Road-trip eats: Best food off the interstate

— -- There is no better way to experience America's natural bounty of foods than on a road trip, as U.S. highways traverse the nation's ranches and farmlands, lined with eateries of every type. The best offer delicious takes on comfort-food standards: burgers, dogs, fried chicken, barbecue, pizza — which are often better on the road, especially when given a regional twist that makes them a special part of the travel experience.

Here are seven tasty places that are easy to reach from major interstate highways.

Oklahoma Joe's Barbecue

Kansas City, Kansas

There are a lot of great BBQ joints in Kansas City, but Oklahoma Joe's (with three locations) hits its entire menu out of the park. If you want to see a perfect rack of BBQ ribs, this is the place. Its brisket and sauces have won the world's biggest barbecue competitions, while creative sandwiches are its hidden gems. You can fuel your stomach and car, since the original location is inside a suburban gas station 15 minutes west of downtown Kansas City, just off I-75, near the junctions of I-35 and I-435. This place is loved by locals, so there's often a line. 3002 W. 47th Ave.;913-722-3366; oklahomajoesbbq.com

Crown Burger

Salt Lake City

This family-owned mini-chain of seven fast-food burger joints in and around Salt Lake City created the region's unique and oft-imitated signature dish, a quarter-pound burger topped with juicy Greek-style pastrami, cheese, and "fry sauce," or Thousand Island dressing. The menu has about 100 items, from gyros to corn dogs to salads, perfect for families with varied tastes. It's fast, friendly, and easy on the wallet, and the original (Store #1) is very close to both I-80 and I-15, with two suburban locations right off I-15 north (Layton) and south (Sandy) of Salt Lake. crown-burgers.com

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

Memphis

If you didn't think fried chicken could be a transformative experience, you need to eat at Gus's. Fried chicken is the only entrée, alongside baked beans, cole slaw, white bread, fried pickles, potato salad, seasoned fries, and excellent fried rice (called "dirty rice"). This is crust lovers' fried chicken, with a crispy, well-seasoned skin that is love at first bite. The large roadhouse-style restaurant has a to-go counter, décor consisting of bottles of hot sauce and ketchup packets, and is patronized heavily by locals, tourists, families and professionals. It is in downtown, but just a few blocks off the I-40 ramp. 310 S. Front St.;901-527-4877

Frank Pepe's Pizzeria Napoletana

New Haven, Conn.

There are lots of road-food choices along the heavily trafficked I-95 Northeast corridor, but it's hard to beat Pepe's, midway between New York and Boston and less than 5 minutes off the interstate. Since 1925, Pepe's has turned out huge, very thin pizzas from its coal-burning oven that many experts, such as Tim Zagat of the Zagat Survey, think are the best in the United States. Pepe's (which has seven locations) is best known for its signature fresh, white clam version and cheese-less "tomato pie," but all the varieties are exceptional. There is often a line, so avoid the lunch rush. 157 Wooster St.;203-865-5762; pepespizzeria.com

Singleton's Seafood Shack

Atlantic Beach, Fla.