My son and I will be driving all over North and South Carolina next week looking at schools. We'll be in Rocky Mount, Greenville, Wilmington, Conway, Charleston, Rock Hill, Charlotte, Highpoint, Greensboro, Elon, Raleigh and Durham. Any dining establishments we shouldn't miss in any of those places? Thanks in advance.

With all those destinations, it doesn't sound like you'll have much time to eat!

What part of Charleston will you be in?

http://www.ncbbqsociety.com/trail_map.html
Having spent the last bunch of years chasing AAU baseball, college baseball, and club volleyball across North and South Carolina, I can personally vouch for 13 of them.

Here's a larger list, but it hasn't been updated in awhile:
http://www.ibiblio.org/lineback/bbq/jnts-lst.htm

-jda

We will definitely find time to eat!

In Charelston we will be wherever College of Charelston is located.

Thanks for the links, jda.

In the Rocky Mount/Greenville ask a local about an Eastern NC BBQ place. (you don't want that Western dreck) The places I grew with up have, unfortunately changed a bit,.... A chain called Smithfield's has BBQ like I remember though.

In Myrtle Beach, which is near Conway, there is a huge Seafood Buffet called Cap't Georges. Ate there last week and several other teammates did - all you can eat seafood, not bad at all. Look for a coupon though, it's a bit pricy. SC'ians put mustard in BBQ - just a warning. Calabash Style Seafood is breaded and fried. fyi

http://www.myrtlebeachscrestaurants.com/Captain-Georges...nt-Myrtle-Beach.html

In Durham - (Original)QShack. Not NC BBQ - but it is delicious. There is also a German Bakery called Guglhupf - should at least stop in and get something sweet. They are located near each other on Durham Chapel Hill Blvd.

http://www.theqshackoriginal.com/story.html
http://www.guglhupf.com/

Near NCState is a little place called Cloo's - off of Western Blvd. It's Detroit style hot dogs, sliders, chili - diner type place. It's good too. Down from State on Hillsboro St is Snoopy's hot dogs and Char Grill. They are walk up places that have been there forever.

In Charlotte you can try Sonny's
Greensboro, Stameys

(both of these are Western. The difference is Easter Q is vinegar and honey based, Western has tomato sauce in it. Also, Stameys serves red slaw - cole slaw with a bit of BBQ sauce stirred in.

http://www.stameys.com/
http://charlotte.citysearch.com/profile/6254715/monroe_...eal_pit_bar_b_q.html

Wow! I better starve myself for the next few days or I won't fit through the front door when we get home!

If your looking for good New York Italian food there is Gianni & Guytanos in wake forest and all over Cinellis Restaurants excellent italian food just like New York enjoy!!!

I stay away from Italian restaurants when out of NYC or Boston---perhaps I have been spoiled but they aint the same---I cannot even find real good pizza in Connecticut where I live

Sonny's BBQ.

Smithfield BBQ.

That's it. That's the list.

Holden,
On your way from Charlotte to High Point, you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't stop at one of the places in Lexington, NC for the authentic Western NC BBQ. Lexington Barbeque #1, just off of Business I85, is the grandaddy and the one most of my salesman friends swear by, but three or four others also get well reviewed. Come to think of it, it's hard to go wrong with almost any BBQ in NC, even the chains like Sonny's.

[Edited to clarify link.] Here's a link to the Lexington places:
http://hkentcraig.com/BBQ11.html

The italian restaurants I recommended the owners have relocated to North Carolina from New York so it is real Ny italian food, my son went to the UNC baseball camp and they delivered him pizza to the dorm they are all over Raleigh and Gianni and Giatano's is in Wakeforest, when we were there in December went to Gianni and Giatano's for New Years Eve and as a New Yorker who knows only the best italian food I can honestly say the food was awesome and the pizza is just like NY pizza.

In all honesty, my husband is from the western part of NC and loves Lexington BBQ. It's our main point of contention.... :lol:

Roseanne is 100% correct. There are many relocated folk from the NY area. While, NC is known for yummy BBQ, and Calabash style seafood, the larger areas have authentic cuisine from other places as well.

In Wilmington, try Dockside
http://www.thedockside.com/

Holden,

If you are going to be in the Charlotte area - PM me and we - hopefully - can try to hook up for some food consumption if it fits into your schedule.

Mangia!!!

College of Charleston -- the school -- is in the middle of downtown Charleston and the excellent restaurants there are almost too many to mention. I would recommend going to one that specializes in "lowcountry cuisine." Our favorites are Magnolia's, Blossom, Jestine's Kitchen, Slightly North of Broad (SNOB), and 82 Queen. The C of C ball field is across the river in Mt Pleasant. If you are over there, try any restaurant in the Shem's Creek area -- great seafood! You'll have to give us a wrap-up of your trip. Sounds like it will be a busy one!

I'm back home. I'm fat. And if I never eat pulled pork and hush puppies again it will be too soon!

We tried Smithfields and Sonny's. Two others we were close to where we were staying but closed on weekends. Both of those places were excellent, Sonny's in particular.

The Carolinas have some beautiful college campuses. I think High Point was his favorite, followed by Coastal Carolina and UNC-Wilmington.

Not sure we'll ever see any of them again, but who knows?

Thanks again for the recommendations. Now can someome suggest a good diet? I need to fit into a suit by next Monday.

ummm BBQ

what do you mean too soon? That's a breakfast lunch and dinner menu right there.

Glad you had a good time, was it hot enough?

I'm pretty sure it was the highest heat index i've ever experienced. it was miserable the first couple of days. Fortunately it cooled off for the showcase.

Good - I hope your son did well.

You can come back tomorrow heat index predicted to be 116. (naturally we are moving our oldest into his freahman dorm on his assigned day)

I'll pass on the bbq, a cold sammich will do