I thought I'd compile a list of my favorite motorcycle road food spots. I'm always looking for something funky or unusual, and have stumbled on a number of them. You'll notice that the themes for my selections are BBQ, German, fish sandwiches or reubens. As that great philosopher Popeye said, "I yams what I yams and dats all dat I yam."
Acme BBQ
Williamsport, PA
http://www.acmebarbecue.com/
Some of my favorite Yankee BBQ.
Andy Nelson's BBQ
Cockeysville, MD
http://www.andynelsonsbbq.com/about/
Where else can you say your server actually played in the greatest NFL game ever? Mississippi style barbeque.
Chubby's BBQ
Emmitsburg, MD
http://chubbysbbq.com
It's not North Carolina, but pretty good for Q north of the Potomac
Chap's Pit Beef
Baltimore, Maryland
http://www.chapspitbeef.com/index.html
It's no fun riding through Baltimore but worth it for this place. Featured on "Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives"
Cafe Bruges
Carlisle, PA
http://www.cafebruges.com/
Believe it or not, a Belgian cafe in a small Pennsylvania town. Great mussels and frites. Extensive Belgian beer list.
Jean Bonnet Tavern
Bedford, PA
http://www.jeanbonnettavern.com/
Historic, 18th century tavern on the excellent Rt 30. The Whiskey Rebellion plotters met there.
Appalachian Brew Pub
Gettysburg, PA
http://abcbrew.com/brewpubs/gettysburg/
Just east of Gettysburg
Prudhomme's Lost Cajun Kitchen
Columbia, PA
http://www.lostcajunkitchen.com/
Very nice place run by a nephew of Paul Prudhomme. Between York and Lancaster.
Denny's Beer Barrel Pub
Clearfield, PA
http://www.dennysbeerbarrelpub.com/
When you're in the mood for a 6 lb. hamburger. If not, you should be able to find something on their 11 page menu.
Elk Creek Café
Millheim, PA 16854
www.elkcreekcafe.net
A hidden gem in an unlikely place. The walleye is to die for.
Cruiser's Cafe
Mt. Pleasant Mills, PA
http://cruiserscafe.blogspot.com/
The food is just OK but the fifties style drive in ambiance is cute.
Flannery's Tavern
Mercersburg, PA
http://www.flannerystavernonthesquare.com
Mercersburg is an interesting little historic town. Very good take on pub grub.
Boxer's Cafe
Huntingdon, PA 16652
http://www.boxerscafe.com/
We used to go there a lot when #2 daughter was attending college in Huntingdon. I like it but parking is all on-street and it can get pretty crowded.
Boiling Springs Tavern
Boiling Springs, PA
http://www.boilingspringstavern.net/
Excellent food in an 18th century building.
Market Cross Pub
Carlisle, PA
http://www.marketcrosspub.com/
English style pub grub. Very nice but parking can be a challenge.
RoadHawg BBQ
Duncannon, PA
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/160/1652689/restaurant/Harrisburg/Roadhawg-BBQ-Duncannon
Small place that fills up fast on the weekend but better than the fast food joints along Rt 11
Alibis Eatery
Carlisle, PA
http://www.alibispirits.com/
Very good pub/tavern food.
Bavarian Inn
Shepherdstown, WV
http://www.bavarianinnwv.com/contact.shtml
Kind of upscale but I've worn motorcycle gear during lunch.
Dobbin House Tavern
Gettysburg, PA
http://www.dobbinhouse.com/
Goes for an 18th century vibe in a very historic building.
Carriage House Inn
Emmitsburg, MD
http://www.carriagehouseinn.info/
Shamrock Restaurant
Thurmont, MD
http://www.shamrockrestaurant.com/
A bit of Irish, a bit of seafood.
Red Horse Tavern
Pleasant Gap, PA
http://www.redhorse-tavern.com/
Wellsboro Diner
Wellsboro, PA
http://www.yelp.com/biz/wellsboro-diner-wellsboro
Near the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. Classic old diner. The waitress assured me the chili dogs have no calories.
Doan's Bones
Whipple Dam, PA
http://www.doansbones.com/
On the nice Rt. 26 south of State College
Curt's Smokin Ribs
Mill Hall, PA
http://www.curtssmokinribs.com/
Just outside Lock Haven. Good but not great, but happens to be located at lunch time in many of my best routes.
Texas Lunch
Lock Haven, PA
http://www.texas-lunch.com/
Standard burgers and dogs chow but worth a stop.
Hofbrauhaus
Abbottstown, PA
http://www.germanfoodinpa.com/
Between Gettysburg and York
Rick's Hog Wild BBQ
East Berlin, PA
http://www.rickshogwild.com/
Black Hog BBQ
Frederick, MD
http://www.blackhogbbq.com/
Forksville General Store and Restaurant
Forksville, PA
http://www.forksvillestore.com/
Grab a Philly style hoagie before riding through the gorgeous World's End State Park
Bloomsburg Diner
Bloomsburg, PA
http://www.newbloomsburgdiner.com/
Carbo load here before heading over to Bill's Old Bike Barn
Hecky's Sub Shop
Hamburg, PA
http://www.heckyssubshop.com/
Mamie's Cafe and Bakery
Martinsburg, PA
http://mamiescafe.com/
It's all about the reuben
Santino's Italian Cuisine
Jersey Shore, PA
http://www.santinosjerseyshore.com
Good rendition of the standard checkered tablecloth Italian American stuff.
Mifflinburg Hotel
Mifflinburg, PA
http://www.mifflinburghotel.com/dining.html
Skeeters BBQ
Shamokin Dam, PA
http://www.skeetersbbq.com/
BJ's Ribs
Selinsgrove, PA
http://www.bjsribs.com/indexhome.cfm
Waterfront Tavern
Lewistown, PA
http://waterfronttavern.net/index.php
Frontier BBQ
Fairfield, PA
http://www.frontierbarbq.com/
Rustic BBQ, a bit south of Gettysburg
Bandit's Roadhouse
Berwick, PA
http://www.banditsroadhouse.com/
Typical roadhouse food--a big spot for the motorcycle crowd. First time I went there were no other bikes around when I arrived and at least thirty by the time I left. Plenty of parking.
Bad to the Bone Smokehouse
Gainesville, VA
http://www.badtothebonesmokehouse.com/
I'm always skeptical of barbeque joints in strip malls, but this one was impressive.
Shakedown BBQ
Grantville, PA
http://shakedownbbq.com/
Another darn fine example of the BBQ revolution in the North
Cashtown Inn
Cashtown, PA
http://www.cashtowninn.com/pages/menus/lunch.html
Historical inn that played an important role in the Battle of Gettysburg
Fairfield Inn
Fairfield, PA
http://thefairfieldinn.com/menu
Historic inn just south of Gettysburg that's been around since 1757. Only does lunch on the weekends.
RoadHawg BBQ
Duncannon, PA
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/160/1652689/restaurant/Harrisburg/Roadhawg-BBQ-Duncannon
Very small place that fills up quickly on weekends but sure beats the usual fast food places on Rt. 11
The Waynesburger
Waynesboro, PA
http://www.waynesburger.com/
Nice, old fashioned burger joint.
In the Beginning
Driving a car, your relationship with the road is like that with a friend. Bumps are softened. On a motorcycle, the relationship is much more intimate, like that with a lover. You feel every small bump and dip.
Me, November 2011
This is the unfolding story of motorcycling and me. While I'd toyed with the idea of riding for several years, I'd never thrown a leg over a motorcycle until I was 51. Then the time seemed right. My youngest kid had finished high school so I considered myself expendable. I'd just spent two years with every waking moment was consumed writing a book. With it completed, I again owned my life and was looking for a new obsession.
My driving force in life has always been pushing myself, taking on new challenges and mastering new skills. I thrive on exploring new places and always prefer to be outside with the wind on me as much as possible. So I gravitated to riding.
As I contemplated this big plunge, I made several assumptions. One was that riding a motorcycle would save money given that gasoline prices had just spiked. A second was that royalties from the book would pay for a motorcycle. But most of all, I assumed that having put in thousands of miles on road racing and mountain bicycles, and manual transmission cars for years, I'd pick up motorcycle riding easily.
These assumptions all turned out to be wrong. What I spent on motorcycling far exceeded any savings from higher gas mileage. I didn't sell enough books to cover the costs. And learning to ride was much, much more difficult than I expected. But it was also much more fulfilling. In life, I've always wanted to be where I'm not. And I'm rushing to get there.
In the few years since I began riding, I've fallen passionately in love with it. The average American motorcyclist rides 1800 miles per year. I did 16,000 my first year, 18,000 the second, and over 20,000 in the third. I've continued to average 15,000 to 16,000 miles per year even when I began writing a weekly column that eats up much of my Sundays. At night I often dream of squiggly lines on a map. Seriously.
When everything is clicking--I'm alone on a winding country road, I've got my "A" game, the music is in a groove--I sometimes forget the motorcycle is there and feel like I'm simply flying. If you don't want to take my word for it, trust Alton Brown.
Luckily, I live close to some fine riding, with twisty roads over mountain ridges, large state forests, miles of farmland (which often requires dodging Amish buggies), charming little towns (each different from all the others), and lots of historic sites. There's always somewhere new to see. (Here's a map of my favorite routes and road food). I particularly like combining riding with photography--one of my other passions.
When I began this blog I was riding a 2010 BMW R1200R. In BMW jargon, this bike was a "hexhead" (named because the engine cylinder covers are hexagonal). So these are the "Hexhead Diaries." I'll update them regularly with stories and pictures. Stay tuned!
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