You know about sushi. You know about burgers. But have you ever heard of sushi-burger fusion food?
Don’t worry — most people haven’t. But if you have, you might be from Charlotte, North Carolina. That’s where Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar first began, offering beef, fish, and dishes that mix both.
The South is known for its delicious food, from biscuits and gravy to barbeque chicken to shrimp gumbo. But we’re also blessed with establishments that blend great food with interesting themes, locations, and backstories. If you’re bored with home cooking or just looking for something new, here are 5 of the Southeast’s most unique restaurants.
Columbia Restaurant — Tampa, FL
Columbia Restaurant began as a small saloon in 1903 owned by Spanish-Cuban immigrant Casimiro Hernandez Sr. But unlike most restaurants of its time, it remains 120 years later — and it’s the world’s largest Spanish restaurant!
Spanning an entire city block, Columbia Restaurant is as enormous as it is historic. It claims to be Florida’s oldest restaurant, with 12 themed dining rooms built in iconic eras like the ‘20s and ‘30s. Seating up to 1,700 patrons, the restaurant serves award-winning cuisine like steak salteado, Ybor City devil crab croquettes, and pollo manchego.
You don’t just get dinner, though — you can also get a show. The restaurant hosts Flamenco dance performances every day but Sunday. Musicians from the Dick Rivers Band also perform in the evening on Friday through Saturday. You can call to reserve show seats, with an $8 Flamenco cover charge.
Since its inception, Columbia Restaurant has expanded to seven locations in Florida. But only the original location has the historic dining rooms and Flamenco shows. To learn more or book a reservation, visit Columbia Restaurant’s website here.
Huggin’ Molly’s — Abbeville, AL
Every small town has its ghost stories. And in Abbeville, Alabama, that story is Huggin’ Molly — a 7-foot tall, ghostly woman who stalks the streets. The legend says that if you see her black skirt swishing at night, she’ll chase you down, hug you, and howl in your ear.
But thankfully, the local restaurant Huggin’ Molly’s serves up ice cream, not screams.
Huggin’ Molly’s resembles a 1950s parlor, bustling with unique antiques and an authentic soda fountain. The all-American food follows the diner’s form, with eatings like build-your-own burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and hand-cut french fries. Daily soups and Southern entreé specials spice up the menu, too, ensuring you have a different experience each day.
And what would a diner be without ice cream? Huggin’ Molly’s excels in malts, milkshakes, and ice cream soda floats — the perfect ending to any meal.
To learn more about Huggin’ Molly’s, visit its website here.
Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room — Savannah, GA
Sharing food can be a personal experience, usually reserved for families and friends. Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room understands that — and that’s why you dine with strangers.
On Monday through Friday, patrons file through the historic building’s doors and sit at 10-person tables. Then the entire table is served family-style Southern favorites like fried chicken, sweet potato souffle, and corn muffins from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. As you pass dishes around, you’re sure to meet someone new!
The restaurant’s unique dining style harkens back to 20th-century Southern boarding houses, where everyone from school teachers to bankers to manual laborers ate in communal dining rooms at least twice daily. A young woman named Selma Wilkes took over what is now Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room in 1943, continuing the tradition.
For $30 per head, the unique dining experience can be yours. Payments are cash and check only. And if you’re interested in a longer-term stay, the boarding house still rents out the Wilkes Pied-a-terre. This apartment-style lodging offers a main bedroom, dining room, kitchen, and outdoor space. To learn more, visit Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room’s website here.
Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar — Charlotte, NC
Remember the sushi-burger joint we mentioned earlier? Yes, it’s real! Charlotte’s Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar is perhaps the only place you can get a sushi platter and top it off with a juicy burger.
The restaurant is known for its combination dishes, dubbed “burgushi.” The Fusion Special Bento Box, for example, features a mini-burger of the week, sweet potato fries, and a 4-piece Fusion Specialty roll or 3 pieces of mixed nigiri. Meanwhile, the Deliverance Roll is what the restaurant calls “bar-b-q-shi,” with barbeque pulled pork and caramelized onions wrapped in rice, soy paper and potato strings — then flash-fried!
The restaurant’s quirky ambiance matches its eccentric food options. Neon pop art bedecks the walls, and large fish tanks show off real-life cowfish, a highlighter-yellow tropical fish from the Red and Indo-Pacific Seas.
Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar also has locations in Raleigh and Orlando, but the original site remains in Charlotte. To learn more, visit the restaurant’s website here.
Sea Captain’s House Oceanfront Dining — Myrtle Beach, SC
Having a beach picnic is common enough. But what about eating hot, fresh-caught food while enjoying the waves?
At Myrtle Beach’s Sea Captain’s House Oceanfront Dining, that’s exactly what you get. Set in a quaint 90-year-old cottage, the restaurant sits at the shore’s edge, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy dishes like crab cakes benedict for breakfast, a flounder sandwich for lunch, and Captain’s seafood muddle for dinner.
The restaurant’s location has its fair share of history. Built in 1930, the cottage was first a vacation home, then a boarding house. It was set to be torn down in 1962, but financing was short. While waiting for the demolition, its owners opened it as a restaurant — the same restaurant that remains today.
Delivering fresh food daily, Sea Captain’s House Oceanfront Dining has stood the test of time. To learn more, visit Sea Captain’s House Oceanfront Dining website here.
Treat yourself to a unique dining experience
Whether the draw is a distinct location or unusual food choices, the Southeast has plenty of unique eateries. Hop in your Toyota and enjoy a special restaurant with your friends and family!