Top Hearty Restaurants
Alabama Jack's
Make sure to load on the mosquito repellant before heading to this unique dining experience, resting on a sunken barge in Key Largo. Locals roll up on Harleys or arrive dock-side by Sea-Doo every weekend to drink, eat and watch the clog dancers get down to the sounds of a live honky-tonk band.
Couloir
If you’ve ever wanted to try buffalo meat, Couloir in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is the place to do it. Chef Wes Hamilton’s 3-day smoked buffalo tenderloin is so tender you can cut it with a fork. Take the gondola ride up and enjoy local meat and produce while sitting at a 9,095-ft elevation.
Gus's World Famous Hot & Spicy Chicken
Although it may appear to be a no-frills dive spot, you won’t find better fried chicken than at Gus’s World Famous Hot & Spicy Chicken! What started out in 1973 as a little shack, Gus’s still serves up the same simple menu that put them on the map. Pair that succulent fried chicken with a 40-oz beer and you’ve got yourself a quality meal.
Jethro's BBQ
A smokehouse and bar, Jethro’s has been voted best wings in Des Moines 3 years in a row. All the BBQ at Jethro’s is cooked in a huge 750-lb smoker and as head chef Mike Booth says, “you name it, we smoke it.” Not only a great place to watch sports and eat meat, Jethro’s is home to the monster Adam Emmenecker sandwich. Take down this 5 pound behemoth in less than 15 minutes and you’ll be immortalized in Jethro’s Hall of Fame.
Original Joe's
Original Joe’s serves up authentic Italian food in gigantic portions. Meatballs the size of your fist, huge steaks cut by their in-house butcher, and veal scaloppini are among the filling favorites at Original Joe’s. Enjoy your meal served by tuxedo-adorned waiters and watch the chefs prepare it over a real mesquite grill from their open kitchen. Original Joe’s really is the best show in town.
Primanti Brothers
Like your side dishes on the side? If so, don’t visit Primanti Bros. In the 1930s, the working-class men of Pittsburgh didn’t have time to eat their side orders, so a Primanti Brothers cook decided to put the cole slaw and French fries right in the sandwich and a legend was born. Open 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, Primanti Brothers is the perfect place to watch the Steelers play or get your late night fix after a long night at the bar.
Salt Lick BBQ
If you want to eat slow-smoked meat to your hearts content, come to Salt Lick BBQ. This rustic ranch style restaurant, about 45 minutes outside of Austin, offers a family-style meal with never-ending ribs, brisket, sausages and more. Everything is cooked over a massive pit-style grill right in the center of the restaurant, so you can browse the daily offerings before you place an order.
Salt's Cure
At Salt’s Cure, everything’s made in house: cheeses, pickles, condiments, bread – they even butcher their own pork, beef and chicken. From the second you walk in, the smell of smoked meat will get your mouth watering. Feast upon an ever-changing menu and watch owners Chris and Zak prepare your food right in the middle of the restaurant. Everything about this tiny Hollywood restaurant recalls down-home, country cooking.
