Franken-foods of the South: Over-the-Top Dishes for Every Foodie
When it comes to Southern food, tradition usually reigns supreme: biscuits & gravy, shrimp & grits, fried green tomatoes. But every now and then, some mad genius down here decides to play culinary Dr. Frankenstein. The result? A dish so over-the-top, so wonderfully absurd, that it shouldn’t work…but somehow does. These are the “Franken-foods” of the South: the mash-ups, the monster meals, the plates that make you laugh, loosen your belt, and ignore your cardiologist. Here is a shortlist of our favorites.
James Lewis:
Parkway Surf & Turf
First stop: New Orleans. Parkway Bakery and Tavern has been slinging poor boys since 1929, and on the shores of Bayou St. John they’ve birthed a true monster: the Surf & Turf. Imagine their legendary roast beef & gravy colliding head-on with a pile of crispy fried shrimp. That’s right, beef and shrimp on the same loaf of French bread, dripping with gravy and stacked so high you’ll need two hands and a napkin dispenser just to survive it. Like all Parkway sandwiches, it comes in small or large. My advice? Stick with the small. But if you’re lunching with a large group or Thibodeaux and Boudreaux just flat-out dared you, go large and don’t look back.
The Turducken
And then there’s the feathered Frankenstein, the stuff of Southern legend: the Turducken. First introduced to the wider world by Al Michaels and the late great John Madden during a Saints-Rams game at the Superdome over 30 years ago, this bird is as Cajun as it gets. Defined by the USDA as a chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey, the modern Turducken has taken on near-mythic holiday status.
Here in Atlanta, the Cajun Meat Company keeps the tradition alive with their 16-pound version: turkey layered with Creole pork sausage, duck layered with Creole pork sausage, and chicken layered with cornbread dressing. It feeds 20–25 guests, comes with gravy instructions, and will make you the undisputed hero of Thanksgiving or Christmas. Not feeding a small army? They’ve got an 8-pound Turducken breast too. Either way, why settle for one bird when you can carve into three?
Andrea Rizk:
Going All Out at Nashville’s Assembly Food Hall
This might be cheating a bit, but my favorite food mash-ups aren't served at just one restaurant but are created by combining food items served by different eateries under the same roof at Nashville's Assembly Food Hall. Their brilliant team has created some pretty incredible food mash-ups that are a must try if you are visiting Music City. I mean, where else can you build a legendary Surf & Turf Burger by snagging a hand-smashed patty from Pharmacy Burger and piling fresh Maine lobster from Dock Local on top? Or how about topping Honeyfire Barbecue's nachos with Thai Esane's delicate crab rangoon for a truly unforgettable culinary delight?
Even desserts become mash-up masterpieces at the Assembly Food Hall. My favorite? A Baklava Affogato that combines Baklava from Istanbul Shawarma with espresso from Whisk Crêpes Cafe and ice cream from Hattie Jane's Creamery. The possibilities really are endless, so why not turn the country's largest food hall into your personal culinary laboratory? It’s a choose-your-own-adventure meal, and finding the perfect, unexpected flavor combination is a delicious and creative foodie adventure.
Harris Lowe:
The Hamdog
Down in the culinary wilds of the South, where deep fryers hum like church choirs and cholesterol counts are more suggestion than science, you can find The Ham Dog — a true Frankenstein’s monster of comfort food. Picture this: a half-pound beef patty lovingly wrapped in a hot dog bun, stuffed with a split dog, then deep-fried into a golden relic of human excess, topped with chili, cheese, onions, fried egg and the kind of pride only found below the Mason-Dixon line. It’s not a meal so much as an edible dare, a declaration that “moderation” is a Yankee concept. The Ham Dog doesn’t just laugh in the face of nutrition, it defines a new element of dining.
The Baked Bean and Mayo Mashup
There’s something oddly tender about that messy, mismatched sandwich — I remember sitting at the kitchen table with my dad as he placed a slice of white toast slick with mayonnaise and baked beans spilling out the sides like it was trying too hard to hold itself together. It’s not gourmet - not even close - but it’s the taste of a kitchen table moment that mattered. Every bite carries a bit of laughter, a shared shrug at how weirdly good it is, and the quiet comfort of eating something only you and your dad truly understand. At first, I wasn't sure about the combination, but he insisted I try it, with that mischievous smile on his face like he was letting me in on a secret. The sweetness of the beans mixed with the cool, creamy tang of the mayonnaise, all soaking into the crunchy toast, creating this comfort that I've never quite found anywhere else. It wasn't fancy, and I'm sure people would have looked at us strangely, but in that moment, it was just us, our strange little breakfast ritual that made me feel like the luckiest kid in the world. Even now, whenever I smell baked beans, I'm transported back to that table, to his laugh, to the simple joy of sharing something wonderfully weird with someone you love.
Lauren Noble:
Fire and Stone’s Ranch and Pickle Pizza
I’ll be honest: I’m not the most adventurous eater. I hesitate when it’s not what I’m used to, so given that I am not a “pickle person,” I decided to step out of my comfort bubble with my friend and try the ranch and pickle pizza at Fire and Stone Pizza in Peachtree Corners. The atmosphere at Fire and Stone was warm and inviting. We sat on the patio to enjoy the Southern fall weather overlooking the Peachtree Corners Town Center, which has an incredible playground if you have kiddos in tow and hosts community events several times a week.
The details: The pizza features their signature wood-fired dough with homemade ranch dressing for the sauce, aged mozzarella, garlic, pickles, and a drizzle of buffalo sauce. It comes in a 12” or 16” pie, and the 12” offered six generous slices. And… I didn’t totally hate it!
This might be the best pizza ever for a super-fan of ranch or pickles. I was impressed with the crust, the cheese pull, and how well the flavors worked together, especially if you’ve got a taste for something briney, and it paired excellently with an ice-cold Tropicalia draft. Additionally, we savored the lemon pepper wood-fired wings and a very tasty build-your-own Bionco white pizza with chicken and tomato. I’ll rate the pickle and ranch pie about a 6 out of 10 for creativity and for keeping us (and our waitress) entertained!
Call them culinary experiments or edible legends, every dish tells a story: of family, flavor, and the joy of breaking a few culinary rules. Whether you’re chowing down on a family recipe or digging into food fit for a dare, one thing’s for sure — the South knows how to surprise your taste buds. Here’s to the brave eaters who helped put this article together. Bon apetit, y’all!