Exit 30A - MD-41 South (Perring Pkwy)

I almost gave up on this exit. I had some real trouble finding any food close by to Perring Parkway and Putty Hill. I wasn't going to give up on this post altogether, but I was planning to lump 30A and B together. After all, I know there is food in the other direction near the K-Mart and the Home Depot. Lucky for me I passed by Taylor Avenue, down which there were some good choices for lunch.

After all my car repairs, and probably computer repairs after that, I wanted as cheap a lunch as I could find. Most of the places here are in a cheap-eats sort of budget:

• Maria's Pizzeria (map) is closest to the intersection. It is fairly difficult to miss and will be the next stop when I am out this way.
  
• Hale's Seafood (map) - Dealin' in crabs, urshturs, and the like since 1953. Really nothing else to say here.
  
• Casa Mia's (map), whose lasagna and New York-style pizza definitely have their fans.
• Hill's Deli and Catering (map). That's all I know about it so far.
  

The nicest (and probably most expensive) restaurant down this road is local stand-by Pappas (map), who specializes in crabcakes and American cuisine. At the same address is the Western House, which appears to be your standard restaurant-bar

If you drive far enough, you will pass by the Moreland Memorial Cemetery, whose entrance looks like something out of the Enchanted Forest.

I finally stopped next door to Hale's Seafood, at Godfrey's (map), a small and simple place selling burgers (many varieties, none more than $4 with fries and small fountain drink), fifteen different varieties of wings (10 for about $7, and 30 about $17 and a quarter), ribs ($8 for 1/2 lb.), subs (glorious subs ranging from $3.50 to $6) and sno-balls (didn't catch the price - but it is indeed that time of year). There isn't anywhere to sit inside. It's pretty much a counter with a bench for waiting.

One thing Godfrey seems to excel in is their variety of burgers - twenty by my count. A few examples:

• The "Big G" (their priciest, at $4.25) - has everything but the kitchen sink, apparently: "LTM" (lettuce, tomato, mushrooms - or was it mayo?), ketchup, raw onions, jack cheese, mushrooms and bacon. This ain't health food, people.
  
• The Loyola ($3.75) - three cheeses, Swiss, Cheddar and Provolone. Mmmmmm.
  
• The Morgan State ($3.50) - Cajun spice, and that's about it.
  
• The Hawaiian ($3.95) - includes teriyaki sauce, Canadian bacon and pineapple.
  
• The Mexican ($3.95) - Monterey Jack, chili and jalapeños. Again, yum.
  

The one I got was the Coppin State Burger, topped with almost as much as the "Big G": Thousand Island dressing, onions, pickles, Cajun spice and cheese (your choice). It came with curly fries (Arby's style; you can also get fries and Boardwalk Fries) and a small fountain drink - I got Diet Pepsi, though they also offer root beer and birch beer. Grand total: $5. Nice price.

I knew it might not taste as well after 15 minutes in the car, so I had to eat some before I drove off. The burger was tasty and moist, and the toppings went nicely together. I hate to say that the Cajun spices got totally drowned out by everything else. I only remembered that it was supposed to be in there after looking back over the menu. By the time I got it home, the burger was still tasty, though a little less so after the drive back home. The fries were crispier and more flavorful than most I've had from take-out places, even though they lost their crispness on the way home. All in all, it was pretty good. Not the best burger I have had, but I'd get it again.

The burger on my coffee table. Okay, I couldn't wait. I was hungry, dammit!

Other photos:

Yes, this is a cemetery. Why does it make me want to go visit the Three Little Pigs?

Places I visited:

Godfrey's (burgers / subs / wings) -1803 Taylor Ave., Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 668-7421

• Would I eat there again? Yes
• Would I go out of my way to eat there again? Probably not for the burger, though I would at least try a few more varieties first.
  

Places to look up later:

Casa Mia's (pizza / Italian) - 1717 Taylor Ave., Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 882-2400

Hale's Seafood (seafood) -1801 Taylor Ave., Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 665-4000

Hill's Deli and Catering (deli) -1748 Taylor Ave., Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 665-9966

Maria's Pizzeria (pizza / Italian) - 1812 Taylor Ave., Parkville, MD 21234; Phone: (410) 668-2926

Pappas Restaurant (American / seafood) and Western House (bar / liquor) - 1725 Taylor Ave., Parkville, MD. Phone: 410-661-4357