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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Previous Posts You Might Like:

Eating BIG in Alabama (2022)

Roadfood in Chattanooga (2022)

Eating BIG in Greenville (2024)

Roadfood in Atlanta (2024)

Roadfood in Kentucky (2025)

Roadfood in North Florida (2025)

See ya next time @chibbqking

Eating BIG in Cabo

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties 
- Bachelor Party in Cabo San Lucas

For as much as I love Mexico I never had much interest in visiting Cabo San Lucas but friends come before food so I made my way there to celebrate the marriage of an old friend last March. With Cabo being a big time resort city it’s more-so known for its beaches, water based activities and nightlife than it is for its food. But it’s still Mexico and it’s also in Baja which has an incredible food culture thus there’s still good food to be found for those willing to leave the resorts. Here’s where to find it.

Sights from Cabo

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El Arrecife

First stop in town was a rooftop mariscos bar called El Arrecife. “The Reef” caught my eye when I saw they were serving Callo de hacha which means scallop in Spanish. This specific breed of bivalve is known for its hatchet-shaped shell and is commonly found in the Sea of Cortez and used in various dishes like ceviche, tostadas, and aguachiles - they serve a super fresh version here. It’s sweet and tender and a bit more intense than a regular scallop in terms of the ocean flavor it gives off.

Callo de Hacha at El Arrecife
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Birreieria Los Paisas

We just so happened to be passing Birrierria Los Paisas which was packed with locals so we decided to stop in and get a taco. They had a huge pot of beef birria cooking out on the open and it smelled so good and there was an empty table right in front allowing us to pop right in. I got a quesabirria which went from good to really good when dressed with all the salsas and condiments that it came with.

Quesabirria at Birreieria Los Paisas
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Salvatore G's

Next stop was not my call but I’m including the details on Salvatore G's in case any of my readers have to play along with a meal from here. This is where the bachelor and his uncle with a house in Cabo wanted to go for our first dinner. A few of us weren’t happy we were eating Italian food on the first night in Mexico but we played along. “Uncle Bob” ended up doing most of the ordering which ended up being entirely too much food for a group that was more interested in drinking than they were in eating. Honestly I thought this place was pretty mid but both Uncle Bob and the bachelor liked it as did one of the bachelors friends from Arizona who called it the best pasta he’s ever had. I got a nice laugh out of that and did enjoy the mound of lasagna so it wasn’t a total loss in terms of a nice meal.

Lasagna at Salvatore G's
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La Esquina Choyera 1

The next morning I was asked to find a legit spot for a real Mexican breakfast to make up for dinner the previous night. I found us a spot away from the hustle and bustle in a quieter part of town. La Esquina Choyeria 1 is a real locals place. It's basically the Mexican equivalent to a diner. I finally felt like I was in Mexico when we sat down in the open air dining room. Even though Cabo is all the way south in the local food scene here reflects the North in terms of the common dishes you’ll find at local establishments. The menu at La Esquina Choyeria is made up of burritos, empanadas, quesadillas and Huevos with options like Machaca and chorizo as far as the fillings go. I got a couple of burritos which are the classic Norteno variety made up of a slick lard laced flour tortilla spread with beans plus the filling of your choice. Size wise these are like large tacos and not the huge burritos we’re used to in the States. Both the Machaca (dried beef) and the desabrada (shredded beef) hit the spot.

Breakfast Burritos at La Esquina Choyeria 1
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Los Cabos Fish Tacos

Let’s say you’re stopping thru Cabo on a cruise and you only have time to seek out one spot - make it this tiny taco stand hiding behind the marlin statue at the marina. The menu at Los Cabos Fish Tacos is small but mighty. Everything is cooked to order with cheese quesadillas joining grilled or fried fish tacos served on wonderful made to order corn tortillas. Baja California is home to many great fish taco stands and Los Cabos Fish Tacos is among the very best. The tacos here are served bare and meant to be dressed at the salsa bar which is loaded with a bunch of different topping options including a few different types of cabbage plus lots of salsas. Fish tacos are a daytime snack so this place makes for a great lunch. These might’ve been the best tacos I ate on this trip which included a stop in CDMX.

Fish Tacos at Los Cabos Fish Tacos
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Tacos Marissa

When the fish taco spots close for the day, the grilled meat spots open. Tacos Marissa specializes in steak which is grilled over charcoal in their open kitchen. You can try the flame grilled bistec in a variety of ways including these awesome little grilled burritos they make stuffed with meat and cheese called ‘Chuy-Kun’. As I mentioned earlier the food in Cabo reflects that of Northern Mexico so the tacos here are served on flour tortillas. Whatever you get here make sure to pair it with a cup of the Frijoles Alterados which are charro beans with carne asada and cheese - simple but sensational. 

Snacks at Tacos Marissa
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Taqueria el Paisa

Taqueria El Paisa is located right in the middle of the chaos in Cabo so it’s a popular stop post drinks as it’s open until 3am during the busy season. I stopped in here a couple times when we were in the area as you can do much worse when you're in these parts. They slice the pastor to order and make a tasty batch of frijoles charros. You can also get a pretty good Vulcan here. Vulcans are similar to tostadas but the tortilla is grilled instead of fried and topped with meat and cheese resulting in bite that’s both crisp and chewy. If you must eat late night in the downtown area El Paisa should suffice.

Late Night Snacks at el Paisa
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Burritos el Miguelon

Burritos el Miguelon is another good option for a locals breakfast. I came here with a few others and we all ate well on the cheap in the form of breakfast burritos, eggs with Machaca, and Chilaquiles.

Burritos at Burritos el Miguelon
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Mi Compa Chava (Todos Santos)

Our group took a daytrip to Todos Santos where a few of us were able to sneak away from lunch at the tourist trap that is Hotel California for some of the freshest and most flavorful ceviche and seafood tostadas in all of Mexico. Mi Compa Chava was about a 15 minute walk from the main square in a very residential part of town. It's very cliche to say eating somewhere felt like being at someone's house but this open air restaurant sits in the backyard of the family that runs it so it really is like going to somebody's house. The kids were even running around in the yard right next to the dining area. We started off with some fantastic mixed seafood tostadas before moving onto two different types of ceviche. First up was the Pescado Especial which was made up of different types of fish, cucumbers, peppers, and more. This was one of those dishes where your eyes roll back a little bit upon first bite. That's how good it was. It tasted about as fresh as it gets and it only got better from there.

Mixed Ceviche at Mi Compa Chava

The Ceviche Lavantamuerto is the best ceviche I've ever had and I just got back from a trip to Peru. It came recommended by our waitress when I asked in Spanglish what the specialty of the house was. As far as I could tell it was a mix of thinly sliced fish with equally thinly sliced red onions and jalapenos all mixed with a darkish red sauce - likely a combo of soy sauce and Maggi Jugo. "Levantamuertos" or sometimes spelled as two words, levanta muertos, translates to "raises the dead" and is a Spanish colloquial term, primarily used in Mexico and other parts of Latin America, for hangover food. Mi Compa Chava is the type of spot that might get me back to Todos Santos. It's destination dining. 

Ceviche Levantamuerto at Mi Compa Chava
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El Mirador (Todos Santos)

We spent a good chunk of the day hanging out at Faro Beach Club in Todos Santos and that was a ton of fun. They had a pool and all sorts of lounging opportunities right there on the beach plus bartenders to serve you whatever it is you want. From there we had dinner plans up the mountain at El Mirador. It started off wonderfully as we had drinks and good times while watching the sunset over the ocean but I suspected something was off when everyone but us left once the sun went down. We were the only group of people eating there. The truth is I feel like this is the type of spot you come to for a drink and then go elsewhere for dinner. I thought the food was average at best. We got a grilled fish dish that just wasn't all that well cooked. I could tell the temp of the grill was low just by how it looked. I had a creamy seafood pasta that was very average as is but not bad when I added the salsa macha they had at the table. The company and the views here were great but the food was just ok. 

Grilled Fish at El Mirador
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El Pollo de Oro

The smell coming out of El Pollo de Oro pulled us in for some ribs and chicken. We managed to grab a table right before the lunch rush which seemed to be mostly locals. Both of the grilled meats were good as expected at these Mexican grilled chicken shacks commonly found throughout the country. The chile rellano was a pleasant surprise. This place is just a couple blocks off the strip and worth walking over to for lunch one day if you want some stick to your ribs type of food - no pun intended.

Lunch at El Pollo de Oro
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Los Claros

Los Claros is commonly mentioned in the conversation of the best tacos in Cabo so I marked it down as a possible stop and we ended up making it here for a snack on the last day. This place specializes in Tacos estilo Sinaloa which means plump fried shrimp paired with rich and savory smoked marlin and so forth. Not the best seafood tacos I’ve had but they hit the spot as far as a quick snack goes.

Seafood Tacos at Los Claros
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Tabasco Beach Bar & Restaurant

We did a ton of beach lounging on our last day in Cabo and that included taking a long walk from one end to the other and seeing what was going on. We met up as a group at Tabasco Bar & Restaurant as a friend of a friend insisted we stop in for some cerveza and the shrimp tacos that he and his wife stop in to get every time they come to Cabo. These tacos ended up being a good metaphor for a trip to this very touristy part of Mexico. Chopped up shrimp is mixed with peppers + onions in toasted flour tortillas and they it the spot as the setting was spectacular and the company kept was wonderful. 

Shrimp Tacos at Tabasco Beach
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Mother Flower

The restaurant scene in Cabo seems to be lacking in the creativity department. There’s just not a lot of spots doing interesting or at least elevated takes on the local cuisine. Mother Flower was the one exception I found to this. It’s a trendy but casual place with good sunlight and a cool open air kitchen parked right behind the bar where they make very good drinks. It feels like a Southern California spot. The menu is mostly made up of tacos but there's also items like clam chowder, burgers, lamb chops, and seafood pasta. Clam chowder is commonly mentioned in online reviews and it caught my eye seeing as how it’s not a dish you commonly come across at a Mexican restaurant. But it’s served with Salsa Macha drizzled on top and that intrigued me. It ended up working really well as Salsa Macha tends to do when used with a creamy base like clam chowder. The soup itself was a classic version that I think most New Englanders would be happy with. As far as the tacos go they were also excellent. The fish and steak tacos are about as good as you’ll get in Cabo and octopus tostadas are a must. I feel like Octopus can be hit or miss but these tostadas with chopped octopus, smoked oyster pate, avocado, and salsa macha were a big hit with the table. We walked in around opening time but you might want to get reservations here as it’s not a huge space and it’s rightfully popular.

Dinner at Mother Flower
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ICYMI:

Eating BIG in Baja (2016)

Eating BIG in Riviera Nayarit (2020)

Eating BIG in Mexico City (2025)

See ya next time @chibbqking