Whenever I travel I always like to share pictures of what I’m eating on my Instagram stories, but I don’t often share my thoughts on any of it. The last trip I took (down to Arkansas and Louisiana), I shared my top 5 things I ate on my story and got a lot of interest in it, so that inspired me to go more in depth with it. At the start of the new year, we took a trip to North Carolina, Virginia, and D.C./Maryland and I took notes on (almost) all of the things I ate. You know I always find good stuff to eat on my travels, but this definitely encouraged me to make choices and experience the food in a different way than usual, which was pretty fun!
My favorite type of restaurants to try when I’m visiting somewhere are local/regional chains, so this type of restaurant makes up the majority of my list. I think local/regional chains are great both because they can reflect regional tastes/variations, but also because they were popular enough (and usually affordable enough) to expand out of a single location, so they MUST be good (subtle foreshadowing…)! Of my list of chains I wanted to try, I only missed one on my list (I’ll be back for you, Char-Grill!). Paired with multiple other restaurants we ended up at on the trip, it was a very satisfying and flavorful vacation. (Most of my breakfasts will not be on here, because most days I ate leftovers or complimentary hotel breakfast, which isn’t really anything special to write about).
For my reviews, my ratings are purely a reflection of my single experience and personal opinion of my meal at each restaurant. It’s always possible that I went on an off day or chose the worst menu items if I didn’t like what I got, I have no idea. How I rate something should not necessarily be a reflection of if you should try it or not, so if something sounds good to you, but I rated it poorly, you should definitely still give it a try if you get the opportunity! I will link each restaurant’s website in their section (if applicable), so feel free to check them out if any pique your interest! Without further ado, let’s get into the reviews!
Raleigh Area
Rating: 8/10
Overview: Tomato Jake’s Pizzeria is a single location pizza restaurant in Durham, NC that serves pizza by the slice, as well as some other menu items such as pasta, subs, and other typical Italian restaurant fare. They also offer a variety of grab-and-go desserts that are not included in their standard menu. I got their combo of 2 slices and a drink, along with a dessert, which totaled to around $18. Given the quality and quantity of food, this was a pretty fair price and was a great 1st meal to kick off the trip!
Items:
Rockin’ Rio - A large, NY style slice of what I think was chicken, bacon, & ranch pizza (this isn’t on their posted menu). This was a solid, savory slice and was surprisingly my favorite of the 2 slices I got, despite not being a huge fan of thin crust.
Sicilian - A thick crust pizza (think a softer detroit style), topped with red sauce and mozzarella (or some sort of white cheese blend). This was very tasty, but there just wasn’t enough sauce to balance out the thick crust and large amount of cheese,so it was a little too heavy for my liking. On a positive note, I found out while eating it on NYE, that apparently Sicilian pizza is a traditional NYE dish, so that added an extra level of appreciation for the experience.
Cookie Dough Banana Cake - I wasn’t going to get a dessert until I saw this and knew I HAD to try it. I struggled to figure out EXACTLY what the 4 layers of this dish are, but I believe it was a unique graham cracker crust, banana cheesecake, soft/thin cinnamon cookie dough, and whipped cream. This tasted strongly of banana bread with notes of cheesecake and cookie dough, and the variety of textures really made it an exciting eat. This was easily one of the best things I ate on the trip and I’m already working on my own recipe for it.
Rating: 7/10
Cocoa Cinnamon is a small chain of coffee shops in Durham, NC that host Little Waves Coffee Roasters and, in turn, uses beans roasted on site. I don’t drink coffee and typically am not a coffee shop person, but this shop had a very cute, latin vibe (being Latina owned) and obviously high quality ingredients. The only downside for me is seating being at a few large, shared tables, rather than having many smaller tables. I got a special dark drinking chocolate for around $7 and given the quality, this was a great price!
Item:
Granada, Cocoa Canela - This is a drinking chocolate made with real dark chocolate with housemade vanilla bean syrup, cinnamon, and cocoa powder. This was a little too bitter for me, so I had to add some extra sugar and cinnamon, but it was so rich and smooth and was a great treat for a cool morning. Bonus points for being served in what I assume is a locally made ceramic cup imprinted with the words “Cocoa Canela”!


Rating: 2/10
Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q is a regional chain in North Carolina that specializes in fried chicken and BBQ pork. Their standard plate combos come with potato salad, coleslaw, and NC style hush puppies. As to be expected from any southern style restaurant, they also offer their own special sweet tea and special sauce. I ordered their chicken tender plate with sweet tea and special sauce for around $12. This definitely was the worst meal I had on the trip but, with 40 locations and growing, maybe I just don’t have the same taste buds as the North Carolinians.
Items:
Chicken Tenders - The chicken tenders had decent flavor, but the chicken was quite dry/tough.
Potato Salad - The potato salad was unusually sweet, almost like granulated sugar was added (why???) and had hard boiled eggs in it, which I personally don’t like in potato salad. This seems to be a mustard based potato salad, but it was too sweet for any complex flavor to come through.
Coleslaw - Like the potato salad, the coleslaw was incredibly sweet and otherwise fairly flavorless. I couldn’t take more than 2 bites.
Hush Puppies - I was excited for the hush puppies, because my previous experiences with North Caroline style hush puppies (Cook Out) was very positive. These were fine, definitely the best part of the meal, but pretty lackluster. Aside from cornmeal, these lacked flavor and seemed totally unseasoned. They definitely needed a sauce to make them more than just eating a chunk of bread.
Vinegar Bar-B-Q Sauce - I always love trying a restaurant’s “special sauce”, so when I found out that Smithfield’s had one, I ordered it right away. Based on the name, I was expecting a tangy BBQ sauce, but what I got was practically just a cup of apple cider vinegar with a tiny bit of ketchup in it. This just tasted like APC vinegar, but at least it helped balance the sweetness of the sides and added some flavor to the hushpuppies.
Rating: 8/10
Brecotea is a regional chain of Asian-inspired bakery-cafes in the Richmond, VA area, plus a location in Cary, NC. Brecotea offers a large variety of breads, pastries, cakes, coffee, tea, and more, so it’s a perfect option when everyone is craving something different. We got 3 different breads/pastries and 2 milk teas for around $20 and it was a great and satisfying brunch.
Items:
Pork Floss & Scallion Bun - I don’t each much pork, but I’m a huge fan of pork floss and this bun did not disappoint. It was an incredibly soft and buttery bun topped with pork floss, scallions, and a bit of mayo and was the perfect combination of sweet and savory. This was for sure my favorite of the 3 treats!
Scallion Cheese Bread - This was another very soft and buttery bread twisted with a bit of cheese and scallions and was also a great combination of sweet and savory. This was very good, but tasted too similar to the Pork Floss Bun that I just would have preferred to have 2 of those.
Ube Bread - This giant bagel shaped ube bread was very good, but felt a little lacking compared to the other 2, though that could be because I’m more of a savory than sweet person. The bread itself was soft with a slight ube flavor and a bit of what I think was ube halaya in the center. I love ube so I thoroughly enjoy this, I just wish it was a little…more.
Kiwi Milk Tea - This milk tea was made with oolong tea, milk jelly, and kiwi puree. I tried to order the strawberry milk tea, but they were out of strawberry, so I went with kiwi since I love kiwi. Unfortunately, I don’t think this was done the best it could be. Oolong is a fairly light tasting tea, and it was definitely overshadowed in this drink. Combined with the kiwi puree not really mixing with the milk tea, this was basically just like drinking a glass of milk with kiwi puree on the bottom. I think if the kiwi was made into a syrup, this could have been much better, but as is this was definitely around a 4/10.


Rating: 10/10
Duck Donuts is a made-to-order donut shop chain that originated in Duck, NC and quickly went national. They offer donuts, breakfast sandwiches (served on donuts), coffee, milkshakes, and a few other items. I was unsure exactly what to expect from a made-to-order donut shop, but sure enough, about 5 minutes after placing my order I had a hot, crispy donut in my hands and it changed everything for me. The donut was very warm and clearly fresh, the icing was slightly melting off of it, which made it blend so well with the cakey donuts, and even the real bacon on top seemed recently made. This was easily the best donut I’ve ever had and, for $2, I’d be in real trouble if I lived near one of these amazing places.
Item:
Maple Bacon Donut - This was a hot, fresh cake donut topped with maple icing and real bacon bits. As mentioned above, the donut being served hot is a great choice. The donut is still crisp and the icing melts and combines with the cake donut in your mouth so perfectly. There was a generous amount of bacon on (and around) the donut that helped balance the sweetness of the icing just enough to create a perfect maple bacon combo.


Rating: 5/10
Chunky Boss is a Taiwanese fried chicken chain with locations in NYC, Chicago, and Cary, NC. From what I understand, Taiwanese fried chicken uses sweet potato starch in the batter, which definitely helps it stand out in the fried chicken wars. I’m not sure how much we paid for the popcorn chicken, I think around $8, but it was a very good portion for the price.
Item:
Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken- This popcorn chicken was very crispy, juicy, and probably the most flavorful (unseasoned) fried chicken I’ve ever had. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. The chicken pieces were too thick for my liking, and the breading had a sweet, almost nutty flavor to it, that I just couldn’t get behind. I think this was very good and I can definitely understand the hype around it, but I just wasn’t a fan. Cody really enjoyed it though, so I definitely recommend giving it a try!

Rating: 8/10
Biscuitville is a regional breakfast chain in the Carolinas and Virginia that has been serving scratch-made biscuits for almost 60 years. They, of course, specialize in biscuits, serving biscuits and gravy and tons of breakfast sandwiches served on their biscuits, but they also offer other breakfast fare like pancakes, eggs, grits, hash browns, and pastries. For around $10 I got a chicken biscuit, an upgraded side of hash brown casserole, and a fountain drink, which I feel is pretty average for fast food.
Items:
Spicy Chicken & Honey Biscuit - This was a decent chicken biscuit. The chicken was juicy and crispy, but not particularly spicy, and the honey was a great addition, but cut the spice even more. This biscuit was definitely good, buttery and flaky, but wasn’t anything amazing. Better than a canned biscuit for sure, but not revolutionary by any means.
Hash Brown Casserole - The hash brown casserole was definitely the star of this meal. Their hash brown casserole is made with hash browns, sausage gravy, and shredded cheese and, dare I say it, was even better than Cracker Barrel’s. It was heavy side for sure, definitely could be its own breakfast, but was so incredibly flavorful and surprisingly retained a lot of texture for what it is. The hash browns were salty and stayed somewhat crispy, the sausage gravy added a good amount of moisture and a bit of spice from the sausage, and the cheese is cheese, which is great! Next time I find myself near a Biscuitville, this is for sure on my breakfast menu.

Richmond Area
Rating: 8/10
Habit Burger & Grill originated as a West coast burger chain, but has since expanded to the East coast as well (seemingly no locations in between though…). They specialize in chargrilled burgers, so the patties are very flavorful on their own, but the variety of toppings take them to the next level. I paid around $15 for a combo of burger, fries, and a fountain drink. For a fast-casual restaurant, this is pretty normal, plus the food was obviously quality, so I’m happy with the price.
Items:
Teriyaki Char with Cheese - This burger is made with a chargrilled beef patty and topped with teriyaki sauce, grilled pineapple, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, pickle, mayo, and white american cheese. The patty was flavorful and good quality, the grilled slice of pineapple added a lot of brightness and worked perfectly with the teriyaki sauce, and the toasted bun and caramelized onions really brought it home. I wouldn’t say this was the best burger I’ve ever had, but I could see myself going to this restaurant over, say, Five Guys if I lived near one.
French Fries - The fries were hot and crispy, but were otherwise not particularly notable. They weren’t batter or seasoned, just plain fried potatoes. Good but didn’t do anything to enhance the experience.
Rating: 6/10
Wegmans is a regional grocery store chain in the Northeast and mid-atlantic regions, down through North Carolina. In addition to groceries, they have a large fresh/hot food section including hot bars, made-to-order subs and pizzas, sushi, etc…We quickly stopped through Wegmans for the first time to grab some medicine and a quick lunch before rushing up to D.C. to beat the winter storm, so I didn’t get to explore the place much, but I was happy enough with what I got. I picked up a pre-made sub sandwich, some mac and cheese from their hot bar, and a bottle of Dr Pepper for around $21. The meal was decent and filling, but for this price, I probably wouldn’t get lunch here again.
Items:
Turkey & Provolone Sub - This sandwich certainly had turkey and provolone on it…and not much else. This was a decent quality sub on good bread, but was severely lacking in flavor. This sandwich desperately needed some condiments, or even just a seasoned deli turkey. This was filling, but probably the most bland thing I ate on this trip.
Macaroni and Cheese - This macaroni and cheese was straight up incredible. If you aren’t a huge cheese fan, avoid this at all costs. This mac and cheese was insanely creamy and savory and jam packed with cheddar cheese. For $16/lb, I’m not sure I’d get it again, but I will definitely think about it every time I pass a Wegmans.

Washington D.C. Area
Rating: 9/10
Capital Musubi is a relatively new, small chain of hawaiian-inspired restaurants in the Washington D.C. area that specializes in their “Supersized Musubi”, along with onigiri, rice bowls, miso soup, and other treats. Capital Musubi offers a large variety of options, from the standard spam musubi to special flavors like shrimp tempura, veg options like tofu bowls, and sweets like brown sugar rice krispies, so anyone should be able to find something they like here. I got a supersized musubi combo (musubi, miso soup, and a fountain drink) for around $15. This meal was perfectly filling, not too little, not too much, and was very quality, so I think it made for a nice quick dinner on our first day in the D.C. area.
Items:
Chicken and Egg Musubi - This supersized musubi was made with sushi rice, chicken karaage, and egg wrapped in nori and topped with Hawaiian ketchup. This was a pretty balanced dish, which I found particularly satisfying. Usually I find sushi/sushi-related dishes to be too light to be fully satisfying, but the fried chicken and ketchup helped make it feel a little more substantial. It was very savory, but the ketchup added some acidity and a sweet, almost floral flavor that worked very nicely with the rice especially.
Miso Soup - This was a standard white miso soup, with miso broth, small pieces of tofu, and green onions. It was good, not particularly unique, but on a cold, windy day with a winter storm on its way in, it definitely hit the spot.

Rating: 9/10
Emmy Squared Pizza is a national chain (mostly focused in the Eastern U.S.) of Detroit-style pizza shops. Emmy Squared’s pizzas have that signature rectangular shape and “frico crust” (the cheese that bakes on the edge of the pizza against the pan and gets super crispy) with many special toppings/offerings like pumpkin pesto, chile glaze, smoked gouda, and sesame seed crust. While pizza is the main focus, this chain has also received critical praise for their burger offerings, even being named “#1 best burger in Nashville” by The Tennessean. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the full experience because we ordered a pizza for delivery the night before the winter storm so we had something to eat while we were stuck in the hotel the following day, but the pizza that we did get was incredible! We got a 10x14 pizza for around $30. That’s definitely more expensive than other places, so it’s not something I would get regularly, but the quality was undeniable.
Item:
Big Hawaiian Pizza - I like pineapple, but don’t love it. However, I think pineapple is one of the best pizza toppings (I know, sue me) and this pizza further reinforced that belief. Sometimes Detroit-style pizza can be a bit much, especially with the thick crust, but this pizza found a great balance. The crust was firm, but airy, and the sauce and cheese were both perfectly allotted, but the rest of the toppings really made this pizza stand out. Rather than pairing the pineapple with ham like most Hawaiian pizzas, pepperoni and bacon were used to give it much more flavor (fat) for the acidity to compliment. Finished with a sweet and spicy chile glaze (have you ever had a glazed pizza before???), this pizza perfected the symphony of sweet, savory, and spicy!

Rating: 7/10
Jollibee is a rapidly growing global fast food chain originating in the Philippines, where it has remained the most popular chain for many years. Jollibee is especially known for their fried chicken, Filipino spaghetti, and peach mango pies, but they also have other offerings such as Palabok and burgers. I first had Jollibee a few years ago in NYC and really enjoyed it, but I can say it just seems slightly less good every time I have it. While I still think it’s great, I can see myself only going once every few months if I lived near one. I got a meal that came with a chicken sandwich, fries, pie, and a fountain drink, and added a side order of spaghetti, which came out to around $15. For the quality and quantity, Jollibee is pretty worth it, especially as this turned into 2 meals for me.
Items:
Spicy Chicken Sandwich - I’ve never had Jollibee’s spicy chicken sandwich before this and I was happily surprised with how good it was. Jollibee’s chicken is always super crispy and pretty tender, but the spicy sauce and fresh jalapenos really brought it to the next level. I’ll definitely be getting this again next time I go.
Fries - Jollibee has good fries, but they aren’t anything special. They are fairly crispy and salty, but nothing to write home about.
Peach Mango Pie - I love mango and hate peach, so the Peach Mango Pie is kind of neutral to me. They are known for this item for a reason, it's a crispy, fresh tasting hand pie that puts the McDonald’s apple pie to shame, but personally I’d rather have the Ube pie (they were sold out :( )
Spaghetti - If you’ve never had Filipino spaghetti, you can’t go into it expecting an Italian spaghetti or you’ll be shocked on your first bite. This style of spaghetti is made with a sweet tomato sauce and cut up hotdogs and is the reason I wanted to go to Jollibee in the first place. This spaghetti is a great balance of sweet and savory, but I have to be in a certain mood for it, because it is a pretty unique flavor.


Rating: 5/10
Silver Diner is a regional chain of “Next Generation” diners mostly around the D.C. area. They offer a modern twist on many diner classics such as burger, sandwiches, pancakes, omelettes, pancakes, milkshakes, and pie, among many other things. All of this takes place in a retro diner environment, complete with a mini jukebox at each table and chrome plated chairs at the counter. I think the environment was nice and the food was good, but I was left feeling kind of disappointed. The variety in offerings is nice, but there was too much flair to many of the dishes to feel appropriately “retro diner”, such as pesto hollandaise and wasabi sour cream. There was also arugula all over the menu. If arugula has no haters, I’m dead. However, my biggest complaint has to be related to the service. All of our food was brought out quickly, except for my fries, which took 10 minutes to come to the table after I received my sandwich, which really ruined the cohesion of the meal. I got a sandwich with fries and slaw for around $15, which I feel is a fair price, but could definitely be beat.
Items:
Southwest Turkey Sandwich - A flavorful turkey sandwich consisting of turkey, pepper jack, lettuce, tomato, southwest ranch, and guacamole on ciabatta. This sandwich was pretty light and refreshing, with just a bit of kick from the cheese and sauce. I’d eat this again, but would rather make my own version at home.
Fries - Standard cut fries with not much to say about them. Not bad, but honestly not worth the aforementioned wait.
Slaw - A pepper cabbage slaw with corn in it. Fresh, slightly sweet, and a decent pairing for the sandwich. I wouldn’t eat this on it’s own, but it made for a good side. Could be really good on a chicken sandwich.

USDA Food Hall
Rating: 4/10
The USDA Food Hall is a buffet style cafeteria in the USDA headquarters seemingly meant primarily for USDA employees but open to the public as well. While walking around D.C. we saw this place on the map and decided to grab lunch there because the reviews overall seemed positive. Being in a government building, we had to hand over our ID’s, pass through a metal detector, and get cafeteria specific visitor badges to actually make it past the front door. Being buffet style (not all you can eat), I got many different things, so I’m not going to review each item, just the overall experience. There were surprisingly few options on the buffet, maybe 8-10 different items, but there was a decent variety among them, including grilled chicken, lo mein, mac and cheese, egg rolls, and some sort of fish roll. The food was overall good, but nothing special. The best thing I had was the bottled tea I grabbed from their drink fridge. My meal cost around $20, and I don’t think it was worth it. It was an experience I’m glad I had, eating AT the USDA is kinda cool as a food safety person, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Rating: 10/10
Hot Lola’s is a newer chain in the D.C. area offering a new take on Nashville hot chicken. At Hot Lola’s, the chicken tenders are seasoned with Sichuan spices, rather than the traditional blend of Nashville hot chicken spices, resulting in a very unique tasting experience. While retaining the heat of the cayenne pepper in traditional Nashville hot, Sichuan pepper is also used to add a slight sweet and tangy flavor with that notorious numbing/tingly heat. The other change from Nashville hot is swapping out the lard for chili oil, which adds another layer of flavor and spice. The specific spice blend was hard to pin down, but I believe I tasted a bit of anise and cinnamon, so I suspect some blend of Chinese Five Spice is the main seasoning here. I paid around $20 for a 3 tender meal, consisting of 3 tenders, waffle fries, toast, and pickles, as well as a fountain drink and extra “Lola Sauce”. This is pretty standard for Nashville hot chicken, maybe a little on the higher end, but it was very much worth it for the flavor and quantity of food. If you are in the D.C. area, I cannot recommend Hot Lola’s enough (if you can handle the heat).
Items:
OG Tenders - These tenders were tender, crispy, and wonderfully flavorful. It’s difficult to describe the complexity of flavor, being spicy both as in hot and as full of spices, but the heat, tang, sweetness, and slight bitterness really made this an almost religious experience as someone who loves to really focus in on the flavors/composition of a dish. I think my choice of the OG heat level was perfect, as it allowed me to get a good Sichuan pepper numbing going on, while still allowing me to eat without too much discomfort and still taste the complex flavors at work. As someone who has lived in the Nashville area for nearly 8 years, and a huge fan of spicy food, I can confidently say that this is the best “Nashville” hot chicken I’ve ever had, as blasphemous as that may be.
Fries - These great tenders come with a great side of waffle fries. Fries of every shape are good, but waffle fries are definitely one of the best. These were seasoned well and very crispy.
Lola Sauce - Hot Lola’s special sauce did not disappoint. This sauce was sweet and tangy and was the perfect compliment to both the fries and chicken. I suspect, both visually and flavor wise, that this sauce is a modified Cane’s sauce recipe. It looks nearly identical and tastes very similar, except it’s more tangy (I’m guessing apple cider vinegar).
Rating: 9/10
Miss Shirley’s is a regional chain of breakfast/brunch restaurants in Maryland that serves upscale-casual dishes focusing on “southern fundamentals” with a Northeastern take. Miss Shirley’s offers a variety of dishes, including donuts, shrimp & grits, crab hash, and loaded deviled eggs. Dining here, especially on a Thursday afternoon, was very quiet, relaxing, and satisfying experience, with prompt service, soft lighting, and gentle background music. The food was really excellent as well. We split an order of donuts to start, then I had a tuna melt and hash browns for around $26. This was definitely on the expensive side, but would make for a very nice brunch spot once in a while.
Items:
Chocolate Chip Donuts - These donuts were decent sized chocolate chip cake donuts, topped with brown butter glaze and finished with chocolate chip cookie crumbs. These donuts are the perfect marriage of donuts and chocolate chip cookies, with lots of brown sugar and chocolate flavors. I would definitely order these if I were to visit again, but for $8 for 2, I have had better donuts at a better value (re: Duck Donuts).
Tuna Melt - This tuna melt, while on the drier side, was a really satisfying and balance lunch. It was tuna salad and “crabby” cheddar cheese, toasted on an jumbo english muffin and topped with fresh sliced heirloom tomatoes. I prefer a wetter tuna salad, but the juicy tomatoes really helped it and the seasoned cheddar cheese added a welcome saltiness. I probably would order something else next time, but I still enjoyed this tuna melt quite a bit.
Hash Browns - The hash browns served with the tuna melt were crispy, butter, and very flavorful, with lots of salt and onion. These were a great side and would be awesome with a fluffy omelet.
Wrap-Up
Overall, this was an incredibly satisfying slate of food, especially including the things I didn't mention, like many of the delicious snacks I had. On my list of restaurants to visit during this trip, I only missed one that I really wanted to visit: Char-Grill in the Raleigh area. We'll definitely be back there though, so it's only a matter of time! But as for what I did eat, I think my top 5 dishes are:
Maple Bacon Donut - Duck Donuts
Cookie Dough Banana Cake - Tomato Jake's Pizzeria
OG Tenders - Hot Lola's
Big Hawaiian Pizza - Emmy Squared Pizza
Hash Brown Casserole - Biscuitville
What do you think you would enjoy the most? Have you eating at any of these places? Did I inspire you to visit any of them? Let me know what you think below! Thanks for reading!
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