwiches are garnished with succulent bits of crisp cracklin: one of the great smoke-pit sandwiches anywhere.

Augusta, GA

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Phillips Bar-B-Que

In this takeout-only Los Angeles BBQ restaurant, spicy red sauce gilds smoke-cooked spare ribs, baby backs, rib tips, beef links, sliced beef, and chicken.

Inglewood, CA

Good | Worth a Return

Pot Smoker BBQ

Pork butts, ribs, chicken, and brisket are featured smoke-cooked meats, along with traditional sides in this Aiken locals' favorite BBQ

Good | Worth a Return

Prime Smokehouse Barbeque & Beyond

Rocky Mount's Prime Smokehouse offers BBQ ribs and pork in a vinegar sauce, plus good sides. Spiced bread pudding, served with gelato, earns high marks.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Purple Hull Market | Southern Plate Lunch And Big Steaks

Southern plate-lunch and weekend steak dinners make the Purple Hull Market a beloved country-casual destination in North Augusta, SC.

North Augusta, SC

Memorable | One of the Best

Putney Diner

A delightful little Vermont restaurant just minutes away from the highway, the Putney Diner is good for breakfast and square-meals lunch. Plus wonderful pies.

Putney, VT

Memorable | One of the Best

Ray’s Diner

Omelets, hash browns, and creamy grits make this neighborhood diner a breakfast destination in Columbia. Ray's lunch is top-notch meat-and-three soul food.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Ray’s Smokehouse BBQ

Ray's is a welcoming, low-key BBQ with blues music in the background and excellent meats on plates & sandwiches. Ribs are superb. Sauce is bright, tangy, sweet.

Augusta, GA

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Reel M Inn

Order crispy fried pickles and settle in for worth-the-wait fried chicken at Portland's iconic dive bar called Reel M Inn.

Portland, OR

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Rocky and Carlo’s | Italian Cajun Fare & Gumbo At Their Best

A great Italian Cajun eating hall out in St. Bernard Parish, Rocky and Carlo's serves serves memorable mac & cheese and four-star gumbo.

Memorable | One of the Best

Root Cellar

Downhome southern food with an uptown twist makes the Root Cellar a fun Lexington, South Carolina, restaurant for culinary traditionalists & adventurers alike.

Lexington, SC

Good | Worth a Return

Root House Coffee + Shop

Get to Root House Coffee + Shop in Pagosa Springs early for the best cafe breakfast goodies, from Southwestern quiche to warm sausage bites

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Roy’s Grille

Although it is a minimalist gas-station cafe, Roy's Grille offers scrupulously well-prepared breakfast and lunch, including masterful shrimp and grits.

Lexington, SC

Good | Worth a Return

Ruth’s Family Restaurant

A favorite Augusta diner known for breakfast, Ruth's also serves good meat-and-two lunch and desserts made by the waitresses.

Augusta, GA

Memorable | One of the Best

S’Mac

Mac 'n' cheese heaven: from All-American, made with cheddar and American cheese, to Parisienne (with brie and roasted figs) to Cajun and Mediterranean.

New York, NY

Memorable | One of the Best

S&S Cafeteria

A grand cafeteria in the southern tradition, Augusta's S&S offers a vast array of classic comfort food from Sunday-supper baked chicken to beguiling desserts.

Augusta, GA

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Salt and Smoke

With options from traditional St. Louis ribs to vegetarian falafel burgers, Salt and Smoke is a favorite haunt for locals & visitors on the St. Louis Loop.

Memorable | One of the Best

Sand Dollar Cafe

Southern comfort food served cafeteria style makes the Sand Dollar Cafe a Florida "Forgotten Coast" best bet for breakfast as well as lunch.

Port St. Joe, FL

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Saw’s BBQ

Cultivated juke-joint ambience and well-prepared BBQ fulfill Saw's intention of being an "upscale dive" in the Birmingham suburb of Homewood.

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Scratch Baking Co.

Come to Scratch Bakery for tasty sandwiches, fresh bagels and bread, molasses cookies with dried apple, and bake-at-home mac ‘n’ cheese.

Memorable | One of the Best

Serving Spoon | Hospitality and Good Vibes Soul Food in L.A.

Estimable soul food is the specialty of the Serving Spoon, a Los Angeles restaurant that fairly rocks with hospitality and good vibes.

Inglewood, CA

Memorable | One of the Best

Shealy’s Bar-B-Que

Shealy’s is the dominant BBQ in central South Carolina, a buffet-style feast that includes pork, pulley bones & countless southern sides.

Batesburg-Leesville, SC

Memorable | One of the Best

Shindig

Shindig feels like the heart of Woodstock, offering local charm and flavors from spicy Buffalo Chicken Melt to pear-apple crisp.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Short Leash Hot Dogs | Wonderful Weird Wieners of Phoenix

Creative hot dog variations are the specialty of this clever Phoenix restaurant. If Short Leash doesn't have a wiener you like, you don't like wieners.

Phoenix, AZ

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Smitty’s Tap

In the crossroads town of Leonore, Illinois, Smitty's Tap is the place locals go for gigantic tenderloin sandwiches, broasted chicken, and $2 cans of beer.

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Smokey Pig Bar-B-Que | On the Kentucky BBQ Trail

Monroe County-style barbecue means pork shoulder, sliced and dipped in hot sauce, at Bowling Green's Smokey Pig -- a memorable stop on Kentucky's BBQ trail.

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Smokin Guns BBQ

In a land of excellent BBQ, Smokin Guns' meticulous, from-scratch, smoke-cooked pork, beef & chicken are some of the best. *** CLOSED ***

Aiken, SC

Memorable | One of the Best

Smoque

Smoque's devoted clientele come to eat scrupulously created replicas of barbecue from around the United States: St. Louis ribs, Chicago baby backs, Texas sausage, southern-style pulled pork, and even, on occasion, smoked salmon.

Chicago, IL

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Soul Food Kitchen

At this best-bet soul food restaurant in Orlando, specialties include baked chicken, roast pork, and triple layer cakes.

Orlando, FL

Good | Worth a Return

St. Francis Fountain

San Francisco's old fashioned diner and ice cream shop St. Francis Fountain serves excellent milk shakes as well as breakfast and a wild selection of oddball candy.

San Francisco, CA

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Steven’s Barbecue

Steven's is a BBQ dive in genteel downtown Greenwood, Mississippi, featuring Memphis style ribs, Delta hot tamales, and fabulous chocolate cake.

Greenwood, MS

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Sweet Georgia Brown

Sweet Georgia Brown is a cafeteria-style soul food BBQ in Dallas featuring a wide array of vegetables cooked southern-style and served in abundance.

Dallas, TX

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Sweet Lucy’s Smokehouse

Sweet Lucy's offers pulled pork, chicken, brisket, chicken, wings, turkey and kielbasa. Sides are better than at many other area BBQs. Sauce is served warm.

Philadelphia, PA

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Sweet P’s Downtown Dive

A well-calculated BBQ restaurant where blues music sets the beat, Sweet P's serves traditional meats and side dishes in entertaining dive surroundings.

Knoxville, TN

Memorable | One of the Best

Taylor’s Bar-B-Que

BBQ plus a meat-and-three cafeteria make Taylor's a country-cooking destination (open at 4:30am) in the Bird Dog Capital of the World.

Waynesboro, GA

Memorable | One of the Best

Ted’s Hot Dogs

Ted's is a Buffalo, New York, treasure, its charcoal-grilled hot dogs with hot sauce, a side of O-rings, and a loganberry a great American meal.

Buffalo, NY

Excellent | Worth a Detour

The Joint

A NOLA Bywater BBQ, the Joint is a carnivore’s delight for superb ribs, brisket, pulled pork & Cajun sausage. Baked beans are some of the best anywhere.

New Orleans, LA

Memorable | One of the Best

The Range Cafe

The Range Cafe serves such New Mexico classics as huevos rancheros and chicken fried steak as well as such non-standard dishes as quinoa sweet potato cakes.

Albuquerque, NM

Excellent | Worth a Detour

The Shack

The Shack is a good stop along I-95 in Connecticut for big breakfast, and such hearty fare as shepherd's pie and Yankee puddings for dessert.

Memorable | One of the Best

Thomas’ Promises

Homespun soul-food meat-and-two meals make Thomas' Promises a grand Sunday supper destination. Secret-recipe mac & cheese is a must.

Aiken, SC

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Tom Jenkins BBQ | Fort Lauderdale Soul & Sauce

BBQ at Tom Jenkins features spare ribs and baby backs, plus sausage, chopped pork, and brisket. A Fort Lauderdale soul food treasure.

Memorable | One of the Best

Tony Packo’s

A national icon, Toledo's Tony Packo's serves Hungarian hot dogs plus chicken paprikas, stuffed cabbage, and dumplings. Atmo is laid-back and comfortable.

Toledo, OH

Memorable | One of the Best

True BBQ

One of the best South Carolina Midlands BBQs, True offers smoky pork gilded with Pretty Lady or Sexy Lady sauce, served by a friendly, mission-conscious staff.

West Columbia, SC

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Tune Inn

In the same family for three generations, Tune Inn has stolen the hearts of locals with greasy burgers, an incredible roast beef sandwich, & no-frills comfort.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Vanessa’s Soul Food Kitchen

A friendly, out-of-the-way, family soul food kitchen, Vanessa's is a Roadfood prize in the Valley of Aiken County, South Carolina.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Wade’s Restaurant

Legendary meat-&-3 destination since 1947, Wade's draws Spartanburg crowds for well-priced, very-Southern vegetables, fried chicken, & motherly dinner rolls.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Waterwheel Road Grocery

Saturday is the day to bring big appetite to this country-road grocery store. That's BBQ day, when Waterwheel's slow-smoked meats are followed by peach cobbler.

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Wayside Takeout & Catering

In Charlottesville, a city of excellent fried chicken, Wayside is a standout. Available by piece or platter, it is magnificently juicy and peppered just-right.

Charlottesville, VA

Memorable | One of the Best

Whitney Restaurant and Bar

A handsome, hospitable downtown restaurant/bar serving upscale square meals and elegant cocktails, the Whitney is a charming date-night destination.

Aiken, SC

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Wife Saver

An Augusta-area sextet of fast-food restaurants, Wife Saver is known for crunch-crusted chicken, fried shrimp, and bountiful southern-style vegetables.

Augusta, GA

Excellent | Worth a Detour

Wilson’s Real Pit Barbeque

*** THIS RESTAURANT IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED *** Wilson's is a weekend-only BBQ restaurant offering different styles from around the nation.

Fairfield, CT

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Zingerman’s Deli

Zingerman's of Ann Arbor is one of America's great delicatessens, serving terrific sandwiches made of world-class ingredients on Zingerman's-baked bread.

Ann Arbor, MI

Legendary | Worth driving from anywhere

Zingerman’s Roadhouse

Masterfully prepared iconic regional dishes from all over America make Zingerman's Roadhouse a best bet in Ann Arbor.

Ann Arbor, MI

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