On Travel -- Cues For Good Places to Eat

[Ben]

So when you all are on travel for work or whatever, what do you use as cues for good places to eat in new towns?

I've got breakfast down pat. I look for the diner with the cop cars out front. When I go in, if they're playing country music too, then it's a five star for your basic breakfast grub. This works especially well in smaller towns, like the one I'm in now (just had some great biscuits and gravy), but not as well in big cities.

I can't trust cops for lunch, but rather rely on construction workers. If there are a bunch of pickups with bed boxes or lumber racks in the parking lot, the place generally makes a good burger. If they have the female owner's name on the sign (e.g., Lulu's burgers), that's an extra cue.

I haven't found any great cues for dinner. I usually just end up asking around, which can be hit or miss. Again, residents in smaller towns generally give me better advice. In a big city, you never know if the person you ask is a fan of rabbit food and sends you to the "organic whatever" place. In big cities, If by myself, I often end up going to a chain place just because I know it will at least be consistent, if average.

[K Frame]

If your hotel has a concierge, ask him.

If not, ask the hotel desk people where they eat.

Approaching it that way I've never gotten a bum rap.

And be adventurous.

In New Mexico years ago I ate at a horrid little dive. It was dingy, kind of dank, the tables were sticky, and IT WAS PACKED. That was my clue. If the locals were eating there, there must be something to it.

I ended up having perhaps the best Tex-Mex food I've ever eaten, and it ranks VERY high up on the list of best meals I've eaten overall, and I'm really not that fond of TexMex.

[Car Knocker]

I avoid places that say "Family Restaurant" on the sign (they tend to have bland, poorly prepared food) and "Chinese-American" places tend to do neither very well.  I've found that asking business people where in the area they like to eat usually works well.  I also ask what kind of food the recommended place does.

[AJ Dual]

Look for cats and dogs in the neigborhood. If you see none, go elsewhere.

Although generaly, a crowded parking lot at standard meal times is a good indication.

[BozemanMT]

I always ask the locals who has teh best burger in town.
if you ask for the best restaurant, you get the most overpriced and it may or may not be good
but the best burger in town ALWAYS gets you a good place.

[Felonious Monk/Fignozzle]

Funny you should mention...

There's a place called Mama Ree's (+1) on 280 on my commute, about halfway through Mayberry (where I live) and Birmingham (where I worked).  

At 5 am, there are usually somewhere around 75-90 trucks (+2) parked around the front door.  Typical, big ol' stampted steel JoBoxes or toolboxes in the back.  Mama Ree is black, but there is no care about anyone's racial persuasion.

She's closed by 2pm daily, guess she does breakfast and lunch only, and it's a throwback to 1950's AloBammo, except without the obvious prejudice.

[280plus]

There's a place called Mama Ree's (+1) on 280 on my commute

What was that? Somebody call my name?

I usually ask the locals where the best places to eat are. Other than that I steer away from the franchise joints cause you usually got a college kid cooking for you at those. I always go for the little places and if it's one of those old prefab diners I'll hit it just to get a gander at the insides. That doesn't always get you the best food but they got interesting stuff to look at inside. Theres one up on the southern tip of Lake Seneca in upstate NY that has seats in the booths that fold up like a movie theatre's when you get up. Only one I've ever seen like that. Food sucked though.

The best Mexican food I ever ate was made by mamacita and sons and came out of a taco stand in San Diego that looked for all the world like a Fotomat booth.

[El Tejon]

If I am in Texas and I see chickens in the street, I know there is a good Mexican restaurant around!:D

*This almost got me in a lot of trouble once in Austin.  I drove up in a dark-coloured sedan, sunglasses, khakis and a "I don't have a pistol" shirt.  Ojos, federale!

You know that scene in "Animal House" where they go into the bar and everyone stops to look at them?  That was me!:D

[Ben]

Look for cats and dogs in the neigborhood. If you see none, go elsewhere.

Heh, where I grew up, there was this place called "Johnny's Burritos". Everyone swore by it for the best burritos in the county. My sister and all her High School friends at the time would constantly rave about it, and my dad would always make cracks about, " he probably uses cats" (the burrito place was in a crummy part of town and strays were everywhere).

Turns out the guy got busted for making burritos with cat meat mixed in them.  

[Stand_watie]

If I am in Texas and I see chickens in the street, I know there is a good Mexican restaurant around!

In Texas, in the city, you mean. There are chickens in the street in my neighborhood, and no good Mexican restaurants within about six miles (the closest town that consists of more than an old cemetary and a gas station). Now, there are Mexicans in my neighborhood, and I can guarantee that if you knocked on their front door and asked them to sell you dinner you'd have just as good, and probably more genuine 'Mexican' food as any you'd find at a restaurant, and would be a lot more likely to actually get served a meal than to get the bum's rush than at the door of any other ethnicity that I know of. They're only slightly more likely than whites to own chickens though, out here in the sticks of east texas.

When we lived in Dallas though, the sound of roosters crowing in the morning reminded us that we lived in a "diverse" neighborhood

[El Tejon]

Stand, well, yes, in Saint Tony's, Dallas or Austin.  One of the great joints down there is in Kerrville, Mamacita's, and they have no chickens about there, just sunburned Yankee gun students hanging out in the parking lot.

[280plus]

You know that scene in "Animal House" where they go into the bar and everyone stops to look at them?  That was me!

That happened to me one time when I was a non-union guy working a union job. My union friend invited me to have lunch with him and took me into a room chock full of union guys. They ALL stopped eating etc and started looking at me. Just like in the movies. I decided to eat lunch elsewhere.

[Stand_watie]

Ok, I have one I just discovered at lunch today: My mom's cousin Nellie in Piggot, Arkansas. If you're ever by there just drop by and say I sent you. Fried chicken like I haven't had since my Gram passed away and smoked ham - ahhh, I'm a fool. I said, "I'm so sorry, I've got to run, got to get back to Texas by this evening, I want to sleep in my own bed tonight" and only grabbed a plate on the way out the door *to be polite* and then almost started crying an hour down the road when I bit into that (one lonely) piece of chicken and realized it was Gram's (who grew up in Piggot) recipe.

The picnic tables in the back yard were crowded with cousins I've never met, nicely shaded by large trees and a pleasantly cool 84 degrees and I just rushed off! Doh!

*Ian, if you're reading this, this is a cultural issue that may shine some light on why Americans,  especially of the blue collar-southron variety,  lead the industrialized world in excess weight. Being able to offer tasty and calorie laden food is a significant source of love, pride, and the ability to provide hospitality, and turning it down is difficult to do without being impolite. Huge swaths of elderly Americans who lived through our depression still hoard food today, with no reason to do so, and very good reason (like botulism) not to. My Grandmother probably had 50 year old fish that she caught and canned herself, in her cupboard when she died a few years ago.

[charby]

I look where all the tractor trailers are parked, if the restaurant has a lot of trucks in the lot, then its a good place to eat. OK I know this doesn't apply to places that don't have room for trucks to park, but when your traveling you usually don't have time to look for a great place to eat.

-C

[Dean C]

Any diner (old train car) generally has the best breakfasts.
For the best lunch burger, find a bowling alley or the diner.
For dinner, stop for a cold beer and ask the guy sitting next to you. Got to be a local though.

Of cource, this is for budget minded people who want a good meal. If you are on an expense account and traveling for the company, ask at the desk of the Hotel where you are staying. Get at least two suggestions and take the second one. They always give the expensive one first and the best one second.

I've traveled the world.
dean

[Norton]

When I lived in the Shenanndoah Valley in VA the cue for lunch was to look for the State Trooper cruisers.  There was a little place in Staunton, Harry's Lunch, that was so small I had to duck to be able to stand up inside.  I never even saw a menu in 10 years of eating there.  I always just asked for the "special" without even asking what it was.  Typically it went something like this"

Roast pork loin (with gravy)
Mash potatoes (with gravy)
Biscquit
Green beans with a big piece of ham
the coldest sweetest ice tea known to mankind....served in a quart mason jar

Grand total $5.00

[K Frame]

"he probably uses cats" (the burrito place was in a crummy part of town and strays were everywhere)."

Thanks for eating here, you have a good day miaow!

(If you've seen Super Troopers, you'll understand... )

[charby]

"he probably uses cats" (the burrito place was in a crummy part of town and strays were everywhere)."

Thanks for eating here, you have a good day miaow!

(If you've seen Super Troopers, you'll understand... )

[Having pulled over a speeding driver.]

Mac: All right, how about Cat Game?

Foster: Cat Game? What's the record?

Mac: Thorny did six, but I think you can do ten.

Foster: Ten? Starting right meow?

[They go up to the car.]

Driver: Sorry about the...

Foster: All right meow. Hand over your license and registration.

[The man gives him his license.]

Foster: Your registration? Hurry up meow.

Driver: [laughing] Sorry.

Foster: Is there something funny here boy?

Driver: Oh, no.

Foster: Then why you laughing, Mister... Larry Johnson?

[Foster stares at him.]

Foster: All right meow, where were we?

Driver: Excuse me, are you saying meow?

Foster: Am I saying meow?

Driver: I thought...

Foster: Don't think boy. Meow, do you know how fast you were going?

[The man laughs.]

Foster: Meow. What is so damn funny?

Driver: I could have sworn you said meow.

Foster: Do I look like a cat to you, boy? Am I jumpin' around all nimbly-bimbly from tree to tree? Am I drinking milk from a saucer? DO YOU SEE ME EATING MICE?

[The man is uncontrollably laughing.]

Foster: You stop laughing right meow!

Driver: [Stops and swallows hard.] Yes sir.

Foster: Meow, I'm gonna have to give you a ticket on this one. No buts meow. It's the law.

[Rips off the ticket and hands it to the man.]

Foster: Not so funny meow, is it?

[Foster gets up to leave, but Mac shakes his hands at him, indicating only nine meows.]

Foster: Meow!

[Nathaniel Firethorn]

From Blue Highways:

No calendar: Same as an interstate pit stop.

One calendar: Preprocessed food assembled in New Jersey.

Two calendars: Only if fish trophies present.

Three calendars: Can't miss on the farm-boy breakfasts.

Four calendars: Try the ho-made pie too.

Five calendars: Keep it under your hat, or they'll franchise.

One time I found a six-calendar cafe in the Ozarks, which served fried chicken, peach pie, and chocolate malts, that left me searching for another ever since. I've never seen a seven-calendar place. But old-time travelers -- road men in a day when cars had running boards and lunchroom windows said AIR COOLED in blue letters with icicles dripping from the tops -- those travelers have told me the golden legends of seven-calendar cafes.

Some interesting corollaries involving bulls' ears, stuffed bears, and farm machinery, here.

- NF

[Ben]

(If you've seen Super Troopers, you'll understand... smile )

Dimpus Burger Clerk: (Into mic) Double bacon cheeseburger. It's for a cop...