Roadfood in Kentucky

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties 
- Pit Stops for Roadfood in Kentucky

Kentucky has always been an interesting place to me. So much so that I have a huge google maps guide of Roadfood to seek out throughout the state. I've always wanted to take a road trip through there and explore the region. I've never been able to do one solely focused on the Bluegrass State but I have driven through there more than a few times over the years and whenever I do I always find interesting spots to stop at. Here's five from two separate trips I took to North Carolina and Florida. 

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150 Quick Stop (Bardstown)

This gas station / convenience store is home to some of the best breakfast sausage in the world. You'll find it in Bardstown which is in the heart of the states bourbon producing territory (about an hour southeast of Louisville). I was turned onto to this top sausage by Chef Newman Miller, a friend of mine who lives in the area. Actually he and the sausage at 150 Quick Stop made an appearance in an article at Food & Wine Magazine which you can see HERE. The recipe to this sausage might've been won in a local poker game, or lost depending on how you look at it. So the story goes the owners of the truck stop beat a local butcher in a poker game and won his breakfast sausage recipe in doing so. It's a spicy sage forward blend with plenty of red pepper flakes found throughout. If you show up early enough you can try it in a biscuit - they make up to 600 a day. I arrived around 11a on my visit and it was already too late to score a sausage biscuit but they also sell it raw in two sizes and since we were on our way to Carolina for a week of outdoor stuff I made sure to grab some for the AirBNB. It really is the best damn sausage I've ever had as far as the breakfast variety goes. Oh so f'ing good. 

Breakfast Sausage from 150 Quick Stop 
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Wilson's Pool Room (Versailles) 

Ever had Pool Hall Grub in Kentucky? Oh that's a thing. Handfuls of pool halls are hanging on around the Bluegrass State and each one serves up some form of locally loved grub be it chili dogs, burgers, or both. Below is the Willie Burger from an old pool hall in Bourbon Country. Nothing special as far as the prep or dressing of it (fresh ball of beef lightly smashed with lettuce, tomato, mayo, onion) but it was one of the best burgers I had that year. I had to pass on the country ham sandwich bc this was a second lunch so I limited myself to just one choice for the sake of this massive food database that I continue to build. I hope to visit a few more Kentucky pool halls at some point before they all close. 

Willie Burger at Wilson's Pool Room 
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Tortilleria Y Taqueria Ramirez (Lexington)

If you ever find yourself in or passing through Lexington (aka Mexington) you got to stop at Taqueria Ramirez. There's a sizeable Mexican population in both Lexington and Louisville and lots of taco spots too. If you only have time for one of them I suggest this family owned taqueria that serves up the best tacos in the U.S. I've ever had outside of California, Texas, or Illinois. Upon entry you're greeted by a big assembly line production of corn tortillas made with Weisenberger Mills corn from Midway Kentucky - a place famous for its grits. The fillings include options like cabeza, lengua and barbacoa with each of them being as good as the last. This is a real blue blood type of taqueria.  

Tacos at Tortilleria Y Taqueria Ramirez 
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G&E Burgers (Williamsburg)

As regular readers know I'm a big fan of regional food and an even bigger fan of hyper local dishes like the Eastern Kentucky Chili Bun. A chili bun is simply a chili dog without the wiener. It's said that these first started to appear at pool halls in the area around the 1950's. They made for a cheap and tasty snack for the local miners and others who hung out at these pool halls after work and what not. I had plans to stop at a different spot but it was suddenly closed due to the passing of the owner. Luckily G&E Burgers was just down the block which gives you an idea of the chili buns prevalence in these parts. If you grew up or lived anywhere near Appalachia you likely have a favorite spot for one and or an old family recipe. The bun is dressed with mustard and onions before the sauce goes on. The chili here is a well spiced meat forward blend with minimal tomato detected. It wasn't spicy but had plenty of buzz. Also of note was a side of "soup beans" that come with the chili bun meal. Pintos are a big part of the Appalachian diet and soup beans as they're called are commonly served with cornbread, greens, and potatoes and are considered both a main course and also a side dish.

Chili Bun at G&E Burgers
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Dovie's (Tompkinsville)

Our final stop is one of the most interesting stops you can make on the Roadfood circuit - but it's a bit out of the way from any major highway so it's also somewhat elusive. Dovie's is home to some killer burgers (literally). They've been frying up balls of beef since 1940. When I first found this place searching through food stops in random Kentucky towns I thought I came across a relatively unknown place but then I checked the Insta check-ins and saw that a few fellow burger connoisseurs had already been here (@motzburger, @burgerbeast, @jcstrutz). So I knew it would be a fun one and it was. Particularly made so by the handful of local ladies who run the place. It's quite a riot inside as far as the atmosphere goes and quite the heart stopper on the burger and baloney front. I ordered mine "unsqueezed" which means they don't release any of the oil that the beef soaks up while frying. It wasn't the best burger I've ever had but it was one of the best roadfood experiences I've partaken in. 

Cheeseburger at Dovie's

Baloney Sandwich at Dovie's 
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Roadfood in Kentucky (2015)

Stopping in at Three Paducah Favorites (2019)

Eating BIG in Louisville (over the years)

See ya next time @chibbqking 

Siam Thai Eatery

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Thai Food in the South Loop Via NYC

Chicago's Thai food scene has always been pretty good but it’s not quite on the same level as LA and NYC. It’ll likely never reach the formers level as Los Angeles is home to the world’s largest Thai community outside of Thailand. The city’s ‘Thai Town’ neighborhood is the main point of entry for the more than 100,000 people from Thailand that now call Southern California home and more than half live in or near the neighborhood. In the case of the ladder, the Queens area is home to the country’s second largest Thai enclave. The other factor is quality of ingredients - like produce - available on the coasts compared to here in Chicago where it’s just not as good or in some cases just not available. That said the recent Michigan Ave opening of a well known Thai restaurant from NYC is trending.

Recently Opened in the South Loop

Siam Thai Eatery was established in 2022 in Flushing Queens where they first debuted their “home-style Thai dining with traditional flavors infused with fresh ingredients.” They became popular and opened a second location in Staten Island and now a third location in Chicago on Michigan Avenue in the city’s South Loop neighborhood. A note on their Instagram page states they’re also opening locations in Houston and LA. The South Loop outlet opened in March and it’s been crazy busy ever since. Clearly the area, which has become a bit of an extension of the city’s Chinatown neighborhood, needed a good Thai joint. It’s not all that big inside so I would recommend getting reservations if you plan to go during peak eating hours but they're open for both lunch and dinner. It’s byob for now but they have plans to offer a full liquor menu with cocktails and all once they get their booze license. 

a peek inside

I’ve visited Siam Thai Eatery twice now and we didn’t hold back with the ordering on either visit. Both visits came on a Monday night and on each time the place was busy with people waiting for tables. It’s a lively restaurant so don’t come here expecting a quiet night. The menu has a collection of Thai classics many of which they put their own little spin on. I was excited to see they have stir fried Morning Glory listed but so I was told they’ve had a tough time procuring water spinach so it hasn’t been available on either visit. My first impression of Siam Thai Eatery’s food was a good one as me and Steve Dolinsky started with a Spicy Pomelo Crab Salad that hit all the high notes of a classic Thai dish - it was sweet, it was spicy, and it had a nice funk to it. Pomelos are a large, round citrus fruit with a yellow/green/pink flesh and lots of spongy pith. They’re less bitter than grapefruit and have a firmer texture and are peeled when put to use in a salad such as this. I've never had this dish elsewhere. 

Spicy Pomelo Crab Salad at Siam Thai Eatery

Two visits in it feels like the crab dishes are a strength of this place. When I visited with Steve we ordered the ‘creamy crab curry’ but it never came out in the onslaught of dishes we tried and that was fine as we were both stuffed by the time we realized it never came. I had the same waitress each time and the service was more than fine but they’re new and they’ve been busy from the jump so that's not to come without mistakes being made. I was able to try the crab curry on a recent return visit when me and Erica joined our favorite drinking couple - my wonderful aunt and uncle - for a lovely dinner which included champagne, Chablis and some white burgundy (all from France of course). The crab curry was the first dish to come out and we all enjoyed the creamy house curry mixed with eggs, cream, scallions, celery and lots of luscious lump crab meat. It comes served alongside a small flatbread roti cut into four individual pieces. Our only complaint was it wasn’t served all that hot as it came out lukewarm. Also it would've been nice to get some rice with this dish to soak up the liquid.

Creamy Crab Curry at Siam Thai Eatery 

We had one other problem with a stir fried clam dish that two people at our table got an alkaline taste from so we sent that back only to have the manager come back and tell us he ate one and they were fine but he was going to remove them from the bill. He didn’t have to act all high and upitty about it but he did the right thing removing them from the bill as those that had the bad ones knew something wasn’t right about them. An order of the chicken satay wasn’t all that great either but I was kind of expecting that to be the case as that's more of a specialist type dish best ate at a spot that specializes in it and sells a ton. I appreciated the use of dark meat but it was overcooked and didn't taste fresh. As far as the apps go we had much better luck with the grilled pork jowl which is a dish I always like to try at Thai restaurants. Fatty but well rendered pieces of pork neck are sliced and served alongside a lip licking Isan style hot sauce. I suggest adding a rice to this one and eating it all together. The Money Bag Dumplings were such a hit on both visits that I’ve added them to my best dumplings in the city list. This Chinese finger food favorite is usually served during Lunar New Year to signify prosperous times head. These delicious morsels of fun are filled with a savory pork mixture and encased in a wonton wrapper before being fried until golden and crispy. These dumplings are different from traditional wontons by the piece of chive carefully wrapped around the end of each dumpling. The ones at Siam Thai Eatery burst with flavor and come served with a sweet plum sauce. 

Money Bag Dumplings

Grilled Pork Jowl at Siam Thai Eatery

We’ve tried at least one of the Thai noodle dishes on each of my visits and both the pad Thai and the Pad Khe Mao were good. I never get Pad Thai as it’s typically too sweet in the States but I’ve tried versions from places catering to a mostly Thai clientele and they’re always much better. The Pad Thai in Thailand was pretty damn good and the version served at Siam is much closer to that than the typical Americanized style. The chili powder served on the side is super spicy so use it sparingly. The Pad Khe Mao is also a really good rendition of the spicy stir fried flat noodle dish I consider to be somewhat of a comfort food. The use of long hot peppers gave this version a really nice spice profile. 

Shrimp Pad Thai

Shrimp Pad Khe Mao

Getting back to my initial visit with Steve Dolinsky we both enjoyed the duck red curry which comes served with a crispy half duck in a stimulating Thai style red curry mixed with tomatoes, lychee, pineapple, coconut milk and basil. The duck was chopped up like a jerk chicken which I love as it allowed the curry to seep into every nook and cranny of the carcass. Duck curry isn’t a dish I get often but this was one of the best I’ve tried. Speaking of curries both me and Steve have an affinity for Khao Soi which has become one of the signature dishes of Northern Thailand. Khao Soi is a coconut milk-based noodle soup made with wheat-based egg noodles in a coconut milk curry broth and the bowl is topped with crispy deep fried noodles too. It's typically made with chicken but beef is also common. I pretty much always enjoy this dish and the version here was no different but I wouldn’t quite place it among my favorites in town. We got it with chicken so it came with a very traditional chicken leg but I think I prefer my Khao Soi with beef which is a short rib at Siam Thai. I would however add the Pad Kra Pao to my list among the best versions in town. Siam serves a minced pork version which is really well made in terms of texture and taste and it has good spice too thanks to a bunch of chopped up Thai peppers. My only complaint is it doesn’t come with a fried egg nor is there an option to add one. 

Duck Curry 

Khao Soi

Pad Ka Pao

Finishing up with my most recent visit with the wife and my aunt and uncle where we finished with the crab fried rice. We all liked this one which came with well fried rice and the crab was nice and fresh too. I liked how they put an omelet on top of the mound of rice and the spicy fish sauce included with the dish took it up a notch. Two visits in and I've liked eight of ten dishes I’ve tried and that’s more than enough to go back and further explore the menu. It’s just one spot but the opening of Siam Thai Eatery could be the beginning of the city’s next step up in terms of the local Thai food scene.

Crab Fried Rice at Siam Thai Eatery

Siam Thai Eatery
1329 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 763-6193
Website

Especialidad de la Casa Pt. 13

-Grubbing in Chicago
Five of a Kind: Specialty of the House Series

In his weekly newsletter roundup of Chicago food writing, Michael Gebert at Fooditor (sign up HERE) wondered last week if the next great Mexican dining find in Chicago had yet to be uncovered. He wondered if it hasn’t due to the fact the Tribune no longer has much of a food presence. He did give props to me mentioning I’m always on the prowl and I can verify that - but I can also verify that it’s been rather quiet of late. Not bc Nick is no longer on the beat but bc it’s just not an exciting time for Mexican food in Chicago in the way it's been with South Asian food of late - in part bc Mexican food had its coming out party more than a decade ago during the heyday of LTHforum in the mid 2000’s and beyond. It’s the reason I haven’t done any of these specialty of the house posts in over a year, because there just hasn’t been a ton of interesting Mexican to uncover. That said I plan on taking another deep dive this summer as it’s been a couple years since I last scoured the south side for street food and what not. But as far as the taquerias and restaurants go I’ve still been checking out new spots but I haven’t had much luck finding the next Asian Cuisine Express or Minna’s Restaurant as it took me over a year to collect today’s five spots - each is worth a stop for the house specialty. 

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Aztlan Mexican Grill (Albany Park)

Albany Park is full of low key Mexican restaurants that almost exclusively serve the neighborhood itself. Most of them look just like Aztlan Mexican Grill which is a small family owned spot on Montrose. Thus it can be tough to figure out which one to go to and what to get but there’s always clues. In the case of Aztlan those clues were found in both the menu and online reviews. The menu is deep with all of the typical Mexican favorites ranging from tortas to burritos but there’s a note next to the quesadilla section stating that their 8 inch quesadillas are hand made and if you look at the pictures of them online they look legit - and they are. I don’t eat a ton of quesadillas anymore but I still enjoy one from time to time and the next time the taste for one comes I'm heading straight to Aztlan where they load up thick hand made tortillas with a number of interesting fillings including an alambre (steak, bacon, pepper, onion, melted cheese) but there’s something about a chicken quesadilla with guacamole that I love - I rarely get chicken at Mexican restaurants but the combination of tinga with hot melted cheese and cold and creamy guacamole is comfort food I trace back to my childhood at TBP (Taco Burrito Palace), a long gone Mexican restaurant on Halsted I ate at for more than a couple decades before it's closing. TBP had great quesadillas and I commonly got the chicken with a side of guacamole but the ones at Aztlan are much better with a strong masa taste thanks to the made from scratch tortilla. 

Quesadilla at Aztlan Mexican Grill 
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Barca Restaurant (Portage Park) 

Next stop is a spot that was originally featured in the Tribune back in 2022 when it was named one of the 32 best Mexican restaurants in the city. Barca Restaurant is family owned spot specializing in birria tatemada, which the family matriarch learned to make growing up in San Jose Casas Caidas, Jalisco. Nick Kindlesberger describes it in his story: “Instead of cooking the meat in a large pot until finished, the goat is simmered part of the way before being removed and slathered in chile paste made with ancho and guajillo chiles. It’s then roasted until the outside starts to char from the high heat.” I had forgot about this spot which I visited over a year ago so I'm due for a return visit very soon. The goat tacos from here are served on handmade tortillas and come with a trio of excellent salsas that truthfully aren't even needed thanks to all the flavor induced from the chile pastes but I thought the addition of the salsa verde elevated them to 1st tier status - one of the best tacos in town.  

Birria Taco at Barca Restaurant
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Cecina Grill (Pilsen)

This 18th Street Cecina estilo Guerrero specialist isn't new but they updated their menu recently and it now includes one of the city's top tacos in the form of the 'Taco Mejica' featuring sliced cecina (dry cured beef) loaded into a soft and sturdy made to order corn tortilla blessed with a glistening cheese crust and topped with a dollop of guac. The guacamole and the cheese sing so well together. 

Taco Mejica at Cecina Grill 
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Carniceria Maribel (Pilsen)

Nobody does hot dogs and hamburgers as good as the United States and nobody comes close but Mexico is a distant second. Our love for hot dogs and hamburgers has traveled south to Mexico where they have a culture all of their own. Street food stands across the country load up bacon wrapped hot dogs and mesquite grilled burgers with a ton of toppings making them a custom experience. I always have to get at least one burger or hot dog when I'm in Mexico and I usually do so after a few rounds of drinks so that the booze can soak up all of the grease. Carniceria Maribel is a popular taqueria / butcher / liquor store in Pilsen that I've featured on here a few times before. They have good tacos, I like the grilled steak options as the butcher stocks some quality carne asada for backyard barbecues and such. At some point between my last two visits they put a cheeseburger de la casa on the menu. It starts with a 6/1 ground in house beef patty dressed with grilled jalapeno + onions, chipotle mayo and melted Chihuahua cheese and its very fairly priced at $10 with fries. 

Cheeseburger de la Casa at Carniceria Maribel
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Querrepario (Archer Heights)

Comida de Guerrero is popping up all over the Chicagoland area. I don’t have exact numbers but there’s clearly a large number of Mexicans in Chicago with connections to the Southwestern Mexico State based on all of the Guerrerense restaurants that have opened over the last handful of years. Most of these spots are on the city’s Northwest side. But Querrepario Mexican Kitchen is on 47th street in the heart of Archer Heights. It had been on my radar for a bit before I finally got the chance to check it out last April and it was worth the wait so to say. Pictured below is the ‘Querrepario Platter’ which comes with an array of antojitos including one picadita, two chicken chalupas, two tacos dorados con pollo (with green sauce) and I switched out the quesabirria for a Taco Torreado - a cheese stuffed pepper with cecina and guacamole on a made to order corn tortilla. Each of these regional snacks was as good as the last and I feel like this place would've been a hit with the old LTHforum crowd and others like previously mentioned former Tribune food writer Nick Kindlesberger so maybe this is the place Fooditor's Michael Gebert is looking for. Or maybe these type of finds are dwindling due to constant change.

Querrepario Platter at Querrepario 
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Previous Posts from this Series 

Especialidad de la Casa Part 1

Especialidad de la Casa Part 2

Especialidad de la Casa Part 3

Especialidad de la Casa Part 4

Especialidad de la Casa Part 5 

Especialidad de la Casa Part 6 

Especialidad de la Casa Part 7 

Especialidad de la Casa Part 8
Especialidad de la Casa Part 9
Especialidad de la Casa Part 10
Especialidad de la Casa Part 11

See ya next time @chibbqking
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Mister Tiger

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Modern Korean Food in West Town

It seems like every year in Chicago there’s a new modern Korean restaurant everybody is checking out. Places like Jeong, Perilla, and Parachute (now Parachute HiFi) come to mind. Well a couple of weeks ago I started to notice a lot of momentum for a new spot on Grand Avenue in West Town called Mister Tiger. It’s a project between a sister and a brother, Charlie Park and Min Lee, who wanted to pay homage to their mother and grandmother - their pictures hang on the restaurants walls. 

Recently Opened in West Town 

Mister Tiger had its soft opening at the end of January and according to the menu on my visit last week they’re still in soft opening mode. That said the current menu is typical in size of a modern restaurant of this type. We were able to walk in and be immediately seated around 730p mid week but that momentum I mentioned is picking up so it’s only getting busier as word continues to spread. It was still pretty busy on our visit but they have a couple of rooms plus the bar so there’s a good amount of space. They’re still waiting on their liquor license so it’s byob for now but they plan to introduce a spirit list with Korean liquors and cocktails made with those liquors front and center.

a peek inside

The menu at Mister Tiger is made up of mostly traditional Korean dishes be it the homestyle type (kimchi stew), the Korean bar type (spicy baby back ribs topped with melted mozzarella), or the Korean BBQ type (marinated LA Galbi). We started with three appetizers and the dumplings came out first. They came out accompanied by a set of banchan (small gratis side dishes) and each of them was as delicious as the last but I think the stir fried fishcakes known as Eomuk Bokkeum might've been my favorite. But I'm also partial to Asian potato salads and they make a tasty and super smooth Korean version. Korean dumplings aka Mandu are typically something I stray away from at Korean restaurants unless they're known for them as lots of spots just use a frozen variety of which there are many. I also prefer my dumplings pan fried to deep fried and mandu is usually the latter if they're not being steamed. All that said I really liked the pork mandu at Mister Tiger. For one they're made in house and produce a pleasant burst of porky flavor upon first bite but what I really liked was the side of sweet and spicy cabbage salad served alongside them - they worked really well together.  

Dumplings at Mister Tiger

I must admit I'm not the biggest fan of Korean Fried Chicken or really any type of fried chicken for that matter. Don't get me wrong - I don't dislike it I just don't crave it as much as other stuff. But I had heard that the KFC at Mister Tiger was some of the best in town and the picture I saw that came with that claim looked pretty good so we chose the sweet and spicy over the soy garlic on the waiters rec. It's served in chunks and comes with a crisp and tight batter that really does feel like a step up from other versions I've tried but in the end I preferred the Korean Beef Bites which are juicy marinated patties of ground beef bursting with a wonderful sweetness from a delicious soy glaze - sorry no pic. 

Korean Fried Chicken at Mister Tiger

Bibimbap is one of my favorite dishes to both say and eat - especially in the colder months like this. Bibim means "mixing" and bap means rice which is what you do with a bowl of bimbimbap before you start eating it. But not all bibimbap is equal. The best bibimbap is served in a sizzling hot stone bowl that both warms you up from the steam it creates and and also because of the wonderful socarrat which it creates. Socarrat is the Spanish word for the crispy rice that forms at the bottom of the bowl. Bi Bim Bap starts with a heaping serving of white rice which is then topped with assorted vegetables plus a sunny side up fried and a protein of your choice with bulgogi (thinly sliced marinated beef) being the most popular. It's always served with a semi thicker sauce that starts with Gochujang and typically includes sesame oil, rice vinegar and a few other seasonings that vary by recipe. It's always best to mix the top half up once it's delivered to your table so that the egg yolk gets mixed in but let the bottom half of the bowl rest and get extra crisp should you have the strength to wait it all out. 

Dolsat BiBimBap at Mister Tiger

We were told that the Galbi-jjim was the kitchens signature, and most strenuous, dish. Galbi-jjim is a royal dish which pairs slow-cooked short rib with rice cakes and a variety of expertly cut vegetables in a rich and tangy sauce. It takes time to cook the short ribs down and slice all the veggies perfectly. This was the dish I knew I wanted to try before we stepped foot inside the restaurant so I was all in upon hearing it was their specialty and it was easy to see why upon that first bite. Actually I knew it was good even before the first bite as I sliced a perfectly shaped piece of short rib precisely down the middle with zero resistance whatsoever. Come to think of it this was one of the most faultlessly braised pieces of meat I've ever come across. I thought about visiting again before posting this just so I could try all the other stuff that both looked and sounded good but in the end I decided this meal in and of itself was enough to make Mister Tiger an early entry among the years best new restaurants. 

Galbijjim at Mister Tiger

Mister Tiger
1132 W Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60642 
(312) 219-5211
Website

Roadfood in North Florida

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties 
- Passing thru Jacksonville 

We drove down to South Florida at the end of December and stopped overnight in both Nashville and Jacksonville. We didnt have a ton of time in either spot as we arrived in the late afternoon and left the next morning. But since we were only four hours from South Florida we weren't in a rush to get out of town thus I was able to check out some spots on my list. But we didn't stay directly in Jacksonville instead opting to stay near the water in Atlantic Beach and most of my roundup reflects that. 

Atlantic Beach Florida
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Lubi's Hot Subs (Jacksonville)

As longtime readers know - I love the unique roadfood stops. It's not always about the food at places like Lubi's Hot Subs in Jacksonville. I'd had plans to stop in Jacksonville previously to this and Lubi's was a spot I found while searching around. I knew I wanted to go there as soon as I saw the pictures of it. It's a prototypical 1970's sandwich shop having first opened in 1969. I visited Lubi's semi early on a Sunday morning and it was pretty busy with customers mostly there for a bacon, egg, and cheese on pita. There's a very obscure regional sandwich thought to originally be from Jacksonville called the Camel Rider or sometimes Desert Rider, as it can also be called. It's a pita stuffed with cold cuts plus lettuce, tomato, and Italian dressing. You can read all about the Camel Riders history in this fun and informative read in the New York Times by Southern Food Historian and fellow regional food aficionado John T. Edge by clicking HERE. All the popular spots known for their Camel Riders were closed on Sundays. They did have one on the menu at Lubi's but I was there for a steamed sub. 

Sign inside Lubi's

According to my friend / fellow food blogger Sef Gonzalez (aka Burger Beast) - Lubi's was founded in 1969 by a lady looking for a new hobby. It grew to five locations in the Jacksonville area at its peak but today there's just one left which I believe is ran by the founders daughter and grand daughter. As you can read in the picture above Lubi's is popular for their steamed subs which are made with ground beef, steamed onions and cheese. They offer six different subs ranging from the original Lubi to the Fiesta Lubi which is the original Lubi topped with chili, sour cream and both American and Mozzarella cheese plus lettuce and tomato. That sounded like a bit much plus from what I read in reviews it seems like the Mozzarella Lubi is the most popular - ground beef, onions, and American cheese is topped with sour cream, mozzarella and marinara and the whole thing is steamed on a boat made of Aluminum foil. Lubi's sandwiches are served with a fork and a knife as they basically morph into a soggy mess when steamed. I was glad to have made it but not sure I'll plot a return. 

Mozzarella Lubi at Lubi's Hot Subs
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Singleton's Seafood Shack (Mayport Village)

Unfortunately O’Steens down in St. Augustine was closed the Sunday we would be passing through. The 2022 S'C'&C 'Stop of the Year' serves up the best fried shrimp I've ever had but they aren't the only popular stop for fried shrimp in these parts. So we visited another old Roadfood favorite instead as I’d never been to Singleton's Seafood Shack. It's located in the Village of Mayport which some call a fisherman's dream, it's an authentic Old Florida waterfront village located on the St. Johns River two miles east of the Atlantic Ocean. The locally caught Mayport fried shrimp isn’t as good at Singleton's as it is at O’Steens but it’s still better than the majority of fried shrimp elsewhere. The Minorcan chowder, another local specialty, was bland but improved with a few drops of locally produced Datil Pepper Hot Sauce. I feel like this place may have passed it's prime as it too opened in 1969 and although it's still the definition of a shack it seems like more of a tourist trap than a locals stop as the shrimp wasn't cheap despite it being abundant in the area but it is on the water so there's that.

Fried Shrimp and Minorcan Clam Chowder at Singleton's Seafood Shack
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Safe Harbor Seafood (Mayport Village)

If you only have time (or the stomach space) for one Mayport Village stop I would go to Safe Harbor Seafood Market / Restaurant. We started off at their seafood market where locally caught large head on Mayport shrimp was on sale for $3/lb. I had planned ahead and brought a cooler down with me so we went ahead and got ten pounds of shrimp to bring down to South Florida with us - it took forever to shell and devein all of it but we ate well for a couple weeks. After procuring our shrimp which they loaded up on ice for us we went across the street to the restaurant. The setup at Safe Harbor is like pretty much every other popular fried seafood stop in that you order at the counter and then take a number to the outside deck where they come find you. We got an order of the fried shrimp which was thinly coated with just the right bite. I wish they sold it by the pound as the fries and cole slaw that comes with it aren't much more than filler. We also got a 1/2 lb of the steamed shrimp which was nice and plump and had the taste and texture of mini lobsters. Safe Harbor is a smooth sailing operation. 

Lunch at Safe Harbor Seafood (click pics to enhance)
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AB Kitchen (Atlantic Beach)

We stayed at a cute little boutique hotel in Atlantic Beach which is the northernmost of Jacksonville's three beach communities. The menu at AB Kitchen looked more like one you would find in a trendy food neighborhood in the city than that of a popular beach vacation community. We stopped in for an appetizer and some drinks while waiting for a table at another restaurant nearby. The crab fried rice was the reason we stopped in as Erica had scoped it out - good call by her, she learned from the best. Haha. After a few runs of average fried rice in hip and trendy restaurants like this I was very much surprised with the cooking quality of this version served with snow crab, shiitakes, scallions, bean sprouts, fish sauce, cilantro, lime. The rice was smoky and the taste of the crab was clear. 

Crab Fried Rice at AB Kitchen
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North Beach Fish Camp (Atlantic Beach)

I wasn't sure what to expect from this popular stop with tourists and what not. But North Beach Fish Camp is ran by a local restaurant group who also owns a popular seafood restaurant in the city so we decided to give it a go. After all it was a short walk from the hotel and I was very much intrigued with the many mentions of their shrimp and grits. We started out with their fried shrimp dinner and it was the best fried shrimp of the trio of plates we tried. It was bigger than the previous two spots and had slightly better texture to it too. The breading was a bit thicker and it did slip off a bit but in the end we both agreed this was the best of the bunch. The shrimp and grits are served with a white wine butter sauce and was one of the best preps I've tried. This makes sense when you come to understand this part of Florida is considered a part of the Low Country region which extends up the coast thru Georgia and into the Charleston South Carolina area. Every aspect of their shrimp and grits was good from the plump and abundant locally caught shrimp to the rich and creamy grits loaded with butter.  

Fried Shrimp at North Beach Fish Camp

Shrimp and Grits at North Beach Fish Camp
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See ya next time @chibbqking