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.

Great locals stop in Loris. Heard about this place that was…read moresaid to be a locals favorite. Decided to try it out. It is a small back country looking place. But had a bunch of commercial vehicles and trucks in lot, so you know it will be good. I tried their hotdogs with the works. The use the "red" hotdogs, deep fried with chili and sauerkraut. Very good, always liked the red dogs. My friend really enjoyed the house hamburger. Was worth the trip.

Small, local, excellent. My kinda place. You'll enjoy. Daily specials. Burgers. Onion rings…read more Friendly. Quaint.

Best burger and fries I've had! I love how the fries are cooked in beef tallow! You can tell that…read morethe beef is good quality.

After hearing recommendation after recommendation, I made my first stop at Island Burgers & Bites…read morein Carolina Beach. I even walked over a mile to get there... so if this burger was bad, I was going to have a very long, disappointing walk back. Thankfully, that wasn't a problem. I ordered the double cheeseburger Carolina-style with chili, slaw, mustard, and onions. A Carolina-style burger... in Carolina Beach. It just felt right. First of all, this thing was HUGE. The beef was incredibly well seasoned with those crisp, lacy edges. The chili had just enough sweetness, the mustard brought the perfect tang, and the onions added that fresh crunch. Then there's the toasted potato bun--still the undisputed champion of burger buns--and the perfectly melted cheese holding this glorious mess together. What makes this place even cooler is that it started in a gas station back in 2017. Now it's one of the most talked-about burger spots around. It's considered by many to be the third best burger in North Carolina and after one bite, I completely understand why. Sometimes the best food comes from the places you'd least expect. Despite being busy, the food came out surprisingly fast, and the staff kept things moving without missing a beat. Final score: 9.8/10. This officially takes the #1 spot on the Ev's Eats Best Burger List... for now. Every burger from here on out has a new standard to chase. #CarolinaBeach #IslandBurgersAndBites #NorthCarolinaEats #NCEats NCFood

Absolutely the best burger I've had in a long time. A…read morefriend was recommending this yesterday and I tried it this morning 2006 August 5th. I will be back over and over I can't imagine getting a burger from anywhere else. Not even comparable to fast food joints or even steakhouse burgers. Very well done.

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 excellent, fast service and delicious food, classic dinner feel. Prices are very cheap and…read morereasonable. It gets packed at lunch hours, but it's worth the wait for great burgers!

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

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.

Awesome hamburger and onion rings! Would not have stopped…read morehere had I not found it on Yelp. Glad I did!

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.

I asked for a sliced BBQ sandwich, even discussed it with the carhop, got home and it was…read moreminced/chopped... I threw it away ! Fries were good , but they always are

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.

Traveling through and heard about this iconic burger in Whiteville so I stopped in, glad I did. I…read moreordered mine all the way and crushed two of them. So good!! Heads up though, it's cash only but well worth a trip to the ATM. Will visit again.