Sam OBrien's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Bristol, Virginia

Hickory

This restaurant is devoted to celebrating Appalachia's cuisine.
Franklin, North Carolina

Caffé REL

Step past the gas pumps and into a fine French bistro.
Cascade, Iowa

The Menster Christmas Cookie Gravestone

A mother’s sweet tradition lives on with this unique memorial.
Rome, Italy

Pasticceria Boccione

In Rome’s Jewish ghetto, a 200-year-old bakery still makes the neighborhood’s historic sweets.
K’alapurka
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

K’alapurka

In the city of Potosí, a steamy soup bubbles from the heat of volcanic rocks.
Gastro Obscura
Yaupon Tea
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Yaupon Tea

The mellow-buzz brew that once fueled Native Americans is making a comeback.
Gastro Obscura
Rehovot, Israel

Ida's Nut Roll Gravestone

A family recipe is just one of several touches that make this Hebrew headstone special.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Thirty Nine

Named for the 39 tribes that live in Oklahoma, this restaurant's menu deliciously highlights local flavors.
London, England

Café in the Crypt

This coffee shop lies hidden beneath a historic church.
Mexico City, Mexico

El Vilsito

By night, this auto repair shop turns into a taquería serving up some of the city's finest al pastor tacos.
Hancock, New York

Delaware Delicacies Smokehouse

At this small shop off a dirt road in the forest, the specialty is eel the owner caught and smoked himself.
Bernards Township, New Jersey

Devil's Tree

An allegedly cursed tree represents a town's reckoning with a racist past.
Tlalixtac de Cabrera, Mexico

Caldo de Piedra

Fiery-hot river rocks make soup sizzle at this restaurant showcasing indigenous Chinantec cuisine.
Oaxaca, Mexico

Itanoní

In a quiet residential neighborhood, one restaurant fights to preserve heirloom corn, one tortilla at a time.
Puerto Escondido, Mexico

El Bunker de JP

In this beloved beach town, a secret seafood haven lies tucked behind a car wash.
Oaxaca, Mexico

Casilda Aguas Regionales

In a busy Oaxaca market, a nearly century-old drinks stand still serves family recipes from giant clay pots.
Oaxaca, Mexico

La Pozontlería

One of the city's few vendors selling the Sierra Norte's ancestral beverage lies within a hidden farmers market.
Tucson, Arizona

El Charro Cafe

One of the oldest Mexican restaurants in the United States air-dries its trademark beef in a dangling outdoor cage.
Antwerp, Belgium

Cafe Beveren

This small corner bar is home to a rare 1930s dance organ that still plays tunes for one Euro.
Brussels, Belgium

Théâtre Royal de Toone

Drink among marionettes at this pub inside a historic puppet theater.
Vleteren, Belgium

Westvleteren

Stocking up on the world's best beer requires a pilgrimage to a monastery drive-through.
Bakersfield, California

Last Woolworth's Lunch Counter

An antique store houses the last operational diner from the defunct department store chain.
Antwerp, Belgium

Kulminator

To enter this cluttered-yet-cozy sanctum of Belgian brews, ring the bell and tell the gatekeepers you've come “to taste beer.”
San Jose, California

Mark's Hot Dogs

For roadside fast food, pull over at the giant orange.