Tasty road trip across the South

Begin your tour of Southern cuisine here with fried green tomatoes, fried chicken with mashed taters, mac n cheese, and bread pudding. Wash down with sweet tea. Amazing. Take a boat out to Fort Sumter, book a home tour, and shop the Old City Market.

Only open for lunch, this small, family-style, dining room is part of a former boardinghouse. Mrs. Wilkes has passed on, but her legacy is alive and well in her recipes for hearty Southern favorites and flaky pies.

One of the best fine dining experiences you can have. Great bistro atmosphere, upscale food without the attitude. Roast duck lives up to its reputation and not a bad choice on the menu--dessert included.

There is plenty of great shopping in the town of squares (little green parks), but don't miss this shop full of fine art, handmade home wares, jewelry, accessories, beauty items and gifts by SCAD students and alum. Support young artists and treat yourself to something made from the heart.

This log cabin just off I-95 serves the stuff dreams are made of. The BBQ here--whether in sandwich form or suck-em-clean ribs--is a reason for this road trip alone. Southern sides enhance the meal. If you get the ribs, take a sandwich for the road, You'll be happy you did!

CH-ching. CH is for cheeseburgers, chili dogs, and chilling out with a local crowd at this large restaurant of bustling booths and paper menus. They say this is inspiration for Jimmy Buffet's "Cheeseburgers in Paradise" as he grew up in town. Either way, it's worth a stop--all the jmore so for fans of banana pudding.

Warm beigents (under a mountain of powdered sugar) and a cafe au lait are a longstanding tradition in a city that needs returning tourists. The staff is working hard at this 24-hour joint and you haven't had a beignet til you've had one here.

Ditch the diet (you already did at Cafe du Monde anyway) and indulge in a fried catfish po boy or a roast beef one with "debris" (the leftover tidbits at the bottom of the pan). Come hungry for dinner then come again for famous their famously gluttonous breakfasts. Grits fans rejoice!

Lockhart, TX loves itself some BBQ and this is one of the finest places in town to dig in. The user review of this place already posted on tripadvisor says it all. While your tasty Southern tour ends here, keep on eating and finding your own tasty places in the South. There are plenty!