Good morning. I live right outside Philadelphia and taking a road trip to Tampa. As a result we’re spending most of our time on I-95. On our way down we plan on stopping in Florence, SC for one night as it’s the halfway mark on our trip. So we’re looking for recommendations for BBQ spots close to Florence, and really any places that are right off of I-95 so that we don’t add much more time to our trip.
And if you happen to have any food recommendations in our around Tampa (doesn’t have to be BBQ related) that would be awesome.
I don't envy you. Just did that trip after Christmas. With lots of flights cancelled expect long delays on 95 in SC. Hopefully it has calmed since the holidays.
Not too far off the the trail can put you in Charleston SC with lots of great options to eat and stay. It is only a bit further than Florence. I have had very good bbq at Rodney Scott's Whole Hog; https://www.rodneyscottsbbq.com and at Bessingers; https://www.bessingersbbq.com.
Well if you are going through the Gainesville Florida area there are a few Sonny’s BBQ scattered around. It doesn’t make the top 100 list but they have a dang good Baby Back Rib lunch plate with baked beans, fries, & Texas toast for about $12. I haven’t been there since the 70’s but I bet it’s still good! 😁
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Scott's BBQ in Hemingway, SC near Florence is a mecca for old school, whole hog SC style BBQ. It is a bucket list destination for a lot of enthusiasts. Rodney Scott has won a James Beard award and has been featured in numerous publications and documentaries. Great BBQ with a long history, do a little google searching, don't mix it up with the downtown Charleston location.
There's a Harbor Freight Outlet just outside of Florence that might be worth browsing through -- it's their distribution center, so could have some better pricing or selection than at your local HF location.
The Harbor Freight Tools store in Dillon (Store #120) is located at 117 Caldwell Rd, Dillon, SC 29536. Our store hours in Dillon are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and from 9 a.m. to 6…
Jose can't recommend SOUTH OF THE BORDER at the NC/SC line enough. Whether it's worth a stop or not will be up to you and how much you trust the accuracy of Jose's advertising luring you in along the way.
In Tampa - we did not enjoy Columbia as much as we should have. May have been what we ordered, or the feeling like we were rushed in and rushed out. It is very very popular and has a following - just may not be a place we'll select again in the future. Don't let our opinion sway you from visiting, as others likely had better experiences.
Definitely hit Bern's Steakhouse, billed as having the world's largest wine cellar. They pride themselves on pricing bottles appropriately so everyone can enjoy them rather than the typical 400%+ markup that you'll find elsewhere.
Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
About meReal name: Aaron
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Not too familiar with the interstate and those specific areas as I was merely a traveler there myself, but if you find yourself in the Charleston area, a can't miss is Lewis BBQ. Outstanding.
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Favorite wine = whatever is currently in the wine rack
Favorite beer = Sam Adams Boston Lager or Shiner Bock
Favorite whisky = Lagavulin Distiller's Edition 16 year old single malt
Best Cookbooks - Meathead's "The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling", Chris Lilly's "Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book", Aaron Franklin's "Franklin BBQ"
Cookbooks to check out - Raichlen's "Brisket Chronicles" and anything by Adam Perry Lang.
Current fanboy cookbook - "Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over Fire Around the Levant"
It's absolutely true that Bern's has the largest wine cellar in the world. It's been certified by Wine Spectator magazine. Their steak is phenomenal and they will give you a tour of their onsite wine cellar. You can also check their wine list ahead of time and if there is something stored offsite, you can order it ahead of time so that it is available when you come in for dinner.
There are about 10 rows of wine like this in the onsite wine cellar
Smithfield's Chicken and BBQ has several locations close to I95 in North Carolina. The only BBQ my wife really likes better is what I cook. It is a chain but I have not had bad BBQ or fried chicken at one yet. If you don't go until close to closing time they could be out of BBQ.
I hope you're not planning on taking I-95 through SE Georgia or Florida. I-95 turns into a parking lot North of Jacksonville near the FLA/GA line and the odds are pretty good there will be many hours of stop and go delays between Jacksonville and Daytona.
I wouldn't attempt that route for all the prime brisket at Costco.
Looking at a map.... what about avoiding JAX and cutting over from Savannah through Waycross to Valdosta so you could pick up 75-South ???
The Google suggests going through Waycross and picking up 441 to link into I-75 (which cuts out the Valdosta piece, but same concept). Then again, that route will add an hour of drive time... but may save a bit in overall driving frustration.
WillTravelForFood - 441 is my preferred route when traveling from Central Florida up to GA and points beyond. It's a rural road. Nothing to see but the occasional old small town. Few tractor trailers. No masses of fast food though so plan you trips accordingly.
My wife and I live for finding little roadside BBQ places and diners. I suggest getting some good trip planner software that allows you to follow a route of your choosing and setting your own waypoints.
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