Charleston's: Immediate Seating Available

Fort Worth, Texas

When a new restaurant opens in your town, and has a sign that constantly reads, "Immediate Seating Available," one might think, That place must suck if it always has available seating.

Not so in the case of Charleston's. My family avoided it as long as possible because of the sign, but one day, we decided to give it a shot since it was still open after about a year.

And it was delicious. The house salad is great (always fresh and tasty tomatoes) as is the baked potato soup. The house honey mustard dressing is good on everything. I also like their burgers and chicken tenders. The steaks look good, but I usually go for lunch and that's a little heavy for me at noon.

They also have honey croissants, hot and fresh. MMMMM.

The wait staff is probably the best around. They are prompt, attentive and well-trained. Certainly one of those places where your glass is never empty.

The moral of the story: immediate seating is not congruent with suckiness.

Zeke's Fish and Chips

Fort Worth, Texas

Don't worry, folks. I have not been skimping on meals. Just been busy what with graduating and moving back to Texas. GOOD LIFE.

For those who love foreign cuisine, fish and chips are high on most London travelers' list of local fare. But you needn't go to London for the best fish and chips... they can be found Fort Worth, Texas.

There isn't anything about Zeke's that isn't great. The restaurant is known for its Icelandic Cod, deep-friend and fantabulous. It's crispy but the fish is still fresh and hot in the middle. They also have great fried mushrooms, shrimp and fries. I hear the spaghetti is good, too. The portions are pretty large, so you might consider splitting. Get extra dill sauce and ask for malt vinegar if it's not on your table.

The food is reasonably priced and the beer is always cold. So journey down Camp Bowie and stop at Zeke's, but don't forget your ID! You won't regret it.

Seriously, I've had London fish and chips and they just don't compare to Zeke's. Not at all.

Doritos and... What???

Hopefully you aren't one of those people who thinks Fritos Bean Dip could only be good with Fritos corn chips, because then you'd be wrong. So wrong.

Fritos Bean Dip is, in fact, actually better with Nacho Cheese Doritos! Try it!!!! You'll have eaten the whole bag with a can of Bean Dip or two in no time.

Also, regular bean dip is really mild, so for a little extra kick try the Hot flavor. It's what I remember Bean Dip tasting like when I was little.

Another great secret is the combination of Taco flavored Doritos and yellow mustard. The Taco flavor choices include Taco and Tacos at Midnight. Tacos at Midnight emit the smell of tomato and lettuce as soon as you open the bag. Just don't be that guy in class trying to quietly open your bag of chips. It doesn't work.

Another good one is salsa. It's good on pretty much any variety.

This one time in London, right after TGIFriday's went transatlantic, they baked some Cool Ranch ones and gave us duck sauce to dip them in. NOT GOOD. But we were so hungry, we ate them anyway.

Powdered Sugar Donuts

Yeah, you're right, they're messy... probably not something you'd eat in the car. But they'll take you back to the first time you ever ate one every time you eat one.

No matter the brand, it's all about freshness. The soft, cakey ring melts in your mouth... and when really fresh, sticks to the roof of your mouth, too.

The chocolate variety is also a great find, though I wouldn't expect them to taste like chocolate if you've never tried one before now (and shame on you!).

These go great with milk or chocolate milk, so be ready with your choice of beverage...

Gas Station Delights: Hot Dogs

Gas station hot dogs are pretty hit or miss. I prefer the ones from QT, partially because I've seen them clean the roller things that cook the weenies.

They have a warming tray underneath so your bun isn't ever stale. There's also a plenties of condiments of all varieties. Any type of mustard you could want, seriously.

There is also a pump dispenser for nacho cheese and chili! SO GOOD!

All of the other stuff on QT's roller display is delicious as well. So try some new things!

Krispy Kreme

I'm a hungry, hungry hippo just thinking about them. They way they melt in your mouth. The way you want milk afterward. The way I can eat a while box in two sittings or less. Okay, some of you did not know of my stomach's full prowess. It's magic. Like a unicorn. Only real.

I have a hard time ordering anything but the Original Glaze. The snowmen they had in the wintertime were also great. But Krispy Kreme won't ever be the same to you until you've been inside and stuck your face up to the glass to see the machine making donuts. They will even turn on the HOT NOW light so you know when to go in...

But everything is good there. The only thing I would not recommend is getting donuts AND the donut flavored drink. Too much. The drink really does taste like a donut.

Snuffer's

Dallas, TX

Every single time I'm in Dallas, I make a stop at Snuffer's. You just have to. No, it isn't healthy. But it's the best.

The salads look great (I've never had one; just not a salad kind of girl...). My dad gets them sometimes. There is nothing salad-y about them. Plenty of bacon. And dressing. I don't like actually tasting the lettuce in my salad, so if I were going to order one, this is what I'd get: Bacon wedge.

The burgers are also great. Along the same lines as the salad: more than you can eat with plenty of bacon and condiments.

But you should really go for the Cheddar Fries. I always get them, loaded. Cheddar, bacon, green onions, jalapenos. DUDE. So good. comes with Ranch. A small order is more than enough for one person, especially if you order something else. But you really don't need to, unless it's a delicious beer from the tap. Nothing like cheddar fries and a Coors Light for lunch when you've been shopping all day...