RV travel brings with it the enviable ability to taste food from around the U.S. On the journey, we often discover restaurants off the beaten path with amazing dishes from southern BBQ to Maine lobster rolls to incredible sushi or burritos.
No matter what food you love, you’ll want to check out these 15 places to dine when you’re RVing in the area. Stop in, try out the dishes that draw rave reviews, and stay for the unique vibe that makes each location worth the trip!
1. The Boise Stage Stop – Historic Location & Great Food
Location: 23801 S Orchard Access Rd, Boise, ID 83716
Phone: (208) 343-1367
The Boise Stage Stop began as a stagecoach station in 1891 and has evolved over the decades into a truck and travel center with a notable restaurant serving up Mexican fare, Italian-inspired pasta, salads, burgers, and steaks. The Sizzling Steak Fajita is a favorite and large enough to share, or you can pick up cold cuts from the deli to make sandwiches on the road.
The Stage Stop offers ample parking for any size recreational vehicle. It has a convenient general store, private showers, a laundromat, a small fitness center, an arcade, and even a theater room to watch a movie.
2. The Shed Barbeque & Blues Joint – BBQ, Beer, & Music
Location: 7501 MS-57, Ocean Springs, MS 39565
Phone: (228) 875-9590
Just north of I-10, before reaching Biloxi, is the locally famous, award-winning Shed BBQ with a mouth-watering selection of smoked meats. Don’t miss the baby back ribs, smoked turkey, brisket, and potato salad, which are the top sellers, so arrive early before they sell out for the day.
However, there is more to the Shed than the BBQ. You can bring your dog and enjoy the unique covered and open-air seating, waterfront views, a playground for the kids, fun art and decor, a great beer selection, and live music that makes this stop truly memorable.
Better yet, there is plenty of parking, and the rustic Camp Journey’s End RV Park is adjacent to the Shed if you want to extend your rest break.
3. The Old Country Store – The Country’s Best Fried Chicken
Location: 18801 Highway 61, Lorman, MS 39096
Phone: (601) 437-3661
Take a detour from your RV journey near Natchez to enjoy what both the Travel Channel and Food Network call the best fried chicken that will ever pass your lips. The owner, Mr. D, and his staff recreate downhome recipes from his grandmother, only using fresh local produce, including the “secret ingredients” that make this comfort food out of this world.
While the parking lot isn’t large, you can park your RV if you time your arrival to miss the midday rush. The building and interior are like taking a step back in time, and the staff and fellow patrons are always warm and welcoming.
4. Nelson’s Bros. Restaurant – Superb Food and Bakery
Location: 950 State Hwy 24, Clearwater, MN 55320
Phone: (320) 558-2261
Visiting Nelson’s Bros. Restaurant in your RV is a breeze since it’s just off the highway inside the Clearwater Travel Plaza northwest of Minneapolis. While you can enjoy dishes at the restaurant (don’t miss the biscuits and gravy), the quick-service food court (pizza!), or their pub, what travelers really stop for is the bakery.
Where else can you find a doughnut as big as your plate, five flavors of fritter bread, and fresh pies you can take to go? The bonus of making a stop to eat here is the plaza has other amenities RVs will appreciate, like the free Wi-Fi, general store, laundry, and the Minnesota gift shop to grab a unique souvenir.
5. Schatz Crossroads – Down-home Family Food
Location: 1712 20th Ave SE, Minot, ND 58701
Phone: (701) 852-0810
Schatz Crossroads is a family-run, RV-friendly travel center near the Canadian border that serves up some of the best breakfasts you’ll ever taste, along with a great selection of burgers, pasta, and steaks. For breakfast, try the Haystack, the Patty Melt, or Whiskey Steak for lunch or dinner.
After you eat, you can tend to necessary RV tasks, such as using the dump station, filling your potable water tank, and topping off the gas or diesel fuel. The center even has on-site mechanics to handle basic repairs and tire changes.
6. Pops Soda Ranch – Food, Fizz, Fuel & Fun
Location: 660 U.S. Rt. 66, Arcadia, OK 73007
Phone: (405) 927-7677
You can’t miss the 66-foot-tall LED-ringed soda bottle and straw in front of Pops Soda Ranch along historic Route 66 in Oklahoma. Pull your RV in for a bite to eat at the restaurant and give the Mother Road or Stillwater burgers a try.
However, the main reason to visit Pops is to select one of the nearly 700 soda varieties from around the world and turn it into an ice cream float for dessert. You can also buy some nostalgic classic candy, fill up your gas tank, and grab a t-shirt to remember your visit.
7. Steamboat Bills – Cajun Crawfish & Seafood
Location: 1004 N Lakeshore Dr, Lake Charles, LA 70601
Phone: (337)494-1070
Steamboat Bill’s is just off I-10 near the shores of Lake Charles, making the location ideal for an RV detour. This is the place to go when you want to experience true cajun cooking and authentic dishes in a spacious dining room.
Try the Crawfish Étouffée full of sweet and tender bites in a savory sauce, or you can test out fried alligator, enjoy their famous Pistolette, or their deliciously spicy gumbo. If you’re hungry, order the Captain’s Platter with fish, regular and stuffed shrimp, stuffed crab, oysters, rolls, fries, and coleslaw, but save room for a dessert because all the selections made fresh daily are incredible.
8. The Common Man Roadside North – Food & Travel Plaza
Location: 530 W River Rd, Hooksett, NH 03106, and 25 Springer Rd, Hooksett, NH 03106 (They are located on both ways of the 953 highway. Also, there are other Common Man locations in NH)
Phone: (603) 210-5305
The Common Man Roadside North is a combination of an eatery, gas station, welcome center, wine and liquor outlet, bank, and general store that is a fun and practical stop for RVers passing through the region. The Common Man has everything when you want when you take a break on your road trip, even an RV parking area, making this a hidden gem in the RVing community.
You’ll need to stop many times to grasp how many delicious items they have on the menu. You can choose the Hi-Way Diner, which offers vegetarian-friendly dishes and some stunningly delicious burger combos, the pizza shop, and the cafe and bakery, where they create gourmet coffee and tea drinks, pastries, and deli sandwiches.
9. Saxapahaw General Store – Modern Southern Food
Location: 1735 Saxapahaw-Bethlehem Church Rd, Graham, NC 27253
Phone: (336) 376-5332
The Saxapahaw General Store is a gas station and convenience store unlike any other. The location, just outside of Raleigh, houses a restaurant that is a delight for travelers who want a memorable meal made from sustainably grown local produce and meat.
The menu items are unique and varied, but the Applewood Bacon and Pimento Cheese Sliders, Bahn-Mi, Bison Burgers, and Scallop Tacos are top sellers. The store serves breakfast, lunch, and a weekend brunch that is worth the effort to attend.
You can also sample and buy wine and beer, fill your tank, and take home small-batch goodies and crafts made by local artisans.
10. Chef Point Cafe – Easy to Miss, Hard to Forget
Location: 5901 Watauga Rd, Watauga, TX 76148
Phone: (817) 656-0080
Chef Point Cafe got national attention for amazing gas station food when Guy Fieri of Food Network fame highlighted the eatery in his Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives show. The food is the main focus of this gas station; as the story goes, the bank wouldn’t loan the owners money for a restaurant because they had no experience, but they would for a gas station, so they decided to open a gas station in order to sell the food.
The laid-back, no-nonsense dining room is the background for five-star dishes beautifully prepared and plated coming to your table. The flavors and hearty portions bring locals and travelers in, especially for the chef’s famous Maple Leaf Duck and Chicken and Waffles.
11. Lambert’s Cafe – Home of Throwed Rolls
Location: 2981 S McKenzie St, Foley, AL 36535
Phone: (573) 471-4261
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If you want southern cuisine and a fresh take on the “delivery” of warm, homemade dinner rolls, then you want to visit Lambert’s Cafe. The staff walks through the dining room offering up the latest batch of rolls from the oven, and when you put your arm up, they will throw rolls your way over the heads of other diners, so get ready to catch!
But Lambert’s is more than a gimmick; the food options are plentiful and delicious, and you can get free servings of sides from the roaming staff who dish out whatever you ask for. Try the Meatloaf or Chicken Pot Pie, but save room for their Peach Cobbler.
Lambert’s is in the heart of Foley’s busy shopping district but also snowbird country, so RVers are more than welcome in their large parking lot. You can also park in the Home Depot lot behind the building and walk over.
12. Muldoon’s Pasties – Delectable Meat Pies
Location: 1246 M-28, Munising, MI 49862 (Muldoons is open seasonally. The season starts on the last Friday of April)
Phone: (906) 387-5880
Enter Muldoon’s Pasties, an unassuming bakery in a quaint yellow house in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and you’ll be blown away by the incredible aroma of the best meat pies in the US. The hand pies are made fresh daily and feature a flaky crust stuffed with your choice of meat, vegetables, fruit, and other ingredients.
Each savory or sweet pasty (pronounced PAST-ee) is lovingly made and is a wonderful way to enjoy part of the local culture. However, don’t leave without a stop in the gift shop to pick up handicrafts from the local region.
13. The Wagon Wheel Restaurant – Fabulous Mexican Fare
Location: 2420 Needles Hwy, Needles, CA 92363
Phone: (760) 326-4305
The Wagon Wheel Restaurant offers a fusion of food inspired by Mexican, Midwest, SoCal, and Arizona cuisine. The top entree choices are the Pot Roast Skillet, comforting Meatloaf, and the Pulled Beef Sliders, while the Fat Burrito is spiced perfectly and will definitely fill you up.
Parking can be a bit tight if you pull a large RV, but it’s worth stopping into this charming eatery just over the border from Arizona. The location is ideal for anyone traveling Highway 40 along the historic old Route 66 to stop for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. A fun gift shop sells quirky items to commemorate your visit.
14. LeBleu’s Landing – Cajun and Creole Food Paradise
Location: 202 Henning Dr, Sulphur, LA 70663
Phone: (337) 528-6900
LeBleu’s Landing welcomes RVers into their large parking lot so you can take a break when driving down I-10 to enjoy true southern Louisiana flavors in dishes such as Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, Spicy Boudin, Cracklins, Crawfish Bisque, and Shrimp Étouffée. Or, you can be more adventurous and try the Alligator Bites!
The atmosphere is relaxed, and the service is excellent. LeBlue’s location means you are certain to get fresh local seafood in all your dishes. Finish off your meal with the bread pudding, which locals rave about being the best around.
15. The Hogfish Bar and Grill – Best Hogfish Sandwich in the Keys
Location: 6810 Front St, Stock Island, FL 33040-6054
Phone: (305) 293-4041
When you take that bucket-list RV trip through the Florida Keys, you’ll want to stop at the Hogfish, a local bar and grill with a decidedly coastal vibe. Sit in the open air under a peaked thatched roof overlooking the water and enjoy a cold beverage while deciding what to order.
However, I suggest you go for the Hogfish Sandwich, the house specialty. Hogfish is a wonderfully light, sweet fish, and the sandwich includes Swiss cheese, sauteed mushrooms, and onions between slices of freshly baked Cuban bread. Another fun and tasty option is the Fried Grouper Cheeks.
No matter what you eat at the Hogfish, the beach bar ambiance and warm, salty sea breezes are sure to make this restaurant an all-time favorite.
"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore."
-- Andre Gide
