Corner Stop Grill

Location: Loganville, GA
Price: $$

This is a fairly new place very, very close to our house (like, less than 5 minutes away!) in a location that has seen several restaurants over the years. It has a nice menu consisting of various hamburgers and sandwiches, wings with many different sauces to choose from, and some seafood and pasta. The owners have really put some thought into what will work in this semi-rural area: they have trivia on Tuesday nights and live music on Wednesday nights.

I've gotten take out here three times in the past 2 months (with a 4 year old and an 8 month old, its hard to actually "go out to eat") and I have not been disappointed with my meals! I've tried their Philly cheesesteak, 1/2 lb cheeseburger, and the fried catfish sandwich. Everything was really delicious. You're not going to find anything really fancy on their menu but what they have is really good. I have really enjoyed everything I've gotten but my favorite (so far) is without a doubt their catfish sub sandwich! You can get it in a 7 or a 12 inch size and it comes fried or grilled (but when I'm eating catfish you can bet that I'm eating it fried!) with American cheese, tarter sauce, and lettuce and tomatoes. Now, being a Southern girl I've had my share of good (and bad) fried catfish and this certainly is some of the best I've had. It wasn't overly greasy and the batter wasn't too thick. The fish was cooked perfectly and was light and flaky, literally falling apart. I devoured it! Pictured with it here are their Cajun fries (the Cajun part is just a seasoning sprinkled on but it was tasty). I also love their Kids Menu, its VERY reasonably priced ($2 for the grilled cheese meal with fries and a drink) and they get a Rice Krispie treat with it!

We are so glad to have a place like this right up the road and we're telling everyone about it in the hopes that it can survive in this economy! If you're in the area, try it out! I really don't think you'll be disappointed!

Website: http://www.cornerstopgrill.com/

Bess's Place

Location: Newborn, GA
Price: $


The name doesn't tell you what type of place this is but it holds a tasty surprise inside! The first time I had their BBQ I knew I had to go back and get some more. Yup! This is a family owned and run BBQ place and boy was it tasty! The restaurant is in an older log cabin style building along the "main" highway leading into this small Georgia town.

I had my first taste of Bess's BBQ at a birthday party for my best friend's little girl (yes, they do take-out). I thoroughly enjoyed it and decided I wanted to try some more. My mom and I drove the thirty minutes or so over to Newborn from my home and as soon as we pulled up we knew this was going to be right up our alley! It was busy but not crowded and full of locals which gave it such a wonderful feeling. The lunch menu looked smaller than the dinner menu but that just gives me more reasons to go back! There was a nice selection of meat and lots of veggies to chose from as sides (which made the two of us quite happy) and everything seemed reasonably priced. We both got BBQ sandwich plates as the BBQ was the reason we drove over. Mom ordered fried squash slices as one of her side items. Now, I am not a fan of squash so I was a bit leery of trying this little dish but I was pleasantly surprised. They were lightly breaded and I actually liked them! My son liked them, too. Now, on to the BBQ! The sandwiches did not come drenched in sauce so I was able to add as much as I liked (and I started out with just a little to make sure I could taste the meat). We both agreed that the meat was delicious, juicy, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor. I even ordered an extra sandwich to take home to my husband (after I took a picture of the food on my phone and sent it to him at work just to mean!). They do have more than just BBQ but it was so good that I don't know how I could not order it the next time we visit.

I am very picky about my BBQ so I rarely find a place that I'm eager to eat at more than once but this is certainly one I can't wait to visit again. I would recommend this any BBQ fan.


*Just as a note, they are no longer serving their BBQ and are focusing on other items from their menu, namely their pizza.

Rivals Hot Dogs

Location: Loganville, GA
Price: $

(CLOSED as of Jan 2012)

This is a really neat, little family run hot dog place. They don't do anything except hot dogs. If you want a grilled cheese, go somewhere else because their specialty is good 'ol Southern style hot dogs. When you walk in you are greeted with the local school colors on the walls, local team paraphernalia, a TV with ESPN airing, and (here's the really fun part) the top half of the walls are covered in long slats of tin roofing material so customers can write all over them. It really has a great feel to it!

Having to keep up with a 2 year old running around I wasn't able to really pour over the menu like I wanted. I ordered a Varsity hot dog combo and got a JV dog for my son. By the way, a Varsity dog is their 1/4 lb hot dog and a JV is a regular sized dog (didn't I mention that the place is full of sports stuff?!). They each came with home cut french fries. The prices seemed a tad high to me but then again, they're pretty big dogs (and I've never eaten at another hot dog place to compare it to!). Once we got the food, all my son wanted was the french fries. They were really, really good. I did manage to get him to eat some of his dog though. I really enjoyed my hot dog; cooked just right, great taste, what more can you ask for in a dog? When I caught a sniff of the chili the gentleman had at the next table, I promised myself I would get a chili cheese dog the next time I was in!

If you're brave, you can try their "Hell Hound Challenge:" attempting to eat some really HOT hot dogs!

This was just a fun little local place that just gives you a good feeling. I wish there were more little places like this around these days! If you're in the area, check it out! I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Website: www.rivalshotdogs.com

Can't wait to get started!

After watching one of my favorite Food Network shows one evening (why do I always watch it late at night when I KNOW its going to make me hungry??) I thought it might be fun to blog about visiting the different places that are visited on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.

Anyone else really love that show? I know I do! I just LOVE seeing all the yummy and different places that Guy visits in each episode. Of course, the ones that show traditional diner fare (hamburgers, pancakes, etc) are the ones that are especially drool worthy to me!

I have no idea how often I will be able to visit the places that Guy has featured on his show and I'll have to start out with the few he's been to here in Georgia and nearby states. I do hope that eventually I can branch out and start visiting places in the Northeast and Midwest. I'm pretty certain I'll be able to rope my mom into coming along as well...she's always up for a road trip!

So please, stay tuned and see what yummy food I get to first!

My planned first stop is the Marietta Diner in Marietta, Georgia.


*You can check out the show at FoodNetwork.com.