The Ultimate Cross-Country Road Trip for Bacon-Lovers

The Ultimate Cross-Country Road Trip for Bacon-Loving Foodies

So you want to embark on a cross-country road trip? Why not see all the sights and famous landmarks across the nation and eat some of the best bacon while you’re at it? Get your maps, gas up your car, grab your friends, pack up your bags, and head out on the open road to enjoy experiencing these bacon-loving capitals across the United States.

Newport, Oregon

Sure, Portland, Oregon, has made a name for itself over the years as a top dining destination and even more so as a beer drinker’s paradise. But we found Oregon’s delicious secret hiding out in the coastal city of Newport. The town is home to the famed Rogue brewery, which also happens to be where we found a delicious maple bacon beer. That’s right, maple bacon beer.

Rogue’s Maple Bacon Ale is bottled in a bright, pepto-like bottle and is emblazoned with a voodoo man. Why, you ask? This beer was the result of a partnership between Rogue and Portland’s Voodoo Doughnut, which has since expanded to other cities, including Denver and Austin, Texas. This beer basically tastes like a liquified maple bacon donut — and it’s awesome.

Austin, Texas

One word, five letters. You guessed right — it’s bacon! And, it’s also the name of a quaint, yellow-painted restaurant in Austin, Texas. Since 2011, Bacon has been serving up fresh, yet innovative homestyle meals and eats. Here, bacon lovers can order dishes like the drool-worthy biscuits and bacon gravy, served with two buttermilk drop biscuits and homemade bacon gravy; or the bacon waffle, made with crispy bacon baked right into the fluffy waffle. Other menu items include the:

• • Bacon salad
• • Bacon fries
• • Bacon Reuben
• • Bacon breakfast tacos

Let’s face it: You can’t travel to Austin without eating some breakfast tacos. In Austin, the saying goes, “Keep Austin Weird.” But we don’t think there’s anything weird about their love and appreciation for all things bacon.

Colorado Springs, Colorado

When you’re not feeling too hot, you visit the doctor. And when you’re craving a bacon-flavored pastry, you go to the Cupcake Doctor. Based in Colorado Springs, this cupcake shop turns out more than a dozen unique flavors on a daily basis. One of those flavors just happens to be the Maple Bacon. The cupcake is baked with bacon pieces and topped with a bacon brown sugar glaze, maple buttercream frosting and finished off with a bacon garnish. Keep your chocolate cupcakes and give us a box of these!

When it comes to planning your cross-country road trip, what else do you need besides a big appetite for bacon? Well, you’ll need to make sure your car is in good working order by checking the tread of your tires. In addition, plan ahead for the worst and pack a car-safety kit — equipped with flares and emergency supplies — just in case. Colorado Springs is known for experiencing inclement weather, so it’s best to be prepared.

New York, New York

New York is referred to as the Big Apple, but we think it should be called the Big Bacon. Why? Here, folks love their bacon. They love their bacon so much so that mixologists throughout Manhattan have dedicated their time and energy into procuring bacon-themed cocktails. From bacon bitters, garnishes and even bacon vodka, these bartenders know a thing or two about making delicious bacon-flavored drinks.

`Drinkers and bacon lovers alike can indulge in the BLT Mary at Cookshop, Bacon Old Fashioned at Recette, Bacon Martini from Double Down Saloon and Bacon Manhattan at Barley & Grain’s. But you must be 21 or older to imbibe. Sorry, kids.