Some road trips are all about the scenery, but this one comes with barbecue, burgers, hot dogs, fried seafood, and more than a few stories from the past.
This tasty drive connects eight of North Carolina’s oldest restaurants, including family-run spots that have been cooking for generations.
Several have been serving customers for more than 100 years, while others became famous for one signature dish that still keeps people coming back.
Bring your appetite because this road trip serves North Carolina history one plate at a time.
1. Keaton’s Barbecue — Cleveland
Keaton’s Barbecue is a family-run country barbecue joint that has been feeding hungry travelers since 1953.
Founder B.W. Keaton started the restaurant with a seriously memorable specialty: chicken dipped in a secret vinegar-tomato barbecue sauce, then cooked until the outside develops a distinctive spicy, saucy coating.
The famous Keaton’s Barbecue Chicken remains the star, but you can also order chopped pork barbecue, sandwiches, and classic Southern sides.
Keaton’s has stayed wonderfully old-school for more than 70 years, and its tucked-away Rowan County location makes finding this longtime local favorite feel like part of the adventure.
2. J.S. Pulliam Barbeque — Winston-Salem
Next up, head about 40 minutes to J.S. Pulliam Barbeque in Winston-Salem, a barbecue spot that has been serving customers since 1910.
This tiny roadside spot is famous for its hot dogs, which come in toasted buns and piled with chili, mustard, onions, and slaw, plus chopped pork barbecue sandwiches with that classic North Carolina tang.
The building keeps things wonderfully simple, with an old-school counter-service setup and no fancy dining room competing for your attention.
With more than 115 years of history behind it, Pulliam’s gives you a chance to grab lunch from a family business that started serving hungry North Carolinians before World War I.
3. Johnson’s Drive-In — Siler City
From Winston-Salem, it’s about a 1-hour drive to Johnson’s Drive-In in Siler City, a tiny roadside burger stop that opened in 1946.
Johnson’s is best known for its cheeseburgers, made with fresh ground beef and topped with thick slices of Velveeta that melt into a gooey layer around the patty.
The restaurant has a dozen counter stools and a handful of booth seats, and burgers are cooked on the flat-top grill right in front of you, so lunch comes with a front-row view of the action.
Arrive early because Johnson’s traditionally serves lunch only, and once the day’s fresh beef is gone, the doors close.
4. Carolina Coffee Shop — Chapel Hill
After that burger stop in Siler City, cruise about 40 minutes to Carolina Coffee Shop, right across from the University of North Carolina campus in Chapel Hill.
Opened in 1922, it proudly bills itself as North Carolina’s oldest continuously operating restaurant, with more than a century of students, professors, locals, and Tar Heel fans passing through its doors.
Inside, dark wood booths and UNC memorabilia set the scene for Southern favorites, burgers, sandwiches, and drinks served just steps from campus landmarks like the Old Well.
Fun fact: the restaurant began as a soda fountain, and today you can still eat in the same Franklin Street gathering spot that has been part of Chapel Hill life for over 100 years.
5. Mecca Restaurant — Raleigh
Leaving Chapel Hill behind, drive about 35 minutes to Mecca Restaurant, a downtown Raleigh landmark that has been serving hungry customers since 1930.
Greek immigrant Nicholas Dombalis opened the restaurant, and generations of his family kept its old-school character alive with wooden booths, a long counter, and vintage details that look straight out of another decade.
The menu sticks to comforting classics, including hamburgers, fried chicken, Salisbury steak, country-style vegetables, breakfast plates, and Mecca’s popular homemade pies.
Over the decades, politicians, day laborers, and locals have crowded into these booths, making Mecca a fascinating stop where you can eat lunch inside a genuine piece of Raleigh history.
6. Shorty’s Famous Hot Dogs — Wake Forest
Keep driving for about 30 minutes to Shorty’s Famous Hot Dogs in downtown Wake Forest, a family-run lunch counter that first opened in 1916.
For more than a century, the big draw has been its classic hot dogs, especially when they’re loaded Carolina-style with chili, mustard, onions, and cool, crunchy slaw.
Shorty’s also serves hamburgers, fries, and other no-fuss favorites, but the narrow storefront, counter seating, and walls covered with old photos give you plenty to check out while your order cooks.
The restaurant has survived wars, recessions, and huge changes around Wake Forest, making a stop here an easy way to taste a local tradition that has lasted for 110 years.
7. Parker’s Barbecue — Wilson
From Wake Forest, it’s a 50-minute drive to Parker’s Barbecue in Wilson, where this eastern North Carolina institution has been filling tables since 1946.
Parker’s specializes in whole-hog, Eastern-style barbecue, seasoned with a sharp vinegar-and-red-pepper sauce.
Order a combination plate and you can dig into barbecue alongside fried chicken, Brunswick stew, boiled potatoes, slaw, and corn sticks, those crunchy little golden batons that regulars know well.
The huge dining rooms and fast-moving servers make Parker’s a different experience from the tiny counters earlier on this trip, and generations of families still pack the place for big Southern meals.
8. Beck’s Restaurant — Calabash
For the grand finale, follow the road for about 2 hours and 40 minutes to Beck’s Restaurant in Calabash, the coastal town that gave its name to one of North Carolina’s most famous styles of seafood.
The Beck family opened the restaurant in 1940, making it one of the longtime businesses that helped turn lightly breaded, quickly fried “Calabash-style” seafood into a statewide favorite.
Come hungry for platters stacked with shrimp, flounder, oysters, scallops, or deviled crab, usually joined by hush puppies and other classic Southern sides.
After seven barbecue joints, burger counters, and hot dog stops, Beck’s delivers a fitting coastal finish, serving seafood near the Calabash River waterfront and only a few miles from the South Carolina state line.
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