Your Favorite Restaurant that's NOT in Your Town...

[CockofEarle]

No longer there, but Pano’s and Paul’s in Atlanta was outstanding!

Fried lobster

 

[CockofEarle]

Giordano's and Kelly's Pub in Chicago

sad to learn:-(

Lawry’s to Close Historic Downtown Chicago Steakhouse After 46 Years

Lawry’s The Prime Rib will close at the end of the year

chicago.eater.com

 

[uscg1984]

Catfish Hole in Alma, Arkansas.
Cock of the Walk, Arkansas
Oklahoma Joes, KC
Chicken in a barrel, Tahoe
Braums and Whataburger, TX OK
Silver Star Burgers, Madisonville KY

+1 on Braums. We discovered Braums in OK and AR on our road trip to Louisiana at Christmas.

 

[Six Million Dollar Man]

I used to love Jestine’s Kitchen in Charleston. Unfortunately a casualty of COVID. The best burgers ever are at Moe’s Crossrown Tavern on Rutledge Ave right up from The Citadel. There’s a little place in Frogmore called Gullah Grub...... the best shrimp you ever put in your mouth! Mary Yoder’s in Middlefield OH is really good Amish food.

So Jestine's closed? Used to eat there a bunch.

 

[JohnnySolo]

Giordano's and Kelly's Pub in Chicago

Giordano’s is the best pizza I’ve had in my life.

 

[Chanticleer37]

If you ever get the chance, do not miss this artisan GEM!

 

[Six Million Dollar Man]

Don't get to go to San Francisco anymore but when I did I went here. My favorite. House of Prime Rib.

 

[WorldTraveler]

When living in Brussels for 6 years through 1975, Chez Vincent was a favorite, not only for the steak tartare (called "Filet American" for some reason in French) but also for its multiple preparations of mussels ("moules"). The pomme frites were also excellent. But when we went back 20 years or so later, it was not nearly as good as remembered.

My wife and I arrived in Brussels the year you left in 1975 and stayed there through 1979. There was one very good moules place that later opened a place on Ave d'Italie in Paris. Can't remember the name any more. I could not help but favor Villa Lorraine for my favorite in Brussels. What great cuisine in that city.

 

[Ruff12345]

Loved the fried shrimp at Wayside Inn in Murrells Inlet back in the 70’s. 🙁 Been closed for decades.

Best seafood I’ve ever had! Shire dinner with the green chowder was to die for

 

[WorldTraveler]

Also AL Sulton in old City Jerusalem, Isreal.

Really liked the American Colony Hotel restaurant with the old lady sitting in there.

 

[TN-Gamecock]

Southern Kitchen.....Tacoma, WA
Wade's....Spartanburg
Ye Olde Steakhouse....Knoxville
Ridgewood BBQ....Bluff City, TN
Pancake Pantry....Nashville
Julia's German Stammtisch....Columbia
Stoney Knob Cafe....Asheville
Greenfield's Bagel and Deli...Greenville
Cootie Brown's....Johnson City, TN
Studio Diner....San Diego, CA
Historic Menger Hotel....San Antonio, TX
Hot Cakes (Dessert Bar)....Seattle
The Oasis on Lake Travis...Austin, TX
Bates House of Turkey...Greenville, AL
Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant....Gatlinburg

 

[76MACC]

Grill 23 in Back Bay and Metropolis in South End Boston.

 

[Austin_Cock]

Joe's Stone Crabs in Miami
Mastro's Ocean Club in Las Vegas (mainly for the Butter Cake)
Franklin's BBQ in Austin (but there are tons of great BBQ within 50 miles of Austin)

 

[CockofEarle]

Really liked the American Colony Hotel restaurant with the old lady sitting in there.

“old lady sitting in there”?....Seek immediate medical attention!

 

[WorldTraveler]

“old lady sitting in there”?....Seek immediate medical attention!

She owned the place in Jerusalem and was always in there for dinner every time I ever went. But that was a long time ago. She would be dead as I will be before I ever go again.

 

[bchav307]

So Jestine's closed? Used to eat there a bunch.

Yes sir. They opened back up for a few weeks and then closed for good. Loved their fried chicken!

 

[WingchunCock]

Sole Proprietor in Worcester, MA

 

[The ticket guy]

The Old Bryan inn in Saratoga Springs NY what a great place to stop after a long day at the races. It is an actual inn that was built in 1773. Simple the best French onion soup anywhere and the steak or turkey dinner is tough to beat.

 

[msc1992]

Herbs & Rye in Las Vegas. Off The Strip.

 

[uscclassof74]

Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous in Memphis
Granny's Frybread, Four Corners AZ/CO/NM/UT
The Drover, Omaha
Cajun Steamer, Hoover
Bowens Island Seafood, Folly Beach
The Crab Shack, Tybee Island
Keaton's Barbecue, Cleveland, NC
Duke's Barbecue, Orangeburg (Whaley Street) - the BBQ's OK, but the fried chicken's the best I've ever had.
The Dillard House
Lexington Barbecue

And, some chains I wish were closer to me
Buca di Beppo
Char-Grill, Research Triangle NC
Skyline Chili, Cincinnati area
Pal's Sudden Service, East Tennessee
White Castle

 

[DrMickey]

The highest Michelin rating is 3 stars.

Lol, so how many stars for In-n-Out burgers???

 

[gamecocktuck]

I get all you In-N-Out peeps but when I’m in California totally prefer any The Habit Burger Grill better than In-N-Out.
In Manhattan a must is Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse and The River Café in Brooklyn.

 

[WorldTraveler]

Lol, so how many stars for In-n-Out burgers???

I think that their ratings are supposed to be about French cooking. Their ratings are in the Michelin Guide which comes out every year and has beaucoup information in it.

 

[gamecocktuck]

Good list ‘74. Char-Grill is awesome.
Dillard House not as good as it once was.
The Original Crab Shack in Tybee is always a winner.
Skyline Chili is just an experience to itself.
As to NC BBQ, give me The Skylight Inn.
Best spaghetti ever is Vince’s in Rancho Cucomonga, California.

 

[WorldTraveler]

Good list ‘74. Char-Grill is awesome.
Dillard House not as good as it once was.
The Original Crab Shack in Tybee is always a winner.
Skyline Chili is just an experience to itself.
As to NC BBQ, give me The Skylight Inn.
Best spaghetti ever is Vince’s in Rancho Cucomonga, California.

Good choices but must say that the best spaghetti is just about any place in Naples.

 

[SC 95]

Catfish Hole in Alma, Arkansas.
Cock of the Walk, Arkansas
Oklahoma Joes, KC
Chicken in a barrel, Tahoe
Braums and Whataburger, TX OK
Silver Star Burgers, Madisonville KY

Oklahoma Joe's is fantastic. One of my top BBQ destinations.

 

[Chanticleer37]

Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous in Memphis
Granny's Frybread, Four Corners AZ/CO/NM/UT
The Drover, Omaha
Cajun Steamer, Hoover
Bowens Island Seafood, Folly Beach
The Crab Shack, Tybee Island
Keaton's Barbecue, Cleveland, NC
Duke's Barbecue, Orangeburg (Whaley Street) - the BBQ's OK, but the fried chicken's the best I've ever had.
The Dillard House

And, some chains I wish were closer to me
Buca di Beppo
Char-Grill, Research Triangle NC
Skyline Chili, Cincinnati area
Pal's Sudden Service, East Tennessee
White Castle

The Drover is amazing.

 

[ToddFlanders]

House of Prime Rib and Gary Danko in San Francisco.
St. Elmo Steakhouse in Indianapolis

 

[rockingamecock]

Tell us about a restaurant you love to visit in other cities, when on vacation, or traveling. It shouldn't be a restaurant you can visit regularly...

I have many, but first I'll list the St. Paul Grill in the famed St. Paul Hotel. Not only does it have a fantastic bar:

But the beef is absolutely first rate:

And you cannot have a steak at the St. Paul Grill without their decadent hash browns:

Served upside down, out of a cast iron skillet, these hash browns are imbued with chunks of bacon. So good!

Thus, the SPG is a favorite of mine. The worst part of this must-have experience, 9 months out of the year, is that you're in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Tell us about a restaurant you love to visit in other cities, when on vacation, or traveling. It shouldn't be a restaurant you can visit regularly...

I have many, but first I'll list the St. Paul Grill in the famed St. Paul Hotel. Not only does it have a fantastic bar:

But the beef is absolutely first rate:

And you cannot have a steak at the St. Paul Grill without their decadent hash browns:

Served upside down, out of a cast iron skillet, these hash browns are imbued with chunks of bacon. So good!

Thus, the SPG is a favorite of mine. The worst part of this must-have experience, 9 months out of the year, is that you're in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Pretty much anywhere in Trastevere, Rome

 

[Boom4life]

Most are going far off and fancy so I’ll go closer and cheaper. Packs tavern in Asheville. Can’t go to Asheville without getting that brisket Mac and cheese.

 

[psmith5532]

If you ever go through McClellanville goto TW Graham's. Great seafood and the best Key Lime Pie ever

 

[rogue cock]

OOS: Confederate Steak House - Houston TX (although since I've last been they have changed their name and menu).

In-state: Some that haven't been mentioned The Skillet (breakfast) and Ike's (Burgers) in Spartanburg and The Strip Club in Greer.

 

[Bubbaglide]

Cootie Browns Johnson City Tn
The Crab Shack. . Tybee island
Skin’s Hot Dogs. Anderson
Pawley’s Front Porch Cola
Ruth’s Chris. Downtown Charlotte
Greg’s Cabana. Myrtle beach. Hole in the wall but great ribs

 

[SCexpat38]

Willie's Weenie Wagon in Brunswick for a pork chop sandwich.

Sho Nuff BBQ in Hinesville.

 

[USCBatgirl21]

If you ever go through McClellanville goto TW Graham's. Great seafood and the best Key Lime Pie ever

Yep.

 

[TN-Gamecock]

When people come in to visit, I always take them here first, Cootie Brown's.

Menu for North Roan Street | Cootie Brown's

On this page you will find the menu to the North Roan Street, Johnson City location.

www.cootiebrowns.com

 

[fowl_mood]

Love this thread, gonna use it as a reference when we roam again. In and Out is a staple, but if you are ever in Newport Beach, California hit the Crystal Cove Shake Shack. SoCal Beach vibes.

Crystal Cove Shake Shack

Crystal Cove Shake Shack

crystalcoveshakeshack.com

 

[SparkleCity]

Fogo de Chao in Atlanta.

 

[qastor]

RT's in Alexandria, VA just outside of DC. If you like New Orleans food this is the spot for you. When I lived there an retired Army guy introduced me to that place. He was from New Orleans and had been stationed all over the country. Said that was the ONLY place he'd go for New Orleans food, outside of New Orleans. It was amazing!

 

[browncock]

St. Elmo steak house in Indianapolis. Best steak I've ever had