What's a road trip without sampling some local fare? Here's a list of some of our favorite food finds we experienced while traveling. We think you're about to find out that our two favorites are beer and bbq!
Savelli's Pizza, Pasta and Subs
We stumbled into this little mom and pop pizza joint cold and tired from touring Manitou Springs, Colorado, and were pleasantly surprised by the delicious pizza and friendly staff. The sweet waitress made a mistake on our order so she had the cooks make us a second pizza on the house and only charged us half price for the first one. We had pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next few days! We highly recommend stopping here when visiting the area.
Savelli's | 301 Manitou Ave. | Manitou Springs, CO
Cooper's Old Time Pit BBQ
Located in the Texas Hill Country, the BBQ capital of the world, Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que is honored to be the best of the best in the barbecue business and home of the original World Famous "Big Chop. It may almost be a sin not to stop at Cooper's when traveling through Llano, Texas! You make your BBQ selections outside the restaurant at their old time pits. You then move inside to find delicious sides and all you can eat red beans. You can't go wrong with our favorites: lean sliced brisket, sausage and Cooper's jalapeno mac and cheese!
Cooper's Old Time Pit BBQ | 604 West Young St. | Llano, TX
Sea J's Cafe
If you're looking for the best fish and chips in Port Townsend, Washington, then look no further than Sea J's Cafe located along the Port Townsend Bay. You'll have to ignore the ambiance and you might have to wait for a table (family style at that) but you'll be pleasantly surprised by the delicious "cod" fish and chips. We heard their shakes are amazing as well.
Sea J's Cafe| 2501 Washington St | Port Townsend, WA
The Auslander
The Ausländer Restaurant and Biergarten has been one of Fredericksburg’s most popular eating establishments for over twenty years. Located in the heart of historic Fredericksburg, The Ausländer offers the finest in authentic German cuisine, specializing in dishes from the state of Bavaria, which lies in the south-eastern region of Germany.
The Auslander | 323 E. Main St. | Fredericksburg, TX
Back 40 Smokehouse
We couldn't list our favorite BBQ destinations without including one in our own backyard. Meet the Back 40 Smokehouse in North Richland Hills, TX, where they offer up the most delicious smoked meats and tasty sides served up in what use to be an old feed store/gun range (see the bullet holes in the walls)in the "ghost" community of Smithfield. Warmed BBQ sauce in old Dr. Pepper bottles and a huge buffet of pickles, onions, and jalapenos compliment your meal. Live bands and cold beer on the patio complete this Texas experience!
Back 40 Smokehouse | 8021 Main St. | North Richland Hills, TX
Sage Brush BBQ & Grill
Good BBQ, good folks and a good mountain time is what you'll find at the Sage Brush BBQ & Grill. We stumbled into this quaint restaurant after a hard day of hiking the Rocky Mountains and enjoyed a delicious order of chili-cheese fries (served Christmas style) and a few cold beers. It was just what we needed to refresh our body and spirits!
Sagebrush BBQ & Grill | 1101 Grand Ave. | Grand Lake, CO
Country Dough
Tucked deep into the center of Seattle's Pike Place Market is a delicious Szechuan country restaurant where diners can watch orders of crunchy grilled flatbread sandwich or thick hand-shaved noodles being prepared right before their eyes.
Country Dough | Pike Market 1916 Pike Pl #14 | Seattle, WA
Enchanted Circle Brewing
Established in 2015, this small production brewery is quickly growing and distributing beers to restaurants, bars, and other breweries throughout New Mexico. While visiting Angel Fire, New Mexico, we stopped by their tasting room to sample some of their beverages and enjoy a bite of their small plate snacks.
Enchanted Circle Brewing | 20 Sage Ln. | Angel Fire, NM
Snoqualmie Brewing
At the Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom they brew seven outstanding beers plus a rotating selection of seasonal beers that have signature Pacific Northwest flavors. We stopped in after visiting the Snoqualmie Falls for a brew and snack.
Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom | 8032 Falls Ave SE, | Snoqualmie, WA
Hart's Firehouse BBQ
Savelli's Pizza, Pasta and Subs
We stumbled into this little mom and pop pizza joint cold and tired from touring Manitou Springs, Colorado, and were pleasantly surprised by the delicious pizza and friendly staff. The sweet waitress made a mistake on our order so she had the cooks make us a second pizza on the house and only charged us half price for the first one. We had pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next few days! We highly recommend stopping here when visiting the area.
Savelli's | 301 Manitou Ave. | Manitou Springs, CO
Cooper's Old Time Pit BBQ
Located in the Texas Hill Country, the BBQ capital of the world, Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que is honored to be the best of the best in the barbecue business and home of the original World Famous "Big Chop. It may almost be a sin not to stop at Cooper's when traveling through Llano, Texas! You make your BBQ selections outside the restaurant at their old time pits. You then move inside to find delicious sides and all you can eat red beans. You can't go wrong with our favorites: lean sliced brisket, sausage and Cooper's jalapeno mac and cheese!
Cooper's Old Time Pit BBQ | 604 West Young St. | Llano, TX
Sea J's Cafe
If you're looking for the best fish and chips in Port Townsend, Washington, then look no further than Sea J's Cafe located along the Port Townsend Bay. You'll have to ignore the ambiance and you might have to wait for a table (family style at that) but you'll be pleasantly surprised by the delicious "cod" fish and chips. We heard their shakes are amazing as well.
Sea J's Cafe| 2501 Washington St | Port Townsend, WA
The Auslander
The Ausländer Restaurant and Biergarten has been one of Fredericksburg’s most popular eating establishments for over twenty years. Located in the heart of historic Fredericksburg, The Ausländer offers the finest in authentic German cuisine, specializing in dishes from the state of Bavaria, which lies in the south-eastern region of Germany.
The Auslander | 323 E. Main St. | Fredericksburg, TX
Back 40 Smokehouse
We couldn't list our favorite BBQ destinations without including one in our own backyard. Meet the Back 40 Smokehouse in North Richland Hills, TX, where they offer up the most delicious smoked meats and tasty sides served up in what use to be an old feed store/gun range (see the bullet holes in the walls)in the "ghost" community of Smithfield. Warmed BBQ sauce in old Dr. Pepper bottles and a huge buffet of pickles, onions, and jalapenos compliment your meal. Live bands and cold beer on the patio complete this Texas experience!
Back 40 Smokehouse | 8021 Main St. | North Richland Hills, TX
Sage Brush BBQ & Grill
Good BBQ, good folks and a good mountain time is what you'll find at the Sage Brush BBQ & Grill. We stumbled into this quaint restaurant after a hard day of hiking the Rocky Mountains and enjoyed a delicious order of chili-cheese fries (served Christmas style) and a few cold beers. It was just what we needed to refresh our body and spirits!
Sagebrush BBQ & Grill | 1101 Grand Ave. | Grand Lake, CO
Country Dough
Tucked deep into the center of Seattle's Pike Place Market is a delicious Szechuan country restaurant where diners can watch orders of crunchy grilled flatbread sandwich or thick hand-shaved noodles being prepared right before their eyes.
Country Dough | Pike Market 1916 Pike Pl #14 | Seattle, WA
Enchanted Circle Brewing
Established in 2015, this small production brewery is quickly growing and distributing beers to restaurants, bars, and other breweries throughout New Mexico. While visiting Angel Fire, New Mexico, we stopped by their tasting room to sample some of their beverages and enjoy a bite of their small plate snacks.
Enchanted Circle Brewing | 20 Sage Ln. | Angel Fire, NM
Snoqualmie Brewing
At the Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom they brew seven outstanding beers plus a rotating selection of seasonal beers that have signature Pacific Northwest flavors. We stopped in after visiting the Snoqualmie Falls for a brew and snack.
Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom | 8032 Falls Ave SE, | Snoqualmie, WA
Hart's Firehouse BBQ
Hart's firehouse BBQ has been serving up smokin' good barbeque in the Killeen-Lampasas area since 1947 – putting smiles on generations of barbeque lovers. This place screams Texas Hill Country BBQ! As soon as we pulled off highway 281 and stepped out of the car we knew we made the right decision to stop here. The joint is centered in the middle of shade trees with plenty of picnic tables to enjoy your BBQ "al fresco" style (the Texas way!). The delicious smell of burned oak and charred meat hang in the air. Facilities are located out back similar to a road side rest area. (TK & G-man's fav: sliced brisket sandwich topped with Hart's own bbq sauce.)
Hart's Firehouse BBQ | 1799 US-281 | Lampasas, TX
Hart's Firehouse BBQ | 1799 US-281 | Lampasas, TX
Irish Embassy Pub
"CEAD Milé Failte!" One hundred thousand welcomes is what you'll feel at this authentic Irish pub located in downtown Durango, Colorado. Enjoy a 20-ounce Imperial Pint of Guinness, a tasty serving of their famous fish and chips, or listen to a traditional Irish jam session. (TK & G-man's fav: A pint of Mexican "Logger" from the local Ska Brewery and the Embassy's fish and chips with homemade tarter sauce!)
The Irish Embassy Pub | 900 Main Ave. | Durango, CO
Pizza Planet
Pizza Planet is an Amarillo, Texas, institution since 1974. The serve up delicious pizza pies LOADED with so many toppings it takes two hands to hold a slice! (TK & G-man's fav: 1/2 Canadian back, 1/2 black olive)
Pizza Planet | 2400 Paramount Blvd. | Amarillo, TX
Texas Chili Parlor
TCP is many things to many people but to all of Austin, TCP has
become a landmark, a not-to-be-missed bit of local color. A visit to TCP will do your spirit good! (TK & G-man fav: chili and the enchiladas!) The Texas Chili Parlor has been an Austin institution since 1976!
Texas Chili Parlor | 1409 Lavaca St. | Austin, TX
Wallbangers Sports Bar & Grill
Experience great food and good times at Wallbanger's Sports Bar & Grill. Wallbangers is a different kind of sports bar. They offer a family style restaurant with an arcade room where kids can play while mom and dad watch their favorite team on one of the 14 big screen TV's. (TK & G-man fav: Chili Cheese Fries!)
Wallbangers Sports Bar & Grill | 720 US-50 | Salida, CO
Fred's Cafe (The Original)
In between wagon gigs and hunting excursions (where Terry packs in his kitchen and morphs into "Camp Cook"), he can be found at the famous burger joint "Fred's Café," in the Arts District of West Fort Worth, knocking back beers with the Merry Souls and Colorful Characters that frequent Fred's, frolicking on the patio with his sassy daughter Adeline, and bumping to the local live music with his lovely wife Jennifer. (TK & G-man's fav: Fred's burger with cheese and cold-ass beer!)
Fred's Texas Cafe | 915 Currie St. | Fort Worth, TX
The Branding Iron Steakhouse
The Branding Iron is the best steakhouse and perhaps the only place you can find a cold beer in Mena, Arkansas. We had a 30 minute wait before we could get into the restaurant but the food was well worth it and we had time to do some serious people watching as the locals mingled with the motorcycle tourists. (TK & G-man's fav: You won't be disappointed with the chicken fried steak or half smoked chicken but if you want a true religious food experience order the mashed potatoes. We were certain that a whole stick of real butter went into every bite!)
The Branding Iron Steakhouse | 623 Sherwood Ave. | Mena, AR
Padre Island Burger Company
This gnarly burger joint is the vision of CIA graduate Chef Jason Johnson. After a long day of sun and fun on the beaches of South Padre it is nice to stop in for a cold beer and a delicious "chronic" burger and sweet potato fries. Dude!
Padre Island Burger Company | 11878 TX-361 | Corpus Christi, TX
Joseph's Riverport BBQ
If you're craving BBQ on a hot July night you'll find it at Joseph's Riverport BBQ. This isn't your usual east Texas BBQ shack as it sits directly in the middle of Jefferson, Texas, and has been featured in Texas Monthly as one of the 50 best BBQ joints in Texas. Portions are large and prices are reasonable. The only downfall may be the lack of seating but that can be remedied - just ask nicely and someone will scoot over and share their table with you. If you're appetite is big and you're feeling adventurous order up the Swamp Fries. They come complete with smoked brisket, cheese, jalapenos and chopped onions.
Joseph's Riverport BBQ | 201 N Polk St. | Jefferson, TX
The Plaza
The family-owned Plaza Mexican Restaurant in Amarillo, Texas, has been serving great Mexican food since....wait....I can't tell you that or it will give away my age! Trust these Foodies when we tell you there's nothing better than a plate of enchiladas served hot and delicious from the kitchen of the Plaza Mexican Restaurant!
The Plaza Restaurant | 2101 S. Soncy Rd. | Amarillo, TX
Auntie Skinner's Riverboat Club and Restaurant
If you believe in ghosts or really good burgers Auntie Skinner's Riverboat Club and Restaurant is the place for you! Housed in an old cotton warehouse built way back in 1866, and like most structures in Jefferson, Texas, the staff at Skinner's claims to have a ghost that they refer to as George. Besides the possibility of scaring up some ghosts you may also scare up a really good pub(dive) burger! Stop in during the day and you may sit next to a family enjoying an antiquing trip to Jefferson or a motorcycle enthusiast that stopped in for a cold one after a hot east Texas ride.
Auntie Skinner's Riverboat Club and Restaurant | 107 W. Austin St. | Jefferson, TX