The seventh season of Emmy Award-winning TrueSouth Presented by YellaWood wraps up with the crew’s annual behind-the-scenes episode – showcasing the 1,000-plus mile road trip across the SEC footprint, beginning in Oklahoma City, Okla. and ending in Spartanburg, S.C.

Traveling, the crew talked about what it means to live and work in the South and marked changes in TrueSouth restaurants they’ve come to know and love: Helen Turner (season three) of Brownsville, Tenn., the hardest working woman in barbecue, a veteran of four decades in the pits, put down her cleaver back in August. Hunter Evans (season five) from Elvie’s in Jackson, Miss., renovated the Mayflower, the beloved Greek seafood restaurant downtown. We lost Carol McKinney (season four) of the Iowa Buffet in St. Louis this year. Ask the crew to name their favorite bar and no one will agree. Ask them to name their favorite barkeep, though, and it’s unanimous.

The team drove hard and drove long. To reward the crew for all those miles, they ate and drank very well. A roster of the food and drink (and more) stops includes:

• Coney Island in downtown Oklahoma City, for chilidogs and a chess game between executive producer Wright Thompson and host John T Edge. (Spoiler, Wright won.)
• Health Camp, open since 1948 in Waco, Texas, for burgers, fries, malts, and a chance to take in the retro-cool vibe.
• Czech Stop at exit 353 off I-35 in West, Texas, for Czechoslovakian-inspired kolaches filled with fruit and cream cheese and klobasnikis stuffed with sausage.
• Miller’s Smokehouse in Belton, Texas, is one of the best of the new guard of barbecue restaurants. They roast coffee and smoke a great brisket, using a rub made with a roast coffee from Brazil.
• The Hotel Chalet in Chattanooga, Tenn., with its crisp linens and attentive service, came into view just when we needed a break from interstate motels.
• Elsie’s Daughter, set at the rear of the hotel, fed us big green salads and oysters on zinc platters. And they stirred elegant martinis in beautiful stemware.
• Hub City Bookshop in Spartanburg, S.C., hosted our annual conversation between Wright and John T. Hub City also took a good bit of our money when the crew bought books for the road.

All work and no play makes for dull television. Between shoots, our crew played golf at Lion’s Municipal in Austin, where the restaurant Cisco’s from season seven, episode two runs a canteen that serves perfect little breakfast tacos. And we went off-roading in Arkansas with Anthony Valinoti of Deluca’s in Hot Springs, from season six. Jesse Edge, son of John T., served the crew this season as a production assistant. He also worked as a bartender, hauling a pasteboard box full of bottles from motel to motel, making boulevardiers in lobbies.

It’s now a lot easier to follow in our footsteps. At the new TrueSouth site on SECNetwork.com you can map your own road trip through the SEC footprint, from the barbecue pits of central Texas to chili dog joints on the Georgia coast, with detours for fried shrimp in Florida and country ham in Tennessee.

Season Summary
Season seven began August 27 in Oklahoma City, exploring the oil and cattle work that puts money in pockets and ribeyes on tables. Episodes premiered every other week. To understand Austin, Texas, we focused on the east side of town, eating Tex-Mex migas and Tex-Egyptian ribs with pomegranate. Beginning in Lexington, Tenn., we explored the Whole Hog Triangle of that state to eat middlin meat doused with vinegar sauce.

In Little Rock, Ark., we followed Jordan Narvaez, who owns four businesses there, including El Super Pollo, where his crew cooks whole chickens over charcoal. A trip to Jasper, Ala., gave us the opportunity to explore the legacies of coal mining and the importance of father-son bonds. On November 4, we travelled the Upstate of South Carolina with author George Singleton to eat chili dogs, shop flea markets, and talk about his short stories.

Advance press screeners of TrueSouth: Season Seven, Episode Seven are available upon request: [email protected]. 

About TrueSouth
TrueSouth is an Emmy Award-winning limited series on Southern food and culture, airing biweekly on SEC Network. Four-time James Beard Award winner John T. Edge writes and hosts the show, which is executive produced by three-time New York Times best-selling author, ESPN senior writer Wright Thompson, and produced by Bluefoot Entertainment.

The series, now in its seventh season, revolves around two food stories told from one place, which TrueSouth sets in conversation to make larger points about Southern beliefs and identities. This season’s featured places are Oklahoma City, Austin, Texas, Lexington & Parsons, Tenn., Spartanburg & Abbeville, S.C., Jasper, Ala., Little Rock, Ark., and a special behind-the-scenes finale to finish out season 7. Seasons 1-6 of TrueSouth are available in their entirety on ESPN+.

Music plays an integral role in TrueSouth’s storytelling via on-screen performances and on-screen credits. The TrueSouth playlist on Spotify shares the full soundtrack and score of every season of TrueSouth.

About SEC Network
The Southeastern Conference and ESPN launched SEC Network on August 14, 2014. The network televises hundreds of games across the SEC’s 21 sports annually. Programming includes in-depth analysis and storytelling in studio shows such as SEC Nation, Marty & McGee, Out Of Pocket, Read & React and Rally Cap, daily news and information with The Paul Finebaum Show and SEC Now, original content such as the Emmy Award-winning TrueSouth, SEC Storied and SEC Inside, and more. Hundreds of additional live events are available for streaming exclusively on SEC Network’s digital companion, SEC Network+, via the ESPN App and SECNetwork.com. Follow SEC Network on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter/X.