Extraordinary from the kitchen
Delicious food from the land of unlimited possibilities
The U.S. is a melting pot of different cultures, and that's exactly what you notice in the diversity of the food. There is nothing that is not there, in every respect.
On this page we would like to present good, famous or unusual restaurants and locations that we have particularly liked for a variety of reasons.
A note on tipping in the U.S.
The service in restaurants is usually extremely friendly and courteous. Everyone tries to do everything right for the guest, even if the guest is in the wrong, he usually remains king. Restaurant waiters have a very low basic salary. Therefore, a satisfied guest is expected to tip between 15% - 20%. You should stick to this, because the waitresses live from these tips. Taxes are also added to the restaurant bill.
...by the way, German guests do not necessarily have the reputation of giving good tips. Maybe we can all make an effort together to change this impression.
Ford´s Garage
295 N Cattlemen Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
HOMEPAGE
Description: Ford's Garage is a casual dining chain designed in the style of an auto repair shop. The first restaurant opened its doors in Fort Myers in 2012. Meanwhile, there are 21 restaurants in four states. The chain also has a licensing agreement with Ford that allows the restaurants to use Ford's name and logo.
In front of the restaurants you can usually find some classic Ford cars. Inside, everything is decorated like in a car repair shop. Even the sinks are made of old car tires.
The menu features everything you'd expect from an American diner, from salads to burgers to steaks.
Our rating: We visited the restaurant in Sarasota in October 2022.
We enjoyed it very much. From the ambiance to the service to the delicious food, the visit was an all-around positive experience. We would eat in a restaurant of the chain again at any time.
Old West Cinnamon Rolls
861 Dolliver St, Pismo Beach, CA 93449
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Description: While looking for local and unusual restaurants, we came across Old West Cinnamon Rolls in Pismo Beach. Even though there are also cinnamon rolls here in Germany, we actually always associate them more with the USA.
The description promised fresh, homemade cinnamon buns with unusual toppings. Of course, we had to try that.
Our rating: That this is not an insider tip became clear to us as soon as we saw the queue that stretched all the way to the street. So we had to wait in line first. Since the toppings always come fresh after the order on the rolls and some people in front of us in the queue try to buy the whole store empty, it takes a while until it's finally our turn. While waiting in line, you can watch the cinnamon rolls being made behind the counter. We decide on Mapel/Bacon for $5 (left) and Walnut/Raisin for $4 (right). Unfortunately, the Mapel topping was so extremely sweet that we weren't able to taste much of the other ingredients. The salty bacon flavor was totally lost. With the topping scraped off, however, the Cinnamon Roll tasted very juicy and delicious. The second Cinnamon Roll with the walnuts and raisins was much less sweet and tasted very good. Next time we would probably just take the blank rolls without any topping.
Voodoo Doughnut
1520 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80218
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Description: Voodoo Doughnut was originally founded in Portland, Oregon. Due to the huge success of the brand, there are now 12 stores. These are located in Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, Texas and Florida.
There is a wide variety of doughnuts with many different fillings. There are also seasonal specialties. So it's always worth popping in from time to time, because there's always something new to discover.
The doughnuts are all made fresh and by hand in the attached bakery.
Our rating: At our visit in April 2022, we chose the following treats from the huge selection.
From left to right (Image 3) Chinnamon Sugar Cake, Mango Tango, Raised Glazed, Voodoo Doll, Maple Blazer Blunt.
Basically, we felt the same way we always do when we try desserts in the USA. They look super appetizing, but are actually much too sweet for our taste. Although this time it was not quite so extreme. The doughnuts themselves we liked very much, because the dough was very loose and fluffy.
Our conclusion: Gladly again, but preferably without extremely sweet icing. The plain donuts are completely sufficient for us.
Randy´s Donuts
805 West Manchester Boulevard, Inglewood, CA 90301
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Description: Randy´s Donuts - The legendary donut stand in Inglewood near Los Angeles Airport (LAX).
The stand is best known from movies and television shows. The picturesque donut on the roof has already made it into quite a few Hollywood productions.
As you can see from the menu, there are a lot of different donuts to choose from. If you are unlucky, you sometimes have to wait in line for a long time to get the popular sweets.
Those who prefer to queue in their car can do so at the Drive Thru counter. Otherwise, there is a large parking lot directly at the booth.
Our rating: On our first visit, we had opted for a selection of donuts with various toppings:
From top to bottom (Image 3 below) Glazed Old Fashion, Glazed Raised, Cherry Iced Cake an on the right Sugar Raised
On the second visit we decided to: Maple Long John und Sugar Raised (Image 5 below)
The toppings just taste very sweet to us. Therefore, it actually makes almost no difference which one you take. The donuts themselves are very fluffy and delicious. The Glazed Old Fashion was very heavy and also a little greasy. We assume it was deep fried twice.
Our conclusion: Gladly again, but preferably without extremely sweet icing. The plain donuts are completely sufficient for us.
Bubba Gump Shrimp
39 Piers Box M-211, San Francisco, CA 94133
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Description: Actually, Bubba Gump is a nationwide restaurant chain, but since it is special, you can find it here on this site.
The restaurants were inspired by the movie Forest Gump, which was released in 1994. The first restaurant opened in Monterey in 1996. Basically, the restaurants offer shrimp in all variations and fish dishes.
Inside the restaurants there are countless references and decorations to and from the movie. You can discover something new all the time.
Our rating: Since we like Forest Gump, it was clear that we would also visit one of the restaurants. In 2000, the time had come in Honolulu. Since then, we have always eaten in one of the restaurants when it came up during a vacation.
Besides the great atmosphere, we also love the location of the restaurants. Often they are located somewhere on the water and you have a great view while eating. We can recommend a visit, not only for fans.
....and if you don't know the movie, you should definitely check it out.
Cattlemens Steakhouse
5012 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma, CA 94952
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Description: From the outside, the restaurant looks like a nondescript board shack. On our first visit, we weren't even sure if we were in the right place. Here on the edge of an industrial area, in this unattractive building, should be the great steakhouse? But we were right and right after you open the door it becomes clear. Inside, everything is nicely decorated in the style of an old saloon and it smells deliciously. The restaurant has an area with tables. Around there are several separated booths. The whole room is furnished in wood.
On the menu you will find everything you expect from a good steakhouse. Besides steaks, there are also chicken dishes and salads.
When we were first here in 1998, there were three restaurants in Northern California. In the meantime there are 8 (2019).
Our rating: Cattlemens is by far our favorite steakhouse. Unfortunately, we don't travel to northern California that often, otherwise we would certainly be here much more often. Our second visit to the restaurant in Petaluma was in September 2019 and we can say that the quality has not deteriorated in the 21 years since our first visit.
In June 2023, we visited the restaurant in Selma. Here, too, the steaks and everything else we ate were extremely good.
The authentic ambience, the nice service and the really very good food make this a great experience. If you want to eat a really good steak and are in the area, you should not miss Cattlemens.
Escalante Outfitters
310 W Main St, Escalante, UT 84726
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Description: Escalante Outfitters is located in the center of Escalante. You'll find a store with everything your outdoor heart desires, cabins for overnight stays and a restaurant that offers sandwiches, salads and pizza. You can sit in a winter garden as well as outside in the garden.
Our rating: For us, here you get one of the best pizzas you can get in the US. Well, measured from our experiences on our travels. In addition to the well-known toppings, you can also get very tasty combinations that we have never tried before. We can recommend a visit here to everyone who is traveling in and around Escalante. Because of the delicious pizza, we have not yet tried the other things, but both the sandwiches and the salads looked very tasty and appealing.
Top Notch Texas BBQ
211 Ave F NE, Childress, TX 79201
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Description: We ended up at this self-service restaurant on the recommendation of the lady at the front desk in our hotel.
It is located right on the main road that runs through the small town of Childress, Texas.
Served are various meats that are freshly prepared in the smoker. Typical American BBQ.
Our rating: The restaurant looks uninviting from the outside, and it's not much better from the inside. It looks a bit like an uncomfortable hall with chairs and tables.
But more important than the ambiance is the taste of the food and that was very very good. The ribs, the pulled pork and all the side dishes we tried were super tasty. Therefore, we can recommend the restaurant to anyone who visits Childress.
Wild Thyme Cafe
198 South 100 East On Highway 89, across from the Holiday Inn, Kanab, UT 84741
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Description: Not knowing the restaurant from our previous visits to Kanab, we wanted to check it out on our April 2022 visit.
The menu promises fresh food, which sounds American at first look, but then in detail rather does not offer the usual menu.
The restaurant looks friendly and inviting. Besides two indoor dining areas, there is also a larger outdoor area.
Our rating: We liked the restaurant very much. Not only the nice atmosphere, but the whole experience made for a very pleasant evening.
The food was very good and offered a pleasant change from the usual flavors with the fresh herbs and side dishes. We can definitely recommend a visit here and would also like to eat here again.
Grand Canyon Brewing Company
714 N Navajo Dr, Page, AZ 86040
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Description: Grand Canyon Brewing Company is a brewery and restaurant. You can find them in Williams, Flagstaff and since the beginning of 2022 also in Page.
In Page, the brewery consists of a huge hall that somewhat looks like a beer tent. In addition, there is also an outdoor area.
Our rating: The brewery and restaurant gave us a friendly and welcoming impression. It was well frequented during our visit in April, which is always a good sign.
In addition to numerous types of beer, there is also quite an extensive menu, which includes not only burgers, but also various salads and also pizza.
We liked it here very much. The food and the beer was ok. The atmosphere and service were friendly and pleasant. We can definitely recommend a visit here.
Big John`s Texas Barbecue
153 S Lake Powell Blvd, Page, AZ 86040
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Description: Located right at the southern entrance to Page, Big John's is immediately noticeable as you drive into town. The large smokers and the line of people that often stand in front of the door simply stand out.
The restaurant offers everything the BBQ heart desires. From pulled pork to ribs to briskets. Everything is freshly prepared.
Our rating: Since Big John's is very popular in the region and among tourists, you almost always have to wait in line here. The ambience has rather Fast Foot character and is not particularly inviting.
However, the food tastes super delicious and fresh. We can definitely recommend the restaurant.
There was one thing we didn't like at all, though, and that was the mountains of waste that every guest has to produce here. The whole meal is served in plastic or styrofoam and there is also only plastic cutlery and glasses, even if you eat directly in the restaurant.
In addition a small Update from April 2022. Even though you still produce an extremely large amount of waste when you eat here, the food was no longer wrapped in plastic but in paper containers.
Capitol Burger
44 N 100 W St, Torrey, UT 84775
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Description: The Capitol Burger Food Truck in Torrey has been around since 2017, and is located in various locations in Torrey. You can often find it in the large parking lot directly in front of the Chuckwagon Motel.
The menu offers six different burgers that you can get on their own, or as a menu with fries and a drink.
The meat is from local farmers and is processed into burger patties by the food truck owner himself.
Our rating: We really liked the burgers here. Everything tasted fresh and very tasty.
The service was very friendly and the burgers were cooked quickly, despite it being very busy.
You can take the burgers with you, or eat them right on the spot on picnic benches provided.
We would eat here again anytime. We liked the burgers better than in many restaurants.
Jax at the Tracks
10144 West River Street, Truckee, CA
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Description: The owner of the diner wanted to open a restaurant in his second home of Truckee with delicious food at reasonable prices. While searching for a suitable location, he came across an old diner from 1948 that was for sale in a newspaper ad.
He bought the diner transported it to its current location and invested over $1 million in restoring the old diner. It opened in December 1995 and now offers burgers, sandwiches and everything you would expect from a classic diner.
Our rating: Everything was just right here. Ambience, very nice service and really delicious burgers.
Our highlight was the authentic interior. One was taken back to the time of the petticoat and the rock'n roll of Elvis.
We can definitely recommend a visit.
Cowboy´s Buffet & Steak room - Ruby´s Inn
26 South Main Street, Bryce Canyon City,Utah 84764
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Description: In 1916, Reuben (Ruby) C. Syrett moved to the area to operate a ranch. Fascinated by the beauty of neighboring Bryce Canyon, he began building a lodge in 1919. With the establishment of the National Park, the Ruby`s Inn subsequently grew in importance. Within the years it was constantly renovated and expanded. Today, in addition to the lodge, there is a campground, a gas station, a store and two restaurants.
Our rating: We like Ruby's Inn. Over the years we have eaten and slept here a few times. So far we have always eaten á la carte in the restaurant. The buffet always looked like canteen food to us. However, our friends who tried the buffet in 2014 were satisfied.
We have always found the food from the menu very good. We can only recommend a visit.
Cuts Steakhouse
60 Andrew Young International Blvd NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
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Description: Cuts is a fine dining steakhouse that opened in downtown Atlanta in 2014. It offers Southern-style steaks and all the trimmings. The restaurant is centrally located one block from the Hard Rock Café. We became aware of the restaurant through the recommendation of the concierge at our hotel.
Our rating: Cuts is a great steakhouse. Maybe a little too fine for our taste. We felt a little underdressed and the atmosphere in such places is always a bit stiff.
The food, however, was first class and that's what matters in the end. It tasted extraordinarily good and therefore we can recommend the restaurant if you want to enjoy a fancy dinner once.
In terms of price, it is, as you can already imagine, rather in the higher price segment.
Cozy Dog Drive in
2935 S 6th St, Springfield, IL 62703
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Description: Here at the Cozy Dog Diner, the original corn dog was invented. These are hot dogs deep fried with a coating of cornmeal batter. Even though the corn dog is the dish most tourists stop here for, there are all sorts of other treats you'd expect to find in a typical diner.
Our rating: We made a quick stop here in May 2017, on our way along Route 66. Of course, we also tried a corn dog.
Now the corn dough wrapped hot dogs aren't the tastiest thing we've ever eaten, but they were still quite yummy.
A short stop here at this traditional diner is worthwhile, however, already because of the beautiful presentation. For us, a visit here is part of a trip along the historic Route 66.
Forscher German Bakery & Restaurant
110 North State Street, Orderville, UT 84758
10880 S Eastern Ave Suite 103, Henderson, NV 89052
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Description: Forscher offers the opportunity to eat German bread in the USA. The sense and nonsense of this is debatable, but anyone traveling in the Southwest who is tired of toast can get some German bread here. The selection is quite large and offers various breads and rolls as well as pastries and smaller dishes.
In 2014 we had to go to the bakery twice, because the first time, although in the middle of the day, there was no bread. We could see since then in various reviews, it probably happens more often that the bread is sold out.
Current 2024: Forscher German Bakery & Restaurant has closed its doors for good. Following the store in Orderville, the store in Henderson is now also permanently closed.
Our rating: We visited Forscher in October 2014 and in March 2016 to get bread for picnics. The bread tasted very good to us and was with its delicious crust also a nice change from the American bread.
However, we found the prices for the offered bread to be really very high.
Pastries and rolls we found very dry and we do not have to have these again. Nevertheless, we would probably buy a bread again on another visit.
