Roadfood in Georgia

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties 
- Pit Stops in The Peach State

It’s a busy time in the U.S.A right now as we host the World Cup on the cusp of our 250th birthday coming up and with that I have a post that that fits in perfectly at this time. If you’re on Twitter or “X” as the right wingers call it you’ve probably heard of Freddy from Germany (@FreddyLA7). If not he's a German soccer fan who “unexpectedly” became one of the stories of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He’s gained hundreds of thousands of followers while documenting a road trip across the U.S. with his buddies while following Germany's World Cup matches. His posts feature enthusiastic reactions to American culture: everything from Waffle House and Buc-ee's to college football stadiums, Walmart, and our many Main Streets. It’s mostly harmless but to many of us it feels fabricated. Why are Freddy and his friends only going to corporate places as far as food goes? It feels like Freddy is a plant made to make Americans fall back in love with America. Some think it’s a psyop by our government and others think it’s an American taking advantage of the fact you can make money on X when your posts go viral. Not once have they boosted some random small town diner or a local and regionally loved eatery - it’s always places like Taco Bell and Wendy’s. To me it feels a bit off bc of that though it’s totally possible he's just a dumb European tourist. I say so bc to get a true taste for America you have to stop at the mom and pop Roadfood establishments like we’re going to visit today. The American South is flooded with these type of spots. We’re going to visit ten places in Georgia that Freddy and his friends should’ve stopped at for a real taste of America. For those of you wondering “Why Georgia?” it's because I cruise through the Peach State every year I drive to or from South Florida. 

Welcome to Georgia
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The Big Biscuit Barn (Rossville)

We’ll start north and work our way south though most of the spots featured in this post are south of Atlanta with The Big Biscuit Barn in Rossville being the exception (it’s two hours north). Believe it or not, legit biscuits aren’t regularly found in the south. It takes some digging to find the good stuff. But the area up here near the Georgia and Tennessee state line has quite a few spots making biscuits from scratch. We stopped at the Big Biscuit Barn for a quick and satisfying breakfast one morning. I’m not going to pretend I’m an expert in southern biscuits but this would easily be the best biscuit in Chicago - and it would be one of the cheaper breakfast sandwiches in the city too ($4.50 each). 

BEC Biscuit at Biscuit Farm
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Fresh Air Barbecue (Jackson)

Next stop up is the most legendary bbq stop in Georgia and one of the most historic bbq joints in the south. Fresh Air Barbecue is located in Butts County about an hour southeast of Atlanta. Established in 1929, it's recognized as the oldest continuously operating pit-cooked barbecue restaurant in Georgia that remains in it's original location. No modern barbecue trends here. Instead, it has stayed true to a very traditional central Georgia style bbq featuring chopped pork cooked slowly over hickory and oak until tender, then finely chopped. The sauce is thin, tangy, and vinegar-forward, with a mild tomato base and their famous Brunswick stew is made from a long-standing family recipe and is a favorite alongside the barbecue. For those unfamiliar, Brunswick stew is a thick, slow-simmered Southern stew associated with Georgia and Virginia. It’s typically made with shredded pork and or chicken plus tomatoes, lima beans, corn, potatoes, and onions, in a flavorful broth seasoned with bbq sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and spices. It's often served alongside barbecue and is a staple at Fresh Air Barbecue. As far as old school in barbecue goes this is about as OG as it gets. The dining room feels like a flashback to summer camp and the lights never go off in the pit room as there’s always meat being smoked since they open at 8a daily. Breakfast hits different down south! 

Chopped Pork and Brunswick Stew at Fresh Air Barbecue
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Nu-Way Weiners (Macon)

The South is rich with old school hot dog stands serving cheap wieners loaded with chili. Nu-Way Weiners is a Central Georgia institution and one of America's oldest continuously operating hot dog chains. It was founded in 1916 in Macon by Greek immigrant James Mallis, same year Nathan's Famous opened in New York. Nu-Way is known for its unique take on the classic Coney-style hot dog starting with bright red beef-and-pork frankfurters grilled on a flat-top and topped with secret chili sauce, mustard, and diced onions. Order them "all the way," and they add their signature creamy slaw. As far as the spelling: "Weiners" is technically a misspelling of "wieners." According to the company, a sign painter made the mistake in the 1930s and the owners decided to keep it because they thought changing it would bring bad luck. The spelling has become part of the brand's identity. 

Hot Dogs at Nu-Way Weiners
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Danny's Melon Shed (Cordele)

If you find yourself traveling along I-75 in Georgia, the town of Cordele makes for a great pit stop. Cordele sits on the edge of Crisp County and is considered “The Watermelon Capital of the World” as it’s consistently one of the top watermelon producing areas in the U.S. The region’s sandy soil, long hot summers, and irrigation access make it an ideal place for growing melons. At peak season, farms in the area ship well over 100 million watermelons a year to markets across the country. We stopped in at Danny’s Melon Shed. This roadside produce operation in Cordele, sits in the heart of watermelon country. It’s not a tourist attraction in the polished sense as it’s more of a working produce shed and melon brokerage spot tied directly into the local farming and shipping scene around the Cordele State Farmers Market. Picture loads of Semi-trucks, pallets, and stacked bins of melons during summer. Occasionally they’ll have a small retail stand where you can grab a watermelon off the load. On this visit they had red and yellow watermelons and they were as sweet and juicy as I've come across. 

Melons at Danny's Melon Shed
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Cordele Recreation Parlor (Cordele)

The Cordele Recreation Parlor is one of those classic Southern institutions that feels stuck in time. Located in downtown Cordele, it opened in 1939 as a combo pool hall and lunch counter, and for generations locals have simply called it "the Pool Room." The signature order here depends on just how hungry you are. For some a chili dog or two will suffice but for others a ‘Scramble Dog’ is in store. This regional specialty takes the chili dog a step further by piling on chili, oyster crackers, shredded cheese, onions, hot sauce. It's messy and filling and has become almost as famous as the chili dogs. The chili at Cordele Recreation Parlor is a classic South Georgia “hot dog chili” style, which is very different from a bowl-of-chili Texas or Midwest version. It’s almost paste-like in texture, so it spreads smoothly over the hot dog with a thin, saucy consistency meant to soak into the bun. Really fun stop. 

Pics from Cordele Recreation Parlor
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DK's Bar-B-Que (Waycross)

The small town of Waycross is the county seat of and the only incorporated place in Ware County, Georgia. It’s also the home to DK’s Bar-B-Que. Locals often describe DK's as a longtime neighborhood favorite that's been serving barbecue since the 60’s. It's the kind of place many former residents make a point to visit when they're back in town. I stopped in on the drive down last year after coming across this place and realizing it’s a bit of a hidden gem on the southern bbq circuit. This Black owned bbq joint is known for its chopped pork barbecue sandwiches served with a house-made vinegar sauce. The sandwiches are pressed giving them extra texture. I ate two and was happy with my decision to take the backroads and get lunch at DK’s instead of staying on the main highway. 

Chopped Pork Sandwiches at DK's Bar-B-Que
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Savannah Fried Chicken (Savannah)

We stopped in Savannah for a few nights on the drive down this past January. I’ll do a separate report on most of the spots we ate at but I wanted to include lunch with the locals at Savannah Fried Chicken in this post as it’s a real Roadfood type of stop. It’s considered one of Savannah's best-kept secrets - an unassuming Chinese takeout spot that’s developed a cult following for its crispy, juicy Southern style fried chicken and excellent smoky fried rice. There’s three tables inside that customers sit at to wait for their food so it’s basically a takeout joint and seemingly every city employee was stopping by for lunch on my visit. Most of them were getting some form of fried chicken and fried rice which made for a delightful combo. Both the fried chicken and the fried rice were really well made. 

Fried Chicken and Fried Rice Combo at Savannah Fried Chicken
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Willie's Wee-Nee Wagon (Brunswick)

I’m always researching spots in the towns I plan on passing thru on a roadrip and Willie’s Wee-Nee Wagon in Brunswick caught my eye. It’s ran by a widow that moved to the area from Chicago with her husband after they vacationed down here. After moving down they opened a hot dog stand that became very popular for its pork chop sandwich and hot dogs among other things. That pork chop is modeled after the Maxwell stands of Chicagoland but since we were in the South I got the fried pork chop and I also got the namesake Willie Dog which is an ode to the Chicago style hot dog. I’m glad I stopped in. I often see restaurants with some sort of connection to Chicago when I’m traveling but most of them have a connection in name only. Willie’s felt like it was plucked out of the South Side and plopped into the Georgia Lowcountry. The hot dog was ok - they’re never made in a textbook way when you’re this far from Chicago. But the pork chop sandwich is the reason to go back. It was piping hot and really nicely fried while the crisp bread with mayo and tomato was a great delivery vehicle. 

Pics from Willie's Wee-Nee Wagon
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B & J's Steaks & Seafood (Brunswick)

Shrimping is a big deal in Brunswick Georgia where commercial shrimpers harvest an average of 2.1 to 3.3 million pounds of shrimp tails annually along the Georgia coast. Because Brunswick serves as the historic hub of this regional industry it’s often called the "Shrimp Capital of the World" as a massive portion of that total is brought directly into local Brunswick docks. With that comes some great fried shrimp shacks in the area. B & J’s Steaks & Seafood is a no-frills coastal institution beloved by locals and travelers alike for its massive portions of fresh, locally caught, seafood and thick-cut steaks. I'm sure the steaks are great but you can find a good steak in alot of places. Fresh shrimp is a different story. We got a combo plate featuring a half pound of fried shrimp plus a half pound of blackened shrimp with two sides. The sides were fine but the shrimp was outstanding. When it comes to fresh caught there’s a world of difference in texture compared to the stuff you get at most supermarkets. Eating shrimp in a place like Brunswick will ruin shrimp in most other spots for you. 

Shrimp Platter at B & J's Steaks & Seafood
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JB's Shrimp Shack (Brunswick)

Last stop for this post is the most recent place I ate in Georgia. We stopped at JB’s Shrimp Shack in Brunswick before making the final push to South Florida this past January. JB's is a family-owned seafood restaurant located just off I-95. It sits in a sea of corporate entities with neighbors like Walmart, Zaxby’s, and Hilton but it’s quickly built a reputation as a standout spot for fresh Georgia seafood since opening in 2024. We popped in right around lunch time and were lucky enough to snag a table right away. Due to its location this place seems to get packed with roadtrippers meaning large families were waiting for tables during peak hours. We were here for the fried shrimp which is locally caught and truly some of the best tasting shrimp I’ve ever ate. I might even go as far as to say it’s the best fried shrimp I’ve ever had but there’s a few other spots in the Lowcountry that also come to mind. The standard breading down here is thin and brittle and the shrimp is as fresh as it gets. We also got a bowl of fish and grits made with blackened flounder that was absolutely off the charts in terms of flavor, one of the best things I’ve ate this year. On top of killer food this place had sensational service even though it was a bit of mad house, it was the holiday season after all. Highly recommended!

Lunch at JB's Shrimp Shack
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See ya next time @chibbqking

Eating BIG in Joliet

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Eating and Exploring the City of Steel

So I finally have enough stops in my Joliet folder to make an ‘Eating Big in Joliet’ post which I’m posting this week. For those of you wondering what the hell there is to do in Joliet well I’m not going to debate you on that but I’ve found myself down this way now and then for a variety of reasons including going to The Old Joliet Prison famous for its appearance in The Blues Brothers. I’ve also gone down there to visit the historic Joliet Iron Works site which was once the second largest steel mill in the United States and well worth spending a couple hours at. It ceased to exist in the 1980’s before the Forest Preserve District of Will County purchased the property in the 1990’s as a way of preserving a piece of history. There’s also The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie which was established in 1996 on the former Joliet Arsenal and is the first national tallgrass prairie in the country. It’s a cool place to hike, ride a bike, and maybe eye a semi wild bison or two. They were reintroduced to the landscape in 2015 as a prairie restoration experiment and it seems to be doing well though I heard some of its funding was cut by DOGE even though that whole stunt spent more than it saved. But all of these things can make for a fun daytrip if you’re looking to get out of the house and enjoy Illinois. But you’ll also need somewhere to eat and that’s where this report may come in handy. Please note that there won’t be a trip to Merichka's Restaurant due to the fact I haven’t had a Poor Boy steak sandwich there since I last posted about them HERE. Also it appears as though Andy & Sophie’s is still open but from what I heard Andy is no longer there as he and his wife Sophie sold and retired. One last note: it looks like the old downtown Joliet legend Chicken-N-Spice is closed for good. 

Pics from Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie 
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Home Cut Donuts

Every city with a similar stature to Joliet seems to still have a thriving old school donut shop. Home Cut Donuts is that spot in these parts. They first opened in 1966 and they still stay open for 24 hours a day. I’ve been thru a few times and each time I was there they were frying donuts in the back resulting in a still warm product. Based on my visits these are some of the better donuts in the state. 

Donuts at Home Cut Donuts
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Sabor A Mexico

According to AI approximately 33.5% of the population in Joliet identifies as Hispanic or Latino. This translates to roughly 50,510 people and tons of taco options. Tortilleria Sabor A Mexico is a lowkey one stop spot for all your taco needs. They make and sell thick corn tortillas on site and also package up their made on site salsas and have fillings like Nopalitos a La Mexicana which is cactus prepared with green chile peppers, white onions and red tomatoes. They’ll also make tacos for you right there using their delicious warm corn tortillas. The specialty of the house is a taco with cecina (dry cured beef), refried beans, and cheese and two of them will kill your hunger for the rest of the day. 

Tacos at Sabor A Mexico
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Taqueria Los Paisanos #2

I’m pretty much done with quesabirria but I’ll tell you what, sometimes it really does hit, as was the case with the “Queca Birria” at this 37 year old taqueria in Joliet (though this is their second location). They make birria de res estilo Jerez (beef) and stuff it into a flour tortilla layered with queso and crisp it on a hot flattop before adding a big scoop of guacamole to liven it all up. Damn were these good and so was everything else at Taqueria Los Paisanos including the “Ballenita” which is a fried Gordita stuffed with discada (beef, bacon, ham, chorizo) and topped with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, avocado, and pinto beans. Even the Taco de Arrachera was better than most spots but the real find was the little section of Burritos La Palma on the menu. The bean and cheese tucked into a wafer thin toasted flour tortilla was a pinnacle normally not reached in the Chicagoland area. All the salsas are top shelf too and chips are fried fresh making this one of the top spots to stop and eat in Joliet. 

Lunch at Taqueria Los Paisanos #2
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Nena's Cantina

Back when I was in the video poker machine industry I found myself out in the southwest suburbs fairly often. Lots of old school bars out this way and pretty much all of them have video gaming machines. One of my favorites was this corner tavern located in a totally residential area. The type of place you probably wouldn’t enter (or even know about) if you weren’t from around this way. The interior has since been updated but the menu at Nena’s Cantina remains the same as when it opened in 1983. They have the most unique tacos in town one of which is a creamy pork and beans filling. The other is a steak and potato the latter of which are French fries which is something you see served on tacos in Mexico City now and then. They’re both guisado like in texture and come served on toasted flour tortillas. I don’t know if there’s a Texas connection but both the food and atmosphere here feel like a roadhouse in some Texas border town. Beers are served ice cold and cheap and they have all the big brand Mexican cerveza imports making it a favorite of locals in the area. English is the second language among customers but the daughter who runs it will take very good care of you. 

Tacos at Nena's Cantina
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Joe's Hot Dogs

Joe’s Hot Dogs is a classic Chicago style hot dog stand with an incredible neon sign. Joe was the son of Sicilian immigrants. He grew up on Taylor street where he worked at a hot dog stand before meeting his wife who was from Joliet. They got married and settled in Joliet where Joe and Mary opened a hotdog wagon in front of their home. A few years later, the first Joe’s Hot Dogs stand was built next door and remained open until 1992 with the current location opening in 1964. Joe’s is currently ran by his granddaughter Jill who doesn’t seem to have changed much including the prices. I tried a tamale in a bun which is an old school Chicago food item you don’t see too often anymore. 

Tamale in a Bun at Joe's Hot Dogs
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Hey! Hot Dog

Hey! Hot Dog has been serving up their signature chili dogs, BBQ sandwiches, and homemade root beer since 1959 with their current location having opened in 1978. I stopped in here years ago and decided to return last summer for the first time since then. It’s a drive thru only operation and if you visit toward the end of summer they also have a sweet corn stand as the longtime owner has a farm. The chili sauce used on for the dogs is good. A standard hot dog includes ketchup, mustard, relish and onions but no ketchup for me please. I’m not sure what brand of hot dog they use but I don’t think it’s Vienna Beef but it works well in a traditional way as chili dogs tend to be made with cheaper wieners. 

Hot Dogs at Hey! Hot Dog
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Ace Drive-In

Ace Drive-In is another retro Joliet joint, complete with car-hop service and frosty mugs of homemade root beer to boot. It’s a seasonal operation with a history in the area going back more than 75 years having first appeared in 1949 - the current owners are now in their 42nd season. The original building was actually moved from another location in Joliet to the once vacant farm land where it still sits today. Customers pull in and out all day, some of them in their vintage vehicles, for a variety of items such as their Sliced Beef Poorboy. Sliced Italian roasted beef is placed in a hoagie with a few pepperoncini. It’s a good sandwich but I still prefer an Italian beef. Ace Drive In also does a Cubed Steak Poorboy like the one you’ll find at Mericka’s and other places in the area. For those wondering there’s no connection between a Cubed Steak Poorboy and the Po Boys popular in NOLA and beyond. The only similarities they share is the origin of the name poor boy referring to somebody that can only afford a sandwich. Oh and the Black Cows (root beer with vanilla ice cream) at Ace Drive-In are outstanding.

Sliced Beef Poorboy at Ace Drive-In
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Rax

I’m fascinated by regional fast food, even if it's mostly average, and even more so by forgotten regional fast food. Back in its heyday Rax Roast Beef (originally Jax) had 500+ locations across 38 states. It was born in Springfield, Ohio in 1967 but is now down to just five independent locations with three of them in Ohio, and one each in Kentucky and Joliet. Rax was famous not just for their roast beef but also their throwback baked potato salad bar but it was drive thru only during my visit circa Covid-19. The quality is a step above Arby’s but that’s not saying much. Nonetheless I have a bit of a guilty pleasure for old school roast beef sandwich spots like Rax -  they’re a dying breed. 

Roast Beef Sandwich at Rax
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Maurie's Table

I often get asked if I ever eat at places that I don't like and of course I do - but not all that often. When you’ve been to as many restaurants as I have you develop a knack for finding the good ones. I can usually tell by looking at online reviews (mostly thru the pictures but also commonly mentioned dishes and every now and then an informative review) and menus if a place is worth stopping in at. I had a bad feeling about Mauries Table but my cousin really wanted pizza and we were right there so we went in. First off let me say that I loved the 1970’s vibes and there was a real energy here as it was packed on an early Sunday evening and that’s what gave me a little bit of hope for the place. But the people that eat here must have a childhood connection bc the pizza isn’t good. We got the signature deep dish and it might as well have been a Red Baron Pizza or some other trash from the freezer at Jewel. The crust was awful and the sausage wasn't much better but at least the beer was cold. 

Deep Dish Pizza at Maurie's Table
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Dari Delite

Capitalism and the corporate world have made almost everywhere feel the same. There’s fewer and fewer independently owned places but you can almost always count on there being an old school, seasonal ice cream stand no matter what town you’re at in the Midwest. I wrote about some of them in Illinois HERE. Joliet is home to an old Dari Delite which is a name associated with many different ice cream establishments across the country, primarily from the mid-20th century. Some of them were part of a chain while others were independent businesses that adopted the name. I couldn’t find much on the history of the Joliet Dari Delite but it’s currently for sale for $375,000 if anyone is interested.

Dipped Cone at Dar Delite
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See ya next time @chibbqking