From chicken-fried steak to lobster and sausage, a foodie has taken a closer look at some of the ‘weirdest’ roadside restaurants in the US.
Dylan Huynhfrom California, went on a road trip from Dallas to Austin, Texas to see what weird and wonderful eateries he could find there.
In the introduction to a YouTube video documenting his journey, he explains: ‘Every time I go on a road trip, I always see these huge billboards advertising restaurants in the middle of nowhere.
“I’ve never taken the time to try any of these places, but I’ve always wondered if these restaurants are any good. So today I’m going to take a road trip from Dallas, Texas, all the way to Austin and try every interesting restaurant I see on a billboard to see if they’re worth it.”
As he begins his road trip, Dylan sees many billboards for “car accident lawyers,” interspersed with advertisements for food places.
Dylan Huynh from California set out on a road trip from Dallas to Austin, Texas to see what weird and wonderful eateries he could find there
One of the first restaurants he decides to stop at is called Tejun, whose specialties include snow crab, lobster and sausage
One of the first restaurants he decides to stop at is called Tejun. Some of the specialties are snow crab, lobster and sausage.
“I’ve never heard of this restaurant before, so it’s exactly the kind of restaurant I want to try,” Dylan says as he approaches the Texas-inspired Cajun restaurant.
The content creator says he will judge each restaurant on three points: “the food, the atmosphere and how accurate their billboard is.”
Since it’s Wednesday, he opts for the daily special, a “best seller” with 1/2 pound of peeled shrimp, one cluster of snow crabs, one lobster tail, one red potato, one corn on the cob and various sauces for $32.99.
To wash it down, he opts for a root beer from the soda machine.
Before Dylan gets his food, he gives the restaurant a big thumbs up for the atmosphere. The covered patio by the water is an added bonus and he says the menu goes well with the billboard.
After trying the dish, he concludes, “This may be the best seafood dish you can get on the highway in Texas.”
Of all, he says, the sausages are the best choice with a juicy taste. All in all, Tejun gets three ticks.
When he tried the food, he concluded, “This may be the best fish you can get on any highway in Texas.”
Dylan stopped at Big Al’s where he was promised karaoke and sports, but was kicked out for some unknown reason
While Dylan is already feeling quite full from his enormous plate of food, about 10 minutes later he sees his next food-themed billboard on the side of the road.
This ad takes him to the location of Big Al’s Down The Hatch in the town of Waxahachie.
But shortly after Dylan enters the restaurant and bar, he is thrown out because filming is required.
The bizarre interaction results in Big Al’s not getting any points from Dylan. Before heading back out, the content creator says in disbelief, “The billboard promised me food, drinks and karaoke… I didn’t get any of that.
‘So not accurate. Finally, the food… clearly I didn’t have any so I can only assume it’s bad… To be honest I’m a little sad because I really wanted to try it.’
About 45 minutes later, Dylan decides to stop at a “cheese cave” he sees in an advertisement.
He tells viewers, “I have no idea what the cheese cave is. It sounds mysterious, so this has to be my next stop.”
When Dylan arrives at the location of the cheese cave, he discovers a whole complex of craft shops and workshops.
After stopping at a few quaint shops, he eventually finds the underground cheese cave. He appreciates its accuracy, but notes that there was “really not that much to do” in the underground lair.
Dylan decides to stop at a ‘cheese cave’ he sees advertised
Dylan continues his journey to Austin with a stop at Eagle’s Landing as his final stop
Dylan is also very pleased with the atmosphere of the entire complex.
He explains: ‘For such a big place it’s so peaceful here. The vibes are great… Iit wasn’t for that cheese cave “If I was on a billboard, I would never have known such a beautiful place as this existed.”
Finally, the food gets a green check too. While the main restaurant was closed, Dylan says he still got to try a little cheese and ‘that was very good.’
Back at his car, Dylan continues his journey to Austin, with a final stop at Eagle’s Landing.
Arriving at the eatery, the YouTube creator says he has a good feeling about the place, noting: ‘TThis may be the most traditional looking Texas restaurant I’ve ever seen.
“Of course we have a big Texas flag out front. I like that they also have a huge mural on the wall with the cowboy on it and their front door has a decal of an eagle, which is very patriotic.
“I have a feeling the food here is going to be really good.”
Dylan is further impressed by the ‘vibe’ at Eagle’s Landing with ‘old country music’ and themed interiors
He says the chicken fillet at the roadside restaurant is the best he’s “ever” eaten
Upon entering, Dylan is even more impressed by the atmosphere: ‘old country music’ is being played and the interior is decorated with themes.
He continues eating and orders one of the dishes advertised on the billboard: a fried chicken steak. The waitress encourages him to try the onion rings as well.
Both dishes get his approval. He finds the large onion rings ‘terribly tasty’ with a deliciously crispy exterior – ‘not too crispy, not too crispy.’
Meanwhile, he says the chicken fillet is the best he’s “ever” eaten.
At the end of his culinary tour, Dylan tells viewers, “I’m ready to say that Eagle’s Landing is not only worth a stop, but it’s the best restaurant I’ve been to on this road trip.”
To date, Dylan’s video on roadside diners has been viewed over 340,000 times, with many viewers grateful for sharing his insights.
