We stopped in for a late lunch and had a chance to talk to Ernie about what made him leave his former employment and get into the restaurant business. We also had a chance to sample some very tasty food. The first thing we noticed was that, since this is located in a highly populated area, there is not a parking lot. It really is not an issue; there is plenty of on-street parking, and since the restaurant is on a corner, the side street is a good option. You can dine in or out — the choice is yours — at the counter, a table or a booth.
When I asked the waitress what the restaurant’s specialty was, she told me everything is good and that people don’t favor one thing over another. Ernie, however, thought we should taste the homemade soup and he, of course, was right. We tried two kinds, the vegetable and the soup of the day (cabbage) and they were both delicious and obviously homemade. I fell in love with the cabbage and I am ashamed to admit I didn’t share it with my husband; I ate the whole thing myself.
We had burgers for our main course. I had a patty melt, which is always a favorite of mine, and it was a good one. The ground steak patty has both American and Swiss cheese with grilled onions and of course rye bread. It was generous and I couldn’t finish it, especially since there was no way that I was going to deny myself ice cream. I also tried the restaurant’s tangy coleslaw, which was also delicious.
Taggarts serves what can be best described as good old-fashioned comfort food, and it fits right in with the old-fashioned look of the restaurant: original wooden booths, iron ice cream parlor chairs, and a marble countertop. I have to say, prices are old-fashioned as well; you won’t break the bank dining here.
The ice cream is made in-house, which is obvious from just one bite of the fresh peach, which has huge chunks of ripe peach in every bite. Typically they go through 800 to 1,000 pounds of vanilla ice cream a week and 200 pounds of pecans. If you are not visiting during peach season, not to worry — they offer a variety of flavors every day as well as seasonal favorites. Ice cream is made fresh three times a week.
But no visit to Taggarts is complete without a “Bittner.” There are two sizes, so if you don’t think you are up for eating the three-quarters of a pound of ice cream, you can order a smaller version. According to the Taggarts website, “By far, the most famous Taggarts legacy is the Bittner — invented in 1931 and named in honor of a delivery boy. This is a secret mixture of vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and pecans from a special supplier in Georgia. The end result is a dessert which has the consistency of a milkshake but is too thick to drink.”
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I dug my spoon into the “Bittner.” Oh my, it was amazing; I could have eaten myself silly on those wonderful pecans. I now understand why people come from everywhere to eat this ice cream. It’s salty, sweet, amazingly delicious and unlike anything else, I have ever had. As good as the food was I have to recommend that at least once; you just come in and eat as big of a “Bittner” as you can squeeze in. It’s worth it.
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