Notice the crispy toasted bun that cradles this Texas-shaped grilled burger. Bacon only augments the package.

South of Audubon on a country road across from a row of feed silos, the Red Barn is a Roadfood gem that serves breakfast, lunch, and supper and is a gathering place where locals come to chat over coffee between meals. It's a tiny place, about the size of a house trailer with a third of its interior occupied by the kitchen. There are four tables, two with seats for six, so it is common, especially at lunch, for different parties to share space with one another. Nearly everyone who eats at the Red Barn knows everyone else, but as strangers we felt completely welcome and at ease.

We found this place while on the tenderloin trail, and sure enough, the BPT here is ravishing. It is wider than its bun, but not ridiculously so, and it is thick enough to be really juicy inside its snug, savory crust. When we visited, it was mid-August, so the standard battery of pickles and onions was supplemented by a couple of lovely slices of fresh garden tomato. The first-rate tenderloin is just one item on an exemplary Hawkeye-state menu that also includes pea salad with shredded cheese bound in Miracle Whip, a gently-seasoned loosemeats sandwich, nutmeg-dusted custard, and rhubarb crisp that the waitress recommended we order a la mode so as to offset the natural tartness of the pie plant.

Great "out of the way" place! It sits off of Morton Ave., but you will make a mistake if you pass it by, on the way to another franchise restaurant in Jville. We had the Huli Huli chicken(very moist, great taste),Kalua Pork Nachos( a mountain of nachos-how does he make any money on this!), Smoked link sandwich(great smoky taste and snapped when you bit into the link) and the brisket sandwich ( great flavor). All of them were fantastic! There was not one speck left on our plates. He has his own BBQ sauce which is a little sweet, but just the right amount to enhance the BBQ. I had the Baked beans and mac and cheddar salad as my sides and they were fresh and great taste. Since it is a smaller place, I was worried about Roger accepting debit cards. No worry, cash or card, Roger is prepared to serve you some great food. I will be back!

I make many trips from upstate New York to Maryland to visit my grand kids. The Dutch Kitchen on Interstate 81 is my favorite spot to stop for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I am always pleased with my meal and plan my trips so I can stop there to eat. There is always a few good homemade soups and the salad bar is always fresh with enough extras to make it interesting. I happen to love the Thousand Island Dressing. The daily specials always include a yummy homemade meal.

On New Years Day the restaurant offered the traditional local favorite of pork and sauerkraut, of course with real mashed potatoes. It was awesome. Could not have made it better at home. I was curious as to why this dish was a local favorite on New Years Day and asked the waitress. Before I knew it, the owner was at our table explaining that when pigs eat, they move forward, but when chickens eat they move backwards. Therefore, it is traditional to eat the pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day to symbolize moving forward. Sounds good to me. I hope to be back next New Year's Day and many times before that. And oh, I should mention, the sugar cookies are like something your grandmother would have made. A great take away for the rest of the ride.

Try the Dutch Kitchen. You will not regret it!

If you happen to drive past Mike’s Kitchen, you probably won’t notice it’s a restaurant. Located in a VFW hall with only one little sign outside other than the Post Number, Mike’s doesn’t need to advertise. To those who seek out great Italian food at low prices, it is a appetite-stirring magnet. At mealtimes, its tables are always crowded. (Be sure to call ahead; when the Vets meet or when private functions are held, it is closed to the public.)

The menu, posted on the wall, is extremely appetizing: a catalog of dishes that are mostly Italian, a little Portuguese, and very Rhode Island. You can begin a meal with a stuffie (a stuffed quohog clam) or the unique Ocean State appetizer known as snail salad, then move on to perfectly broiled swordfish or scallops; or it is possible to indulge in such delectable old-world favorites as sautéed broccoli rabe (or a rabe and provolone sandwich), gnocchi Sorrentino, sole Florentine, and chicken with cannellini beans. On the side of anything, you want polenta – a cream-soft block of steamy cooked cornmeal available with fennel-spiked sausage, meatballs, or a blanket of thick marinara sauce.

Many of the Italian dishes are familiar: veal cutlets in a variety of sauces, Parmesans galore, scampis, and even spaghetti and meatballs and linguine with nothing but oil and garlic. Seafood pastas are especially wonderful, offered with a choice of red or white sauce; at $16.95, the top of the line is seafood Diablo – lobster, scallops, and shrimp spread out across a bed of noodles.

To drink with your meal, wine and cocktails are available from a bar at one side of the dining room. You will pay for these separately, as the bar is run by the veterans who own the building.

Crabmeat is so abundant in this cake that the potato chip crust provides welcome, crunchy contrast. Granny Smith apple slaw is a refreshing note on top.

A definitive eastern North Carolina barbecue sandwich: While cole slaw is optional, its mustard-tinged crunch pairs perfectly with the smooth, smoky pork hash.

Growing up in the suburban South before delivery pizza became so prevalent, we quickly learned how to make homemade pizza — and not the Chef Boyardee pizza-from-a-box, either. Toasted English muffins made the perfect crust, topped with a spoonful of jarred Pizza Quick sauce, a handful of shredded mozzarella, and maybe a few slices of vacuum-packed pepperoni. Of course, what was assembling these portable pies without a mouthful or two of cold cheese and pepperoni? Beto’s builds on that concept by baking large sheets of crust covered only with tomato sauce, then adding cold toppings afterwards. By the time your cuts (Pennsylvanian lingo for slices; this term is also used when describing Old Forge pizza) arrive at the table, the bottom layer of shredded provolone has already melted to the pie, which in turn has warmed the other toppings to room temperature. The result, once the wieldy slice is hoisted off the plate (after some loose cheese and toppings fall off), is a retro taste sensation straight from our childhood — and an extremely unique style of American pizza.

Roadfood authority Buffetbuster took us to Beto’s when we visited Pittsburgh, and we were bowled over by their exceptional pizza. The crux of this pie is its excellently crispy yet chewy crust and the fresh-tasting tomato sauce, and the pre-cooked sausage crumbles, peppers, and mushrooms only enhance an already great pie. The menu also features hoagies, Buffalo wings, salads, and fried cheesecake bites for dessert, but folks come in droves for the ultra-satisfying cuts. Practiced in only a handful of shops around Pittsburgh and neighboring West Virginia, this particular pizza style is not for those who prefer piping hot pies from the oven. But for the rest of us, Beto’s holds a very special place in our hearts — and in our stomachs. Beto’s is open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight, with take-out open until 12:45 a.m.