Must Eats Across the United States

Hello everyone! I'd first of all like to complement you on this excellent site and atmosphere.

I've been looking over it on and off now for a month for a trip that I am planning. This trip is what brings me to my first post. In two days I will be embarking on an epic two week trip to all of the lower 48 states. Needless to say my time will not often be sparing, but along the way I still hope to enjoy much of what this great country has to offer. And that certainly encapsulates many of the unique and signature local dishes available across this vast countryside.

I was wondering if any of you would be willing to share your must visit locations across the country. I am looking for just about anything that is  signature dish, of course the more well known regional dishes are preferable. I am planning on going through Philly to get a good cheese steak at Campo's and I am planning on going to Johnny's for a po' boy while in New Orleans. What are the other great regional dishes out there that are a must have while on this trip? Other things that come to mind are a great New York pizza place and a great BBQ place in the south. (of course a best BBQ place is the most opinionated choice to come up with as people differ so much on this)

We'll be traveling through such cities as Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, Memphis, New Orleans, Atlanta, Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York City, and Chicago amonst many, many others. Thanks everyone for any and all ideas that you can think of!

Current Suggestions:
AL:
AK:
AZ:
AR:
CA:
CO:
CT: New Haven - Frank Pepe's or Modern Apizza (original tomato pie, white clam pie)
DE:
FL:
GA: Atlanta - Varsity (chili dog, onion rings, orange drink), Silver Skillet for country ham and biscuits for breakfast, and Mary Mac's Tea Room.
HI:
ID: Boise - Bernika for Basque appetizers and sandwiches.
IL: Chicago - Al's #1 for an Italian beef sandwich and either Pizzeria Uno or Pizzeria Due for deep dish pizza.
IN:
IA: Sioux City - Miles Inn (the best loosemeats [here called a Charlie Boy] in Iowa, no joke)
KS:
KY: Newport -  Blue Stars Cafe for a sub, chili, and brownies.
LA: New Orleans - Central Market (muffalatta sandwich) and Parkway Bakery and Tavern for surf-n-turf and po' boys.
ME: Cape Neddick - Flo's Hot Dogs (hot dog all the way)
MD: Silver Spring - Parkway Diner for a hashbrown omelet.
MA: Boston - Durgin Park for baked beans.
MI:
MN:
MS:
MO:
MT: Bozeman - The Garage (gourmet burgers in an old filling station)
      Livingston - The Sport for a burger.
NE:
NV: Las Vegas - Hash House (breakfast, hash, kaleidoscopic homemade jellies)
NH: Portsmouth - Friendly Toast (b'fast sandwich, omelet)
NJ: Bordentown - Mastoris Diner (pork roll sandwich)
NM: Albuquerque - Frontier (green chile stew, huevos rancheros) and Owl Cafe for a green chile cheeseburger.
NY: New York City - Grimaldi's under the Brooklyn Bridge for pizza and Katz's Deli for deli goods.
NC: Charlotte - Price's Chicken Coop (fried chicken) or Bill Spoon's BBQ (pork BBQ, Brunswick stew)
ND:
OH: Richfield - Whiteys Burgers for what else, burgers.
       Canton - Chicken Manor for fried chicken.
OK: Oklahoma City - Cattlemen's (steak, lamb fries)
OR:
PA: Philadelphia - Pat's Prince of Steaks for a Philly Cheesesteak, Tony Luke's (pork rabe sandwich), Miller's Twist for Pennsylvania Dutch Pretzels, and Bassetts for ice cream.
RI: Warwick - Iggy's (doughboys [fried dough], clam cakes) or the Crows Nest
SC: Spartanburg - The Beacon (chili cheese-a-plenty, sweet tea)
SD:
TN: Memphis - Cozy Corner (fried bologna sandwich, BBQ ribs) and Neeleys.
TX:
UT: Salt Lake City - Hires Big H (burgers, shakes, fries, famous fry sauce)
VT:
VA: Winchester - Snow White Grill (mini-burgers)
      Roanoke - Roanoke Weiner Stand (chili dogs)
      Daleville - Three Li'l Pigs BBQ (pork BBQ)
WA:
WV:
WI:
WY:
Washington DC - Ben's Chili Bowl (half-smoke, chili)

Welcome to Roadfood, undefenant. When you're in Chicago, there's two places that I consider "musts": Al's #1 on Taylor St. for an Italian beef sandwich ( better yet, a beef and sausage combo ), and either Pizzeria Uno or Pizzeria Due just north of the Loop for deep dish pizza ( Due is an annex of Uno, and they're just a block apart. ) Have a great trip! 

Excellent, sounds good, I will be sure to check at least one of those two out as I go through town. Thanks!

Two weeks to cover the entire lower 48?!?  Yikes!  When will you have time to stop and eat??  Try a Runza in Omaha, Nebraska -- they have a drive-thru window!

We won't be going through Omaha actually. We just dip into Nebraska around Sioux City, IA. Thanks for the suggestion though. It definitely is an outrageous amount of car time, but we generally won't go over 12 hours a day of driving... ha.
After this trip is over I will be back to college luckily and just walking around Minneapolis. Which works well, because I will surely be sick of being in a car for a while by then.

Sounds like an amazing trip.

Not sure how you came up with Campo's for a cheesesteak.  It is a fine cheesesteak, but not the cheesesteak you drove fifteen hundred miles for.  If you have a GPS head to Pat's Prince of Steaks.  If not, and I know I will be scorned for this, do the classic Pat's v. Gino's eat-off at 9th and Passyunk.  The cheesesteak started at Pat's.  Everyone has to eat at least one Pat's cheesesteak and make up their own mind. 

To get a true taste of South Philadelphia, when at Pat's be sure to order your fries and drinks at the same time you order your cheesesteak and don't take no for an answer.

You're wasting Philadelphia if all you eat is a cheesesteak.

Additional "must eats:"

Pork sandwich with greens and aged provolone from Tommy Dinic's in the Reading Terminal Market. While there get some Pennsylvania Dutch pretzels from Miller's Twist (Wed - Sat Only) and maybe some Bassetts ice cream.

Hoagies - Probably Sarcone's at 9th and Bainbridge, but also Chick's Deli or Paesano's.

OK, one more thing.  Get over this seafood foolishness. You are blowing an incredible opportunity to experience a Maine lobster roll from a place like Red's, fried ipswich clams from Johnny Aps or the Clam Box or the guys who invented them, Woodmans, and maybe my favorite place in the US of A, Bowen's Island near Charleston SC for roast oysters (make sure they are open this time of year and serving oysters). 

Last bit of advice / plea - You're putting a lot of miles into a short amount of time.  It is going to be so easy to grab some chain fast food at a drive-thru.  Keep driving.  Get away from the interstate and onto state and US routes when you can.  Challenge yourself to make your entire trip without a single chain meal.  That would be truly "epic."  Note:  Waffle House is the exception.  Order the hash browns.

A few other regional classics you really should hunt down - five way chili in Cincinnatti, brisket in the small towns outside of Austin, east and west NC barbecue, and Southern breakfasts (grits, biscuits, country ham) wherever you find them. 

Have a great trip. Eat well and often.  You can sleep when you get home.

Thanks, always good to have advice from a local in regards to the Philly Cheesesteak. I saw the Pat's and Gino's debates all over, but I also heard Campo's was good, without the crowd. But I'll go to one of the originals.
I won't be in Philly long, just about enough time for a meal, but I will definitely try and squeeze in some ice cream and maybe pretzels as suggested.

As to avoiding all chain restaurants. It would certainly be a much more interesting and certainly tastier trip if I were able to do that, but I do plan on not having an all chain meals day at all during my trip. The Southern breakfasts are definitely a must, and my girlfriend has never had grits, so we'll certainly be getting some while down South.

And as to the seafood, we'll see... Thanks for all the terrific suggestions though!

I am not going to end up near Cincinnati actually. I'll be hitting Ohio and Indiana on the northern border along I-80 so I can hit Michigan at the same time with a quick half an hour to an hour diversion.

Undefenant, again, welcome!  This thread is going to elicit very strong opinions of your route, fyi.  Holly Moore is right on every point...but assuming that you can't be swayed from not eating seafood, there are plenty of suggestions for certain areas.  Please note, however, that your friends may rib you a little for driving all the way to Maine and not eating lobster!

Anyway, Nocarolina is right on about Al's #1.  The Italian Beef there is the best, and we just ate one with him back in late June on our own cross-continental roadtrip.  I'd even pick that over the deep-dish pizza, just because it's so unique to that area -- but only if you had just one meal in Chicago.  Here's my two cents for the cities you listed...

Salt Lake City, Hires Big H (burgers, shakes, fries, famous fry sauce)
Las Vegas, Hash House (b'fast, hash, kaleidoscopic homemade jellies)
Albuquerque, Frontier (green chile stew, huevos rancheros)
Oklahoma City, Cattlemen's (steak, lamb fries)
Memphis, Cozy Corner (fried bologna sandwich, BBQ ribs)
New Orleans, Central Market (muffalatta sandwich)
Atlanta, Varsity (chili dog, onion rings, orange drink)
Washington DC, Ben's Chili Bowl (half-smoke, chili)
Philadelphia, Tony Luke's (pork rabe sandwich)
New York City, Grimaldi's under the Brooklyn Bridge (pizza)

I'll take a gander at your map and get back to you with more tips.  Do you have a wireless modem through your cell phone for Internet?  I was wondering how you're planning to post blogs every day while on the road.  More later!    Chris

undefenant I'm going to be the first total pooper on your idea.  I don't think you can really do what you're suggesting to do without the most minimal time for stops in two weeks.  You'll be able to breeze through the New England and Atlantic coast states pretty easily, but those giant Western and Midwestern behemoths are going to keeeel you.  You don't think you'd rather try maybe just a region with a more leisurely pace and save another region for next year?  Any traffic snarl--and there will be some the two weeks before Labor Day--will throw a serious wrench into your schedule.

Yes, my name is Debbie Downer.  Welcome to Roadfood.  ;)

Holly Moore
I know I will be scorned for this, do the classic Pat's v. Gino's eat-off at 9th and Passyunk. 

Not by me!  Holly is exactly right.  The Pat's/Gino's taste-off is a great idea, and the sandwiches are excellent, and the atmosphere is just right.  If you like hot sauce and peppers, use 'em from the jars on the counters, but be warned that the hot sauce at Gino's, while it looks like the relatively tame Tabasco or Frank's, is explosively scorching.
 
The advantage of Dinic's for pork rabe is it brings you to the Reading Terminal Market, which is absolutely worth a visit.  The downside is that Tony Luke's sandwich, in my opinion, is a little better, and the location has more Philly soul.

ayersian

Salt Lake City, Hires Big H (burgers, shakes, fries, famous fry sauce)
Las Vegas, Hash House (b'fast, hash, kaleidoscopic homemade jellies)
Albuquerque, Frontier (green chile stew, huevos rancheros)
Oklahoma City, Cattlemen's (steak, lamb fries)
Memphis, Cozy Corner (fried bologna sandwich, BBQ ribs)
New Orleans, Central Market (muffalatta sandwich)
Atlanta, Varsity (chili dog, onion rings, orange drink)
Washington DC, Ben's Chili Bowl (half-smoke, chili)
Philadelphia, Tony Luke's (pork rabe sandwich)
New York City, Grimaldi's under the Brooklyn Bridge (pizza)

All good suggestions, but let me suggest alternatives in two places:
 
We love Las Vegas' Hash House (NOT Hash House A Go Go, an entirely different restaurant), and have no problem at all with that suggestion.  But... I think if I were recommending one thing to eat, it would be the $1.99 half-pound hot dog at the cheapo casino Slots-A-Fun on The Strip.  Maybe it's a perverse suggestion, and it's far from the best hot dog you'll ever have (or you can even find on The Strip) but it captures a certain essence of Vegas better than any other place I can think of.
 
NYC: I'd substitute Katz's Deli for Grimaldi's, and order directly from the deli guys, not sit at a table with waiter service.  Order a pastrami sandwich and drop a buck or two in the tip cup, but know that the pastrami isn't always so great.  If you want to be assured of eating something great at Katz's, go to the knoblewurst/hot dog man and get some of each.

As an Atlanta alternative, if you're there for breakfast, try the Silver Skillet on
14th street just west of the downtown connector (I-75/85). great country ham and biscuits to die for.
DoctorDan

do lunch in philly and then head to the 'burbs for a pizza for dinner  http://www.picas-restaurant.com/   pica's has THE best pizza/tomato pie in the area!!  from cenner city, you can be at pica's within a half hour - eat lunch, do a little site-seeing and head out to upper darby for dinner.

you will be VERY pleased with their pie and anything else on the menu as well!!

If you get to a seafood house in FL, see if they have rock shrimp. If they do get them broiled.

  I tend to agree with Nancy. We did a lot of 'around the USA roadtrips' in our 1990's summer travel, but they were 5-6 week sojorns, and even then we really moved thru some areas with Interstates and quickie stops keeping us moving. 

   Chris and Amy just finished a great 45 day trip...but it was mainly an "Out and Back, NE to NW and Return" They had a great time according to their BLOG, but I think had they added in the four corners of the USA with stops along the perimeter, even those veteran travelers would have bee tested!

You need to post a general itinerary to allow us to focus our attention on places you plan to stop. Giving 10 places to eat in Philly or Dallas or where-ever is a waste of time if you are passing thru with only a lunch stop or dinner in that location on your schedule.
  Give us more info and I am sure there are many who will add suggestions.

mayor al

Chris and Amy just finished a great 45 day trip...but it was mainly an "Out and Back, NE to NW and Return" They had a great time according to their BLOG, but I think had they added in the four corners of the USA with stops along the perimeter, even those veteran travelers would have been tested!

Mayor Al, you are correct as usual, sir.  Actually, our original plan was to dip through the Deep South, too, but that got axed quickly after we came to our senses and realized that that was way too much.  Our only major "regret" was discovering so many cool places that we hadn't researched but didn't have enough time to explore them -- but we have to leave something for next time, right? 

It sounds like Undefenant is going for a "I've been to all 48 states, albeit briefly" tour, and that is exciting in itself.  To keep his timetable intact, he's probably not going to elect to go into [insert metro area here] just to get Roadfood, when it'll eat an hour or two off his schedule.  Nancypalooza, like many of us, has done long roadtrips and knows the unforseen pitfalls of them.  Much RF is not going to fit conveniently into his itinerary because of time constraints (e.g. weekend dining only, closed Mondays, only open for lunch, etc.), but at least he'll be able to say that he's eaten at several big RF beacons -- and hopefully he'll discover places that will require his attention at a later date!    Chris

Thanks everyone for the excellent suggestions, especially ayersian, as that was quite the list. You are also certainly right, the idea for my trip is to simply say that I have been to all of the lower 48 states, some just long enough to take a snapshot of their Welcome to Such-n-Such signs. While this certainly isn't ideal, and will often be quite rushed, I figured I would get this out of my way while I am young. (My girlfriend and I are just 21) While this may make us more to naive to the overall gargantuan nature of such a trip, I already have it all mapped out and have the actual sight seeing often cut to a minimum. Except in Washington D.C. I figured we'll have the rest of our lives to go back and take more time visiting all the locations that we like. Plus college starts again after Labor Day for us, so staying much longer really doesn't work anyways.

ayersian is right yet again in the respect that we are going to want to tend to keep the stops near interstates along our journey, as we won't have enough time to go a couple hours out of the way. I just figured that while going on this trip we might as well sample some great foods along the way. Afterall you can only go through so many fast food drive-thrus.

I will definitely try to get up a more concreate itinerary of times and locations either tonight or tomorrow, before my trip. And to Bruce Bilmes and Sue Boyle I actually had a hot dog from Slots-A-Fun this past January when I was in Vegas and collected a $1 poker chip from every casino on the strip. It wasn't the best ever, but wasn't too bad at the same time. And the atmosphere is completely Vegas, which probably made it better. On another note, they had one of the coolest chips I gathered on my trip, as the center half is metal and the outer half plastic. Thanks again to everyone for the ideas!

Well good luck then kiddo!  Aaaaah, to be 21 and crazy again.

 " If this is Tuesday, This Must be Nebraska,,errr,Kansas, err Alabama... I think my GPS is broken"!!!

Having done all 50 states, and actually lived at least a year in 9 of them, I don't blame you for wanting to do the deed.  However take the time to look and see something other than the welcome signs. We never know how much time we have to smell the roses!
  This sounds a lot like a compatibility test to me! Good Luck on your travels.

Undefenant, here's a few more suggestions from what I could glean from your map:

Bozeman, MT, The Garage (gourmet burgers in an old filling station)
Sioux Falls, IA, Miles Inn (the best loosemeats [here called a Charlie Boy] in Iowa, no joke)
New Haven, CT, Frank Pepe's or Modern Apizza (original tomato pie, white clam pie)
Cape Neddick, ME, Flo's Hot Dogs (hot dog all the way)
Portsmouth, NH, Friendly Toast (b'fast sandwich, omelet)
Warwick, RI, Iggy's (doughboys [fried dough], clam cakes)
Bordentown, NJ, Mastoris Diner (pork roll sandwich)
Winchester, VA, Snow White Grill (mini-burgers)
Roanoke, VA, Roanoke Weiner Stand (chili dogs)
Daleville, VA, Three Li'l Pigs BBQ (pork BBQ)
Charlotte, NC, Price's Chicken Coop (fried chicken) or Bill Spoon's BBQ (pork BBQ, Brunswick stew)
Spartanburg, SC, The Beacon (chili cheese-a-plenty, sweet tea)

Most of these places aren't too far from the highway.  Miles Inn is a few miles in town, but you'll be eating the finest loosemeats sandwich in the whole state.  If you don't go there, then stop at any Maid-Rite (Iowa-only fast-food chain) for a loosemeats -- it's an Iowa specialty.  The white clam pie at Frank Pepe's is the nation's best, and I've had so many friends who claimed they didn't like clams go crazy over this pizza.  You gotta try NC-style BBQ -- if not in Charlotte, then anywhere you see a sign.

If you have a GPS, you can download all these Roadfood spots directly to your POI folder and be led straight to the best eats in America!  Safe travels, friend, and don't forget to take time to smell the roses!    Happy eating, Chris

Chris, Thanks , You do go the extra mile !!

I have several suggestions, however I'll address them later on today when I have more time..

I would personally avoid Pat's Steaks in Philadelphia. It's a flat out tourist trap (not touristy) I've been there twice, on two very randomy occasions in 2000 and 2005. Both times the meat (there was hardly any in the sandwich anyway) was both cold and dry, and there was an extremely thin coating of cheese whiz in fact several spots of the sandwich had no cheese whiz at all.

Yes, the places is an institution, but it will be teeming with tourists who are there to get a very mediocre product. So stopping by "just to see it would be worth it.

I would personally go with your original desination, Campo's, or better yet Lorenzo's in the Italian Market. Both places serve a superior cheesesteak.

I live in Warwick RI and I've been very dissapointed with Iggy's the last couple of times I've gone. The Fish and Chips were cold and soggy and the Fried Clams were very greasy.
I would suggest the Crows Nest instead, or if you can make it down to Narragansett, Champlins.

I'll add much more later today

Having just been to Price's Chicken Coop in Charlotte for the first time, I'd like to add an amen to that one--get a chicken dinner and a fried fish dinner and do splitsies.  Heaven in a greasy cardboard box.

If you go to Newport Ky, head on over to the Blue Stars Cafe at 6th and Overton in the historic district. My friend Gracie Muldoon will fix you a really good sub and a great bowl of chili.Finish it off with some of her homemade brownies. If you go on a Saturday you'll probably be serenaded by a bunch of bluegrass pickers.
 
If you happen to make it around Canton, Ohio to visit the Football Hall of Fame, check out Chicken Manor on Cleveland Avenue in North Canton. It is a family run chicken house that has been in business since 1963. I have been eating there since I was about 9 years old. I have to go there at least once a week. The chicken is unlike any other. The batter they use is unique and their pasta is good also.
If you head up north towards Cleveland on I-77, get off at the Brecksville Rd exit and do a U-turn back to Whiteys Burger and Booze in Richfield. IMO, I have never had a burger this good. I always get the Maggie burger. It is a cheeseburger smothered in mushrooms and onions. I get a heaping side order of fresh cut fries and a bowl of Richfield chili. I guarantee you you'll love it!!

I second ayersian's recommendations of Bill Spoon's BBQ and the Beacon. I love the food at both places ( the Beacon's chili cheeseburger and onion rings are my "must have" meal there ), plus eating at the Beacon is a one-of-a-kind experience. 

Pat's is not a tourist trap.  It is not filled with tourists except maybe for weekend lunch.  In the course of a week far more Philadelphians go to Pat's than tourists.  Many have been doing so for generations.  There is plenty of loyalty to Pat's by locals born and raised in Philly.  Not so much from the kinder, more gentile folks that grew up elsewhere and moved to Philadelphia later in life.

I have always had a good cheesesteak from Pat's.  On a rare occasion, great, but always good.  Not my favorite, but as they are only a few blocks from my home, a reliable go-to when I don't feel like driving to Steve's.

This should be interesting...

Bruce Bilmes and Sue Boyle


This should be interesting...

yes, it will be, but you're all going to have to wait until I get home from work so I can weed out and cut and paste the local reviews of Pat's from YELP (they're not pretty)

I give not a wit for YELP - more common wisdom than wisdom.

Anyhow...

Having the advantage of being local, earlier this afternoon I scooted over to Pat's King of Steaks and had me another cheesesteak.  It was really good, even great.  The steak was fried not stewed and had good meat flavor.  Plenty of whiz melting through the meat, plenty of onions, nicely soft bread.  A classic.



And some trapped tourists fresh from a stroll through the Art Museum



Pat's is a Philadelphia institution and is no more a tourist trap than Independence Hall or Reading Terminal Market.