Recently I took an 11 hour road trip to visit family in Nashville, Tennessee, and I ate lots of delicious food as my parents, children and I drove across the south. We dined in family friendly restaurants in West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Maryland. Featured today on Theresa’s Reviews, you can check out our road trip food!
Kenova, West Virginia
First, we stopped early during our cross-country drive to stretch our legs and get a delicious treat at Griffith & Feil Soda Fountain in Kenova, West Virginia. With a jukebox for entertainment, my children were able to relax before getting back on the road.
I ordered a Monte Cristo with batter dipped bread grilled with ham, turkey, Havarti cheese, sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with a side of homemade pepper jelly dipping sauce. For my children, the Build Your Own Sundae was an exciting treat.
Downtown Nashville, Tennessee
After our arrival in Nashville, a classic southern meal downtown sounded perfect. We decided to avoid the tourist traps for breakfast pancakes and biscuits because they can be so busy, and my dad’s breakfast is the best anyway. Instead, we went out for lunch. Looking across the road from the Country Music Hall of Fame, I spotted a convenient Martin’s BBQ Joint.
With the waiter’s recommendation, I ordered the Whole Hog BBQ Sandwich topped with Cole Slaw with a side of Green Beans. It was the most delicious, authentic Tennessee dish, and it tasted incredible.
Bellevue, Tennessee
Next, I stopped in for a latte at The Well Coffeehouse on our way to see Toy Story 4 at the movie theater there. My children were happy to find large water glasses available to them, and the latte was fantastic. Living in the northeast, I usually stop by a Starbucks for a latte, but this might have even tasted better than my typical Starbucks drink! The foam was perfectly frothy and it had just the right amount of sweetness.
Now Desano Pizza has a new location in Bellevue! Their Lasagna Pizza comes with San Marzano tomato sauce, meatballs, ricotta, garlic, scamorza, mozzarella di bufala, and pecorino romano. The combination was a fantastic twist on a traditional Italian lasagna.
Columbia, Tennessee
On our way to my parent’s farm house, we dined at Southern Tré Steakhouse in Columbia, Tennessee. I ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes that are egg washed, coated in a signature batter, and served with hot bacon honey mustard dressing.
After a long day at the pool, something light sounded good, so for my main meal, I ordered the Pig in the Garden salad. Adding chicken made for quite a hearty dish!
My daughter ordered the bone-in chicken wings appetizer, which were tossed in a traditional barbecue sauce. She said they were delicious! Sitting outside, the patio lighting and brick walls created a nice ambiance.
East Nashville, Tennessee
When we returned to Nashville, we dined at the Rosepepper Cantina, which is an old family favorite, in East Nashville. For years after its opening in 2001, we would take my grandmother there to dine on the patio. Now, it was another large family gathering with many nieces and nephews. We all shared the delicious, spicy salsa and the Guacamole and Buffalo White Cheese Dip.
I had the Rosepepper Special (Muy Caliente), which was shredded beef enchiladas topped with spicy hot chile verde pork. Several family members are vegetarian, and they all found something good to eat there too.
West End, Nashville
West End is a good location for finding places to dine in Nashville, from the nice restaurants for a special occasion to the affordable places when you’re on-the-go during a road trip. A new spot that opened since I last visited is Hugh-Baby’s BBQ and Burger Shop. My children found fantastic, affordable dishes, like a BBQ Pork Sandwich with a side of hand-cut French Fries and Cole Slaw.
I ordered the Pickwick Dog that comes with grilled onions, Jalapeños, yellow mustard, mayo and Hugh-Baby’s BBQ sauce. The combination was delicious and satisfying!
Versailles, Kentucky
On our way back, we stayed the evening at the Kentucky Castle in Versailles, Kentucky. After a long afternoon at the pool, a classic southern dinner with kid-friendly options sounded good, so we stopped by Versailles Brewing Company. With the waitress’ recommendation, I ordered a chef specialty sandwich, the Andouille Sausage with Pepper Jack cheese, peppers and onions with blackened seasoning and spicy mustard. It tasted freshly made and was very filling!
Ellicott City, Maryland
In Maryland, we had our last road trip meal at Mad Chef Kitchen & Bar. The Fifty Fifty Burger had a delicious flavor with a house blend of beef and pork with provolone, arugula, bourbon infused onion jam, and a brioche bun.
While one of my favorite meals of the week was my mom’s homemade, farm-to-table cooking, it was fantastic enjoy southern cooking in so many different locations!
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