Good Eats Across The USA
(This page is under development -
we are going to be adding sites and telling you more about them soon...)

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur,  Alabama

The Brick Pit in Mobile,  Alabama

Rendezvous in Memphis, Tennessee

Dreamland in Tuscaloosa,  Alabama

Lexington Barbeque in Lexington, North Carolina - web site unknown; link is to Yelp site

But for now, here's the scoop from our latest trip -

In Memphis you have to try the Arcade.  A great place for breakfast or lunch.  The Arcade is one of Memphis' oldest restaurants and is rumored to be one of Elvis' favorites and make sure you  sit in the "Elvis booth" and have your picture taken. But my favorite place in Memphis is a place named Westys. Located in the Pitch area right by St, Judes hospital, Westys is a great neighborhood bar. The kitchen is open late, the drinks are strong and the staff is great. Westys is famous for their 33 different dishes containing wild rice, Yes 33 dishes and their hot fudge pie. Westys is a most. Memphis famous for their their BBQ my choice is Cozy Corner. Try the bologna sandwich and my other suggestion is try it during the day light.

Heading south out of Memphis in Horn Lake, Mississippi you have to stop by The Memphis BBQ Company. Owned by Melissa Cookston and John Wheeler two of the winningest BBQ competitors out there. Melissa holds the distinction of being the only woman to win the World BBQ Championship. What's good, everything. As you go about another hour south from Horn lake, you need to stop at the Hopson Plantation just outside of Clarksdale, MS the home of the blues "Crossroads" . Hopson's plantation is an actual cotton plantation where you can rent one of the slave shacks and spend the night or you can just stop by and have a frosty cold one in one of the two bars but I would suggest trying both bars, the Shack Up Inn and the Hopson Plantation Commissary.  Both of these places are packed with history and great antiques and blues memorabilia.  If you happen to be in the area on a Thursday, just another hour south of Clarksdale make sure you stop in Marigold, MS stop by Po' Monkeys Juke Joint.  You ask why Thursday, well it's the day of the week open. 

With over 700 restaurants you know New Orleans has to have a few great ones and they do.  A couple of suggestions, Coops, Slim Goodies and Parkway Bakery and tavern.  Coops, well let me warn you you will need to wait in line to get in and while waiting in line don't get mad when they let the locals in before the tourist but the experience and the food are worth the wait.  Got to try the fried chicken, sorry Hodak's and Gus' in memphis, this may be the best chicken anywhere.  I must make a qualifier here, we attempted to go to Willie May's Scotch House where some others say is the best fried chicken in the world but it was closed.  It is open only for lunch and when they run out they close.  But if you try to go to Willie Mays and they are closed, go right down the street to Parkway Bakery and Tavern.  You may have to wait in line up to an hour ust to place your order for one of New Orleans' best Po'Boys.  For a great breakfast go to Slim Goodies in a great hip neighborhood.

As we headed to Avery Island to visit the Tabasco Plant we made a stop at one of my favorite restaurants anywhere, Prejeans in Lafayette, LA.  If you are ever with in 100 miles of lafayette you need to visit Prejeans.  What should you have, anything you want.  I've never had anything that wasn't great.  With it being a Sunday night the selections in New Iberia were limited. We went to the Bourbon Hall and Napoleon' s Bar. Bourbon Hall, an interesting place 20 plus vodkas and 3 bourbons, what away to support your concept. Drinks were ok and the bartender had plenty of info, I guess this makes it a better than ok place. Napoleon's best beer selection in town, good juke box and a bartender who's goal in life is to meet St. Louis evangelist Joyce Meyer how could you not have a great time.

After a breakfast at Victor's Cafeteria in New Iberia, yes everything you would expect from a cafeteria that is caught in the 70's, we headed to the Tabasco factory.  Having taken the general public, rush us through tour of one of St. louis' large companies our expectations weren't great.  Fortunately I had arranged for a VIP tour and thank goodness I did.  Well I know 4 hours in a hot sauce plant might be much for most of you I felt like we had only gotten through about half of our question before we felt like we needed to go before we wore out our welcome and they stopped giving these tours.  All I've got to say is, OMG.  If you get the chance it's a must.  Who knew so much info there is to be had about a hot sauce.