Have you ever made a roadtrip just for a restaurant?

hubman said:
Found a York Steak house in Columbus while dropping a kid off at the local university, have been planning to get back ever since.
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I'm amazed that one on W. Broad is still hanging on.
BlackHawk said:
we used to go to Ponderosa after mass on Sundays ....It came with a piping hot baked potato, dinner roll and a simple salad bar. The first salad bar that I remember.
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Yours was fancier than one we went to back then - there was just one serving line, they put the steak on your tray, then they just plopped a standard bowl of tossed salad down with a dressing packet - that's all you got. :)
 
Speaking of Hot Dogs....

Y'all need to try out Mad Dogs in Marysville. A buddy of mine owns it and man it freaking amazing!

Menu | Maddogs

www.maddogsandbeer.com www.maddogsandbeer.com

In the summer they ahve great outside dining and a curbside 'bar'!
 
Loved the Brown Derby for years and had 2 in the area, Youngstown and Warren. But one by one they closed. Checked the website and found one in Streetsboro. Went there several times. Loved the salads, baked potato and hot bread, then the steaks.
 
Made about an hour trip this summer to Cincy to go to Hathaway's Diner in Carew Tower. We went on a Saturday afternoon to avoid crowds. The food was typical diner food but the trip was well worth it. My mother had worked in downtown Cincy in the 50's and talks often about the places she ate for lunch. When she found out where we were going, she was like a kid in a candy store. She told many stories I had never heard before and we even made it to some streets in Hyde Park where she had rented rooms. The trip is even more special now as she is battling COVID.
 
NWOhio just got a Dickey's in the last year or so but before that I'd look for one any time I was down South. As good of barbecue as you will find for a chain IMO.

Another place that the South has that I love is Newk's. I always stop when I'm in Pensacola or Mobile.
 
We've had Rudy's BBQ several places in Texas and in Arizona. I've seen Dickey's on Rt. 20 and we will for sure give it a try.
 
eastisbest said:
Not for a chain, no. Once or twice 30 miles to Myles pizza in BG. But memories fade and closer good food exists, so not lately. We have a couple out-of-town places we go on traditional days, discussed in other threads. Both good food or atmosphere's that can't be had local and memories are reason.
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Good old Myles. Not a special trip, but I made sure to get to BG extra early for a frat brother's wedding in order to scarf down a cheesy garlic loaf and most of a pizza.


Otherwise, the only special road trips I've made just for food were AYCE wing nights at Quaker Steak & Lube. I once drove nearly 2 hours to meet friends at the one at Polaris, and I twice took people an hour to the location in Valley View. Since then, a Quaker Steak & Lube has been built in my area, and I've only been there once. It's usually too crowded.

My buddy made a couple special trips to Columbus for Gumby's Pizza back in the day. It was good stuff but not worth driving 2 hours vs. what we can get in our neighborhood.
 
I have made the trip to Sandusky for The New Sandusky Fish Company many times and Toft's ice cream even more.

We have eaten at some outstanding places as we have travelled. Some by reputation, some through research, some we just got lucky.
 
chs1971 said:
I have made the trip to Sandusky for The New Sandusky Fish Company many times and Toft's ice cream even more.

We have eaten at some outstanding places as we have travelled. Some by reputation, some through research, some we just got lucky.
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Those are the best ones.

Never been to New Sandusky Fish Company but it is on the list.
 
Paladin said:
Loved the Brown Derby for years and had 2 in the area, Youngstown and Warren. But one by one they closed. Checked the website and found one in Streetsboro. Went there several times. Loved the salads, baked potato and hot bread, then the steaks.
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We had a Brown Derby in Kettering many years ago. I forgot about that place.
 
BlackHawk said:
We had a Brown Derby in Kettering many years ago. I forgot about that place.
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Brown Derby went into bankruptcy and came out as Brown Derby Roadhouse. Same food. My wife and I loved the food and ate there every week. When they closed down, found one still running in Streetsboro, a 40 minute drive. We would have driven 2 hours if needed to eat there. Miss having a local one to eat at.
 
Raider6309 said:
I went to Ponderosa in Ripley WV. About an hour from Athens. For some reason Athens doesn’t have an Olive Garden so we make a lot of trips to Parkersburg and Lancaster
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Is there still a Shoney's right next door to the Ponderosa?
 
Mr. Slippery said:
Good old Myles. Not a special trip, but I made sure to get to BG extra early for a frat brother's wedding in order to scarf down a cheesy garlic loaf and most of a pizza.


Otherwise, the only special road trips I've made just for food were AYCE wing nights at Quaker Steak & Lube. I once drove nearly 2 hours to meet friends at the one at Polaris, and I twice took people an hour to the location in Valley View. Since then, a Quaker Steak & Lube has been built in my area, and I've only been there once. It's usually too crowded.

My buddy made a couple special trips to Columbus for Gumby's Pizza back in the day. It was good stuff but not worth driving 2 hours vs. what we can get in our neighborhood.
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Gumby’s Pizza was just ok, but their Pokey Stix were worth a drive.
 
thavoice said:
When i was in Milwaukee we went to a Carson's Prime Steaks and had the best steak and pork chop. Looked it up and there was one in Chicago and we planned a trip to Chicago this summer around going to that one, but it all got the Rona cancellation
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Many years ago in Milwaukee there was Butch's Old Casino Steakhouse. Sadly, it closed may be fifteen years ago. It was down in that area near the Amtrak depot. Had ribeye and New York strip there several times.

Longest road trip for food would be Nancy's Barn in Ballyliffin, County Donegal, Ireland. World champion seafood chowder. Another favorite is Boston Fish Market, Des Plaines, IL.
 
Cibo's in Waynesburg. If you don't get the regular mixed plate, you've shorted yourself. Make sure you tell them to replace the bowties with gnocci. I have yet to see anyone FINISH a regular mixed plate.
 
Does going to Richmond from Arlington,Va. count? The "restaurant" was in a black woman's house and had only six tables. There was no menu, so your choice was limited to what she was cooking that day. You had to book your reservation months in advance. And, yes, the food was delicious.
 
Mrs. Yoder's in Mount Hope is worth a trip if you want to go down to Amish country. There are some older better know places down there like Der Dutchmen, Das Essenhaus, Amish Door and Dutch Valley, but Mrs. Yoder's is the best. Great buffet that I bet has fallen prey to the Covid.
 
Not sure this 100% fits the question but at the end of every wrestling season these last few years I, a few dads and some of the kids all hop in some cars and head up from Greenville, SC to London, KY to get White Castle for some post state tournament celebrating. State normally ends around 8 pm on a Saturday night and we just pile in, whoever wants to come and travel the 4 hours to London, which is btw the closest White Castle to us. I mean we could celebrate anywhere, especially much much closer BUT we need some crave cases for some reason once the season is done.
 
Mr. Slippery said:
Good old Myles. Not a special trip, but I made sure to get to BG extra early for a frat brother's wedding in order to scarf down a cheesy garlic loaf and most of a pizza.


Otherwise, the only special road trips I've made just for food were AYCE wing nights at Quaker Steak & Lube. I once drove nearly 2 hours to meet friends at the one at Polaris, and I twice took people an hour to the location in Valley View. Since then, a Quaker Steak & Lube has been built in my area, and I've only been there once. It's usually too crowded.

My buddy made a couple special trips to Columbus for Gumby's Pizza back in the day. It was good stuff but not worth driving 2 hours vs. what we can get in our neighborhood.
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Myles in the last 12-18 months opened up here in Greenville, SC. It was a big deal for those of us UT and BGSU alums living in the Upstate. We had read that it closed in BG a few years ago and when we read that the same people who owned in BG decided to re-open it in downtown Greenville we were pleasantly surprised.
 
About five years ago my son and I headed to Bastrop, TX for my niece's wedding. We decided to make the drive in two days but pushed to Texas the first day, so we could try Whataburger. All we heard was, "Try Whataburger. It's great." We tried Whataburger in Texarkana, TX and it it was awful. We actually thought our Texas family pranked us into thinking Whataburger was great, when they really knew it was horrible. We were wrong. They insisted Whataburger really was awesome and they weren't pranking us.. Maybe we just ate at a bad Whataburger or our expectations were too high. IDK.

However, the next day, we saw a bunch of cars and people lined up at a little roadside BBQ shack, with a smoker out back, and we gave it a try. It was great! Moral of the story: when in Texas, eat at crowded local roadside BBQ shacks, not fast food burger joints.
 
BlackHawk said:
However, the next day, we saw a bunch of cars and people lined up at a little roadside BBQ shack, with a smoker out back, and we gave it a try. It was great! Moral of the story: when in Texas, eat at crowded local roadside BBQ shacks, not fast food burger joints.
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Put nose to the wind. I've survived 6 continents with that philosophy. It's amazing what you can find that you cannot see. Plan B, ask a cabbie or a mechanic. I've done that more than once on play-offs in towns. Stopped at a gas station that had mechanics and ask best place to eat. Best way I know to find good, cheap eats.
 
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BlackHawk said:
About five years ago my son and I headed to Bastrop, TX for my niece's wedding. We decided to make the drive in two days but pushed to Texas the first day, so we could try Whataburger. All we heard was, "Try Whataburger. It's great." We tried Whataburger in Texarkana, TX and it it was awful. We actually thought our Texas family pranked us into thinking Whataburger was great, when they really knew it was horrible. We were wrong. They insisted Whataburger really was awesome and they weren't pranking us.. Maybe we just ate at a bad Whataburger or our expectations were too high. IDK.

However, the next day, we saw a bunch of cars and people lined up at a little roadside BBQ shack, with a smoker out back, and we gave it a try. It was great! Moral of the story: when in Texas, eat at crowded local roadside BBQ shacks, not fast food burger joints.
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I thought Whataburger s$cked as well.

I did the same thing in Kansas City. Everyone raves about Jack Stacks BBQ. Big old nice restaurant. Not bad, not great. I honestly though I got better at Dickey's which is a national chain.

Drove by this place in town called BB's Lawnside BBQ. Parking lot was packed. It was an old POS place. Best BBQ I've ever had.
 
irish_buffalo said:
I thought Whataburger s$cked as well.

I did the same thing in Kansas City. Everyone raves about Jack Stacks BBQ. Big old nice restaurant. Not bad, not great. I honestly though I got better at Dickey's which is a national chain.

Drove by this place in town called BB's Lawnside BBQ. Parking lot was packed. It was an old POS place. Best BBQ I've ever had.
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Those run-down looking hole-in-the-wall joints usually are a good bet. The food has to be good because the atmosphere isn't bringing people back.


If ever in the Ashland area, my buddy who played football at AU swears by some joint called Linder's for its wings. He took me there once on our way to a playoff game at Mansfield, and it was pretty darned good.
 
PantherProud said:
Not really a road trip, but when we go to Disney we usually stop at the Zaxby’s by Eastern Kentucky University. It’s the closest Zaxby’s to Ohio. Just a detour of 2-3 miles though.
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There’s a Zaxbys in Indianapolis also. I went to Miami for Mr. Chow’s and Joes Stone Crab.
 
Drove to Akron from Athens once in college specifically to get Luigi’s. When I was a kid in Michigan I remember every once in awhile my parents would drag me to a little town called Frankenmuth and then when we moved to Ohio to Amish Country. I think the primary reason was for my mom to go to the stores, but in my mind the meal was the only purpose of the trip (and still not worth the trip)
 
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