What unusual or regional restaurants do you have nearby that you refer guests to?

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JunieBJones (JBJ)

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Any unusual or typically regional restaurants you that you refer guests to? (30 to 50 min drive is acceptable if it is worth the drive)
I have a couple places that are fantastic if guests are willing to drive (ie not in my neighborhood, so typically not the night they check in after driving all day):
A river paddle boat lunch or dinner cruise on a nearby lake.
A family style southern restaurant (meaning they bring it out and keep bringing it out - ham, pintos, cornbread, fried chicken, cobbler, biscuits) to get to this restaurant you have to drive up a notorious moonshine road that weaves in and out with switchbacks up the mountain. They feature live bluegrass as well Fri and Sat evenings.
An old train depot.
Any places you think guests MIGHT not enjoy but have considered? Throw those on the list as well.
 
Bean suppers. I advertise a link on my website to an article about bean suppers and it gets quite a few hits. I should start posting them on the bulletin board.
  • Quintessential lobster shacks.
  • A 'dive' on Rt 1 that I am sorry I didn't stop in YEARS ago!
  • Our version of Cheers...I tell guests to eat in the tavern, rather than the restaurant. 'Eat with the locals, the service is better.'
Foods that are not meals...chocolate covered cranberries and blueberries. If I'm in the choclate shop and someone is dithering, I tell them, 'Buy those, you'll regret it if you don't.' Clam chowdah. Fried calamari (we eat that everywhere we go as a test of the restaurant's fry cook). Altho, I think most places buy it breaded and frozen, but some places? MMMMMMMMM!
 
For the brave, a little BBQ shack a couple of blocks South, pick-up only except for a little shelf-like bar along one wall. The Southern mustard style BBQ sauce. You can get a BBQ sandwich that isn't bad for a buck. I actually turned some people that lived here all their lives onto this place!! It's super clean. They have won numerous BBQ cook off awards for years. Everything there is awesome, including their desserts. When the wind is blowing in the right direction, we can smell it here.
Our local larger BBQ place for the full-blown pork BBQ menu, where they have bluegrass bands on the weekends. The ceiling tiles tell the tale of how they smoke their meats :) There's another location that's closer (y'all ate there) and the kitchen looks better lately. haha!
Southern home cookin' served up counter service style with a "What'll y'all have, sweetie" from all the ladies. Only open for lunch though
sad_smile.gif

Our funky local coffee shop - you can still get any kind of coffee, they way you want it, & NONE of it is from a mix - they roast their own coffee, too!
Now, I'm really hungry....
 
I have Jimmy's Diner and have had him on my web site for years as the restaurant version of CHEERS. Just your local everyone eats there place. Salad, individual loaf of homemade bread, and all you want to eat spaghetti or riggatoni on Thursday fir $4.99. My guest last night ordered a large Rosi (sausage sandwich - Jimmy's homemade sausage) even though I warned him how big it was going to be. He took half of it home (car was a refrigerator last night) and had the audacity to say to me, why didn't you tell me how big it was? I did! The sausage covers the whole bun, just like a burger - but the bun is the size of a dinner plate.
Pizza Express - makes their own everything, no frozen dough or sauce
Aquarium Lounge - it is in Fairmont but I have made reservations for several couples (including anniversaries) setting it up for one of the alcove tables (each side of the entry has a table in it and a curtain can be pulled for privacy). Guests loved it. Great seafood and one couple raved about how they had done their steaks to perfection and most places do not get it right....
 
What is a Bean Supper? (I knew this would be an interesting thread!)
I just found this.
JunieBJones (JBJ) said:
What is a Bean Supper? (I knew this would be an interesting thread!)
Amazingly enough, exactly what it sounds like...beans for supper, usually a multitude of types and styles. Held at a church or a hall as a fund raiser or social event, usually every week there are at least 3-4 of them going on somewhere in driving distance.
Some of them are called 'dime a dip' so if you get 3 different scoops, it costs you $.30. Most of them now, tho, are priced per person- $5 or whatever. Some places do chicken, hot dogs, something like along with the beans. Baked beans, green bean casserole, 3 bean salad, you name it. Bread and a sweet.
Maybe they call them 'church suppers' by you?
 
The mistake our guests make at our bbq place - call them foreigners or just trying to be healthy - they order CHICKEN. That is like going into a seafood restaurant on the water and ordering spaghetti. A MISTAKE.
So if they go they come back and tell me they had the worst bbq chicken ever. I have it ON the restaurant list - the faqs about PORK being bbq in the south, and in this state that means a pulled pork sandwich.
 
For the brave, a little BBQ shack a couple of blocks South, pick-up only except for a little shelf-like bar along one wall. The Southern mustard style BBQ sauce. You can get a BBQ sandwich that isn't bad for a buck. I actually turned some people that lived here all their lives onto this place!! It's super clean. They have won numerous BBQ cook off awards for years. Everything there is awesome, including their desserts. When the wind is blowing in the right direction, we can smell it here.
Our local larger BBQ place for the full-blown pork BBQ menu, where they have bluegrass bands on the weekends. The ceiling tiles tell the tale of how they smoke their meats :) There's another location that's closer (y'all ate there) and the kitchen looks better lately. haha!
Southern home cookin' served up counter service style with a "What'll y'all have, sweetie" from all the ladies. Only open for lunch though
sad_smile.gif

Our funky local coffee shop - you can still get any kind of coffee, they way you want it, & NONE of it is from a mix - they roast their own coffee, too!
Now, I'm really hungry.....
I wish we had gone to that shack place around the corner. Sorry, I was not impressed with my fried chicken. Maybe they figured a Northerner wouldn't care...and yeah, that kitchen...but it had the right ambiance! Hubs would have loved it.
 
What is a Bean Supper? (I knew this would be an interesting thread!)
I just found this.
JunieBJones (JBJ) said:
What is a Bean Supper? (I knew this would be an interesting thread!)
Amazingly enough, exactly what it sounds like...beans for supper, usually a multitude of types and styles. Held at a church or a hall as a fund raiser or social event, usually every week there are at least 3-4 of them going on somewhere in driving distance.
Some of them are called 'dime a dip' so if you get 3 different scoops, it costs you $.30. Most of them now, tho, are priced per person- $5 or whatever. Some places do chicken, hot dogs, something like along with the beans. Baked beans, green bean casserole, 3 bean salad, you name it. Bread and a sweet.
Maybe they call them 'church suppers' by you?
.
Bree said:
JunieBJones (JBJ) said:
What is a Bean Supper? (I knew this would be an interesting thread!)
Amazingly enough, exactly what it sounds like...beans for supper, usually a multitude of types and styles. Held at a church or a hall as a fund raiser or social event, usually every week there are at least 3-4 of them going on somewhere in driving distance.
Some of them are called 'dime a dip' so if you get 3 different scoops, it costs you $.30. Most of them now, tho, are priced per person- $5 or whatever. Some places do chicken, hot dogs, something like along with the beans. Baked beans, green bean casserole, 3 bean salad, you name it. Bread and a sweet.
Maybe they call them 'church suppers' by you?
that link mentioned with the fixings, is there anything diff you would put in them (other than what the cook put in) like you do for chili with the fixins? cheese, sour cream, onions etc Anything you ADD to them?
 
What is a Bean Supper? (I knew this would be an interesting thread!)
I just found this.
JunieBJones (JBJ) said:
What is a Bean Supper? (I knew this would be an interesting thread!)
Amazingly enough, exactly what it sounds like...beans for supper, usually a multitude of types and styles. Held at a church or a hall as a fund raiser or social event, usually every week there are at least 3-4 of them going on somewhere in driving distance.
Some of them are called 'dime a dip' so if you get 3 different scoops, it costs you $.30. Most of them now, tho, are priced per person- $5 or whatever. Some places do chicken, hot dogs, something like along with the beans. Baked beans, green bean casserole, 3 bean salad, you name it. Bread and a sweet.
Maybe they call them 'church suppers' by you?
.
Bree said:
JunieBJones (JBJ) said:
What is a Bean Supper? (I knew this would be an interesting thread!)
Amazingly enough, exactly what it sounds like...beans for supper, usually a multitude of types and styles. Held at a church or a hall as a fund raiser or social event, usually every week there are at least 3-4 of them going on somewhere in driving distance.
Some of them are called 'dime a dip' so if you get 3 different scoops, it costs you $.30. Most of them now, tho, are priced per person- $5 or whatever. Some places do chicken, hot dogs, something like along with the beans. Baked beans, green bean casserole, 3 bean salad, you name it. Bread and a sweet.
Maybe they call them 'church suppers' by you?
that link mentioned with the fixings, is there anything diff you would put in them (other than what the cook put in) like you do for chili with the fixins? cheese, sour cream, onions etc Anything you ADD to them?
.
Honestly? I've never been, so I don't know. We keep saying we're going to go over the winter sometime.
 
The mistake our guests make at our bbq place - call them foreigners or just trying to be healthy - they order CHICKEN. That is like going into a seafood restaurant on the water and ordering spaghetti. A MISTAKE.
So if they go they come back and tell me they had the worst bbq chicken ever. I have it ON the restaurant list - the faqs about PORK being bbq in the south, and in this state that means a pulled pork sandwich..
Exactly! Here it is pulled or chopped pork (chopped seems to be preferred by the locals). And don't ask for that Texas-style red BBQ sauce, no way, no how!
The BBQ places here make some mighty fine vegetable sides - which of course if they are not in casserole form, are simmered in .....PORK! haha!
 
For the brave, a little BBQ shack a couple of blocks South, pick-up only except for a little shelf-like bar along one wall. The Southern mustard style BBQ sauce. You can get a BBQ sandwich that isn't bad for a buck. I actually turned some people that lived here all their lives onto this place!! It's super clean. They have won numerous BBQ cook off awards for years. Everything there is awesome, including their desserts. When the wind is blowing in the right direction, we can smell it here.
Our local larger BBQ place for the full-blown pork BBQ menu, where they have bluegrass bands on the weekends. The ceiling tiles tell the tale of how they smoke their meats :) There's another location that's closer (y'all ate there) and the kitchen looks better lately. haha!
Southern home cookin' served up counter service style with a "What'll y'all have, sweetie" from all the ladies. Only open for lunch though
sad_smile.gif

Our funky local coffee shop - you can still get any kind of coffee, they way you want it, & NONE of it is from a mix - they roast their own coffee, too!
Now, I'm really hungry.....
Samster said:
For the brave, a little BBQ shack a couple of blocks South, pick-up only except for a little shelf-like bar along one wall. The Southern mustard style BBQ sauce. ....Our local larger BBQ place for the full-blown pork BBQ menu, where they have bluegrass bands on the weekends. The ceiling tiles tell the tale of how they smoke their meats :) There's another location that's closer (y'all ate there) and the kitchen looks better lately. haha
Oh how I miss good BBQ from near you Samster. Does your place make Brunswick Stew? Love good stew...
 
Now that ya'll have made me hungry - it's my turn....
Now where do I start....The big city near us (30 minutes) is known world wide for its cuisine and famous chef's. The original Emeril's Rest. & 2 of his others are about 30 minutes drive. Pricey but good and excellent service and presentation. Any one that has been there should not miss going to one of the Brennan family restaurants and there are many. My 2 favorites are Commander's Palace and Palace Cafe - this is the family that started Banna's Foster. Just naming a few but far too many to name here, but list a good number on my site or to the guests.
Closer by in my little area we have one of the Iron Chef's Rest. (another in big city) I get a lot of guests book here because they have reservations at his rest. Simply fabulous. A couple of Italian places that you would think you are Italy. Fresh seafood places by the hundreds - some right on the lake, perfect place at sunset. We have a Old Train Depot and Old Ice House for those wanting nalstalgia. A great Dinner Theatre with dinner and a show - great evening out! (One of my packages).... Then for those red meat lovers - a steak place that beats Ruth Chis (Oh, original one in big city) hands down and has no sign, never has in over 30 years. I have people stay over because of this place too.
I could go on and on. And I wonder why I am always trying to loose weight.
 
Now that ya'll have made me hungry - it's my turn....
Now where do I start....The big city near us (30 minutes) is known world wide for its cuisine and famous chef's. The original Emeril's Rest. & 2 of his others are about 30 minutes drive. Pricey but good and excellent service and presentation. Any one that has been there should not miss going to one of the Brennan family restaurants and there are many. My 2 favorites are Commander's Palace and Palace Cafe - this is the family that started Banna's Foster. Just naming a few but far too many to name here, but list a good number on my site or to the guests.
Closer by in my little area we have one of the Iron Chef's Rest. (another in big city) I get a lot of guests book here because they have reservations at his rest. Simply fabulous. A couple of Italian places that you would think you are Italy. Fresh seafood places by the hundreds - some right on the lake, perfect place at sunset. We have a Old Train Depot and Old Ice House for those wanting nalstalgia. A great Dinner Theatre with dinner and a show - great evening out! (One of my packages).... Then for those red meat lovers - a steak place that beats Ruth Chis (Oh, original one in big city) hands down and has no sign, never has in over 30 years. I have people stay over because of this place too.
I could go on and on. And I wonder why I am always trying to loose weight..
I wish we had the kind of restaurants that make people book here just to eat at them! We have one couple that I know of who stay here pretty much just to go out to one restaurant. They eat there both nights they stay. Twice/year.
 
For the brave, a little BBQ shack a couple of blocks South, pick-up only except for a little shelf-like bar along one wall. The Southern mustard style BBQ sauce. You can get a BBQ sandwich that isn't bad for a buck. I actually turned some people that lived here all their lives onto this place!! It's super clean. They have won numerous BBQ cook off awards for years. Everything there is awesome, including their desserts. When the wind is blowing in the right direction, we can smell it here.
Our local larger BBQ place for the full-blown pork BBQ menu, where they have bluegrass bands on the weekends. The ceiling tiles tell the tale of how they smoke their meats :) There's another location that's closer (y'all ate there) and the kitchen looks better lately. haha!
Southern home cookin' served up counter service style with a "What'll y'all have, sweetie" from all the ladies. Only open for lunch though
sad_smile.gif

Our funky local coffee shop - you can still get any kind of coffee, they way you want it, & NONE of it is from a mix - they roast their own coffee, too!
Now, I'm really hungry.....
Samster said:
For the brave, a little BBQ shack a couple of blocks South, pick-up only except for a little shelf-like bar along one wall. The Southern mustard style BBQ sauce. ....Our local larger BBQ place for the full-blown pork BBQ menu, where they have bluegrass bands on the weekends. The ceiling tiles tell the tale of how they smoke their meats :) There's another location that's closer (y'all ate there) and the kitchen looks better lately. haha
Oh how I miss good BBQ from near you Samster. Does your place make Brunswick Stew? Love good stew...
.
Oh, yeah...you can get your Brunswick Stew with your fried pickles at all the BBQ places.
regular_smile.gif
haha! We had some guests that got food from that little BBQ place & she had me heat up her leftover Brunswick Stew for breakfast! Then, she complained because I hadn't made grits that morning for breakfast. A native of our State.....
They were nice folks but she was used to having grits every day.
 
Now that ya'll have made me hungry - it's my turn....
Now where do I start....The big city near us (30 minutes) is known world wide for its cuisine and famous chef's. The original Emeril's Rest. & 2 of his others are about 30 minutes drive. Pricey but good and excellent service and presentation. Any one that has been there should not miss going to one of the Brennan family restaurants and there are many. My 2 favorites are Commander's Palace and Palace Cafe - this is the family that started Banna's Foster. Just naming a few but far too many to name here, but list a good number on my site or to the guests.
Closer by in my little area we have one of the Iron Chef's Rest. (another in big city) I get a lot of guests book here because they have reservations at his rest. Simply fabulous. A couple of Italian places that you would think you are Italy. Fresh seafood places by the hundreds - some right on the lake, perfect place at sunset. We have a Old Train Depot and Old Ice House for those wanting nalstalgia. A great Dinner Theatre with dinner and a show - great evening out! (One of my packages).... Then for those red meat lovers - a steak place that beats Ruth Chis (Oh, original one in big city) hands down and has no sign, never has in over 30 years. I have people stay over because of this place too.
I could go on and on. And I wonder why I am always trying to loose weight..
Yum! Wish we had some of that here...we have to go to the Really Big City for most of that. If someone would just open a Cajun restaurant here, I could be truly happy
tounge_smile.gif

 
For being in the plains states, we are very multicultural. When guests ask about where to eat, I ask what they like or are looking for. Of course we are the beef state, so steaks and prime rib are at the top of the list there.
Runza if you want something back to the germans from Russia.
We have about 30 oriental (chinese, korean, thai, vietnamese, japanese)
Many hispanic, one of our favorites is a burrito place, they have 4 places in town and most don't speak english. Just have someone that speaks some english taking orders.
middle eastern, have greek, Iran, afghan, etc.
Have american bar and grill
Then we have all the chains
 
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