The I-95 exit-by-exit eating guide
EDITOR’S NOTE: THIS GUIDE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE IT WAS PUBLISHED IN 2022: PLEASE BRACE YOURSELF FOR CHANGES IN OPENING SCHEDULES, MENUS, AND OPERATING STATUS.
If you’re an armchair traveler, read on! But if you’re headed toward I-95, you might prefer the printable version of this guide, or interactive online version of the same. Happy road tripping!
After Tony Stallings bought his uncle’s grill, he took it to a charity event in Bennettsville, South Carolina, where a truck driver buddy of his just shook his head at the setup.
“Wow, man,” Stallings remembers him saying. “Why you ain’t over by the truck stop? You know truck drivers are always looking for decent food: They don’t want to always have to go in places like Arby’s or Burger King or McDonald’s.”
Them and everyone else.
Stallings in late 2020 took his friend’s suggestion, arranging what he calls a co-op in the vacant lot alongside the Love’s Travel Stop in Dillon, South Carolina: He sells ribs, half chickens, and turkey wings; another guy sells Caribbean plates, and a third guy sells fruit from his farm. “Drivers really appreciate a homecooked meal,” he says.
Such personal food is frustratingly hard to find at most exits, which are dominated by megachains peddling defrosted chicken nuggets and jumbo cups of soda. Yet for travelers who know where to look, there are still plenty of independent restaurant along the interstate offering satisfying meals and glimpses into the regional culture inspiring them.
Of course, it’s rarely convenient to conduct that kind of research once you’re on the road, which is why The Food Section has compiled a comprehensive guide to eating within three miles of every Interstate 95 exit from Petersburg, Virginia (where it crosses Interstate 85) to Florence, South Carolina (where it meets Interstate 20), a 270-mile span of the nation’s busiest highway.
It’s important to stress that this guide was developed specifically for Interstate 95 travel, which means it shouldn’t be mistaken for a listing of the best restaurants in every town on the route. Instead, it’s designed for drivers who want to eat well while staying on relatively tight schedules.
In other words, these are not restaurants around which to build trips: These are restaurants meant to enhance the trip you’re already taking.
To that end, restaurants which specialize in drawn-out, sit-down service weren’t considered for this guide: No steakhouses or omakase sushi experiences here. Restaurants with extremely restricted hours were also ineligible, since it’s the rare traveler who’s likely to reach a certain exit between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on a Wednesday. (Sorry about Sundays. Welcome to the South.)
You’ll notice there are several numbered exits which don’t appear here. That’s either because there aren’t any independent restaurants within three miles of the exit, or the choices there didn’t rise to the level of The Food Section’s endorsement. The establishments in this guide represent just a fraction of the places I visited, selected with an eye toward cuisine variety, so you wouldn’t be stuck with cheeseburgers for 100 miles if you were in the mood for tacos.
Finally, a reminder that few restaurants now have as many employees as they need, so opening hours are subject to change—and if speed is your top priority, you may want to call in your order. And while most of the restaurants are equipped with credit card machines, it never hurts to be ready with cash.
Here we go.
VIRGINIA
EXIT 52
Buttermilk Bake Shop
257 E. Bank St., Petersburg
804-242-0027
buttermilkbakeshopva.com
Tuesday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Distance from exit: 0.4 miles
Back when tobacco and canals were critical to economic success, Petersburg was the envy of the Mid-Atlantic. But the city’s fortunes faltered over the last century, with the Richmond Fed in 2017 describing it as a hothouse of poverty, unemployment, and dim prospects, despite a fetching historic downtown. Local leaders have lately embarked on an aggressive revival campaign, and there’s no doubt the future is supposed to look like Buttermilk Bake Shop, Laura Boehmer and Ben Cronk’s charming community-minded pastry parlor. Buttermilk makes sticky buns, cookies, and scones, but regulars beeline for the featherweight yeasted doughnuts, split and filled with seasonal fruit and cream.
EXIT 50
Yankee Coffee Shop
2557 S. Crater Rd., Petersburg
804-861-4990
No website
Thursday-Monday, 5:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m.
Distance from exit: 1.5 miles
Considering the steady migration of Northeasterners to the South, which in 2021 gained more than 250,000 residents from other regions, it makes sense for a Southern swing to start with a couple of Yankees. Namely, the late George and Loula Kolidakis. “Mr. and Mrs. K” founded Yankee Coffee Shop in 1975, winning over Petersburg with hot black coffee, feta cheese omelets, and performatively weary waitresses. Not much has changed since: The peppery home fries, cut into jagged thumb-size chunks, remain fantastic, and breakfasters still arrive toting print copies of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
EXIT 47
The Magnificent Outspoken and Beautiful Wives of Richmond
3849 S. Crater Rd., Petersburg
804-451-9022
facebook.com/TheMOBWivesRestaurant
Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Distance from exit: 1.0 miles
Every theatrical type has gotta get a gimmick, and it works out well for travelers that the drag queens at M.O.B Wives of Richmond have chosen one which involves fried pork chops and chicken wings. By day, the glitzy show venue offers a takeout lunch menu that looks like what you might find at any meat-and-two, save for the “Chic’s and Dic’s.” (Apparently the waffles paired with the drumsticks are suggestively shaped.) M.O.B’s flaky fried whiting is lovely, and the sides are, well, ladylike, with collard greens sliced into elegant ribbons and petite macaroni elbows sporting an attractive scatter of parsley.
EXIT 45
Nanny’s Restaurant
11900 S. Crater Rd., Petersburg
804-733-6619
nannysbbq.com
Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, 4 p.m.-9 p.m.
Distance from exit: 0.5 miles
In the realm of old-timey Southern cooking, Nanny’s Restaurant is a relative newcomer, with just 40 years of history behind it. But the clearest indicator that this bustling buffet predates the Internet era is its mastery of white-hued foods, which don’t look appetizing in my photographs and won’t flatter your Instagram feed either. Still, that shouldn’t stop you from piling your ivory plate high with pliant smothered cabbage and a saucy, soothing take on chicken-and-dumplings that Nanny’s rightly sells by the pint. Fatback is also sold separately at $3 per dozen for buffet customers who don’t get their fill.
EXIT 33
Little Italy on 95
11292 Blue Star Hwy., Stony Creek
434-246-5858
Littleitalyon95.com
Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Distance from exit: 1.0 miles
A midday favorite of construction workers and sheriff’s deputies, Little Italy is visually recognizable by its ersatz Venetian plaster. But the more reassuring signifier that you’re about to have a memorable stromboli is the aroma of garlic which cloaks the restaurant. Italian is a tough cuisine to sell to the mozz-and-parm experts who traverse I-95, but Little Italy’s zesty marinara and chewy pizza dough put the restaurant firmly in red sauce fix territory. (Speaking of location, Little Italy in Summer 2022 is moving 0.8 miles nearer to the exit: Look for it to reappear at 10404 Blue Star Hwy.)
EXIT 13
Taqueria Victoria
2255 Sussex Dr., Emporia
434-623-8186
facebook.com/taqueria.victoria.336
Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Distance from exit: 1.0 miles
There’s a hand-lettered sign in front of the industrial complex where the Taqueria Victoria trailer is perpetually parked, headlined “Mexican Food.” Its subtitle continues, “Big trucks welcome.” Regardless of what kind of vehicle you’re piloting, the tacos at Victoria are a worthy lunch option. Priced at $2.50 apiece, the tacos’ better-than-average tortillas and thoughtful seasoning help scoot them up the satisfaction scale: A filling of fat, citrusy shrimp throws open the door to summer.
EXIT 11A
The Bank: Inspired by Lucy & Linda
401 S. Main St., Emporia
439-829-6550
No website
Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Distance from exit: 1.7 miles
Black-owned businesses were five times as likely as white-owned businesses to have their Paycheck Protection Program loan applications rejected, a result of longstanding inequities in the banking industry. So, it feels poetically just that Kimberly Threat, after clearing unrelated red tape, in 2021 opened her first restaurant in the former Citizens National Bank in downtown Emporia. A soft jazz respite from the hurries of the highway, The Bank: Inspired by Lucy & Linda (named for Threat’s mother and mother-in-law) serves sandwiches, salads, and a classy chicken salad enlivened by gherkins and crisp celery.
NORTH CAROLINA
EXIT 173
Ralph’s Barbecue
1400 Julian R Allsbrook Hwy., Weldon
252-536-2102
ralphsbbq.com
Monday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Distance from exit: 0.5 miles
It’s a badly kept secret in smoked pork districts that barbecue restaurants are frequently the source of the best fried chicken, a fact proven daily by Ralph’s Barbecue. Its wet-batter chicken, sheathed in a salty gossamer crust, is true Sunday dinner material: It tastes as though it’s made in large quantities for very discerning eaters. Ralph’s has been frying its chicken the same black pepper-free way since 1941, when Ralph Woodruff also worked out his restaurant’s estimable tomato-rich Brunswick stew. If you’re set on pork barbecue, try to get it off the buffet, so you can round up more of the flavorful skin-on pieces.
EXIT 141
Smith’s Red & White
3635 N. Halifax Rd., Rocky Mount
252-443-4323
Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
smithsredandwhite.com
Distance from exit: 0.6 miles
Smith’s Red & White operates a small restaurant next to its flagship store, but if your travel time doesn’t coincide with its limited hours, the supermarket itself is a fantastic place to get fed. The 20,000-square-foot grocery, which got its start in 1954 as a few shelves in an old schoolhouse, could double as an exhibit on North Carolina foodways. This is the place to stock up on extra sharp pimento cheese (Smith’s produces a half ton every day), spicy cheese straws, and slices of quaintly straightforward cakes, including coconut and caramel. Even if you don’t have a cooler, it’s worth visiting the pork counter to peek into the sausage-stuffing room behind it.
EXIT 138
Oak Level Café
2506 Oak Level Rd., Rocky Mount
252-459-4282
No website
Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-2 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m.-11 a.m.
Distance from exit: 2.9 miles
It’s fitting that this plate lunch purveyor is located at the outer limits of what this guide’s self-imposed radius allows, since everything about Oak Level—known to local old-timers as Thompson’s Grocery—is what’s lovingly called ‘country.’ “I’d be plowing along in the field, and I just craved a store,” softspoken founder James Thompson decades ago told a Nashville (NC) Graphic reporter who asked him to reminisce about the 1955 opening. Back then, the store mostly sold Cokes, bread, and cigarettes, but has since acquired a loyal following for its salmon cakes and turnip greens. Oak Level also serves a terrific breakfast, highlighted by superior sausage and unrushed grits.
EXIT 121
Best-N-Burgers
4916 Hayes Place, Wilson
252-237-2555
best-n-burgers.com
Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Distance from exit: 0.2 miles
Pay careful attention to how the name of this vintage 2014 strip mall spot is rendered: It might sound like “Best in Burgers,” but most Americans would read a conjunctive “N” as “and,” meaning burgers and best are two separate categories here. Following that clue will lead to a downright ideal meal of hand-cut fries, a peach milkshake, and a Bright Leaf hot dog. Stoplight red Bright Leaf dogs have been the pride of nearby Smithfield since 1941, when a meat processor took inspiration from a similarly shaded frank in Savannah. “It’s a source of identity,” the mayor of Pine Level, North Carolina in 2021 told Our State Magazine. “We were nursed on ’em.”
EXIT 102
Waffee Station
317 U.S. Hwy. 301, Micro
919-588-5182
waffeewagon.com
Wednesday-Friday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Distance from exit: 0.7 miles
While I did a double take when I pulled up to Waffee Station, my guess is regular viewers of HGTV would take the setup in stride, from the cheery sayings stenciled on the wood-paneled walls of its open-air seating area to the cornhole boards out back. The namesake pearl-sugared liege waffles are also exercises in design, with heaps of cookie butter and whipped cream, or sometimes bacon and horseradish sauce, making it hard to evaluate the base pastry. Still, the restaurant deserves a nod for offering items scarce this close to the highway, such as oat milk cappuccinos and spinach smoothies. As one of the wall mottoes goes: “Worry less.”
EXIT 98
Fiorentine Taqueria y Pupusería
214 S. Pollock St., Selma
919-773-3774
No website
Monday-Tuesday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Wednesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Distance from exit: 1.0
Admittedly, I visited a few dud restaurants right before hitting on Fiorentine Taqueria y Pupusería. But I reckon it wasn’t merely a scheduling quirk that caused me to notice the café is putting out some of the most classically Southern flavors in the area: The affinity was especially apparent on a plate of faintly sweet corn cakes, stuffed with smoky pork and garnished with vinegar-spiked cabbage. There are various ways of making pupusas, but Fiorentine’s version nails the elements which unite the best of them, including an interior occupied by melty, tangy cheese, and a crisp outer shell, alluringly bronzed by the grill at random intervals.
EXIT 97
Fry Daddy’s
25-A JR Rd., Selma
919-288-1331
frydaddysnc.com
Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Distance from exit: 0.4 miles
One of the unnerving things about traveling the midsection of I-95 is you suspect you’re somewhere in the vicinity of the Atlantic Ocean, but it’s hard to pinpoint the distance between you and the water. Officially, it’s 117 miles from the Fry Daddy’s exit, yet the restaurant’s expertly fried seafood makes the span seem shorter. The shiny months-old spinoff of a popular Goldsboro restaurant, Fry Daddy serves deviled crab, tucked into real shells instead of tinfoil simulacrums, shrimp, oysters, and hushpuppies, as well as a potato salad that would be the talk of any potluck. Owner Dee Ismail hopes to open next in Surf City, bringing Fry Daddy’s dishes into their natural habitat.
EXIT 95
Hills of Snow
110 S. Brightleaf Blvd., Smithfield
919-795-7461
facebook.com/Hills-of-Snow-100138233363455
Monday-Saturday, 12 noon-8 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.-8 p.m.
Distance from exit: 1.0 miles
Eastern North Carolina’s demographics have changed since 1984, when the late Tom Hill opened his shaved ice shop, as evidenced by the Hills of Snow sign promising “raspados.” But that’s one of the few updates to the operation, which since the late 1980s has been housed in a blue snow-cone building that looks like it’s on the lam from a miniature golf course. The Hill family still serves scoopfuls of snow in 10 sizes, enriched with condensed milk or whipped cream upon request. First, though, summertime visitors must choose from more than 100 syrup flavors for the remarkably downy ice, including cherimoya, tamarind, and five strawberry variations.
EXIT 93
Biscuit Stop
820 S. Brightleaf Blvd., Smithfield
919-934-9235
No website
Tuesday-Friday, 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m.-1 p.m.
Distance from exit: 0.6 miles
Smithfield Foods is based in the Virginia town of the same name, not this county seat of Johnston County, but pork adoration runs deep here. One of the beneficiaries is quite possibly the signature pastry at Biscuit Stop, which has the flakiness of a biscuit touched by lard. The handwritten menu of breakfast sandwiches at this energetic takeout counter runs long, with link sausage, smoked sausage, patty sausage, grilled pork tenderloin, fried pork tenderloin, bacon, sausage gravy, and red hots among the choices. Still, it’s hard to improve upon a salty flap of country ham, which doesn’t need any gilding with an egg or cheese.
EXIT 90
Holt Lake Gas & Grill
4056 Hwy. 301 South, Four Oaks
919-934-0107
facebook.com/HoltLakeGGLLC
Tuesday-Wednesday, 6 a.m.-2 p.m; Thursday-Saturday, 6 a.m.-9 p.m.
Distance from exit: 0.5 miles
After years of renting its kitchen space to a seafood seller, Holt Lake Gas & Grill recently drew up a new agreement with Tot and Tryon Williams of JP’s Ribs and Chicken, who cook both titular items (plus ribeye steaks on the weekend) over charcoal. Because of their cooking method, a sides menu featuring baked beans and potato salad, and locals’ enthusiasm for the new venture, JP’s feels like a big old backyard party. The vibe is palpable both outside and in, where the walls are hung with oversized photographs of great North Carolinians such as Vince Carter and Ava Gardner. It’s not uncommon for JP’s to sell out before closing time.
EXIT 73
Gabriella’s
325 E. Broad St., Dunn
910-304-1368
facebook.com/Gabriellasrestaurantnc
Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Distance from exit: 0.7 miles
If, like me, you’re more familiar with herring under a fur coat than causa, Gabriella’s outstanding version of the latter is striking: Like the Russian dish, the cold Peruvian classic is stacked with potatoes, fish (in this case, tuna), and hardboiled eggs, but it’s trimmed with avocado and a bracing spritz of lemon juice. In other words, it tastes like what would happen if pickled herring threw off its stole and went to the beach. That breezy coastal spirit pervades the roomy dining room at Gabriella’s, which since 2019 has kept Dunnzians in lomo saltado, arroz chaufa, and—of course—ceviche.
EXIT 61
Mama B’s Southern Kitchen
7219 Main St., Wade
910-491-6654
facebook.com/mamabssouthernkitchen
Monday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Distance from exit: 0.8 miles
The “B” in Mama B’s stands for Bobbi Strickland, who’s the restaurant’s owner, cook, and baker, but nobody uses given names in this spartan dining room. Even by Southern standards, there’s a tremendous amount of sir-and-ma’am-ing at Mama B’s, where nary a sentence is complete without one or the other. Strickland and her crew are also respectful of their guests’ time and budgets, turning around weekday grill orders within minutes and offering slices of pie for $1. Unlike most restaurants in the area, Mama B’s stays open on Sundays, switching to a buffet rigged with pot roast, fried chicken, collards, three kinds of beans, and Watergate salad.
EXIT 55
Corner Grill
3858 Dunn Rd., Eastover
910-483-6097
No website
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Distance from exit: 0.7 miles
A page inserted in a three-ring binder sheet protector and posted a few feet from the counter at Corner Grill instructs patrons to “not use any type of profanity during your visit with us!!!!!!” But it’s hard to imagine what would inspire a customer to curse at this Eastover institution, unless it’s the shock of still being able to buy a bologna sandwich for $1.65. The late Della Mae Matthews bought the short-order joint in 1984, and it’s been run by the women of her family ever since. Years ago, Corner Grill had a Donkey Kong machine set up, but now the only attraction is the burger, an enticingly black-peppered patty, attentively flipped.
EXIT 41
Napkins
5435 Corporation Dr., Hope Mills
910-489-4857
napkinsrestaurant.com
Tuesday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Distance from exit: 0.9 miles
Confidential to all you canines dragged along for an I-95 trek: You’re going to love Napkins. Located on the Dirtbag Ales campus, Napkins is adjacent to a spacious and leafy dog run. So, here’s what to tell your human companions: Napkins’ beautifully charred burgers are made exclusively with North Carolina beef, reflecting a commitment to local sourcing which also shows up in occasional specials such as catfish-and-grits. Nudge them too toward the greaseless tater tots, which have far more potato integrity than their industrial shape would suggest. Fingers crossed for you, Fido.
EXIT 33
Southern Spice Fusion
106 N. 2nd St., St. Pauls
910-885-9021
facebook.com/LoveSouthernSpiceFusion
Wednesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.
Distance from exit: 2.1 miles
Since its opening in November 2021, Southern Spice Fusion hasn’t picked up as much business as owner Gerald McMillan would like to see. But he’s had trouble finding time to complain about it because his calendar’s crammed with catering gigs, a schedule attributable to Southern Spice’s exceptional chicken salad on a buttery croissant: The sandwich alone is reason to throw a garden party. (Perhaps that’s what the Florida-bound traveler who once bought McMillan’s entire chicken salad inventory was thinking.) Southern Spice also serves tuna salad, pasta salad, fruit salad, and potato salad in its upbeat dining room, accented by local art.
EXIT 20
Kami Authentic Japanese Cuisine
2201 N. Roberts Ave., Lumberton
910-739-9790
No website
Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Distance from exit: 1.0 miles
Before you snicker at the “authentic” in the name of this converted Taco Bell, recall that there are few cuisines as cherished across the Carolinas as Benihana-style hibachi: North Carolina long had the nation’s lowest ratio of Japanese restaurants to residents because even its smallest towns have at least one white sauce purveyor. Also called pink or shrimp sauce, the blend of sugar and mayonnaise isn’t necessary at Kami, where the beef is tender, and the vegetables are fresh. Still, in keeping with statewide tradition, every order comes with a cupful. Talk about authentic.
EXIT 17
Burrito Loco
2901 W. 5th St., Lumberton
910-370-0209
facebook.com/Burrito-Loco-107266964830540
Monday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
Distance from exit: 0.4 miles
“You like salsa?” asked the owner of Burrito Loco, who was laying patio bricks in front of his restaurant’s walkup window on an absurdly hot day. I was about to answer affirmatively when I noticed he was talking to a customer around the corner who’d broken into dance after tasting his nachos. While Burrito Loco bills its tacos, quesadillas, and burritos, sized to cover both lunch and dinner, as Mexican street food, “casual Mexican” is probably a better descriptor of its heavy queso pours and use of hot dogs as an auxiliary filling. Still, the flavors are as big as the portions: The vibrant salsa verde is a standout.
SOUTH CAROLINA
EXIT 193
Pho Hong Saigon
207 Radford Blvd., Dillon
843-506-8641
facebook.com/PhoHongSaigon
Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Distance from exit: 1.0 miles
Unless you’re traveling by tour bus, hot noodle soup isn’t ideal road food. But you can’t do much better than a tightly packed banh mi, the unheralded specialty of this takeout-only counter alongside a Food Lion. Pho Hong Saigon’s sandwiches are distinguished by crusty baguettes and slivered vegetables with audible crunch; the pork version, smeared with softly sweet mayonnaise, confirms that pitmasters aren’t the only ones in this part of the world who appreciate what vinegar and pepper can do for pig meat.
EXIT 190
Chop It Up 4 U
1911 Hwy. 34, Dillon
No phone
facebook.com/chopitup4u
Monday-Sunday
Distance from exit: 0.1 miles
Billy McLaughlin never cooked in New York City but did enough eating before his parents relocated their family back to South Carolina from Brooklyn to gain a nuanced understanding of its street food. He’s now plying his chopped cheese prowess at Tony Stallings’ setup adjacent to the Love’s Travel Stop, treating customers to his impressive take on meat, onions, and dripping orange cheese, which he prefers to sandwich between buttery Texas toast. “Everybody heard of cheese steaks, but a lot of people never heard of chopped cheese,” he says, adding that South Carolinians working at a nearby plant are learning about it: The aroma of his grill draws them in.