Good old fashioned all the way cheeseburgers and hot dogs. And that means slaw, chili, onions and…read moremustard. Quick service. Can't hardly not stop here if you're in E-town.

So, I'm on my way back from the beach and I'm on 87 but taking a back road and I see several signs…read moreabout Melvin's restaurant. I saw something about a hamburger, it was lunch time and I decided to take the detour into town and see if I can get something to go. Suddenly, I was in downtown Elizabethtown, and it was quite charming. A lot of times I go through the small North Carolina towns that used to thrive at one time but are now pretty much shut down and deserted. It was not the case with Elizabethtown. I saw coffee shops and boutiques and clothing stores and of course, Melvin's. When I first walked in, I got nervous because there was a long line and I was not in the mood to be waiting a long time to get a hamburger unless it's for White Castles. But let me tell you something, Melvin's got it worked out to a science. One person takes your order. One person makes your hamburger. One person puts the hamburger in the bag and the other person takes your money. I was in and out of there in less than 2 minutes. It cracked me up. The menu is quite limited. You can have a hamburger or a cheeseburger or a hot dog and that's it. You can't even get fries. You can get a bag of chips which is what I did and some random cookie for a dollar. I enjoyed getting in the car and having my lunch for the ride back home. The hamburger was good and so was the pric... less than five bucks. I got it all the way with coleslaw and ketchup and mustard. and chili Melvin's has been around forever, and it was clear that the locals love it. The line was long and the place was pretty full. People are in and out of there in a few minutes. So anyway, if you're on your way to the beach and on 87, grab a burger at Melvin's and keep the tradition going at Melvin's.

What a fun place and Gunsmoke was on the television! We…read moreordered fried chicken that came with collard greens, sweet potato soufflé, 2 rolls, rice and gravy. All made by the same chef that's been there 16 years. The food was delicious and the fried chicken tasted like my mama's (which is a very high compliment!) $20 for two meals. We were there in October so Halloween was everywhere from tablecloths with pumpkin pictures to tall spooky looking characters scattered around. The service was great also. We enjoyed our time at Papa Tom's!

For an out of the way dive with reasonably priced food. Sometimes there is a little wait because…read moreit's all made to order. It's worth the side trip off the interstate for some feel good nothing fancy but tasty food.

Funky little hole in the wall attached to a convenience store with one gas pump without the price…read moreposted, in the middle of nowhere. We were hungry and 'needing relief' so popped in for a bite. Three friendly ladies working the counter took our order. Prices were crazy low compared to the touristy spots we left behind in Myrtle Beach, or any in Los Angeles from where we recently moved. I wanted something a little different, so I ordered a pork chop sandwich. It was literally as the name implies, a pork chop on two pieces of white bread, bones included. I chucked a bit, and dug in. The flavor was good, and it was tender and juicy. The bathroom was another story. Sign said 'get key from store', so went in and asked for the key. Young guy at the counter handed me a ring of about 8 keys, pulled out two of them and said that it was one of these. It was not, nor was any of the others on the ring. I returned and explained, he came back with me and was equally unsuccessful. So he used one of the keys to slide behind the bolt and opened it that way. While I saw no evidence, it was quite foul-smelling, and I hurried about my business and left. I purchased two bottles of water from the lunch counter ($1 each, just like Vegas!), and we headed down the road.

Yes. Dear Lord, can you believe this place exists. It is in literally the middle of nowhere because…read moreit is so far off the main highway. But worth every extra minute. Fried thick bologna sandwich on toasted bread or cheeseburger all the way and you know for sure that you will be back and you will pack an extra stomach. Great service and friendly folks only add to this place.

Excellent food. Jalapeño poppers and burger was so good. Great prices and was happy to be staying…read moreso close while in town. Megan the server was so lovely.

Hamburger and hot dogs are great. Ask for crispy fried. Service was quick. Really clean…read morerestaurant. Great tea.. give them a try

Came all the way from Baltimore on vacation and the food was outstanding anybody coming to the…read moreCarolina beach area definitely check 'em out had to let the manager know how I enjoyed my experience.

We've been coming to island burgers for years as a family and it's truly our favorite place to come…read morewhile in the Carolina Beach area. We even stayed in Wilmington this time and made the drive! Years ago it was in a really small run down building and was such a gem of a find. Now they have a beautiful building with lots of parking too. It's truly such a great spot to eat- never disappoints!!

Everything went well!! This place is just awesome! My husband and I both had the Hog Haven for a…read morevery reasonable price . He had the fries I had the onion rings. They were both good but the onion rings to me were the clear winner What to say about that burger? It was so juicy with so much flavor who would think that putting pulled pork on top of a half pound delicious juicy burger would even work with barbecue sauce, but it does!! What a taste sensation and sooooo filling!! Thank you for the special treat!! The service was amazing and friendly. Even though she was very busy handling walk ins like us and many take out orders she was amazingly efficient! The bathrooms were very clean and so was the dining area I loved the table codes above us on the wall. What a nice idea!

I was looking forward to eating some bbq here but was sadly disappointed. We went on a Friday night…read morearound 7pm and the place was empty. There was s few pickup orders while we were there. The place was simple and clean. We went to the counter and asked to see a menu. Surprising but they only have one bbq pork sandwich on the whole menu. So I asked if the cook made it himself and was it smoked bbq. We were honestly told he used to smoke ot but no longer does. We saw a few crockpots in the kitchen and decided not to eat there. My suggestion would be to remove the smoked from the name as it's hugely misleading if you don't smoke your own pork and only have 1 bbq sandwich on the menu.

Always the best food and service!! Love the atmosphere and all the memorabilia. Rays is one of our…read morefavorites in Whiteville.

Love Ray's Grill especially the Double Cheeseburgers with Slaw. The atmosphere is down to earth,…read morethe owner Ray is a very nice man they give free refills on your drinks. And the girls are also nice and attentive, and they only accept cash. Try them you want be disappointed!

Great burgers. Must stop for lunch on your next trip to/from the beach. Picnic tables outside and…read morea small area of indoor seating.

The best handmade , not frozen , burgers in North Carolina. I was visiting my sister and niece in…read moreLaurinburg for a week in March and wanted a good local burger. I read the great reviews of this place online , so I had to come see for myself. It's a small brick building on the side of Andrew Jackson Hwy in Laurel Hill. Small parking lot with plenty of business. They have a small indoor dining area that is a bar top facing the windows. A couple of picnic tables outside , which is where I ate mine. I got the Double Cheeseburger with Crinkle Cut Fries and a can of Pepsi. The burger patties were nice and thick and juicy. Hot and fresh tasting with lettuce and tomato. If you want a Traditional North Carolina Slaw Burger they can do that too. The Crinkle Cut Fries were hot , fresh , and tasty. I prefer Crinkle Cut or Steak Cut Fries , so this was a plus. The employees were also nice. They have so much other food to choose from. Bbq Pork Sandwiches , Burgers , Hot Dogs , Sausage Dogs , Corn Dogs , Fried Bologna Sandwich , Pimento Cheese Sandwich , Chicken Wings , Hamburger Steak Plate , Chicken Salad , Chicken Sandwich , Fried Okra , Fries , Onion Rings , Baked Beans , Green Beans , Slaw , and Mashed Potatoes , and more. So don't pass by this place on the way to the beach or elsewhere. Make sure to stop and get you some good ole Carolina Food made with Love.

This was a treat. The burgers are great. The onion rings are darn good too. Intend to go back and…read moreexplore some more of the menu. It's drive in only, they ask you not to come inside now. I do wish there was some indication where you should park though.

Although the cheeseburger was OK, we also had the fries and onion rings. Both seem to be cooked in…read moreburnt grease which put a damper on the whole visit. The waiter or server was nice. The ambience we never went inside. We actually ate our food in the car, it just seemed like people park where they wanted to, but it was OK but it's not somewhere. I'll probably visit again. I wish I had took a picture. I don't take these things lightly.

Driving through small towns and finding a little hot dog stand is my favorite. Ward's is an easy…read morestop off of 74. I checked their hours and I thought I am going to be sad if I drive here and the hours are posted wrong. Sure enough, pulled up 8am and they were open! This is a great place for burgers and hot dogs. Especially if you have kids, stop, they will remember eating hot dogs for breakfast for the rest of their lives. Carry out only, no seating. Cash only. Weird hours. They close 1p! 1230p on Saturdays. What??? Check hours before making the detour. The hours on the door says they close on the third Saturday of every month.

Perfect spot for a quick lunch! Absolutely love the chili they put on the hotdogs. All of the food…read moreis delicious and comfort food. Service is always extremely fast and the restaurant is clean.