10 great places to take an exit to good eatin'

He makes no claim to being a dining critic, but Mark Watson has done his share of eating at restaurants — especially those just off the highway. He drives about 25,000 miles each year to put together The Next Exit (The Next Exit, $14.95), his guide to what's at every interstate exit across the USA. "Clean windows and a busy parking lot" is what Watson says he looks for when first picking a place to eat. Here, with Ron Schoolmeester for USA TODAY, he chooses some of his favorites:

Steamboat Bill's Restaurant
I-10, Exit 29 (traveling east), Exit 30A (traveling west), Lake Charles, La.
"Crawfish galore," says Watson. "Very busy, not fancy." The menu offers crawfish fixed every which way, as well as gumbo, po' boys, jumbo fried shrimp and more. The owners started selling shrimp by the side of the road and now have three restaurants in Lake Charles (this one's on North Lake Shore Drive). 337-494-1070; www.steamboatbills.com

Prejean's
Near Interstate 10 at I-49, Exit 2 (traveling north), Exit 4 (traveling south), Lafayette, La.
"Upscale seafood" is how Watson describes the eating at this colorful restaurant. The menu features what you'd expect in Cajun country — crawfish, shrimp, oysters, crabs, catfish, even alligator, which probably makes "Big Al" none too happy. Big Al is a 14-foot stuffed alligator who presides over the dining room. Live music every night. 337-896-3247; prejeans.com

Lambert's Cafe
I-55, Exit 67, Sikeston, Mo.
Claiming to be "The Only Home of Throwed Rolls," this bustling place features mostly country cookin' (fried chicken, catfish and the like) as well as what they call "pass arounds" (fried potatoes and onions, fried okra, black-eyed peas, etc.) and cinnamon rolls so big they're called "hubcaps." Those "throwed rolls"? Back in 1976, a customer impatient for his bread roll hollered out, "Throw the damn thing!" and they're still doing it. "Very busy," says Watson. 573-471-4261; throwedrolls.com

Lena's Seafood Restaurant
I-95, Exit 60, Salisbury, Mass.
"Good fish sandwich and chowder," says Watson. The chowder is homemade, as is the cole slaw at this no-nonsense New England establishment that also features fresh scallops and fried clams. Order from the counter. Win a free dinner with a hole-in-one at the adjacent miniature golf course. Open every day in summer; otherwise, closed Mondays and Tuesdays. 978-465-8572.

El Rodeo
I-90, Exit 176 (N), Moses Lake, Wash.
"Just plain Mexican," Watson says of this place. "And the fajitas are flaming hot when they come to the table." The décor, too, is South of the Border, and the place is small (only about 20 tables, including those on the patio). About 2 miles off the exit at 1075 W. Broadway. 509-765-0606.

Bubba's Bar-B-Q & Steakhouse
I-45, Exit 251, Ennis, Texas
Belly up to Bubba's might be more like it. "Plates piled high with all varieties of barbecue, including huge briskets," says Watson. "Look for a place to take a nap after this." On the main road between Houston and Dallas (about 32 miles south of Dallas). 972-875-0036

In-N-Out Burger
I-15, Exit 37, Las Vegas
OK, it's a chain, but a very special chain, says Watson. "The menu is simple ... hamburgers, three kinds of shakes, and fries. The fries are cut from fresh potatoes right there in front of you." Decorated in '50s-style red-and-white tiles, In-N-Outs are "how hamburger joints ought to operate," says Watson. His favorite of the 200 In-N-Outs is off Tropicana Avenue in Vegas. 800-786-1000; in-n-out.com

Shellhouse Restaurant
1-95, Exit 94, near Savannah, Ga.
"Good interstate-highway seafood if you don't want to make it all the way to the beach," says Watson. Just don't expect the seafood to be from Georgia — the menu features, almost overwhelmingly, Alaskan snow crab legs. The décor is nautical, the atmosphere is casual (shorts and flip-flops are OK), and use your fingers. "Ask for plenty of paper towels," advises Watson. Open only for dinner, after 4 p.m. 912-927-3280

Parker's Barbecue
I-95, Exit 119 (traveling south), Exit 107 (traveling north), Wilson, N.C.
"It's probably 10 miles or so off I-95, but well worth the drive for the world's best eastern-style North Carolina barbecue," says Watson. Not much has changed at Parker's since it opened in 1946 — including the recipe for its pork barbecue, less sweet and more vinegary than that served in the western part of the state. Plenty of traditional sides, too — from Brunswick stew to cole slaw and boiled potatoes. Located on old U.S. 301 just south of Wilson. 252-237-0972

Gaido's Seafood Restaurant
I-45, Exit 1A, Galveston, Texas
We've saved the best till last. Watson says this is his "very favorite." Founded in 1911, the place is now run by the fourth generation of Gaidos — and they still peel shrimp, shuck oysters and fillet fish the old-fashioned way. "Best scallops I've ever eaten," says Watson. Easily worth the 3 to 4 miles it takes to get there from I-45. At 39th Street and Seawall Boulevard. 409-762-9625; gaidosrestaurant.com

Re-printed from USAToday Friday May 26, 2006
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/10great/2006-05-25-roadside-restaurants_x.htm