Author: Ben Lane

I showed up to Bill’s Burgers in Van Nuys, California, with an empty wallet and a full appetite, because cash-only and hunger are the house rules. The line looked like…

Let’s talk about the Springfield, Massachusetts spot that turns cravings into cozy contentment: Golden Corral Buffet & Grill on Parker Street. I walked in for a “quick bite” and left…

I pulled off Highway 54 last summer, stomach growling, and spotted a packed parking lot full of trucks and campers outside a low-slung café. RJ’s Family Restaurant in Camdenton, Missouri,…

The first time I walked into Ray’s, I meant to play it cool, then the view smacked me with silver water and snow-dusted peaks, and my cool fell into Shilshole…

I pulled off S Clark Street for coffee and left plotting my next breakfast, lunch, and pie slice at Diner 54. This roadside classic in Mexico, Missouri, doesn’t chase trends;…

Ah, yes, I still remember that day very well, and with the water in my mouth. I pulled off Pacific Highway E expecting a quick bite and ended up plotting…

Ohio doesn’t usually top the list when people think about great steakhouses, but locals here know better. Tucked away in small towns and quiet neighborhoods across the state, you’ll find…

Pulling off State Road 89, chasing rumors and hunger, I expected nostalgia and a decent dinner. What I found was a roadside institution with a line, a buzz, and a…

I stumbled into Sam’s Super Burger on a Tuesday afternoon when my GPS took me down a forgotten stretch of Grand Bay, and let me tell you, that double cheeseburger…

Ah, yes, I still remember my first bite of that crispy fried chicken at Michie Tavern, juice dripping down my chin while I sat in a room that looked like…

I stumbled into Trattoria Da Vittorio on a foggy Tuesday, half-lost in West Portal, and walked out two hours later with marinara on my collar and a grin I couldn’t…

It is hard not to remember that day last July – pulling off US-2, windows down and stomach growling, spotting that vintage neon sign glowing against the northern sky. Clyde’s…

South Carolina keeps its best burger secrets tucked between backroads and beach towns, where grills sizzle with hand-pattied creations and locals guard their favorite spots like state treasures. I’ve spent…

Some people chase waterfalls. I chase fried dough. Over the course of one sticky, sugar-dusted weekend, I mapped a route through the quiet corners of Massachusetts, hunting down mom-and-pop donut…

I’ve driven past dozens of diners that promise the best pie in the state, but South Side Soda Shop in Goshen actually delivers on that claim. This tiny storefront with…

I’ve driven past a hundred diners on Route 66, but Iggy’s in Carthage, Missouri, is the one that made me pull over twice in the same month. Locals don’t just…

In Connecticut, I’ve learned that the best crab meals aren’t served on white tablecloths but on trays you carry yourself. Imperial China Buffet in Watertown doesn’t pretend to be anything…