I-95 - Places to Eat and Short Interesting Breaks

Walt Disney World Other
1

We are driving down I-95 to WDW in October - we have been up and down I-95 a few times, For this trip, we have some ‘leisure’ time in driving, so are interested in making some small excursions but at max 1-2 hours. Two different things we are looking at doing:

  1. Restaurants other than the ‘chains’. Like for example a place from Diners Driveins and Dives, or other TV food show, or even places you have found that seemed really good. Doesn’t matter if breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
  2. Quick side trips that take at most 1-2 hours - something interesting for DD5, and close to I-95.

Specific areas we are looking at is anywhere from Maryland through to South Carolina.Just looking for something to help break the day up. And yes, we are making the requisite stop at South of the Border.

2

Its a little past your parameters but maybe checkout and have lunch in Savannah, GA! Its an awesome town… also Charleston, SC is another great town to check out. Not sure of eaterys or things like that there… but they are great places to visit and you should be able to easily find something

3

This is still a chain but I’ve found it refreshingly healthy food on I95, which is not so easily found.

Ruby Tuesday has a great salad bar and restaurant itself feels quieter and more relaxing than most on that stretch.

You could probably look up as you go along highway, arent that many along the way, so I found helps to look ahead for them.

4

In Charleston proper (meaning in the city of) you’ll find a little hole in the wall restaurant called Jestine’s Kitchen. It was featured on DDD a few years back. Wonderful food!! Served up with great customer service. Get sweet tea with your meal and a bowl of corn bread w/ honey butter. Yum! Oh and it’s tiny, and popular. So be prepared to wait.

ETA:
Also in charleston is the Market. An open air market you walk through. Really fun to watch the locals weave sweetgrass baskets and doesn’t take too long.

5

If you don’t have Wegman’s in your area, there are a couple off of I-95 (two in Maryland, one in Virginia). That’s a neat place to look around and grab a bite to eat.

Not too far off of I-95 in the town of Laurel, there is a little hole-in-the-wall Italian place called Pasta Plus that is simply amazing and has been featured on Food Network. The restaurant is closed on Monday (day and evening), and Saturday and Sunday lunch.

A little bit north of that in Ellicott City, MD (about 15 minutes off of I-95), there’s Clark’s Elioak Farm, which (depending on the time of the year) has “gem mining”, petting farms, hayrides, pony rides, the Enchanted Forest, cow train rides, and things like that.