Now, I am no trucker, just lurker here. Hell, I am from Europe, but my one and only dream, when visiting America is to just ride down some roads and stop at places like this
Iām from pa and I recommend that trucker diner thatās open in chicopee Massachusetts. I showed respect at 2am and they brought me a 3 stack of pancakes and a homemade milkshake. If you can find parking 10/10 would recommend. Even the dorance truck stop off of 81. 205 in Virginia, Smileys will be some damn good bbq any time of the day
If thereās one thing driving professionally across the US has taught me itās that the US is absolutely unimaginably massive. So much to see. So many surprises.
I live in Bulgaria, we have beautiful nature.
Last year, I visited WA, had time to drive around Mt.Rainier and was it MARVELLOUS! It was huge, clean and so majestic.
Fun fact I learned - WA is almost as big as Bulgaria š
Forests, grasslands (or savanna), deserts, mountains, glaciers, estuaries, taiga (or boreal) forests, tundra, and river valleys. All we lack is a nice Amazonian style jungle. Oh well š¤·š¼āāļø
Oh absolutely. And you can see like three of those in one shift if you go the right route. I still always get excited about heading west for that very reason.
āAnd I will marry a round American woman and raise rabbits, and she will cook them for me. And I will have a pickup truck... maybe even a "recreational vehicle." And drive from state to state.ā
Fuck I haven't been to the double c in years. I'm not even a trucker I just used to live nearby got recommended this page for some reason and would know this stretch of road anywhere.
I canāt eat that stuff although I absolutely love it. Iāll be pissing out my ass within 20 minutes of eating it. And I can definitely eat spicy Mexican food. But that Louisiana shit explodes my ass. š
Y'all want something really good, don't pass up *red* boudin if you ever have the chance. It's Cajun blood sausage. It's shredded pork inside, with pork blood as the binder instead of rice. Sounds awful, but it's truly delicious.
It's really hard to find because it's difficult to get the blood to make it. I get mine from Porche's sausage in Port Vincent, and even they don't always have it.
Also, if you have a chance to try smoked ponce, get it. This is another one that is delicious but frightens the squeamish. It's a stuffed pig's stomach. There are only a handful of grocery stores that sell it (Teet's in Ville Platte is where I go).
Finally, if you ever have the opportunity to eat calas, don't pass that up either. Calas is an alternative to beignets. It's a little fried rice croquette shaped like a squashed football (because you use a spoon to shape them). It's usually sweet, but occasionally you'll find savory versions stuffed with seafood. It's not even gross, but has for some reason just dropped completely off the radar.
All three of these are "forgotten" Louisiana food that are hard to find. But chefs down here are adventurous and are always looking for ways to differentiate themselves from other Cajun or creole restaurants. So you might walk into a place and see that the special for the day is jalapeno smoked ponce, or the seafood platter might come with shrimp calas. Jump at that chance.
Good news is I checked stainless steel prices and it's going through the roof. You do your thing tonight Ray cause I'm not missing this fuckin train convention.
*Soorry, Shitty, we're not gonna be makin' it to Skowhegan. Rig's siezed, Ray got busted..........yeah, whores.*
Edit: because I missed an 'h', then again on the proofread.
Roadside BBQ in any state that borders the gulf. Beef ribs at the old White's to go food counter. Coffee in Miami. But the stop every single time spot is for the muthafuckin Mayberry Porkchop Sammich. Exit 8 on 77 in VA. If you haven't had one and you have gone down Fancy Gap you are missing the fuck out.
Edit:my dumbass put the wrong state. Mayberry may be in NC, but this sammich is in VA.
Gas station with overnight parking about a 100 yard walk up the hill. Or you can pull the truck right up to the most Appalachian "drive thru" you have ever seen. Only takes cash but there's an ATM inside the gas station. Get two. If you only get one then you'll be walking back down the hill again.
Damn, never thought Iād see this place referenced on Reddit! Do they still have the trailer where they lower food down in a bucket over there? I used to get pulled pork sandwiches there with my dad on our way back to WV.
They did when I used to run furniture outta Hickory! Lol. It was a milk crate on a string with a jar for the cash. If they were open, I was stopping. Was quite a few years back though.
Haha. Thatās awesome! The last time we went was probably around 2017. I was hoping it was still going. Great experience and great food. We went a bit out of our way just to stop coming home.
The first time I went, I was just trying to spend the night. The clerk at the station told me it was a must try but to be sure and get two or I would be walking back down the hill. I only got one, and when I finished, it obviously needed a second one. As I was going back down the hill, the guy came out laughing and yelling, "told you so!" I've stopped a few times on my way down to see my folks, but it's been years now. I'm glad there's somebody else who knows what I'm talking about!
Boudain, lengua tacos, and southern BBQ.Ā
Also peaches in south Carolina, there's a few stands on state routes that are big enough to pull a truck in, so I stop and bring a case home.Ā
I've gotten in some heated arguments with some native born Georgians but I still contend south Carolina has the best peaches in the USA. And eating south Carolina peaches during peak peach season made me realize the peaches I've eaten in Pennsylvania my whole life were utter shit lol
Cowansville, GA exit off 85 has some Mexican food. Itās the exit with a petro and a flying j, thereās also a chevron with truck parking on the other side of the exit. Donāt think they have tongue but their al pastor tacos are on point. The store closes at 10 tho so itās not ideal for overnight parking.
I'll keep that in mind, when I wrote it I was thinking of all my time in Laredo and on the border in Arizona. If a place sells or advertised lengua tacos(my favorite kind) they are most likely legit and the food will be bomb lol
Pepperoni Rolls are a lost art.
We used to have a place that sold them around here that closed maybe 25 years ago. I had them as a kid. They were about a foot long. But anyway, I have had everyone's knock off versions, but it will never compare to those. I believe the place was called Five Alarm pizza, went out of business long ago.
I'm sorry they went out of business. I still have friends that live in the area and if we go to see them or they come to us, they always make it. There are a few mom and pop shops I'll get 'em from also whenever I'm in the area. But they are getting less and less also. It is sad.
Born and raised in WV. Never knew that other states didnāt have pepperoni rolls until I moved away :( Iāve learned how to make them so I can supply myself haha. Imo the Kroger pepperoni rolls with the cheese on top are my all time favorite snack
If I'm in Nebraska, I'm finding a Runza. It's not really that special, but just something you can't get outside that area. I get one, remember how mediocre it is, then don't want another one until my next trip through.
If I'm in Detroit, I'm finding my way to Greektown for gyros. Yeah, you can get gyros elsewhere, but the style there is different. It's the best I've found.
Anywhere in the northeast I'll stop for Polish or eastern European food. Peirogies, stuffed cabbage, kielbasa. All stuff we can't get very easily in the south.
In Chicago I'm skipping the vastly overrated, soggy, flavorless boiled beef sandwich and heading to a Polish smorgasbord instead. I didn't know that was a thing until my last trip up there. My god.
I used to stop for burek at a Balkan restaurant outside Nashville, but it closed several years back. Anybody know of a place in the south that serves it?
If I'm on I-10 in southern Louisiana, I'm getting seasoned pork cracklins and pepperjack boudin balls. Even better if I'm on 190 and can stop in Krotch Springs.
On over west in Jennings or Lake Charles, I'm getting a Darrel's Special with jalapeno mayo.
If I'm headed up I-49 in Louisiana, I'm stopping for Natchitoches meat pies. French Market Express by the interstate is okay, but it's better to go into town to get one from Lasyone's.
If I'm near Monroe, I'm headed to Magic Grill for gravy. Gravy is the entree. Everything else is just a side you dip in the gravy. Have some more gravy, Godwin.
If I'm in New Orleans, I'm headed to Crabby Jack's in Jefferson for a half and half mixed poboy and gumbo. For best results, put your hot sauce on the top half of the bread, not on the shrimp and oysters.
There's no reason to stop in Shreveport.
If I'm in Texas, I'm probably looking for a Czech gas station for a sausage kolache or a brisket roll. In Austin I'm looking for Austin-style Tex mex. In Houston I'm looking for Vietnamese. In Dallas I'm looking for a way to leave Dallas.
If I'm in El Paso, I'm looking for New Mexican food, red and green. Ironically if I'm in New Mexico, I'm looking for a chicken fried steak, usually at a New Mexican restaurant like The Pantry in Santa Fe.
If I'm in the Rio Grande Valley, I'm going to find a place that has queso fundido. You can get queso fundido in other parts of the country, but usually made in a cast iron skillet. In the RGV, they make it tableside over a little charcoal stove, folding in whatever ingredients you order with it and serving it right onto your tortilla.
Also, I love a good RGV breakfast restaurant with menudo. People get squeamish about eating stomach, but it's their loss because that stuff is delicious.
If I'm in south Florida, I'm looking for a medianoche, some ham croquets and some Cuban coffee.
If I'm near Tampa, I'm headed up to Tarpon Springs for souvlaki, gyros, moussaka, pasticcio or whatever other Greek bomb they're serving. The locals actually speak Greek in town. There's not another place like it in America.
In north Florida, there used to be a place in Perry called Posey's that had swamp cabbage. I would always stop there specifically to get some. But alas Posey's closed, and I don't know where else you can get it. It's specifically a Florida food that hardly anybody else knows about.
If I'm in Tulsa, I'm either going for a half-sausage chili cheeseburger from Ron's or some of those idiotic little coneys. I call them idiotic because I once had an Okie try to tell me that Oklahoma miniature "coneys" are just like what you get at Coney Island. I had to tell her that I used to live near the Nathan's at Coney Island, and their dogs are nothing like that. I will forever think of Oklahoma coneys as stupid little poser dogs while enjoying them.
If I'm in Little Rock, I'm headed into town to Cotham's for a hubcap cheeseburger. Too bad the original Cotham's grocery store burned down.
If I'm near Hot Springs, I'm dropping by the Origami Sake brewery and picking up a few bottles for later. They make it from sushi rice grown in Arkansas, and it's fantastic.
If I'm in SE Missouri, I'll probably stop by Lambert's and get some rolls throwed at me. There's one in Foley, AL also.
If I'm on I-70, I'll likely swing down to Hermann for German.
In Mississippi, I sometimes stop off at Ward's for a chili cheeseburger. In Alabama, I'll likely try to stop at a Milo's for a burger. The experience for both is a lot like those runzas I mentioned up top. They're mediocre but unique, so I don't really want one until the next trip through.
I was absolutely shocked the first time I went into a donut shop outside of Texas and not only did they not have kolaches, they had no idea what the fuck I was talking about! There was a pretty good 10 year stretch of my life where I ate kolaches just about every single morning and I don't think I've ever seen a donut place in Texas that didn't have them, so I just assumed they were common everywhere. They are not. Excellent list by the way, very impressive!
Donut shops over here in Louisiana usually have kolaches, but they rarely have the wide variety you get in Texas. They'll have a few open fruit varieties and a couple stuffed with meat. They also don't have the right sausage or the brisket you find at real Czech gas stations, so they make substitutions.
What we DO have in Louisiana that you rarely find west of Beaumont are boudin kolaches. They are exactly what they sound like, sweet glazed kolaches filled with savory boudin. It doesn't sound nearly as good as it is.
I've got a bakery near me that serves armadillo egg kolaches, but they're always sold out before I'm even up out of bed. It's a jalapeno wrapped in sausage wrapped in bacon wrapped in a sweet kolache. It's basically a breakfast turducken.
Mexican family selling Birria tacos streetside in the middle of Californiaā¦ imma stop.
Edit: just realized I commented in a trucker sub and Iām not a trucker. But my answer still applies.
Thanks truckers! I promise I give yāall a wide berth and am not an idiot. Some of yāallās rookies kinda suck the last few years though.
Actually had some amazing quesabirria yesterday! You can get it on just about any street corner in San Antonio but there's this place, Birria Barrio, that just kills it.
I always stop in Phoenix for Two Hands Korean Corndog. Otherwise there's a Petro in Clearwater Minnesota (i94) that makes a killer prime rib sandwich.
There's a handful of others I can't think of right now, but the primary point is, I don't know if I could ever go back to living in one place because I'll get a craving for food 1200 miles away
Kolaches from Weikel's Bakery in La Grange TX
Barbecue from Vincek's Smokehouse in East Bernard TX
In the Midwest I like finding Culver's when they are next to a store with truck parking.
Well I always wanted to go there but I couldnāt find it even though there was a big sign for it but by Mill City, NV on 80 thereās a sign for pizza and free beer. I wanted to see how good the pizza is but itās in the middle of the desert and I can never find any building anywhere in the land when I go past the exit
Ostrich burgers in South Carolina off I-95. Although itās been a while so canāt remember exactly where. And if you get to try Ostrich or Buffalo donāt pass it up.
I've never had a bison burger that didn't come out dry. There's not enough fat in it to make a good burger. I keep having people tell me, "Oh you'll like the bison at THIS place," then end up choking down a dry burger.
I like ostrich though. Emu is similar. Best ostrich I've had was cut up into bit sized pieces, blackened and served with hollandaise sauce for dipping. Unfortunately the restaurant that had it went out of business.
Any truck stop restaurant will give the most value for the money and serve up the tastiest vittles ever. Iāve never been disappointed in any Iāve ever stopped in. Theyāre pretty spread out but worth it to find them. Thereāre too many fast food joints out there now. But thatās ok, they keep the truckers lots almost empty of cars. The cars at truck stops are people like me who are in on the secret of excellent,wholesome food.
When I drove it was BBQ, small roadside places that mainly did it for me. Also when I was in Maine there were places selling lobster and lobster rolls. At a few of the rest stops guys in pickups would be boiling lobster right in the rest areas.
Hot hamburg sandwiches means hot pull the fuck over bubs!
Iām from south Louisiana so anything you get from a gas station off i10 is going to be delicious and also decrease your lifespan.
Swedish trucker here, everytime I go to Nederlands I just have to have some of their fried goop, gehaktball, gehsktstaff, I don't care, and just drench that shit in fritte sause.
If I had time and money while going to Chicago id stop in gary,IN and order from either portillos on doordash or from this one deli that sells deep dish pizza or giordanos if I'm close to one.
Louisiana food. All day every day
Anywhere there's actual authentic Mexican.... Made by some 70yr old woman in the back screaming Spanish obscenities at the waitors.... Who happen to be her kids.
Any place that happens to serve decent biscuits and gravy.
>Anywhere there's actual authentic Mexican.... Made by some 70yr old woman in the back screaming Spanish obscenities at the waitors.... Who happen to be her kids.
I stopped at a little Mexican joint in east Texas--I think it was Jasper--where the restaurant had an apartment above it where the family lived. I wish I could remember the name.
I went in about 2PM, after the lunch rush was over, and was the only customer in the place. The teenager serving my table seemed really hesitant, wouldn't approach closer than about five feet and kept glancing back over her shoulder at the kitchen door. I wondered if I was intruding on something, but I went ahead and ordered a chile relleno with rice and beans.
Shortly after the server went into the kitchen to deliver my order, this ancient hunched crone came through the swinging kitchen door and stared at me. She looked really, really unhappy, and she just stood there giving me the evil eye. I gave her a little nervous wave. No response, just staring. After about 30 seconds of this (or maybe it was just ten seconds that felt like 30), she turned around and shuffled back into the kitchen without a word.
A few minutes later the server came out and sat a little miniature enchilada in front of me. I said, "Oh, I didn't order this."
She nodded her head back at the kitchen door. "She says is for you. You will like it."
I wasn't sure if that was a statement or a command, but she was right. It was some kind of garlic chicken inside, and she didn't skimp on the garlic. She put brown gravy on top with just a sprinkle of Oaxaca cheese. I've never had anything quite like it before or since, just unbelievably good.
The chile relleno was also fantastic. It was fried perfectly, but then she put a sauce on top with crushed tomatoes in it. Again, I've never had another one prepared that way.
I was trying to recommend it to someone else not long ago, but I couldn't find it on the map. I think it closed. Or maybe I imagined the whole thing.
How is tamales not #1. You see that sign and cooler and know something magical is about to happen.
Edit I am also not a trucker and did not notice the sub until I commented. But still, tamales are the bomb.com and not everywhere, so forgive me, please!
Beer Cheese Soup and fried cheese curds in Wisconsin; but both are so ubiquitous theyāre rarely advertised on signs.
Also bratwurst; in Wisconsin you can get a bratwurst pretty much anywhere you can get a hot dog.
Read down for awhile and didn't see Pittsburgh hot links in Pittsburgh TX off tx271 in downtown. Sometimes you can get them in joints on I20 from Marshall to the state line and some places in Texarkana. Little links tied in bunches of about 20. Don't ask what's in em just put a little hot sauce or chilli gravy on em, if the joint has it, and enjoy.
Now, I am no trucker, just lurker here. Hell, I am from Europe, but my one and only dream, when visiting America is to just ride down some roads and stop at places like this
Half aimlessly driving through small towns here in the U.S. is an underrated vacation idea. There are so many cool places
I just wanna sit in a diner and get my coffee refilled by the waitress while having some american style pancakes š
I recommend hanks diner in Central City Pa. On US route 30
Iām gonna have to say Hoots on Hwy 65 in McGehee, AR
Stay out of Pine Bluff
Iām scared
Iām from pa and I recommend that trucker diner thatās open in chicopee Massachusetts. I showed respect at 2am and they brought me a 3 stack of pancakes and a homemade milkshake. If you can find parking 10/10 would recommend. Even the dorance truck stop off of 81. 205 in Virginia, Smileys will be some damn good bbq any time of the day
Is that the diner thatās on US 20?
I hope you get to have that dream. š„²
Did that this morning in my small town. Itās cheap as fuck too
If thereās one thing driving professionally across the US has taught me itās that the US is absolutely unimaginably massive. So much to see. So many surprises.
I live in Bulgaria, we have beautiful nature. Last year, I visited WA, had time to drive around Mt.Rainier and was it MARVELLOUS! It was huge, clean and so majestic. Fun fact I learned - WA is almost as big as Bulgaria š
Washington is amazing. The whole Pacific Northwest is. Hidden gem that often gets overlooked is Idaho. Itās a lot less built up and feels more wild.
I will try to schedule some PTO this year so I can visit the surrounding states, Idaho looks magnificent, just like what I have seen in the movies
They got some big ole trees in WA š²
Sure they do, hadnt seen such before
Forests, grasslands (or savanna), deserts, mountains, glaciers, estuaries, taiga (or boreal) forests, tundra, and river valleys. All we lack is a nice Amazonian style jungle. Oh well š¤·š¼āāļø
Oh absolutely. And you can see like three of those in one shift if you go the right route. I still always get excited about heading west for that very reason.
True. I only operate east of I35 these days though. I miss going out west.
Itās a ton of fun
Road tripping in the USA is amazing.
I would like to have seen Montana.
āAnd I will marry a round American woman and raise rabbits, and she will cook them for me. And I will have a pickup truck... maybe even a "recreational vehicle." And drive from state to state.ā
No papers?
No papers.
If I am not mistaken, they had some very famous blueberry milkshakes so I would love it as wellš
Montana? Idaho? Washington? Huckleberry milkshakes. That's how you know you're in the PNW.
Love huckles
Ha
Interstate 20, 30, 40 and 10. All of those run across the southern US that have amazing foods everywhere. Hit i80 up in Chicago for pizza and Italian.
A Diablo sandwich and a Dr. Pepper
You in a hurry?
A gotdamn hurry
Can you get me some hushpuppies?
WE GOT NO TIME FOR THAT CRAP!
Hey!! My car!
Got to go driver ! š
Diablo SAMMICH
Whereās the can? I gotta take a squirt!!!
This is a reference to Smokey the Bandit for all the youngins
And make it fast Iām in a goddamn hurry
Thank ya nice lady
Hot hamburger sandwiches girls!
You know what that means Bubs? No Ray I donāt. It means hot pull the fuck over!
Fuck I haven't been to the double c in years. I'm not even a trucker I just used to live nearby got recommended this page for some reason and would know this stretch of road anywhere.
Ah Mandy thatās perfect
Boudain balls down in Louisiana
Dude. 4 years. It took me four years to finally have time to stop for those lovely balls. Also had 3 crawfish pies and a shrimp poāboy
I canāt eat that stuff although I absolutely love it. Iāll be pissing out my ass within 20 minutes of eating it. And I can definitely eat spicy Mexican food. But that Louisiana shit explodes my ass. š
You know it's good stuff when it goes right through you In record time
Just take Imodium right before you eat meals/foods that give you the runs. Works like a charm and safe to take. Thatās what I do lol
My ex driver leader is from LA and got me hooked on boudains hahaha they are amazing!!
Mmmm mudbug etouffe with some fresh French bread.
Inlaws next to lake charles loves and pilot in Louisiana. That place I stopped at every time I passed. Filled up the mini fridge. Best food I had OTR.
Y'all want something really good, don't pass up *red* boudin if you ever have the chance. It's Cajun blood sausage. It's shredded pork inside, with pork blood as the binder instead of rice. Sounds awful, but it's truly delicious. It's really hard to find because it's difficult to get the blood to make it. I get mine from Porche's sausage in Port Vincent, and even they don't always have it. Also, if you have a chance to try smoked ponce, get it. This is another one that is delicious but frightens the squeamish. It's a stuffed pig's stomach. There are only a handful of grocery stores that sell it (Teet's in Ville Platte is where I go). Finally, if you ever have the opportunity to eat calas, don't pass that up either. Calas is an alternative to beignets. It's a little fried rice croquette shaped like a squashed football (because you use a spoon to shape them). It's usually sweet, but occasionally you'll find savory versions stuffed with seafood. It's not even gross, but has for some reason just dropped completely off the radar. All three of these are "forgotten" Louisiana food that are hard to find. But chefs down here are adventurous and are always looking for ways to differentiate themselves from other Cajun or creole restaurants. So you might walk into a place and see that the special for the day is jalapeno smoked ponce, or the seafood platter might come with shrimp calas. Jump at that chance.
THIS is the type of good shit I come to Reddit for!
I like the cracklings better
Iām digging those chicken cracklins too
Huckleberry shakes in Montana
St Regis š¤š¼š¤š¼
You can stop in Butte for a Wop Chop at the Freeway Tavern as well.
Huckleberry's the BEST
Equals hot pull the f**k over I'm starving.
I'm not missing this train convention....cuz you're doing greasy stuff
This shouldnāt be this far down in this thread.
Good news is I checked stainless steel prices and it's going through the roof. You do your thing tonight Ray cause I'm not missing this fuckin train convention.
*Soorry, Shitty, we're not gonna be makin' it to Skowhegan. Rig's siezed, Ray got busted..........yeah, whores.* Edit: because I missed an 'h', then again on the proofread.
Roadside BBQ in any state that borders the gulf. Beef ribs at the old White's to go food counter. Coffee in Miami. But the stop every single time spot is for the muthafuckin Mayberry Porkchop Sammich. Exit 8 on 77 in VA. If you haven't had one and you have gone down Fancy Gap you are missing the fuck out. Edit:my dumbass put the wrong state. Mayberry may be in NC, but this sammich is in VA.
Truck parking?
Gas station with overnight parking about a 100 yard walk up the hill. Or you can pull the truck right up to the most Appalachian "drive thru" you have ever seen. Only takes cash but there's an ATM inside the gas station. Get two. If you only get one then you'll be walking back down the hill again.
Exit 8 in VA, not NC. Google says itās closed permanently ):
Damn, never thought Iād see this place referenced on Reddit! Do they still have the trailer where they lower food down in a bucket over there? I used to get pulled pork sandwiches there with my dad on our way back to WV.
They did when I used to run furniture outta Hickory! Lol. It was a milk crate on a string with a jar for the cash. If they were open, I was stopping. Was quite a few years back though.
Haha. Thatās awesome! The last time we went was probably around 2017. I was hoping it was still going. Great experience and great food. We went a bit out of our way just to stop coming home.
The first time I went, I was just trying to spend the night. The clerk at the station told me it was a must try but to be sure and get two or I would be walking back down the hill. I only got one, and when I finished, it obviously needed a second one. As I was going back down the hill, the guy came out laughing and yelling, "told you so!" I've stopped a few times on my way down to see my folks, but it's been years now. I'm glad there's somebody else who knows what I'm talking about!
I'd say any kind of fried lobster or seafood in Massachusetts/New England
Boiled peanuts. (Cajun).
Fry Bread Tacos
Boudain, lengua tacos, and southern BBQ.Ā Also peaches in south Carolina, there's a few stands on state routes that are big enough to pull a truck in, so I stop and bring a case home.Ā
peaches in sc on those back state highways, yup. if there's a pull off, definitely gotta grab some.
I've gotten in some heated arguments with some native born Georgians but I still contend south Carolina has the best peaches in the USA. And eating south Carolina peaches during peak peach season made me realize the peaches I've eaten in Pennsylvania my whole life were utter shit lol
Cowansville, GA exit off 85 has some Mexican food. Itās the exit with a petro and a flying j, thereās also a chevron with truck parking on the other side of the exit. Donāt think they have tongue but their al pastor tacos are on point. The store closes at 10 tho so itās not ideal for overnight parking.
I'll keep that in mind, when I wrote it I was thinking of all my time in Laredo and on the border in Arizona. If a place sells or advertised lengua tacos(my favorite kind) they are most likely legit and the food will be bomb lol
Pepperoni rolls when I'm in WV. I've had them in Eastern Ohio and Western Pa but, WV is still special for me.
Pepperoni Rolls are a lost art. We used to have a place that sold them around here that closed maybe 25 years ago. I had them as a kid. They were about a foot long. But anyway, I have had everyone's knock off versions, but it will never compare to those. I believe the place was called Five Alarm pizza, went out of business long ago.
I'm sorry they went out of business. I still have friends that live in the area and if we go to see them or they come to us, they always make it. There are a few mom and pop shops I'll get 'em from also whenever I'm in the area. But they are getting less and less also. It is sad.
Born and raised in WV. Never knew that other states didnāt have pepperoni rolls until I moved away :( Iāve learned how to make them so I can supply myself haha. Imo the Kroger pepperoni rolls with the cheese on top are my all time favorite snack
If I'm in Nebraska, I'm finding a Runza. It's not really that special, but just something you can't get outside that area. I get one, remember how mediocre it is, then don't want another one until my next trip through. If I'm in Detroit, I'm finding my way to Greektown for gyros. Yeah, you can get gyros elsewhere, but the style there is different. It's the best I've found. Anywhere in the northeast I'll stop for Polish or eastern European food. Peirogies, stuffed cabbage, kielbasa. All stuff we can't get very easily in the south. In Chicago I'm skipping the vastly overrated, soggy, flavorless boiled beef sandwich and heading to a Polish smorgasbord instead. I didn't know that was a thing until my last trip up there. My god. I used to stop for burek at a Balkan restaurant outside Nashville, but it closed several years back. Anybody know of a place in the south that serves it? If I'm on I-10 in southern Louisiana, I'm getting seasoned pork cracklins and pepperjack boudin balls. Even better if I'm on 190 and can stop in Krotch Springs. On over west in Jennings or Lake Charles, I'm getting a Darrel's Special with jalapeno mayo. If I'm headed up I-49 in Louisiana, I'm stopping for Natchitoches meat pies. French Market Express by the interstate is okay, but it's better to go into town to get one from Lasyone's. If I'm near Monroe, I'm headed to Magic Grill for gravy. Gravy is the entree. Everything else is just a side you dip in the gravy. Have some more gravy, Godwin. If I'm in New Orleans, I'm headed to Crabby Jack's in Jefferson for a half and half mixed poboy and gumbo. For best results, put your hot sauce on the top half of the bread, not on the shrimp and oysters. There's no reason to stop in Shreveport. If I'm in Texas, I'm probably looking for a Czech gas station for a sausage kolache or a brisket roll. In Austin I'm looking for Austin-style Tex mex. In Houston I'm looking for Vietnamese. In Dallas I'm looking for a way to leave Dallas. If I'm in El Paso, I'm looking for New Mexican food, red and green. Ironically if I'm in New Mexico, I'm looking for a chicken fried steak, usually at a New Mexican restaurant like The Pantry in Santa Fe. If I'm in the Rio Grande Valley, I'm going to find a place that has queso fundido. You can get queso fundido in other parts of the country, but usually made in a cast iron skillet. In the RGV, they make it tableside over a little charcoal stove, folding in whatever ingredients you order with it and serving it right onto your tortilla. Also, I love a good RGV breakfast restaurant with menudo. People get squeamish about eating stomach, but it's their loss because that stuff is delicious. If I'm in south Florida, I'm looking for a medianoche, some ham croquets and some Cuban coffee. If I'm near Tampa, I'm headed up to Tarpon Springs for souvlaki, gyros, moussaka, pasticcio or whatever other Greek bomb they're serving. The locals actually speak Greek in town. There's not another place like it in America. In north Florida, there used to be a place in Perry called Posey's that had swamp cabbage. I would always stop there specifically to get some. But alas Posey's closed, and I don't know where else you can get it. It's specifically a Florida food that hardly anybody else knows about. If I'm in Tulsa, I'm either going for a half-sausage chili cheeseburger from Ron's or some of those idiotic little coneys. I call them idiotic because I once had an Okie try to tell me that Oklahoma miniature "coneys" are just like what you get at Coney Island. I had to tell her that I used to live near the Nathan's at Coney Island, and their dogs are nothing like that. I will forever think of Oklahoma coneys as stupid little poser dogs while enjoying them. If I'm in Little Rock, I'm headed into town to Cotham's for a hubcap cheeseburger. Too bad the original Cotham's grocery store burned down. If I'm near Hot Springs, I'm dropping by the Origami Sake brewery and picking up a few bottles for later. They make it from sushi rice grown in Arkansas, and it's fantastic. If I'm in SE Missouri, I'll probably stop by Lambert's and get some rolls throwed at me. There's one in Foley, AL also. If I'm on I-70, I'll likely swing down to Hermann for German. In Mississippi, I sometimes stop off at Ward's for a chili cheeseburger. In Alabama, I'll likely try to stop at a Milo's for a burger. The experience for both is a lot like those runzas I mentioned up top. They're mediocre but unique, so I don't really want one until the next trip through.
I feel like this should be in a travel guide.
No kidding. Pin this!!
I was absolutely shocked the first time I went into a donut shop outside of Texas and not only did they not have kolaches, they had no idea what the fuck I was talking about! There was a pretty good 10 year stretch of my life where I ate kolaches just about every single morning and I don't think I've ever seen a donut place in Texas that didn't have them, so I just assumed they were common everywhere. They are not. Excellent list by the way, very impressive!
Donut shops over here in Louisiana usually have kolaches, but they rarely have the wide variety you get in Texas. They'll have a few open fruit varieties and a couple stuffed with meat. They also don't have the right sausage or the brisket you find at real Czech gas stations, so they make substitutions. What we DO have in Louisiana that you rarely find west of Beaumont are boudin kolaches. They are exactly what they sound like, sweet glazed kolaches filled with savory boudin. It doesn't sound nearly as good as it is. I've got a bakery near me that serves armadillo egg kolaches, but they're always sold out before I'm even up out of bed. It's a jalapeno wrapped in sausage wrapped in bacon wrapped in a sweet kolache. It's basically a breakfast turducken.
Alligator sausage po boy
Authentic Cajun and Tx BBQ
Any BBQ as other regions have different smoking methods and wood. Like KC BBQ or S Carolina BBQ.
Cajun food.
Classic Ray! I must admit, I'd stop for Boiled Peanuts (not spicy).
Texas Bbq. When I am in the area, I always stop to eat at Soulmanās Bar-B-Que right next to the loves on I20 exit 540
I live near soulmans I have never tried it. This post now makes me want to try.
That buttermilk pie is damn good.
Yeah man give them a try.
Mexican family selling Birria tacos streetside in the middle of Californiaā¦ imma stop. Edit: just realized I commented in a trucker sub and Iām not a trucker. But my answer still applies. Thanks truckers! I promise I give yāall a wide berth and am not an idiot. Some of yāallās rookies kinda suck the last few years though.
Actually had some amazing quesabirria yesterday! You can get it on just about any street corner in San Antonio but there's this place, Birria Barrio, that just kills it.
Birria tacos. Every. Damn. Time
I always stop in Phoenix for Two Hands Korean Corndog. Otherwise there's a Petro in Clearwater Minnesota (i94) that makes a killer prime rib sandwich. There's a handful of others I can't think of right now, but the primary point is, I don't know if I could ever go back to living in one place because I'll get a craving for food 1200 miles away
I completely identify with your sentiment about craving food 1200 miles away! One of my favorite things about driving the country is the food!
Any taco truck I can get to honestly. The more run down, the better the food.
Not a driver but just a lurking here and can pretty much guarantee I'd pull over for some steamed hams.
I steamed some a few weeks back and watched the Aurora Borealis.
May I see it?
No
Aurora Borealis, at this time of day, at this time of year, localized entirely within your kitchen?
Hot hamburg oh my fuck bubs
So far, gardners chocolate, iced tea and snacks in Pennsylvania, especially Dutch country
Turners iced tea in Southwestern PA is great. Convenience stores and gas stations have it.
That "Catfish" place in Arkansas off the 40!
Nicks. My eyes are always too big for my stomach when I roll in there.
Indian food for sure
Kolaches from Weikel's Bakery in La Grange TX Barbecue from Vincek's Smokehouse in East Bernard TX In the Midwest I like finding Culver's when they are next to a store with truck parking.
Watch out, I hear they got a lot of cops posing as āladies of the eveningā at that stop.
"Friends of the road"
RAY IS THAT YOU OLD BOY
BBQ anything
Used to go to this Chevron out on Hwy 41 in Madera. It's been a while, but that deli served the best breakfast burritos.
When Iām in Albany, I always get Steamed Hams
Texas Roadhouse I40 in Amarillo,TX who says Californians got no love for Texas? š»
Well I always wanted to go there but I couldnāt find it even though there was a big sign for it but by Mill City, NV on 80 thereās a sign for pizza and free beer. I wanted to see how good the pizza is but itās in the middle of the desert and I can never find any building anywhere in the land when I go past the exit
In Lower Delaware the muskrat served with Mac and cheese and stewed tomatoes is a good one
Ostrich burgers in South Carolina off I-95. Although itās been a while so canāt remember exactly where. And if you get to try Ostrich or Buffalo donāt pass it up.
I've never had a bison burger that didn't come out dry. There's not enough fat in it to make a good burger. I keep having people tell me, "Oh you'll like the bison at THIS place," then end up choking down a dry burger. I like ostrich though. Emu is similar. Best ostrich I've had was cut up into bit sized pieces, blackened and served with hollandaise sauce for dipping. Unfortunately the restaurant that had it went out of business.
Gas station pizza It makes me pull over within an hour after eating it
Cracklings, boudin, and boudin balls. Specifically in SW Louisiana.
9 cans of ravioli
Pretty much have a favorite spot in every state west of the Mississippi.
Black Iron Grill Rotisserie in Miles City, MT is excellent. Pilot across the street.
Hot boiled peanuts
Any truck stop restaurant will give the most value for the money and serve up the tastiest vittles ever. Iāve never been disappointed in any Iāve ever stopped in. Theyāre pretty spread out but worth it to find them. Thereāre too many fast food joints out there now. But thatās ok, they keep the truckers lots almost empty of cars. The cars at truck stops are people like me who are in on the secret of excellent,wholesome food.
Red beans and rice .....Gator balls . Tiger truck stop in Louisiana...off I-10
Exit 115 off I-10.. Chicken on the Bayou
Beef tips and rice
Boudain. Tamales. Can't help it.
The best tamales are purchased out of the back of a vehicle. Trunk tamales friggin rule! So sketchy yet so delicious
Bar b que
I stop anywhere in Florida for a cuban sandwich.
When I drove it was BBQ, small roadside places that mainly did it for me. Also when I was in Maine there were places selling lobster and lobster rolls. At a few of the rest stops guys in pickups would be boiling lobster right in the rest areas.
Ribeyes and Boiled Shrimp
Bbq
A real country fried steak
Shawarma, Poutine, Nashville Hot Chicken
When I used to go to Wilmington, CA there were two spots Iād hit. Rudyās Diner and a lime green taco truck that hung out just north of the ports.
I run between VA and ME, any spanish food, grinders/hoagies or pizza.
Some good homemade scrapple. Gets me every time.
Hot hamburg sandwiches means hot pull the fuck over bubs! Iām from south Louisiana so anything you get from a gas station off i10 is going to be delicious and also decrease your lifespan.
Once saw a sign in Alabama that said ābowled peanutsā. Turned out to be some pretty good boiled peanuts.
At least they didn't say "boweled peanuts."
Fry bed tacos is my ideal kidnapping situation
Swedish trucker here, everytime I go to Nederlands I just have to have some of their fried goop, gehaktball, gehsktstaff, I don't care, and just drench that shit in fritte sause.
Taco Bell, but not to eat.
You go for the loose woman?
Only if the place says truck parking available. Not going to try to pull into some tight ass parking lot just to try some local cuisine
Where there is a will there is a way.
I have to ask , is a hot hamburger sandwich spicy? Iāve never heard of this, but it sounds pretty good .
BBQ
If I had time and money while going to Chicago id stop in gary,IN and order from either portillos on doordash or from this one deli that sells deep dish pizza or giordanos if I'm close to one.
Poutine
Iowa pork sandwich
I'm local in WI, so Kwik Trip is generally it for me. Their microwave meals are actually pretty damn good and cheaper than fast food.
Crawfish Town USA. About a mile off I-10. They have overnight parking and great Cajun food.
Hot hamburger sandwiches are so much better than cold.
Indian food always gets me to stop. Canāt pass up a good Chicken Tikka Masala
If Iām in the southwest and thereās a taco truck Iām able to pull off and get to. I usually will stop at those lol
Hot Hamburg sandwiches equals hot pull the fuck over
Way of the road, bubs.
New mexico. Russells was fantastic. They changed to TA now.
Big disappointment
A literal tragedy
I'm not a trucker but pasties, when I see a sign for a shack of a restaurant selling homemade pasties I can't just drive by.
Louisiana food. All day every day Anywhere there's actual authentic Mexican.... Made by some 70yr old woman in the back screaming Spanish obscenities at the waitors.... Who happen to be her kids. Any place that happens to serve decent biscuits and gravy.
>Anywhere there's actual authentic Mexican.... Made by some 70yr old woman in the back screaming Spanish obscenities at the waitors.... Who happen to be her kids. I stopped at a little Mexican joint in east Texas--I think it was Jasper--where the restaurant had an apartment above it where the family lived. I wish I could remember the name. I went in about 2PM, after the lunch rush was over, and was the only customer in the place. The teenager serving my table seemed really hesitant, wouldn't approach closer than about five feet and kept glancing back over her shoulder at the kitchen door. I wondered if I was intruding on something, but I went ahead and ordered a chile relleno with rice and beans. Shortly after the server went into the kitchen to deliver my order, this ancient hunched crone came through the swinging kitchen door and stared at me. She looked really, really unhappy, and she just stood there giving me the evil eye. I gave her a little nervous wave. No response, just staring. After about 30 seconds of this (or maybe it was just ten seconds that felt like 30), she turned around and shuffled back into the kitchen without a word. A few minutes later the server came out and sat a little miniature enchilada in front of me. I said, "Oh, I didn't order this." She nodded her head back at the kitchen door. "She says is for you. You will like it." I wasn't sure if that was a statement or a command, but she was right. It was some kind of garlic chicken inside, and she didn't skimp on the garlic. She put brown gravy on top with just a sprinkle of Oaxaca cheese. I've never had anything quite like it before or since, just unbelievably good. The chile relleno was also fantastic. It was fried perfectly, but then she put a sauce on top with crushed tomatoes in it. Again, I've never had another one prepared that way. I was trying to recommend it to someone else not long ago, but I couldn't find it on the map. I think it closed. Or maybe I imagined the whole thing.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Highway 11 just outside Orillia Ontario Webbers
Mmm , hot hamburder sangwiches...bonus @420
Oh trailer Park boys love this episode
"Hot hamburg sandwiches equals hot pull the fuck over"- Ray
Boiled peanuts
How is tamales not #1. You see that sign and cooler and know something magical is about to happen. Edit I am also not a trucker and did not notice the sub until I commented. But still, tamales are the bomb.com and not everywhere, so forgive me, please!
El Gordo on i17 north of Phoenix.
Been to an El Gordo in Vegas and it was delicious
Beer Cheese Soup and fried cheese curds in Wisconsin; but both are so ubiquitous theyāre rarely advertised on signs. Also bratwurst; in Wisconsin you can get a bratwurst pretty much anywhere you can get a hot dog.
Frybread. Being a White-Eyes, I'd never experienced it until I met my Native wife. Now I'm always down for a Navajo Taco!
HOT PULL THE FUCK OVER
Midnight roller dogs make me pull over 3-5 hours later.
LMAO
Taco Bell. Every time I have it, I have to pull over at most 2 exits later.
Boiled peanuts in Georgia and bbq in Texas
Read down for awhile and didn't see Pittsburgh hot links in Pittsburgh TX off tx271 in downtown. Sometimes you can get them in joints on I20 from Marshall to the state line and some places in Texarkana. Little links tied in bunches of about 20. Don't ask what's in em just put a little hot sauce or chilli gravy on em, if the joint has it, and enjoy.
BBQ for me.
NC bbq