What's the longest/farthest you've traveled for a restaurant?

[creekland]

I'm curious here - no other purpose.

 

What's the farthest you've actually traveled just to eat at a restaurant - no other purpose for the trip (or side trip if part of a trip) - but you just wanted to eat there?

 

Getting stuck in traffic and a 30 minute trip taking 2 hours doesn't count.  

 

For us, the longest I can think of is when we add 3 hours (one way) to a visit to my in-laws so we can return home to PA from VA via NC and hubby can indulge in his favorite eastern NC BBQ.  The whole thing (there, back, and eating) adds a minimum of 7 hours to our return trip home (normally 3-4 hours), but we tend to do it once or twice a year.  We also always bring some home, of course!

 

From home we'll occasionally travel an hour (one way) if we get a hankering for something we don't have locally.  On Sunday we traveled 1 1/2 hours (one way) to eat at a restaurant I wanted to share with hubby and middle son.

 

These aren't trips we'll make every week or every month, but once in a while when we get the urge... it is perfectly "normal" for us.

 

I also grew up thinking nothing of traveling an hour or more to go somewhere special that we liked, but just because it's normal for me doesn't mean much.

 

Is it normal - at least for a subset of us?

[SKL]

Can't say I've ever gone more than 1 hour out of my way for a restaurant, if that.

[swellmomma]

an hour, and that was just for mcdonald's lol  There is a restaurant I want to check out that is about 90 minutes from here but won't be doing that any time soon

[Crimson Wife]

Back when we lived on an Army base way out in the Mojave Desert, we used to frequently drive 2 hours each way for an evening out. Now that seems insane but gas was much cheaper back then than it is now.

[creekland]

an hour, and that was just for mcdonald's lol  There is a restaurant I want to check out that is about 90 minutes from here but won't be doing that any time soon

 

An hour for a McDonald's?  I have to admit, I never thought I'd hear that one!

[TracyP]

We don't eat out often, but when we do it is always about an hour each way. With the exception of a couple cafes, that is the distance to the nearest sit down restaurant. And grocery store. And Target. :tongue_smilie:

 

We once planned a weekend away around a favorite restaurant. That was the farthest at 2.5 hours each way.

 

[BrittanyM]

Well due to living in a rural area just to eat at a nice chain we have to drive almost 2 hrs one way sometimes. And when we go to southern CA we frequently go out of our way to eat at our favorite places (I grew up there).

[trulycrabby]

The last time I ate in a restaurant was four years ago, so apparently I don't want to travel very far at allfor a meal. :o

[Corbster98]

The last time I ate in a restaurant was four years ago, so apparently I don't want to travel very far at allfor a meal. :o

 

Just curious, but how you do avoid eating at a restaurant that long?

[Greta]

I am not a fan of road trips, and I do not enjoy spending time in a car at all. So for me personally, the only way I can imagine adding 7 hours to a road trip for food is if I were starving and there were absolutely no other sources of sustenance that were closer! :D Glad you guys enjoy it! Just not my thing.

 

I can only think of one time in my life I've travelled more than 30 minutes for food. It was a very posh restaurant, on our 10th wedding anniversary, and it was 40 minutes away. :)

[OneStepAtATime]

One time,  DH and I drove about 2 hours to eat at a restaurant we used to eat at in another town we moved to after we first got married.  It was nostalgic and tasty!  :)

 

And for the first 3 years of our marriage we would drive to the city where we got married (4 hours away) on our Anniversary and eat at a restaurant we ate at the night after our wedding.  And would have the waiter take a picture of us each time.  We thought we would do that forever as our tradition but the stupid restaurant closed.  Ugh!  So much for that.... :glare:

 

Otherwise, no not big on traveling long distances for a restaurant.  Exceptions would be someone's birthday request if the restaurant isn't TOO far away (maybe an hour tops).

[umsami]

I'd say about an hour…maybe slightly longer…. regardless of where I've lived.

 

Typically, it's 20-30 minutes though.

 

These days, though, I've become disappointed with most restaurants (probably because I've become a better cook.)  So it takes something really special to get me excited. :)

[JustEm]

We planned a trip to NYC just to try out some popular restaurants and a bakery so 2.5 hours for me.  We also ended up being in the audience for the Colbert Show so the entire trip was not just eating but most of it was.

[Only me]

We've been tempted to drive 4 hours to go to our favorite place for tacos. We used to live in the area. They are the best tacos I've ever tasted and I'm not usually a huge fan of tacos. Just this past weekend we went there for the night but also watched a minor league baseball game so it was worth it.

[swellmomma]

An hour for a McDonald's?  I have to admit, I never thought I'd hear that one!

haha we live in a rural location, and had a bad craving due to major pms and stress lol so we loaded up the car and went through the drive thru and came back home, 1 hour each way.  pathetic really. haha

[dirty ethel rackham]

Over 2 hours.  There was this restaurant that I remembered going to with my mom and dad the several times I had joined them there.  It had started as a beach-side shack where the menu was written on a chalkboard and it was basically what they caught that day, plus the most fabulous black eyed pea soup I had ever tasted.  Each time I went back with my parents, it had grown a bit and gotten more crowded, but the food was still fabulous.  So, when dh and I had take a trip to Florida pre-kids, I thought I'd take him there.  I thought it was an hour away from where we were staying.  Only it ended up being 2 hours and the restaurant wasn't there anymore.  Boo Hoo.  I couldn't believe that the not nearly as good restaurant was still there but this place was not.  (This was before smartphones or I would have known.) 

[NicAnn]

Does White Castle count as a restaurant? Because if so, 4 hour one way trip. DH and I were 18ish, and the trip didn't seem so bad!

[Belacqua]

I've not gone far for a restaurant, but I did travel 8 hours round trip for an ingredient. This was pre-internet days. I kind of miss having a quest like that; ordering my spices from Amazon and having them show up two days later is undeniably convenient, but it does take some of the hunt-and-gather sense of satisfaction out of the whole thing.

[bettyandbob]

I like Carolina BBQ, but I would not add 7 hours just to eat it.

 

I never planned a whole trip around a restaurant. I guess I would travel about and hour one way go go some place good. I might plan trips and add on specific restaurants local to the trip. If I driving long distance I may stop at some place I know about, but I would never plan on interrupting the driving for a detour that was further than 40 min off the interstate, unless I was meeting friends there too.

 

Now I want to know the name of your BBQ place. Maybe I will pass it on my next route south.

[gingersmom]

Does sitting in traffic for hours on the way to NYC count?

[DawnM]

Ok, well, this may not count, but I typically will meet someone at a restaurant when we are trying to meet half way to see a friend.  For example, my friend lives almost 4 hours away,  and when we meet, we will each drive almost two hours.....but that is to see HER, not to go to a particular restaurant.

 

I can't think I have gone more than 30 min. or so.

[J-rap]

Hmmm.. probably about an hour and a half!

[HappyLady]

Does it count if I plan weekend trips based on restaurants I want to go to?  If so, 3 hours one way.  Yeah, I kind of really like food.   :lol:

[Desert Strawberry]

We have driven 60 miles each way to eat and do something else, but never just to eat. We live rural, so the nearest major cities are 60 miles away (two here and one when we lived in Nevada). But there is a lot more to do there than just eat. We usually shopped and/or visited an attraction while we were there.

[creekland]

I like Carolina BBQ, but I would not add 7 hours just to eat it.

 

I never planned a whole trip around a restaurant. I guess I would travel about and hour one way go go some place good. I might plan trips and add on specific restaurants local to the trip. If I driving long distance I may stop at some place I know about, but I would never plan on interrupting the driving for a detour that was further than 40 min off the interstate, unless I was meeting friends there too.

 

Now I want to know the name of your BBQ place. Maybe I will pass it on my next route south.

 

The BBQ place is Bill's BBQ in Wilson, NC.  It's now a buffet and includes far more items than it used to, but the BBQ recipe is the same one hubby grew up with and loves.  I like it too, fortunately(!), but it's a real reminisce trip for him when we go.  If we happen to spend the night, we do breakfast at Ray's Diner on Rt 301.  They have really good pork tenderloin biscuits and grits with red eye gravy.

 

In the same town is Parker's BBQ that many love.  We've eaten there once when Bills was closed due to flooding, but to us, it's not as good.  Bills is not right off the highway (I 95), but it's not that far.

 

Does it count if I plan weekend trips based on restaurants I want to go to?  If so, 3 hours one way.  Yeah, I kind of really like food.   :lol:

 

Oh that definitely counts.  If we could afford it, we'd plan a trip to Kauai to eat at Hamura's (if they are still open).  We fell in love with their Saimin when we were there.  We'd have to do other things in HI if we were to go though.  It's way too far and too expensive to go and just eat, then return!  But it does remain on our mind.

 

In general, I do think being rural leads to some longer times.  We are only semi-rural here, but most of the places we could choose to eat at are chains or small diners (a couple of which are good).  If we want anything ethnic beyond Chinese or Mexican, we have to travel.

[creekland]

One time,  DH and I drove about 2 hours to eat at a restaurant we used to eat at in another town we moved to after we first got married.  It was nostalgic and tasty!   :)

 

And for the first 3 years of our marriage we would drive to the city where we got married (4 hours away) on our Anniversary and eat at a restaurant we ate at the night after our wedding.  And would have the waiter take a picture of us each time.  We thought we would do that forever as our tradition but the stupid restaurant closed.  Ugh!  So much for that.... :glare:

 

I love the romantic picture for this - except for the ending... glad your marriage survived longer than the restaurant!

[ErinE]

Not for a restaurant, but for pastry in Paris.

 

DH indulged my desire to visit a top ten list of Parisian shops selling macarons.

 

It took almost all day.

 

The macarons were delicious.

 

I regret nothing.

 

On the flip side, I visited all the art museums he wanted except the Pompidou. I draw the line at contemporary art.

[Ali in OR]

Several times a year we drive about an hour for really good wood-fired pizza. It helps that it's kind of a scenic drive.

[OneStepAtATime]

I love the romantic picture for this - except for the ending... glad your marriage survived longer than the restaurant!

:lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Yeah, me too.  

 

I remember Dad had a secretary years ago that went through husbands and cars faster than anyone I have ever met.  She actually bought a car and traded it in again 3 weeks later, then traded that one in 2 weeks after that.  Her marriages didn't last much longer, either....

[gardenmom5]

specifically for the restaurant. (day trips)

 

once three hours (I think that was my 30th BD.)

once two hours (our last anniversary. I confess, I was very skeptical, but the food was good.)  we did take the scenic route going. (the freeway coming home was two hours.)

[creekland]

Not for a restaurant, but for pastry in Paris.

 

DH indulged my desire to visit a top ten list of Parisian shops selling macarons.

 

It took almost all day.

 

The macarons were delicious.

 

I regret nothing.

 

On the flip side, I visited all the art museums he wanted except the Pompidou. I draw the line at contemporary art.

 

This sounds fun!!!

[QueenCat]

1 1/2 hours one way......... but the restaurant is a destination, with shops and such to meander around before/after. And it's on a lake, so you can go watch the water/boats for a bit too. We're usually there for 3+ hours.

[TammyinTN]

Just a month ago...we drove 3 hours to eat Calabash seafood and three hours back.  It was sooooo good!

[TammyinTN]

Back when we lived on an Army base way out in the Mojave Desert, we used to frequently drive 2 hours each way for an evening out. Now that seems insane but gas was much cheaper back then than it is now.

Sounds like us...Ft. Irwin was in the middle of no where and WM was 50 minutes away. 

[Crimson Wife]

Sounds like us...Ft. Irwin was in the middle of no where and WM was 50 minutes away. 

 

Yep, it was Ft. Irwin.

[elegantlion]

30 minutes, as that's how far we are from major happenings. 

 

Ds is craving some Lion's Choice Roast Beef. They are across the state, 4 hours away. If I had $ I'd take him on a field trip before the end of summer. We used to bring home a bag of their sandwiches when we traveled through St. Louis. 

[Slartibartfast]

I don't think I have really driven very far *just* for a restaurant. 

 

I *might* have planned certain activities that were conveniently near a restaurant I wanted to visit. :lol:

[Tap]

Every Christmas we eat pizza at a hometown pizza chain.  It is about 1.5 hours away.

 

For an everyday meal, maybe a half hour or so.  We live in a city though, so there is always a decent restaurant within that range.

[lynn]

90 min. Nashville has some restaurants that are that good.

[QueenCat]

90 min. Nashville has some restaurants that are that good.

 

Yes it does! Fortunately, I can get there :driving:  in less than an hour. What's your favorite in Nashville?

[Excelsior! Academy]

2 hours.  We were meeting my niece's and nephew's parents.  It was a fun restaurant near them.  We drove up, met said parents, ate then came home.  We did stop on the way home at another location to blow off a bit of steam, but the restaurant *was* the event.

[JonesinIndiana]

When I lived in Buffalo, NY I had to go to Canada to get my Taco Bell fix. It was about an hour. Of course, that was pre 9/11 and border nonsense. ;)

[creekland]

I'm enjoying reading these - it's nice to know we're not alone.

 

I am, however, very curious about some of these places in case we happen to be in the area...

 

Ok, maybe not a visit to Ft Irwin with WM 50 minutes away!  I enjoy at least having multiple chain options closer even if we rarely eat at them.

[littlebug42]

An hour although we don't do it often maybe once or twice a year.  When I was pregnant though, I had a serious craving for Whataburger.  For some reason dh wasn't willing to drive the 10 or so hours one way to get it for me.  

[creekland]

When I was pregnant though, I had a serious craving for Whataburger.  For some reason dh wasn't willing to drive the 10 or so hours one way to get it for me.  

 

I'm going to take a wild guess that the flavor/texture/whole taste experience just MIGHT not have been the same as you remember if you'd taken a bite upon his return...

 

BBQ freezes well (so we can bring it home successfully).  I'm not quite so sure about Whataburgers.  ;)

[Anne in CA]

This is a fun thread for me, because we own a restaurant in the middle of nowhere known for special breakfasts and high quality hamburgers. We have had people drive from Sacramento, four hours away, for a burger, and one man on his way to the Red Bluff Rodeo timed his whole trip on the way from Oklahoma to make sure he got to our restaurant to buy cookies before we closed at 3:00. There was a man who loves good cookies, lol. Sometimes people drive sixty miles for breakfast or a burger, that's always fun, but makes me nervous, because I would have to not deliver, lol.

[happypamama]

Hmmm, every time we go to Ocracoke on the outer banks of NC, we include a day trip over to Manteo to eat at the Weeping Radish restaurant (although I hear it's moved now). We do usually find something else to do over that way, but eating at the WR is the real reason we even bother. Mapquest tells me that's a bit over two hours.

[Starr]

We don't eat out often, but when we do it is always about an hour each way. With the exception of a couple cafes, that is the distance to the nearest sit down restaurant. And grocery store. And Target. :tongue_smilie:

 

We once planned a weekend away around a favorite restaurant. That was the farthest at 2.5 hours each way.

 

 

Target an hour away, jealous !

[Kerileanne99]

An hour for a McDonald's? I have to admit, I never thought I'd hear that one!

Ha! Many moons ago when I was stationed in the middle of nowhere, Germany, the soldiers would routinely drive an hour each way to get to McDonalds. Even in the middle of winter on horrible back roads. Even I rode along a couple of times as they were actually civilized enough to have completely vegetarian options...as well as decent beer!

 

Whilst I was stationed there a Taco Bell and Subway both opened up on post. I kid you not, the line would be hours long those first few weeks, and soldiers would drive from other posts to get there.

[Farrar]

When I lived in China, I used to go to Hong Kong once a month pretty much just to eat.  I mean, I would go grocery shopping too and find other things to do, but restaurants (plural) were the number one draw.  It was about a two and a half hour trip plus sometimes the line for customs in Shenzhen would hold me up a little sometimes.

 

Here, the only thing I can think of was in grad school I went on a midnight road trip to a pancake restaurant more than an hour away.  Oh, and once I went an hour out of my way (so, I guess, two hours really) for donuts.  Delicious, very specific cider donuts.