I95 Road Trip...2008/2009

[Purple Pirate]

Wife and I will possibly be taking a road trip from North Jersey down to Miami, FL in the very near future.

We are looking for any recommendations to stop and eat along the way.

Any type of food, any price range. Our number one interest is in food quality. Unique experiences are a plus.

We would like to try and plan for something special in Savannah, GA.

Thanks!

[dscott]

Top of the head thoughts (from North to South), though I'm sure others will have more.

Take the 13/301 detour to avoid Baltimore and DC and eat blue crab at Captain Billy's in Pope's Creek, MD. Not sure how the timing of your trip will coincide with crabbing. Annapolis has several options too.

Richmond, VA: The restaurant Comfort, for good new Southern food. Relatively close to the highway also.

Raleigh/Chapel Hill. Raleigh's about a 30 min detour off of 95 but the Triangle makes for a good overnight stop. I'd probably hit Lantern in Chapel Hill or Magnolia Grill in Durham if I had one nice meal in the Triangle. I'd also hit the state farmer's market in Raleigh for some inspiration on what still grows in the South in the winter.

Barbecue: Wilbur's in Goldsboro, NC or Sweatman's in Holly Hill, SC. Both about a 30 min detour off 95. There's another place in Wilson, NC that I can't remember the name of right now.

[kpurvis]

I second the suggestion of Sweatman's, although it's a little ways off I-95 on I-26. But rolling down the Florida coast, stop at Dixie Crossroads in Titusville. It's touristy, but old Florida touristy, and rock shrimp always make me happy.

[tsure]

Buz and Ned's Barbecue in Richmond. When you see the Braves Baseball stadium on your right, it's time to get off I-95. About 1 mile up the road on the left.

[Doodad]

Agreed on Sweatman's. Check their schedule versus yours though. IIRC, they have a traditional BBQ joint week where they are closed a good bit.

[kpurvis]

True that on Sweatman's. I was there in October and it was as good as ever, still one of my all-time favorite barbecue places and truly a great experience.

But the hours are tricky. Fridays and Saturdays only. Doesn't open until 11 a.m. or so. And remember, not only do you have to jog over toward Orangeburg on I-26, you then have to go about 10 miles on S.C. 453. Worth every mile, but if you're through-driving instead of touring, it may be too much.

Maybe someone else can chime in on whether Dixie Crossroads in Titusville is still worth the stop. It's been a couple of years since I was there last. But it's an easy stop from I-95, just a few miles to the east. And rock shrimp are not something you get just anywhere.

[DTBarton]

Having just driven down 301 a few times, I can say that the billboard for Captain Billy's in Pope Creek Maryland says "closed for the season" right now.

[Holly Moore]

Depending on the time of the year, Carl's Frozen Custard in Fredricksburg VA

Maybe a bit more of a detour than you planned. Consider getting off I-95, heading to the Skylight Inn in Ayden NC for barbecue, keep going to Rte 17 and follow that south through Wilmington and Calabash NC, Charleston SC (with a detour to Bowen's Island for a few shovelfuls of roast oysters), then down to Savanah where, if you must, you can again pick up I-95.

Rte 17 through the Carolina's is a beautiful drive with many opportunities for more detours.

Edited December 24, 2008 by Holly Moore (log)