Stopped off at a smalltown restaurant................

[WILCO]

Nice clean friendly place. Good food too.
The morning paper was available for anybody who wanted to read it.
Several copies to be exact. While the old timers took in the fake news, I perused a couple of gun sites on my smart phone. Felt awkward at first, but figured since I was paying and eating alone, I'll do what I want.

Even watched that old training film Grmps shared.

Naturally, with the sound off.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

My family did a lot of cross country driving in the '60s '70s and then in the '90s. We found most of the small town restaurants had been put out of business by the fast food burger joints. I made a trip to my home town in 2002 and could not find a single restaurant where a waitress would come to your table and ask what you would like to order. Vey sad.

[shooter93]

My wife says I know EVERY small restaurant, diner or local bar restaurant that has older waitresses in the state......lol. They are simply the kind of places I prefer to stop at.

[Chihuahua Floyd]

Love one off Mom and Pop joints. Dislike fast food. Hometown still has two, the Pick n Pig (had lunch there today), and the Chuckwagon. Bryson City has Nabors, Anthony's, couple of others.
CF

[bob208]

the small restaurants and dinners are making a come back around here. buildings look rough on the out side inside clean good food and good service. some even have senior prices and menus'.
.

[snowwolfe]

I will always pick a mom and pop place over any type of fast food or chain place. Food is almost always better and you usually meet nice people

[country gent]

Years ago we had truck trouble coming home from Mich deer season. Wife myself and 3 children. Limped into a small town gas station in SHepard Michigan. Called for brother to come up with trailer to get us home. Went down the street to a small resteraunt called Taters. clean nice place friendly staff mostly burgers and sandwiches. The fries came piled high on a serving platter, the one order feed the 5 of us and then some. A great place.

[nagantguy]

Years ago we had truck trouble coming home from Mich deer season. Wife myself and 3 children. Limped into a small town gas station in SHepard Michigan. Called for brother to come up with trailer to get us home. Went down the street to a small resteraunt called Taters. clean nice place friendly staff mostly burgers and sandwiches. The fries came piled high on a serving platter, the one order feed the 5 of us and then some. A great place.

What a flash back; years back coming home
From northern Mi I had transmission troubles and also limped into Shepard MI; on the night before thanksgiving no less; ate at that same restaurant even though they closed when I walked n the door, the cook told me of a shade tree mechanic that would treat me fair; and even though I didn’t expect him to work on my truck thanksgiving day two days later he had it done for a fair price!!

[country gent]

The Gentleman at the garage offered us his home to wait for my brother even. I did do a couple oil changes for him for the use of the phone and time waiting. I was really impressed with the people we met there

[MaryB]

Love the hole in the wall places. Local bar serves burgers, some of the best onion rings around(fresh made), fried shrimp, fried chicken(both from frozen but on nights I am not up to cooking it tastes fine..), and an order of fries is enough for 3 meals! They literally fill a separate takeout container with the fries on an order to go.

If you are ever going through Redwood Falls, MN Chumley's Burgers and Brew serves up some great food too! I eat there 2-3 times a year if I am in town late.

[samari46]

Was hunting some years back and everyone else went home for thanksgiving dinner. I had and old '73 CJ5 with three on the floor. Drove into the nearest town and asked a police officer where could I get a good meal. Went in and although place was packed I was seated and asked what would I like to order. turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing,gravy and cranberry slices. About a half hour the waitress came out with a huge plate with the main meal,and separate dishes for the rest. Great food, good service and nice and clean place. Even saved room for some apple pie. Left a good tip and thanked the young lady for a great meal. Asked if they could fill my thermos with coffee and milk. Darn that coffee was good. Guys kidded me about eating junk food while they were gone. Told them what happened and kinda suprised about going into town and finding some place that was open. Frank

[am44mag]

Most of our favorite places to eat are local places. One is more of a regional thing, but still nothing like national chain like Chili's or Applebees. When we go on vacation, we always try to eat at local places. You're not gonna get a feel for that area's culture in a fast food joint.

BTW, Baton Rouge has some of the best food I've ever eaten hands down.

[Leslie Sapp]

I have a method for finding local restaurants when we travel...
Find the county seat, locate the courthouse. There is almost invariably a small locally owned restaurant within walking distance.

[Thin Man]

Many years ago I was on the road and passed through South Carolina. There were several billboards along the road advertising the "largest gun store in the state". Didn't have the time to stop there on the way toward the coast but did make a stop on the way back. Found the building and it was a long but narrow older building that was absolutely filled with new and old firearms at reasonable prices. I knew I would buy something, the only question was which one (to be shipped to my location). While we were there the electrical storm of the year came through and knocked out the power to the store. The owner closed down and invited SWMBO and me to his home for dinner, then called ahead to inform his wife they had company coning over. They had no power at their home so I brought in a Coleman lantern for lights during the meal. When we were finished eating he insisted we visit his under-construction home they were about to move into. Off we went to see a gorgeous 2 story home with everything well laid out and nearly completed. We went back to his home (power still off) and we left the lantern with him and family as we drove home. He tried to pay us for the lantern but I explained that if he was ever near our town just carry it with him. My purchase arrived a week later and I still have it (early S&W tip-up .22 Short). About 20 years later we were in his area again and I started looking for the signs advertising his store. There were none. I stopped and made inquiries until someone remembered the store. They explained there had been trouble at the store at a time that would have been about a year after we had been there. Three young tough guys came in bent on robbing the store. They pulled guns on the owner and his brother, who then pulled theirs. Shots were exchanged. The owner was killed outright, his brother was wounded and recovered. One thug was hit but not badly. All 3 were caught and sent to prison. One had already been released, another was about to be released and the third may never get out. The wife liquidated the store and remarried. I still have the S&W I bought there and the business card that came with it. Overall a very humbling experience.

[lightman]

My wife says I know EVERY small restaurant, diner or local bar restaurant that has older waitresses in the state......lol. They are simply the kind of places I prefer to stop at.

Mine says the same thing. I'll pick a hole in the wall place over a bigger place everytime. The food is usually good, the prices usually fair and the service is usually good. Whats not to like?

[Ole Joe Clarke]

Most of our favorite places to eat are local places. One is more of a regional thing, but still nothing like national chain like Chili's or Applebees. When we go on vacation, we always try to eat at local places. You're not gonna get a feel for that area's culture in a fast food joint.

BTW, Baton Rouge has some of the best food I've ever eaten hands down.

Have you ever ate breakfast at Frank's?

Have a blessed day,

Leon

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

I look for non-chain places to eat all the time. With a very few exceptions they have good food and are friendly. I try to not get on any interstate. I like to take back roads when I can. I even just turn and drive down gravel roads heading in the general direction I want. Sometimes I have to turn around in a dead end. But, it is adventure. Life is too short to drive the same road all the time and eat at the same place every time. My most recent find was Judy's Cafe in Jetmore, KS. Great BLT and iced tea.

[dragon813gt]

I avoid chain restaurants like the plague. The only advantage to them is you know exactly what you’re going to get. Other than that they’re horrible. I’m forced to eat out four to five nights a week because of my job. I always eat at local places.

The one thing that sucks about leaving where I live is lack of Diners. There’s one on almost every corner here. In most of the country they’re few and far between. And I’ve eaten at a lot of bad ones. When you’re in an area for a brief period you don’t have the chance to try every place until you find the best one.

We had to go to a wedding in upstate NY over the weekend. Stopped at a diner in the Poconos that I’ve been going to my entire life. Both on the way up and the way back. Used to stop there w/ my family every Friday on the way up to our cabin. Place hasn’t changed much. And the food is as good as it’s always been. Comfort food doesn’t begin to cover how I feel about the place. I don’t know what I would do if it ever closes. Thankfully they’re busy all the time.

[Bookworm]

Several decades ago, myself and a buddy were hunting out in eastern Oklahoma. We usually cooked at camp, but that evening we decided to go in to the (very) small town nearby. We found a small cafe, in which we two were the only customers. We were both in our late twenties, and single.

The waitress was a comely young lass, and her equally cute friend was visiting. The four of is got to visiting, the two young ladies invited us over for a drink.

.....we had dessert too....

No hunting was done the next day. Quite a bit of grinning, but no hunting.

[am44mag]

Have you ever ate breakfast at Frank's?

Have a blessed day,

Leon

No, we weren't there for very long so we didn't get a chance to. We'll have to try it next time we go through.