Your Own Personal Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives - Please Share.

[clobber]

Please share restaurants that are on the top of your own personal list. Perhaps a place where you will go out of your way just to have lunch. Or maybe it is the first place you stop when visiting your home city. Maybe it is the taste of home, or something you grew to love. What makes it special? Anywhere in the world. Can be expensive or cheap.

Please provide a Google Maps link, and maybe a picture. I intend to visit some of these.

I'll start:

Old Tyme Grocery in Lafayette Louisiana. Amazing Poboy's. You can never go wrong with the Shrimp or Oyster, but all the meat ones are great too. The taste and quality have not changed in 40+ years. I'd say the price has not changed too much either.

 

[Chuckanut]

I ate at a place called The Wagon Wheel in Needles, CA.

Great meat loaf with a Southwest twist. And one of the best slices of apple pie I have ever had.

Who knew Needles was a stop for some of the best down-to-home American food?

 

[latexman]

Danny's Bar-B-Que in Cary, NC. https://goo.gl/maps/DZTfMQfUrXcmmWoPA

FL style BBQ - smoked meats with a good selection of sauces on the side.

The banana pudding is killer!

And, it's reasonably priced too.

 

[braumeister]

Plowboys BBQ in Blue Springs KS

Whenever I go through KC I try to stop at this place. Very simple, looks like an average fast food place, but they have some of the best BBQ around.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Plowboys+BBQ/@38.9885846,-94.2746901,18z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x92fb721b3d70ae4b!8m2!3d38.9885846!4d-94.2740823

 

[savory]

Biltong Pres - Polokwane, S Africa, located in the Mall of the North, Polokwane, RSA https://mallofthenorth.co.za/stores/ You'll never eat jerky again

Lafayette Coney Island, downtown Detroit https://www.facebook.com/Lafayette-Coney-Island-143071722397988/ - Any time, day or night, there is always room for a coney. Although I never leave without getting a 'loose' too. hamburger meat served on a hot dog bun with chili, onions and mustard. Like the coney which is the hot dog.

 

[RobbieB]

Bates Hamburgers, Livonia, MI

Get a cheeseburger or 3 with onions (grilled right into the meat) -

Breakfast excellent too!

 

[aaronc879]

https://chicagopizzaandovengrinder.com/menu/
The Over Grinder in Chicago. Have to try the Pizza Pot Pie. Not your ordinary pizza. I went there several times as a kid when my Mom and I visited her Sister(my aunt). I haven't been there since she retired and moved back to Wisconsin 20 years ago but will go if I ever make it back to Chicago. It is a small place so get there before they open at 4p or expect to wait a while. Parking is difficult so only go on a nice day. Probably have to park in Lincoln Park and walk a few blocks. They are open for lunch on Weekends.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/C...b166ac3f916faf!8m2!3d41.9207587!4d-87.6373933

 

[aaronc879]

https://chicagopizzaandovengrinder.com/menu/
The Over Grinder in Chicago. Have to try the Pizza Pot Pie. Not your ordinary pizza. I went there several times as a kid when my Mom and I visited her Sister(my aunt). I haven't been there since she retired and moved back to Wisconsin 20 years ago but will go if I ever make it back to Chicago. It is a small place so get there before they open at 4p or expect to wait a while. Parking is difficult so only go on a nice day. Probably have to park in Lincoln Park and walk a few blocks. They are open for lunch on Weekends.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/C...b166ac3f916faf!8m2!3d41.9207587!4d-87.6373933

Looks like they now take reservations so that would help a lot if you don't want to get there at 4p.

 

[RobbieB]

Senate Coney Island, Livonia, MI

Get a Coney, a loose burger or a combo! Ya gotta get a Coney in Detroit, Coney capitol of the world!

And a coney, is not a "chili dog" -

 

[pacergal]

Lardo Sandwich shop
Started out as a food truck in Portland OR in 2010. They now have a couple of sit down spots on both sides of the river.
The Pork Banh Mi and Pho'Rench Dip are very good. Dirty fries are a meal in itself.
Breakfast sausage sandwich is my favorite.

 

[MRG]

Plowboys BBQ in Blue Springs KS



Whenever I go through KC I try to stop at this place. Very simple, looks like an average fast food place, but they have some of the best BBQ around.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/P...fb721b3d70ae4b!8m2!3d38.9885846!4d-94.2740823

That's in Missouri, we lived in Blue Springs for a while. Easy to get mixed up traveling across I70.

One of my favorites is the Quaff in downtown KCMO. Great food, I especially love the mushroom Swiss burger.

 

[latexman]

The Local in Lake Jackson, TX

I recommend "The Monster" breakfast burrito - Served in a warm tortilla with the works: egg, bacon, cheese, potatoes, sausage, bacon & refried beans…$5.95

Mmmmmm!

And, they are at 120 That Way, Lake Jackson, TX 77566!

That Way!

 

[braumeister]

That's in Missouri, we lived in Blue Springs for a while. Easy to get mixed up traveling across I70.

Ah, you're right. I do tend to conflate the suburbs east and west of KC.

 

[gamboolman]

Please share restaurants that are on the top of your own personal list. Perhaps a place where you will go out of your way just to have lunch. Or maybe it is the first place you stop when visiting your home city. Maybe it is the taste of home, or something you grew to love. What makes it special? Anywhere in the world. Can be expensive or cheap.

Please provide a Google Maps link, and maybe a picture. I intend to visit some of these.

I'll start:

Old Tyme Grocery in Lafayette Louisiana. Amazing Poboy's. You can never go wrong with the Shrimp or Oyster, but all the meat ones are great too. The taste and quality have not changed in 40+ years. I'd say the price has not changed too much either.

ms gamboolgal and I spent about the first half of our 40 years (so far) marriage working the Oilfields Offshore and Onshore from Jay, Florida to West Texas.
We lived in Mobile, Alabama and Slidell / New Orleans in Louisiana, and Orange, Texas on the East side and way out far West Texas in the Monahans area working all over the Permian Basin and New Mexico and Oklahoma.

We love Gulf Coast and South Louisiana Cajun cooking anywhere below I-10.

We have been stopping off at Old Time Grocery whenever we near to Lafayette for decades to get us Poboys from Old Time. Even if it means going out of our way....
All I have ever gotten and will ever get is the Shrimp and Oyster Poboys !
Their French Bread is "hollowed" out and they pile on the Shrimps & Oysters.

We also recommend stopping at Teets in Ville Platte, Louisiana and get you a quart sized bag of Cracklins.....Pure hardening of the arteries goodness dripping Cracklings....

When I was working Mobil Bay - I would stop off at little local shops on the way home from Billy Goat Hole on Dauphin Island and pick up Shrimp, Oysters and Fish right out of the Bay..... man that was good stuff to come home and put on the Grill or ms gamboolgal to blacken up some fish !

This thread is making me hungry !

Now that were in Months with R's in them..... time to start getting afew dozen Raw Oysters all along the Gulf Coast

We may have to take a Gulf Coast Pokersszzzz Road Trip soon to enjoy the cool Fall Weather and of course we'll include a stop by Old Time and Teets and afew others places for sure !

 

[Scrapr]

Dandy's Drive in Bend, Or. Carhops roller skate to your car. Good burgers, onion rings, fries. Cheap prices. Website says dine in but I've never seen anyone eat other than the car. No trays on your car window though

https://www.dandysdrivein.com/

Dandy’s Drive-in, 1334 NE 3rd St, Bend, OR 97701

 

[Montecfo]

Vienna Inn, Vienna VA. Time warp old school dive bar and restaurant.

www.viennainn.com

 

[athena53]

Thanks for the Plowboys BBQ recommendation! When DS and family visit we have to go to Joe's BBQ (formerly Oklahoma Joe's) in Kansas City, KS- the original one that shares space with a gas station. It's on Anthony Bourdain's list of 13 places to eat before you die and it's probably the cheapest!

And another, courtesy of the guy I'm dating: Tastee Inn N Out in Sioux City, IA, which he remembers from childhood. Carry-out only, specialties include loose meat sandwiches and fried onion chips with a creamy dip. We always order way more than we need so there's some left for him to take back home- supposedly to share with his siblings but somehow they never get any.

 

[aja8888]

Bates Hamburgers, Livonia, MI

Get a cheeseburger or 3 with onions (grilled right into the meat) -

Breakfast excellent too!

When we lived at 5 mile and Middlebelt, we used to go the the one at 9 mile and Middlebelt.

 

[WestUniversity]

The French Pantry in Jacksonville Florida. Hands down the best sandwich I’ve ever eaten. The breads are amazing and so are the pastries. Be prepared for a line to get in. It’s hugely popular…

 

[aja8888]

19th Hole Bar and Grill. Best burgers in The Woodlands, TX area. They have music on the weekend nights. Been going there since 1992.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/30....c15873a9b01156!2m2!1d-95.4466007!2d30.1280113


https://www.facebook.com/theHOLE19th/events/


http://19th.cc/

 

[CardsFan]

Not someplace you will stop in "while passing through", but if you are ever in Key West and want Cuban food try El Siboney: https://www.elsiboneyrestaurant.com/catherine/

Off the beaten track. Simple food, but really good. We eat there at least once every time we are in Key West. Normally get the pork chunks or roast pork with fried plantains and rice and beans.

DW has actually written to Triple D to try to get them to feature the place. So far, no luck.

 

[friar1610]

Moody’s Diner, Waldoboro, Maine

https://moodysdiner.com/

 

[Lewis Clark]

Tarpy's Roadhouse in Monterey, CA
https://www.tarpys.com/
Everything is excellent.


Crown Candy Kitchen in St Louis, MO.
https://crowncandykitchen.net/
An old-time lunch counter with great chocolates and ice cream. And the heart-stopping BLT sandwich!


Berns Steakhouse, Tampa, FL
https://bernssteakhouse.com/
Awesome steaks and french onion soup. And a separate dessert room for those after-dinner treats. Expensive but worth it for special occasions.

 

[CardsFan]

Tarpy's Roadhouse in Monterey, CA
https://www.tarpys.com/
Everything is excellent.


Crown Candy Kitchen in St Louis, MO.
https://crowncandykitchen.net/
An old-time lunch counter with great chocolates and ice cream. And the heart-stopping BLT sandwich!


Berns Steakhouse, Tampa, FL
https://bernssteakhouse.com/
Awesome steaks and french onion soup. And a separate dessert room for those after-dinner treats. Expensive but worth it for special occasions.

Well, I have 2 out of 3. Been to Crown's and Berns and agree with your recommendation.

 

[jcfradio]

I think that we need a bit of Canadian content here. We are also good at having "dives".

My favorite is Keiths Diner in the Goulds, just outside of St. John's, Newfoundland. I just love their fish and chips deluxe which is 2 (or often 3) pieces for fried cod, with fries, dressing, gravy, peas and onions. It looks like a coronary on a plate, but it is soooo good.



I am looking forward to having this again when I go to Newfoundland next month.