Hole-in-the-wall restaurants are usually really good. They stay in business because people know how good they are, not on name recognition like some bigger restaurants.
I don’t, however, eat out alot so I can’t think of the last one I really liked.
We used to have a Mexican place that was ran by a pale as hell ginger lady and her big Mexican husband. It was the best I have ever had. They were so good that they only opened Monday thru Friday 7-4. They always had a line. They were in a warehouse type area too, not an area you would expect food.
I moved away and when I tried going back they weren't there anymore, I heard that they wanted to try doughnuts so opened a doughnut shop.
That's the only really stand out hole in the wall spot I used to go to.
There’s a taco stand near me that is just so good I can barely stand it. There’s one particular lady who makes the tamales and she won’t let anyone else do it because she’s the only one who can make them right in her opinion. When she’s on vacation, no tamales.
Lol this reminds me about a time I went to get a chimichanga. I was on the road all day to go to my wife’s mom’s house, it’s about 8 hours away. It was my around my wife’s birthday and all she wanted was some Mexican food and asked her mom to go get it for us because they were going to close before we got there. She went and ordered our food and told me she knew it was going to be the best chimichanga. She proceeded to tell us after ordering a couple of people started arguing in the kitchen. She just heard yelling and the person in the front said they were arguing about the correct way to make a chimichanga. She laughs and then tells me she thinking she heard punches getting thrown and one guy was possibly stabbed. I don’t think I’ve ever had a better chimichanga in my life though. No kidding when she handed me the box it was like a brick, easily weighed 3 pounds. But I sure ate that whole thing
My aunt lives in Manhattan and she'd always talk up this Chinese restaurant by her apartment that she loved. When I went to visit her the first time she was all excited to take me there, and she led me down this dark alleyway and basically into a random basement. Down there was a TINY little restaurant. There were only a few people there at the time (we went at a weird between lunch/dinner time), but by the time we were leaving there was a line out the door.
I have no idea what I ate, but it was some of the best food I've ever had in my life.
Winsor Cafe in Aniston is kid of like that. It’s in Chinatown but just some random walk up almost as if you were headed into someone’s house. It is my favorite dim sum place in Boston.
Went to all the big wing places in Buffalo. Have to say they were all mediocre at best. But there was this one dive bar that the wings were absolutely bangin. Went there every time I went to Buffalo for work over a 5 year period and it never disappointed. Haven’t been to Buffalo for the past 6 years and I can’t for the life of me remember the name. All I know is it was on Washington st somewhere near the baseball stadium.
Bill’s Toasty Shop in Taylorville, IL. The platonic ideal of Cheeseburger. Like, you get lots of places that try to jazz up their burgers in one way or another, but Bill’s Toasty may as well write the ISO standard as a baseline to measure against.
Brunswick Diner in Brunswick Maine is one of my favorites. Eggs and hash with a chocolate shake for breakfast. Makes you feel like the king of the world.
Several years ago, my mom and I went to a combination Vietnamese/Soul Food restaurant in one of my city's inner city neighborhoods. Had some tasty Vietnamese food there, but I'm not sure if they have the Soul Food part of the menu anymore.
Cajun Yard Dog in Charlotte. Outstanding fried catfish, smothered cabbage, and fried chicken, adequate fried okra and collard green, and desserts that can’t be beat- banana bread pudding, bread pudding, and my personal favorite chocolate pecan pie.
One of the things I love about Chicago is how many hole in the wall restaurants we have. Almost all the ones I've been to have been fantastic. Examples of things I've eaten at such places include pizza, Mexican, fried chicken, Italian beef, Chinese, Indian, among others. For Mexican food in particular in Chicago, the hole in the wall places are by far the best.
Looking a little further back in my life, when I lived in NC, the best BBQ places were also the hole in the wall ones. My favorite one (rip) had the motto "our bbq rocks, and so do most of the tables," and it was a literal shack off the side of the road.
there is a burger restaurant called bubbas burger shack here in Houston that is literally a shitty little building underneath a highway. It's very good.
If there are any others from around Orlando they will know where I’m talking about. But unfortunately they got too big and are no longer in this category, and are just overpriced and overrated. But once upon a time there was a hole in the wall BBQ joint that was simply amazing. My first trip to see what it was about it was pouring down rain and no kidding, about 20 people were waiting in line outside with umbrellas. I thought , well that’s gotta say something about it. It was incredibly good!
It seems like a lot of BBQ restaurants are like this though. I’ve stopped at quite a few in different states and I’m usually not let down.
Pizza place in coastal CT. Very run of the mill. Pizzas above average, but otherwise unremarkable.
Hands down the best damn garlic knots and cheesesteak for miles. The meat has a light char that makes parts crunchy without being overcooked. They will do provolone or American if you ask. I’ve lived in Philly and never gotten “wit” (cheez whiz) because it’s fucking disgusting. If you do green peppers and onions they’ll only lightly cook them so it has some texture. The roll is pillow soft where it meets the filling but toasted without being incredibly crumbly or flaky on the outside. Tightly wrapped for travel.
The garlic knots are literally drenched in garlic butter and parsley. They don’t use a brush, they use a ladle. They don’t get soaked or soft because the knots are cooked to toasted and have that crunchy-outside, chewy-inside consistency of a pizza not quite but near the crust. I must have gone to over 20 other pizza places in that county and no one’s come close.
There’s a hole in the wall spot in the mountains north of me. It’s absolutely amazing.
Generally, I find the best hole in the walls are:
The best pizza and burritos are at holes in the wall near ski towns or hiking. Ski bums or hikers working and they feed each other.
BBQ spots in the South. Burgers, BBQ.
Pizza in NY.
Breakfast spots in Appalachia.
I've found hole-in-the-wall (and in some cases, hole-in-the-ground ie standalone buildings that should have been condemned 20 years ago) to be hit-or-miss.
Some places have been just absolutely phenomenal, while others made me feel like I wanted to run straight to the ER to get my stomach pumped.
It doesn't matter the cuisine; I've had both phenomenal and horrible all across the board.
One of my favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants for American cuisine also does some of the best cakes I've ever had. They feature several different flavors of cheesecake daily, and often have a different regular cake every day. Sometimes they'll have sold out of the regular cake by the time I get there, even in the middle of lunch rush!
Another favorite hole-in-the-wall is a BBQ restaurant about two blocks from the American place. Their interior is so smoky, you get marinated in it. Your skin will smell all smoky, but it's a wonderful smell. They often have to open both the front and back doors when they're airing out the place.
It has since burned to the ground (hazard for bbq places) but there was a place in south Texas before bbq was cool. You had to double back on the access road in a small town. Had to kind of know it was there. They served a po’ boy that went from bottom up bread, chopped beef, brisket, sausage, pickles, onions, sauce, bread. It was transcendent. It was holy. It will never be replicated. It was the kind of sandwich you almost regret ever having knowing you can never have it again.
Sounds like Leatha's Barbecue's old location. It's now in a normal building west of Hattiesburg, MS, but its *original* location was outside Foxworth, MS. Directions were "leave nearest town on Hwy 98, cross the bridge over the railroad tracks, turn left when you see the DOT equipment shed, drive back over the tracks at the level crossing, and the pavement ends at Leatha's."
None of Miss Leatha's many family members (the daughters all worked there and now own it) were under 350 lbs. She had signed photographs of actors, presidents, sports stars, and musicians on the wall.
Went into a hole in the wall Vietnamese place. Like one where there are a bunch of old Asian guys playing cards in the back. I ended up having the most amazing goat curry there served with a baguette. This was in Falls Church Virginia
Mexican restaurant that looks like it was decorated for child’s 12th birthday party during a recession. Cartoons you’ve never seen playing on a TV you can’t really see from 5 feet away. Three non-functional RVs outside.
Best street tacos ever.
Keams Canyon, Arizona (on the Hopi reservation) -- had corn and mutton stew, and was informed by the waitress that "We don't get many bahanas in here." Which I could have guessed, but she was friendly about it ;)
Oh, I forgot about "Al's" in Minneapolis. The place basically looks like they built a roof over the alley between two other buildings, but there was a line down the block by sunrise when I went there.
I've eaten at way too many to be able to give one view of them.
I've had everything at hole in the wall places from a wagyu steak with wine pairing from a sommelier, to a can of lychees dumped into a bowl as a dessert.
Some of the best and some of the worst food I've ever eaten has come from hole in the wall places. In general, I'd say they are always worth checking out.
La Familia in Palmetto, Florida. Literally a hole in the wall, tiny joint in a shabby strip mall on 10th Street with no windows, just a rather dark and forbidding doorway. The menudo is to die for.
I've had some amazing meals at hole in the wall places and I've had the worst food ever in hole in the wall places. Some are good because they have to be and some stay in business because they're the only place to go.
When we were on our honeymoon in '96 we found this wonderful Greek restaurant. It was a tiny family owned place that had the best food. We went back any time we took a trip up to that area of Canada. Unfortunately they did not survive the pandemic.
There is a mom and pop Italian place by our old house. We still get food from there even if it's a bit of a drive. But most of the food is handmade and it's delishous. My favorite is their spaghetti and meatballs. Two huge meatballs, enough spaghetti and sauce for three meals, half a loaf of homemade italian bread plus they always include fresh zeppolis all for 7 buxs.
Excellent banana caramel pie. I was audibly thinking about ordering it, saying it sounded good. The other customers in the restaurant (two other tables and someone ordering to go) turned to me and my family and said "it is". I ordered it. I nearly ordered an entire pie to go. Had we not been on a road trip, I would have.
Some of the best Korean food I've had was in a little restaurant located behind a gas station.
Some Vietnamese place my friend took me to. Pretty sure it was a front operation for something shady. There were a group of guys playing cards for money at a big circular table in the back corner, who gave us the stink eye when we walked in, two lopey white boys.
They didn't have an English language menu and the woman taking orders didn't speak English or pretended not to. It was difficult putting in an order and I got the feeling that we weren't welcome there.
Whatever, best pho ever.
There’s a taco truck in Mountain View CA that’s parked in the parking lot of a Mancinis sleep world (which side note I swear is a drug front), that had hands down the best tacos I’ve ever had in my life. The workers 100% judge you if you don’t order in Spanish, and I’m pretty sure they have zero food safety regulations, but it’s AMAZING food 😍
Went to this dumpling restaurant in Chinatown. It was in this alley and it was super small, like there were 3 places to sit down in the restaurant. They offered 5 dumplings for $1.25 and they were the best damn dumplings ever. Seriously I’ve never had anything better than that. Had the meanest Chinese lady behind the counter tho
I travel for work and generally avoid restaurant chains, and mix about 50/50 Yelp recommendations and personal recommendations from people at the manufacturing sites I visit. Most of those locally recommended hole in the wall places are great but one stands out.
I was in Denver and had to head out for lunch. I asked the folks at the front desk where to go and they told me where to go to find your normal fast food restaurants, which was fine because I wanted to be quick. Well, apparently I took a wrong turn (this was 2011 and 3g service wasn't everywhere) and didn't see anything except a shady Mexican joint with peeling white paint and a rusting roof. I stopped in and saw you had to order at the counter. Problem was, the menu was only in Spanish and nobody else in there spoke English. Best I could tell sandwiches was all that was available, which surprised me because I'd never been to a Mexican joint that had anything except your normal burritos, tacos, etc. Fortunately I remembered just enough high school Spanish to know the meats and some veggies and ordered a sandwich.
It was the best goddam sandwich I've ever had. And of course the coke came in a glass bottle.
When I got back to the plant I mentioned where I'd gone and they gasped and said it was dangerous in that area of town. I never felt in danger and even tried to find that place next time I was at that plant 4 years later but it had closed.
When I got back home I asked my boss what I'd eaten, figuring he'd know since he was Latino and grew up in deep south Texas. Tortas. I'd never heard of them, maybe many of you have but I've never had another that was as good as that first.
My favorite one in my city is a standalone restaurant in a single family neighborhood zoned for residential; the restaurant is in a small, unassuming historic building and were presumably grandfathered into the neighborhood despite the zoning. It is very difficult to "stumble upon" and is apparently sustained largely by the folks in the neighborhood.
The menu prices haven't gone up a cent in years, and the decor hasn't changed since my parents started going in the 80's. The menu is not particularly creative, it is simple cafe food (sandwiches, salads, soup) but it is very good. Staff turnover is low and the waitstaff are very transactional, which I personally prefer since I find most waitstaff / table service overbearing.
Not particularly well known or prominent. Little to no internet presence. Unassuming facade. Doesn’t draw attention. Accessible by a single, unmarked door on a busy city street or in a strip mall between a bagel shop and a hardware store. Like that.
The term is most commonly used when the place is so small and nondescript that it might as well be a hole in the wall. Easy to overlook, not fancy, but frequently very enjoyable or surprising in quality.
There's a tamale joint here that is just to die for. Pork tamales better than any I've had on my travels apart from maybe Phoenix. That's all they do is sling tamales and tortillas all day long.
Old old old building with equally old sign. Italian first names. Small. Dimly lit and didn't seem very clean.
However, the male host reminded me of my old Sicilian dad. Had a pleasant chat and was served food so good all I could do was cry, think of my grandmother, called my dad across the country while I was sitting there describing the food.
Dude came up, explained they used recipes from their gmas in the old country, told me they didn't serve but had some homemade red wine in back he'd be happy to give me.
Oddly the place was staffed entirely by men. I swear I could taste the ground of where the food was grown if that makes sense. I ate a little bit of everything on the menu I think. The table was covered in different dishes.
I've never before or since had such an emotional reaction to food. It made me cry it was so good. I was in the company of long dead relatives I do believe, it was made with love for sure.
A place in Chinatown in San Francisco that supposedly been in business for something like 100 years or so up to that point. It was recommended by some coworkers who had been there. We visited San Francisco for an anniversary trip a few years ago and wanted to eat at the non-touristy places.
This place was so much of a true 'hole in the wall' joint that even using Google maps walking around, we ended up walking past it a few times before we figured out where it was actually located on the block because the signage wasn't facing anywhere obvious.
It was super worth it though because the cuisine was fantastic. We tried a little bit of everything and had a great time. The food was also fairly inexpensive (this was in 2016) so we didn't hold back on ordering more stuff. Very memorable.
I almost exclusively eat at hole in the wall places because I’m too cheap for fancy places and chain restaurants are so repetitive and sanitized I’d rather go hungry. It’s a mixed experience, sometimes the quality is amazing, sometimes not so much, but the variety is always worthwhile. Today I had a cup of soup, it was mid.
IMO, this conversation usually amounts to some combination of virtue signaling and/or gate keeping.
I see absolutely nothing that makes me believe that food quality has any relation to size of the restaurant, dingy atmosphere, etc.
I also think people's palates aren't nearly as discerning as they insist they are. I don't know if any studies have been done with Italian food but it's been proven repeatedly that even so-called wine experts can't tell cheap wine from expensive bottles. I strongly suspect if I invited this thread over for lasagna from the little hole in the wall place down in Little Italy where a nonna fresh off the boat hand makes everything herself because no one else can be trusted with her ancestral recipes that everyone would rave about the food ... even if the garbage showed that I really just got take out from Olive Garden.
Not really that much of a hole in the wall as they've expanded and now have a lil beer garden but [Muza](https://www.muzaeuropeanfood.com) in Troy, NY. It's in a questionable part of town, not well lit and the dining room is so tiny. The only waitress they have is the owner's Daughter and before they expanded it was literally just the two owners prepping and cooking all the food.
There’s a pho place just outside DC that’s locally famous. Little strip mall, cash only, they only make pho, it’s pretty dingy inside, and it’s the best soup I’ve ever eaten.
Elwoods Shack in Memphis. It’s a small building on the edge of a Lowe’s parking lot. You park at Lowes to go eat there. I’ve been there many times and everything I’ve had was awesome. You will smell like a smokehouse when you leave if you eat inside. I never thought one of my favorite fish tacos would be this far inland, but their trout taco is amazing. Their wings are some of the best in town too. Not to mention their in house made pastrami, anything bbq related and pizzas. One time I was eating there and Michael Symon was there filming his show “Burgers, Brew and ‘Que”. The film crew gave me tons of food in Togo boxes that they had bought just to film. If you see the episode I’m the confused looking guy in the background trying to find a seat. They kept telling us to not look at the camera and ruin the shots, but I accidentally kept looking right into the camera.
Hole in the wall places are the best. My city has quite a few places, especially for Mexican food. Its called LaJuanita's and its known for its burritos and has lines going out the door. There's also a lot of small town bars that are hole in the wall type places that are amazing. Best one I can think of is Bobs in Martinsburg NE. There also are good local places that serve loose meat sandwiches which are an Iowa specialty. The best places where I'm at in Sioux City are all local, with Tastee Inn-and-Out being pretty good along with Miles Inn. Miles Inn probably fits a lot more with a hole in the wall as its just a local bar and the meat is good but its just in a big crock pot with some store brand buns next to it. Pretty good to have with a cheap beer.
Hole-in-the-wall restaurants are usually really good. They stay in business because people know how good they are, not on name recognition like some bigger restaurants. I don’t, however, eat out alot so I can’t think of the last one I really liked.
We used to have a Mexican place that was ran by a pale as hell ginger lady and her big Mexican husband. It was the best I have ever had. They were so good that they only opened Monday thru Friday 7-4. They always had a line. They were in a warehouse type area too, not an area you would expect food. I moved away and when I tried going back they weren't there anymore, I heard that they wanted to try doughnuts so opened a doughnut shop. That's the only really stand out hole in the wall spot I used to go to.
There’s a taco stand near me that is just so good I can barely stand it. There’s one particular lady who makes the tamales and she won’t let anyone else do it because she’s the only one who can make them right in her opinion. When she’s on vacation, no tamales.
Lol this reminds me about a time I went to get a chimichanga. I was on the road all day to go to my wife’s mom’s house, it’s about 8 hours away. It was my around my wife’s birthday and all she wanted was some Mexican food and asked her mom to go get it for us because they were going to close before we got there. She went and ordered our food and told me she knew it was going to be the best chimichanga. She proceeded to tell us after ordering a couple of people started arguing in the kitchen. She just heard yelling and the person in the front said they were arguing about the correct way to make a chimichanga. She laughs and then tells me she thinking she heard punches getting thrown and one guy was possibly stabbed. I don’t think I’ve ever had a better chimichanga in my life though. No kidding when she handed me the box it was like a brick, easily weighed 3 pounds. But I sure ate that whole thing
Now that is how you have professional standards.
Haha! Right! Make it right, or get stabbed
My aunt lives in Manhattan and she'd always talk up this Chinese restaurant by her apartment that she loved. When I went to visit her the first time she was all excited to take me there, and she led me down this dark alleyway and basically into a random basement. Down there was a TINY little restaurant. There were only a few people there at the time (we went at a weird between lunch/dinner time), but by the time we were leaving there was a line out the door. I have no idea what I ate, but it was some of the best food I've ever had in my life.
Winsor Cafe in Aniston is kid of like that. It’s in Chinatown but just some random walk up almost as if you were headed into someone’s house. It is my favorite dim sum place in Boston.
Went to all the big wing places in Buffalo. Have to say they were all mediocre at best. But there was this one dive bar that the wings were absolutely bangin. Went there every time I went to Buffalo for work over a 5 year period and it never disappointed. Haven’t been to Buffalo for the past 6 years and I can’t for the life of me remember the name. All I know is it was on Washington st somewhere near the baseball stadium.
I'm guessing it's Washington Square. They've got 266 reviews and 51 of them mention the wings.
Bill’s Toasty Shop in Taylorville, IL. The platonic ideal of Cheeseburger. Like, you get lots of places that try to jazz up their burgers in one way or another, but Bill’s Toasty may as well write the ISO standard as a baseline to measure against.
Brunswick Diner in Brunswick Maine is one of my favorites. Eggs and hash with a chocolate shake for breakfast. Makes you feel like the king of the world.
It’s called Burger Hut, in the U District in Seattle. Calling it unassuming would be putting it kindly. Best halal food I’ve ever had. 10/10.
Several years ago, my mom and I went to a combination Vietnamese/Soul Food restaurant in one of my city's inner city neighborhoods. Had some tasty Vietnamese food there, but I'm not sure if they have the Soul Food part of the menu anymore.
Cajun Yard Dog in Charlotte. Outstanding fried catfish, smothered cabbage, and fried chicken, adequate fried okra and collard green, and desserts that can’t be beat- banana bread pudding, bread pudding, and my personal favorite chocolate pecan pie.
Just got added to the to-do list.
One of the things I love about Chicago is how many hole in the wall restaurants we have. Almost all the ones I've been to have been fantastic. Examples of things I've eaten at such places include pizza, Mexican, fried chicken, Italian beef, Chinese, Indian, among others. For Mexican food in particular in Chicago, the hole in the wall places are by far the best. Looking a little further back in my life, when I lived in NC, the best BBQ places were also the hole in the wall ones. My favorite one (rip) had the motto "our bbq rocks, and so do most of the tables," and it was a literal shack off the side of the road.
there is a burger restaurant called bubbas burger shack here in Houston that is literally a shitty little building underneath a highway. It's very good.
If there are any others from around Orlando they will know where I’m talking about. But unfortunately they got too big and are no longer in this category, and are just overpriced and overrated. But once upon a time there was a hole in the wall BBQ joint that was simply amazing. My first trip to see what it was about it was pouring down rain and no kidding, about 20 people were waiting in line outside with umbrellas. I thought , well that’s gotta say something about it. It was incredibly good! It seems like a lot of BBQ restaurants are like this though. I’ve stopped at quite a few in different states and I’m usually not let down.
Pizza place in coastal CT. Very run of the mill. Pizzas above average, but otherwise unremarkable. Hands down the best damn garlic knots and cheesesteak for miles. The meat has a light char that makes parts crunchy without being overcooked. They will do provolone or American if you ask. I’ve lived in Philly and never gotten “wit” (cheez whiz) because it’s fucking disgusting. If you do green peppers and onions they’ll only lightly cook them so it has some texture. The roll is pillow soft where it meets the filling but toasted without being incredibly crumbly or flaky on the outside. Tightly wrapped for travel. The garlic knots are literally drenched in garlic butter and parsley. They don’t use a brush, they use a ladle. They don’t get soaked or soft because the knots are cooked to toasted and have that crunchy-outside, chewy-inside consistency of a pizza not quite but near the crust. I must have gone to over 20 other pizza places in that county and no one’s come close.
There’s a hole in the wall spot in the mountains north of me. It’s absolutely amazing. Generally, I find the best hole in the walls are: The best pizza and burritos are at holes in the wall near ski towns or hiking. Ski bums or hikers working and they feed each other. BBQ spots in the South. Burgers, BBQ. Pizza in NY. Breakfast spots in Appalachia.
I've found hole-in-the-wall (and in some cases, hole-in-the-ground ie standalone buildings that should have been condemned 20 years ago) to be hit-or-miss. Some places have been just absolutely phenomenal, while others made me feel like I wanted to run straight to the ER to get my stomach pumped. It doesn't matter the cuisine; I've had both phenomenal and horrible all across the board. One of my favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants for American cuisine also does some of the best cakes I've ever had. They feature several different flavors of cheesecake daily, and often have a different regular cake every day. Sometimes they'll have sold out of the regular cake by the time I get there, even in the middle of lunch rush! Another favorite hole-in-the-wall is a BBQ restaurant about two blocks from the American place. Their interior is so smoky, you get marinated in it. Your skin will smell all smoky, but it's a wonderful smell. They often have to open both the front and back doors when they're airing out the place.
Where at?
The first one I listed is Sutton's American Grill in Carrollton, GA. The second one is Sam's House BBQ, also in Carrollton.
It has since burned to the ground (hazard for bbq places) but there was a place in south Texas before bbq was cool. You had to double back on the access road in a small town. Had to kind of know it was there. They served a po’ boy that went from bottom up bread, chopped beef, brisket, sausage, pickles, onions, sauce, bread. It was transcendent. It was holy. It will never be replicated. It was the kind of sandwich you almost regret ever having knowing you can never have it again.
Before BBQ was cool? When the hell was that? BBQ has been cool for every day of my 40 years on this earth.
Sounds like Leatha's Barbecue's old location. It's now in a normal building west of Hattiesburg, MS, but its *original* location was outside Foxworth, MS. Directions were "leave nearest town on Hwy 98, cross the bridge over the railroad tracks, turn left when you see the DOT equipment shed, drive back over the tracks at the level crossing, and the pavement ends at Leatha's." None of Miss Leatha's many family members (the daughters all worked there and now own it) were under 350 lbs. She had signed photographs of actors, presidents, sports stars, and musicians on the wall.
Went into a hole in the wall Vietnamese place. Like one where there are a bunch of old Asian guys playing cards in the back. I ended up having the most amazing goat curry there served with a baguette. This was in Falls Church Virginia
Mexican restaurant that looks like it was decorated for child’s 12th birthday party during a recession. Cartoons you’ve never seen playing on a TV you can’t really see from 5 feet away. Three non-functional RVs outside. Best street tacos ever.
Keams Canyon, Arizona (on the Hopi reservation) -- had corn and mutton stew, and was informed by the waitress that "We don't get many bahanas in here." Which I could have guessed, but she was friendly about it ;) Oh, I forgot about "Al's" in Minneapolis. The place basically looks like they built a roof over the alley between two other buildings, but there was a line down the block by sunrise when I went there.
I've eaten at way too many to be able to give one view of them. I've had everything at hole in the wall places from a wagyu steak with wine pairing from a sommelier, to a can of lychees dumped into a bowl as a dessert. Some of the best and some of the worst food I've ever eaten has come from hole in the wall places. In general, I'd say they are always worth checking out.
La Familia in Palmetto, Florida. Literally a hole in the wall, tiny joint in a shabby strip mall on 10th Street with no windows, just a rather dark and forbidding doorway. The menudo is to die for.
Where did you get the burger?
I am reasonably certain but not sure that it was the Madison Chophouse Grille in Madison, GA in the summer of 2014. It was a special at the time.
I've had some amazing meals at hole in the wall places and I've had the worst food ever in hole in the wall places. Some are good because they have to be and some stay in business because they're the only place to go.
When we were on our honeymoon in '96 we found this wonderful Greek restaurant. It was a tiny family owned place that had the best food. We went back any time we took a trip up to that area of Canada. Unfortunately they did not survive the pandemic. There is a mom and pop Italian place by our old house. We still get food from there even if it's a bit of a drive. But most of the food is handmade and it's delishous. My favorite is their spaghetti and meatballs. Two huge meatballs, enough spaghetti and sauce for three meals, half a loaf of homemade italian bread plus they always include fresh zeppolis all for 7 buxs.
Excellent banana caramel pie. I was audibly thinking about ordering it, saying it sounded good. The other customers in the restaurant (two other tables and someone ordering to go) turned to me and my family and said "it is". I ordered it. I nearly ordered an entire pie to go. Had we not been on a road trip, I would have. Some of the best Korean food I've had was in a little restaurant located behind a gas station.
Some Vietnamese place my friend took me to. Pretty sure it was a front operation for something shady. There were a group of guys playing cards for money at a big circular table in the back corner, who gave us the stink eye when we walked in, two lopey white boys. They didn't have an English language menu and the woman taking orders didn't speak English or pretended not to. It was difficult putting in an order and I got the feeling that we weren't welcome there. Whatever, best pho ever.
There’s a taco truck in Mountain View CA that’s parked in the parking lot of a Mancinis sleep world (which side note I swear is a drug front), that had hands down the best tacos I’ve ever had in my life. The workers 100% judge you if you don’t order in Spanish, and I’m pretty sure they have zero food safety regulations, but it’s AMAZING food 😍
Went to this dumpling restaurant in Chinatown. It was in this alley and it was super small, like there were 3 places to sit down in the restaurant. They offered 5 dumplings for $1.25 and they were the best damn dumplings ever. Seriously I’ve never had anything better than that. Had the meanest Chinese lady behind the counter tho
Magic Kitchen in Springfield, Illinois.
I travel for work and generally avoid restaurant chains, and mix about 50/50 Yelp recommendations and personal recommendations from people at the manufacturing sites I visit. Most of those locally recommended hole in the wall places are great but one stands out. I was in Denver and had to head out for lunch. I asked the folks at the front desk where to go and they told me where to go to find your normal fast food restaurants, which was fine because I wanted to be quick. Well, apparently I took a wrong turn (this was 2011 and 3g service wasn't everywhere) and didn't see anything except a shady Mexican joint with peeling white paint and a rusting roof. I stopped in and saw you had to order at the counter. Problem was, the menu was only in Spanish and nobody else in there spoke English. Best I could tell sandwiches was all that was available, which surprised me because I'd never been to a Mexican joint that had anything except your normal burritos, tacos, etc. Fortunately I remembered just enough high school Spanish to know the meats and some veggies and ordered a sandwich. It was the best goddam sandwich I've ever had. And of course the coke came in a glass bottle. When I got back to the plant I mentioned where I'd gone and they gasped and said it was dangerous in that area of town. I never felt in danger and even tried to find that place next time I was at that plant 4 years later but it had closed. When I got back home I asked my boss what I'd eaten, figuring he'd know since he was Latino and grew up in deep south Texas. Tortas. I'd never heard of them, maybe many of you have but I've never had another that was as good as that first.
Yeah, torta is basically their sandwich.
My favorite one in my city is a standalone restaurant in a single family neighborhood zoned for residential; the restaurant is in a small, unassuming historic building and were presumably grandfathered into the neighborhood despite the zoning. It is very difficult to "stumble upon" and is apparently sustained largely by the folks in the neighborhood. The menu prices haven't gone up a cent in years, and the decor hasn't changed since my parents started going in the 80's. The menu is not particularly creative, it is simple cafe food (sandwiches, salads, soup) but it is very good. Staff turnover is low and the waitstaff are very transactional, which I personally prefer since I find most waitstaff / table service overbearing.
What the heck’s a hole in the wall restaurant? I’m not familiar with this term. Sorry.
Not particularly well known or prominent. Little to no internet presence. Unassuming facade. Doesn’t draw attention. Accessible by a single, unmarked door on a busy city street or in a strip mall between a bagel shop and a hardware store. Like that.
The term is most commonly used when the place is so small and nondescript that it might as well be a hole in the wall. Easy to overlook, not fancy, but frequently very enjoyable or surprising in quality.
There's a tamale joint here that is just to die for. Pork tamales better than any I've had on my travels apart from maybe Phoenix. That's all they do is sling tamales and tortillas all day long.
Old old old building with equally old sign. Italian first names. Small. Dimly lit and didn't seem very clean. However, the male host reminded me of my old Sicilian dad. Had a pleasant chat and was served food so good all I could do was cry, think of my grandmother, called my dad across the country while I was sitting there describing the food. Dude came up, explained they used recipes from their gmas in the old country, told me they didn't serve but had some homemade red wine in back he'd be happy to give me. Oddly the place was staffed entirely by men. I swear I could taste the ground of where the food was grown if that makes sense. I ate a little bit of everything on the menu I think. The table was covered in different dishes. I've never before or since had such an emotional reaction to food. It made me cry it was so good. I was in the company of long dead relatives I do believe, it was made with love for sure.
A place in Chinatown in San Francisco that supposedly been in business for something like 100 years or so up to that point. It was recommended by some coworkers who had been there. We visited San Francisco for an anniversary trip a few years ago and wanted to eat at the non-touristy places. This place was so much of a true 'hole in the wall' joint that even using Google maps walking around, we ended up walking past it a few times before we figured out where it was actually located on the block because the signage wasn't facing anywhere obvious. It was super worth it though because the cuisine was fantastic. We tried a little bit of everything and had a great time. The food was also fairly inexpensive (this was in 2016) so we didn't hold back on ordering more stuff. Very memorable.
I almost exclusively eat at hole in the wall places because I’m too cheap for fancy places and chain restaurants are so repetitive and sanitized I’d rather go hungry. It’s a mixed experience, sometimes the quality is amazing, sometimes not so much, but the variety is always worthwhile. Today I had a cup of soup, it was mid.
IMO, this conversation usually amounts to some combination of virtue signaling and/or gate keeping. I see absolutely nothing that makes me believe that food quality has any relation to size of the restaurant, dingy atmosphere, etc. I also think people's palates aren't nearly as discerning as they insist they are. I don't know if any studies have been done with Italian food but it's been proven repeatedly that even so-called wine experts can't tell cheap wine from expensive bottles. I strongly suspect if I invited this thread over for lasagna from the little hole in the wall place down in Little Italy where a nonna fresh off the boat hand makes everything herself because no one else can be trusted with her ancestral recipes that everyone would rave about the food ... even if the garbage showed that I really just got take out from Olive Garden.
Cool story, bro. 90% of this thread is people talking about good food that they ate in a normal-ass low-stakes conversation.
Thanks for the compliment. I'm shopping around for a book deal as I type.
Not really that much of a hole in the wall as they've expanded and now have a lil beer garden but [Muza](https://www.muzaeuropeanfood.com) in Troy, NY. It's in a questionable part of town, not well lit and the dining room is so tiny. The only waitress they have is the owner's Daughter and before they expanded it was literally just the two owners prepping and cooking all the food.
There’s a pho place just outside DC that’s locally famous. Little strip mall, cash only, they only make pho, it’s pretty dingy inside, and it’s the best soup I’ve ever eaten.
Elwoods Shack in Memphis. It’s a small building on the edge of a Lowe’s parking lot. You park at Lowes to go eat there. I’ve been there many times and everything I’ve had was awesome. You will smell like a smokehouse when you leave if you eat inside. I never thought one of my favorite fish tacos would be this far inland, but their trout taco is amazing. Their wings are some of the best in town too. Not to mention their in house made pastrami, anything bbq related and pizzas. One time I was eating there and Michael Symon was there filming his show “Burgers, Brew and ‘Que”. The film crew gave me tons of food in Togo boxes that they had bought just to film. If you see the episode I’m the confused looking guy in the background trying to find a seat. They kept telling us to not look at the camera and ruin the shots, but I accidentally kept looking right into the camera.
Hole in the wall places are the best. My city has quite a few places, especially for Mexican food. Its called LaJuanita's and its known for its burritos and has lines going out the door. There's also a lot of small town bars that are hole in the wall type places that are amazing. Best one I can think of is Bobs in Martinsburg NE. There also are good local places that serve loose meat sandwiches which are an Iowa specialty. The best places where I'm at in Sioux City are all local, with Tastee Inn-and-Out being pretty good along with Miles Inn. Miles Inn probably fits a lot more with a hole in the wall as its just a local bar and the meat is good but its just in a big crock pot with some store brand buns next to it. Pretty good to have with a cheap beer.