Gastonia's most distinctive culinary tradition is the "fish camp" — an institution found throughout the Carolina Piedmont, where generous portions of fried fish, hushpuppies, and coleslaw are served in informal, often decades-old roadside restaurants. Graham's, Stowe's, and North Star are the local standards. For something different, Tony's Ice Cream on East Franklin Boulevard has been serving ice cream and sandwiches since the 1940s in a diner that looks barely changed.