North Carolina’s strangest restaurants include an oddities museum, a steakhouse without a conventional menu and perhaps the world’s fanciest McDonald’s. Like the destinations among Georgia’s five weirdest restaurants, these places make the surroundings almost as memorable as the food. Here are five of the weirdest restaurants operating in North Carolina. The Odd in Asheville The Odd is part neighborhood bar, part [...]

One of Houston's most beloved Mexican restaurants is preparing to serve its final meals at its longtime Upper Kirby location. After more than four decades in business, Picos will close on August 30, marking the end of an era for generations of loyal diners. While owner Arnaldo Richards says the closure is intended to be a transition rather than a permanent farewell, the restaurant's current chapter is coming to a close as [...]

A popular restaurant in one of Tennessee's busiest tourist destinations is preparing to close its doors for good next month. After years of serving visitors in Pigeon Forge, the Hard Rock Cafe will permanently shut down, marking the end of another iconic dining destination in the Smoky Mountains – and leaving only one remaining location in the state. Final day set for August The Hard Rock Cafe, located at 2050 Parkway in [...]

Idaho diners recently said goodbye to two Meridian restaurants that built loyal followings in very different ways. The closures are part of the same difficult restaurant climate that has produced surprising shutdowns around the country. One was a family-run Indian restaurant whose owners are retiring after decades in Treasure Valley food. The other was a pizza spot with unusually passionate fans and a thin sesame-seed [...]

Chick-fil-A has built a reputation for offering healthier fast-food options than many of its competitors, thanks to grilled chicken, fresh salads, and fruit sides. But not every item on the menu is a nutritious choice. Some meals are loaded with calories, saturated fat, sodium, or sugar, making them best enjoyed as an occasional indulgence rather than an everyday lunch. Here are three of the least healthy menu items based [...]

"I'm old enough to remember when they had salad bars, solariums and focused on their baked potatoes. It's been downhill since." Nostalgia is a powerful force in fast food, and Wendy's inspires more of it than most chains. For a certain generation of customers, Wendy's in its prime represented something genuinely different — a fast food experience that felt a cut above. That feeling, some longtime fans say, has faded. To [...]