Hit the Trails — Food Trails, That Is!
- Apryl Thomas
- Jun 28
- 8 min read
No doubt it: the South loves its food, whether it's regional specialties or well-known favorites perfected Southern-style. Not only are there annual festivals devoted to specific delicacies, but also food trails that you can partake in year-round.
On your next getaway, tantalize your taste buds as you set out on a culinary adventure exploring some of the South's tastiest food trails.
Texas is home to the Pho Real Trail in Garland, the Cajun Trail in Beaumont, and the Bryan Taco Trail in Bryan, of course.
In San Antonio, one of the two U.S. cities designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, dining is a tasty experience. From tacos (never can go wrong with a puffy taco from Henry's Puffy Taco) to barbecue to burger trails, the city's culinary heritage shines bright.
Between San Antonio and Austin is the Texas BBQ Trail. Comprising six cities, it features family-owned establishments that produce award-winning, mouthwatering barbecues.
One of the stops on the trail is Lockhart, a.k.a. the "Barbecue Capital of Texas," a title bestowed upon the city by the Texas Legislature in 2003. It's home to places such as Kreuz Market and Smitty's Market, serving up brisket, sausage, pork, and more. Order what you want, how much you want and any sides. Meat is served up on butcher paper, making it an easy cleanup.
If any state knows food, it's Louisiana. Here, you can eat your way through the Andouille Trail in the River Parishes, the Cajun Bayou Food Trail in Lafourche Parish, the Bayou Country Crawfish Trail in Houma, the Louisiana Oyster Trail in Jefferson Parish, No Man's Land Gas Station Eats and the Shrimply Delicious Food Trail along the Cajun Coast.
Then there are the two boudin trails: The Cajun Boudin Trail in Lafayette and the Southwest Louisiana Boudin Trail that winds its way through Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes.
For those unfamiliar with this specialty sausage, boudin (pronounced "BOO-dan ") is a mixture of rice, pork (however, sometimes crawfish, shrimp or alligator meat is used instead), onions, parsley and dry seasonings, and is steamed to warm it up. Boudin is enjoyed as both a snack and a meal.
You can even add a side of cracklins with Steens as a dipping sauce for the ultimate flavor experience.
As for the trails, the Cajun Boudin Trail highlights meat markets and local shops in Lafayette and the surrounding area. Among those include Johnson's Boucaniere, where you can sink your teeth into a Parrain Special, a boudin ball grilled cheese sandwich, and The Best Stop Supermarket in Scott, the town designated by the Louisiana State Legislature in April 2012 as the "Boudin Capital of the World."
Similarly, the Southwest Louisiana Boudin Trail highlights over 30 locations, including Famous Foods in Lake Charles.
Let's not overlook Baton Rouge's Iconic Eats Pass. It highlights the diverse culinary scene found in the capital city. Included among the 25 dishes are the Skillet Cornbread at Cecelia's Creole Bistro, Wild Boar Flautas at City Pork and the Fresh Strawberry Cake at Ambrosia Bakery.
Things are "hot" in the Mississippi Delta, and that isn't a nod to the weather but instead to Mississippi's Delta Hot Tamale Trail.
It may seem odd that "the most southern place on earth" has quite the reputation for tamales, but it does; in fact, the food has been immortalized by blues singers in songs (yes, tamales have their own Blues Trail marker.) While there isn't a firm consensus on how the tamale arrived in the Mississippi Delta, many believe that Mexican migrant workers in the early twentieth century introduced the food to locals, who adapted it.
Mississippi Delta tamales differ from their Latin counterparts in size (they are smaller) and preparation (they are simmered instead of steamed.)
The trail makes its way from Tunica to Vicksburg, and along the way, you can discover spots like Abe's Bar-B-Q in Clarksdale and Solly's Hot Tamales in Vicksburg.
Found primarily in northeastern Mississippi, the slug burgers (also known as dough burgers) originated in the 1930s and are made from a mixture of soy, flour, pork, and beef, fried in oil and placed between two pieces of bread. The Slugburger Trail highlights restaurants still making them, like Latham's Hamburger Inn in New Albany.
Hattiesburg knows there are times when a good, juicy burger hits the spot. HATTIES[BURGER] Trail features 33 restaurants where you can wrap your hands around and take a big bite of some goodness (be sure napkins are handy.)
The burgers highlighted on the trail elevate the road trip staple taste-wise, such as Brass Hat's "Brass Burger," a double smash burger with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles and house sauce.
The Mississippi Seafood Trail stands out from the others because it encompasses the entire state rather than focusing on a specific area. A brainchild of the Mississippi Hospitality and Restaurant Association, the trail's primary purpose is to focus on the 80-plus restaurants across the state that serve fresh Gulf Seafood.
Discover shrimp and grits at City Grocery in Oxford or the lump crab meat rémoulade at Mary Mahoney's in Biloxi, among other places and dishes.
Discover new dishes and return to old favorites as you eat your way along Alabama's Gulf Coast's food trails, which include an Oyster Trail, a Shrimp Trail, a Crab Trail, a Nacho Trail, a Gumbo Trail, and (piquing our interest), the Mardi Gras Trail.
And that's not all because it has a sweet part, too. There's also a Key Lime Trail and a Bread Pudding Trail.
Auburn-Opelika pays homage to that spreadable southern goodness known as pimento cheese with their Pimento Cheese Trail. It highlights nine dishes to try.
If you have yet to try barbecue in Alabama, here's your opportunity to sink your teeth into some 'cue at eateries like Big Bob Gibson's in Decatur as you travel along the North Alabama BBQ Trail.
Whether you're a rib person, prefer pulled meat, or crave a BBQ-stuffed baked potato, you're guaranteed to find ample amounts at any of the over 20 locally owned establishments.
In Tennessee, you'll find trails dedicated to barbecue, which is a good thing. There's the Loudon County BBQ Trail, with four mouthwatering stops and the Southeast Tennessee BBQ Trail, which includes the Chattanooga area.
Of course, both travelers and BBQ enthusiasts know that you can't mention BBQ and Tennessee without mentioning Memphis. The Memphis BBQ Trail showcases a range of hidden gems to upscale dining establishments, and yes, the well-known Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous is on the list.
Macon, Georgia, knows there is nothing better than bacon. The Macon Bacon Trail, which is not only fun to say but also delicious, spotlights restaurants and their bacon dishes, or, in The Rookery's case, their milkshake.
The Georgia Grown Trail 37 is the state's first officially branded agritourism highway. Winding its way through south Georgia, the trail spotlights everything from oil farms to daylilies.
One of the 29 places on the Georgia Grown Trail 37 is White Oak Pastures. The over-a-century-old family farm in Bluffton offers farm tours, workshops and more. You can even stay overnight.
They also have an on-farm dining pavilion serving lunch featuring White Oak products. Burger fans, this is the place to get one. Conclude your experience by visiting their general store and purchasing some items to take back home.
In Jacksonville, Florida, you can nosh along the Mayport Shrimp Trail, which highlights establishments serving locally caught, wild Atlantic Shrimp, better known as Mayport shrimp. There is also the Jax Coffee and Donut Trail (because one can't be enjoyed without the other.) Both trails, found on the Visit Jax app, provide opportunities to win some swag.
Alabama isn't the only state celebrating pimento cheese; South Carolina does as well. The state's capital city, Columbia, has the Pimento Cheese Passport. And with good reason, it said one of the oldest recorded pimento cheese recipes can be traced back to here.
Download the free passport and start eating; you never know, you might even be rewarded for it.
Create a progressive dinner (or lunch) along the South Carolina Pecan Trail.
The trail emphasizes restaurants in Florence and the surrounding area that use pecans in their dishes or drinks. Start your journey with a pecan scone at Top Hat Special-Teas and end at Victors with a Pecan Pie Martini.
Be awarded for your efforts. Pick up a passport at any of the participating places or the Florence Convention and Visitors Bureau, receive a stamp and turn it in or send it in to collect swag. Pecan-flavored dishes and a t-shirt or pecan-related item - it's a win-win.
North Carolina comes in strong with food trails. The state offers the NC Oyster Trail, the International Food Trail in Jacksonville, the Pitt County Brew and 'Cue Trail, the Winston-Salem BBQ Trail, the Gaston County Barbecue Trail, the Sanford BBQ Trail, the Historic BBQ Trail, the International Cuisine Trail in Fayetteville, the Hendersonville Ice Cream Trail and the WNC Cheese Trail.
While you can't go wrong with any of those, three additional ones are somewhat different, in a good way, that is.
For the dessert lovers out there, the Surry Sonker Trail in Surry County is for you.
Now, you may ask yourself, "What is Surry Sonker?" Like a pot pie or a cobbler, it's made by blending fruit or sweet potato and unshaped dough.
The trail includes seven stops throughout the county, such as the Rockford General Store in Dobson, which serves seven varieties.
The Surry Ground Steak Trail pays homage to a meal born in the 1930s and showcases 16 places where fresh ground steak, served straight from the skillet to your plate, reigns supreme.
Winston-Salem is home to three Moravian Culinary Trails: cookies, chicken pie and sugar cake. Each trail guides you to places where the recipes and traditions are kept alive in the 21st century.
Along the cookie trail, you can pop in Mrs. Hanes' Moravian Cookies in Clemmons. Selected in 2010 as one of Oprah's "Favorite Things," the old family recipe comes in six flavors: ginger (the most popular), lemon, chocolate, butterscotch, black walnut and sugar cookies. All cookies are handmade and packed by hand.
The Chicken Pie Trail directs you to places serving freshly baked chicken pies. While in Old Salem, check out Winkler Bakery for a Sugar Cake and complete your journey along all three trails.
There's ham, and then there's Kentucky ham, and yes, there's a difference for the uninitiated out there.
The state's Country Ham Trail features a mix of restaurants and general stores that sell and produce the Bluegrass specialty.
One such place is Beaumont Inn in Harrodsburg, where they've been using the same ham curing process for five generations. Order a plate in either the main dining room or at Old Owl Tavern.
Savor dips, soups and more along Winchester, Kentucky's Beer Cheese Trail. The 15 stops introduce you to a wide (and tasty) range of beer cheese concoctions.
Even though oysters may come from the same state, they aren't all the same. The Virginia Oyster Trail showcases eight distinct oyster regions along the eastern and western shores, featuring taste profiles that range from salty to creamy to sweet.
The trail also features oyster companies with facility tours and other agri-artisans, such as wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries, that offer oyster pairings and more.
Complimenting the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail is the Shenandoah Food Valley Trail, which focuses on foodie experiences within short distances from breweries. Enjoy wiener schnitzel at Edelweiss German in August County or sugar-cured ham from Fulks Run Grocery in Rockingham County.
For a small state, West Virginia offers a diverse array of flavors.
It is possible to enjoy a taste of Appalachia, Italy, Germany and more in the Mountain State.
It is also known for the pepperoni roll, which was introduced by Italian immigrants working in the coal mines. The savory Pepperoni Roll Trail in Marion County features bakeries that still adhere to the original recipe, as well as other places with creative spins on the classic.
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