I normally do not like to write about chain restaurants. When I was headed to Tin Lizzy’s Cantina I thought I was going to a big chain, Tex-Mex place. I did a quick internet search and found out that they really are not that big. They are a small local chain that is based in Atlanta. They have several locations around the metro area. And they just recently expanded to have two restaurants in South Carolina and one in Florida. In my mind this is just a really successful small business that is growing. As soon as I walked in…
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The city of Charlotte, North Carolina has been growing rapidly for years. Because of this growth, the suburbs have been growing too. Gastonia is one of those suburbs. It was time for lunch when I was in town and rather than eat at a chain restaurant, I decided to check out Sakura. It is the original Japanese Steakhouse in Gastonia and has been serving up sushi and Japanese dishes for over a decade. I started off with a house salad that came with a choice of dressing – either ginger or a shrimp sauce. Naturally I chose the ginger…
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Leave a CommentI went to the cutest BBQ restaurant when I visited Concord, North Carolina. R&R Bar-B-Que has been serving fresh Carolina style BBQ for 20 years. As soon as I walked in I noticed a theme to the restaurant, it was all about trains. They had several trains running on tracks that were mounted to the ceiling. The also decorated all the walls with railroad signs. These signs were from all over the country. I was looking forward to having some good Carolina BBQ. What makes Carolina BBQ different from what you get in Texas, Memphis, or Kansas…
Leave a CommentI was given another great suggestion of where to eat when I was visiting Portland, Maine. I was told if you like oysters and seafood then a visit to J’s Oyster is a must. The restaurant is located on the water and does not look like much on the outside. However, when I walked in I was welcomed by all of the locals. This was clearly a great place to hang out. I met lots of really nice people. I started off with the baked stuffed oysters. These were three fresh oysters that were baked till sizzling and topped with…
Leave a CommentWhen I learned I was going to visit Portland, Maine I knew that I had to put a fresh lobster roll on my food bucket list. Now I have had lobster rolls before but never in Maine where lobsters are so abundant. Now the problem I had was deciding exactly where to go. So I asked a few locals where they like to go. They all agreed that the best lobster rolls can be found at Becky’s Diner. This place was packed. The parking lot was full and there was a waiting list for a table. Lucky…
Leave a CommentI was visiting Portland, Maine for work. I had been to a few places around town and I really did not feel like venturing too far away from my hotel. Sometimes traveling can take a toll. Across the parking lot of my hotel stood Sebago. To my surprise Sebago is actually a restaurant and brewery. What better way to end the day than with a beer and some comfort food. I ordered one of Sebago’s IPAs. It was a huge pilsner of beer for only $3.50. With it being so cold in Maine, I thought the perfect thing to start…
Leave a CommentI have already written about this little Japanese place in Homewood, Alabama called Okinawa. I had gone there previously for lunch and this visit I was there for dinner. I knew that I would not be disappointed and thought my parents would enjoy it too. The staff is so friendly. They were so welcoming as soon as I walked through the door. The place was packed for dinner but fortunately they had a table for us. We started off with the spring roll appetizer. They call them Harumaki on the menu. These are perfect for sharing. They are three spring…
Leave a CommentI am always raving about the food scene in Birmingham, Alabama. People just do not think about this small southern city being so dominant in the food scene. I have written about Chris Hastings other restaurant Hot & Hot Fish Club before. Now I had an opportunity to try his other restaurant Ovenbird. As soon as I walked up to the restaurant’s front doors I could smell the smoker that was outside. It made me so hungry. They have great outdoor seating, whether it’s at one of their tables or around a fire pit. It was too cold when I…
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