Diniing for the Rest of Us #7 -Taylor's Automatic Refresher- '50s Diners Three Locations
Written: Feb 13 '09 (Updated Feb 16 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Really delicious food, not quite fast, consistent at all locations.
Interesting experiences guaranteed.
Cons: No surprises, like a day at the Zoo!
The Bottom Line: TAYLOR'S Great open air 'Picnic' Style experiences "UpValley"
Sidewalk Cafe' Style in The City and Napa Oxbow
All locations use similar Menus– Some prices Identical!
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| ASourdough4's Full Review: Taylors Automatic Refresher |
(Originally published in Writers' Corner - Aug 31 '08)
TAYLOR'S Automatic Refresher (original)
933 Main St (Hwy 29)
SAINT HELENA, CA 94574 (S end on Hwy 29)
(707) 963-3486
San Francisco - Ferry Building (NW'ly Corner Opposite Pier 1/2)
(866) 328-3663
Napa City - Oxbow District (1st Street, one block E of Soscol, Opposite Filippi's Pizza Grotto)
--- (707) 224-6900
See Menu and data on all three locations: http://www.taylorsautomaticrefresher.com/
PRELUDE to an afternoon Up Valley:
It is Sunday morning, the last day of the eighth month of 2008. We stumble to the breakfast table with coffee and upside-down cake on our minds and soon, in our tummies. Then, it being a perfect day in the Napa Valley, we plot how to enjoy it during this Labor Day holiday weekend. How better to start than get gussied up and hit the....Post Office. Then, we motor up Silverado Trail to the Clover Flat Waste Dump east of St. Helena, admiring the blue sky and the green vineyards all along the way. It is a cardboard carton disposal day for us and we get rid of them on this trip. They were big cartons, one once held our 42” Wide Screen TV. “$11.00 please”
I pay cash and we head south on Silverado Trail, turn west toward St. Helena's main drag, Highway 29. Still early, not much traffic, I glide the Camry into the town and crawl toward the first traffic light. Ah - a parking space! I go for it.
She: “What are you doing?”
Me: “I want to get out and go over to the Art Show in the park.”
And I do. She trails along, no enthusiasm - yet. The park is in top form; it even has a Band Stand in the middle - but no band. She spots the art displays and we spend quite some time drifting through and chatting with the artists.
An hour later, I am lugging an original piece by a metal worker/artisan: H. R. Humphrey of Petaluma CA (707-762-6521) who discovered some discarded copper sheet buried in a field somewhere. Chemicals in the soil have stained the roll of material and the artist has unrolled it, folded and refolded it and framed the results. We have burned off our breakfasts and are prepared for lunch.
Now I am really in the mood for an ice cream shake; she assents, at 10:30am we turn in at 933 Main Street and join the line at Taylor's Automatic Refresher. One glance at the menu and she becomes carnivorous.
“I'll have a Hamburger. But no Shake".
OK with me. I have the same but WITH the shake, a Blueberry Special.
It only took 10 minutes to get our order ready; she had selected a shady table out back in the large and grassy picnic area and we got down to business. Delicious! And, unforgettable: this lovely partner of mine is a light eater but she actually downed all of her burger; washing it down with a cup of water. I was right behind, delayed only by my Blueberry Shake, pretty soon we were through. And satisfied.
In 25 years, it was my second visit. In 29 years, her first.
THE FOOD
Taylor's Automatic Refresher BURGERS are larger than average and a lot better than average in quality. Egg Bagel batter buns and other stuff including a big enough patty that was "All natural, antibiotic free, hormone free, California beef cooked medium well (a little pink inside when served)".
OK, no antibiotics. We agreed that the Burgers were Very Useful and I thought the Shake was Most Useful.
Further Experiences:
At both of the other locations, we have had approximately the same meal and were not disappointed. The sidewalk cafe' atmosphere is tolerable, even a bit exciting.
PRICES: COST of our meal here in St. Helena: $18.83
I have the menus from each of the THREE establishments and it is astonishing to note that the prices for Hamburgers and Shakes are the SAME!
- I don't know how they do it. But we like it.
HISTORY:
Located just south of the Saint Helena business district; Taylor's Automatic Refresher was opened in a roadside shack in 1949. The décor and menus show traces of that we call Retro Architecture, or the 1950's look (which, you see, is actually 1940's). This restaurant is all take-out but most food is consumed right on the premises - A large shaded patio area of stools and high tables and a dozen tables out front complement the open picnic tables out back on an acre of beautifully groomed grass.
THE MENU (Representative of all 3 locations)
Taylor's is a true hamburger joint with some extras tossed in.
BURGERS: $6 to $9 FRIES: $2 to $4 DOGS: $4 to $5 CHILI: $6
SEAFOOD: Ahi Tuna $14, Fish & Chips $14, Calamari $6.49, Fish Tacos (halibut)
CHICKEN: 3 Sandwiches at $9.49, Fingers $5SALADS: House $7, add chicken $2 extra, Chinese Chicken $9, Cobb $11
SANDWICHES:
Grilled Cheese $4, B.L.T. $4, Veggie Burger $11
Taylor's Menus are posted on their Web Site but do not show the backside - On the back of the MENUs used at all three establishments::
SHAKES: 7 flavors: Chocolate - Vanilla - Strawberry - Espresso Bean - White Pistachio - Mint Chip - Black & White $5 My Special of the Day Blueberry was a buck more but worth it at $7
ROOT BEER FLOAT: $5
SODAS (soft drinks): $2 sm $2.49 lg
JUICES, bottled $2 - $2.50
WATERS, bottled $2 (one from the bottler next to Owen's Lake (Dry))
Draft Beers and 7 varieties of local wine offered on the premises.
DRAFT BEERS: 5 varieties:
Anchor Steam, Boont Amber Ale, Lagunitas Pale Ale, New Belgium Wit, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Trumer Pilsner
Bottle of Bud Lite $4
WINE: Whites, glass $6 - $8, half bottles $14 - $24, Bottles $18 - $24
WINE: Reds, glass $6 - $12, half bottles $13 - $66, Bottles $18 - $36
Corkage at Saint Helena $5, only a buck at the others.
SPARKLING:
Schramsberg: Blanc de Blanc 375 ml $19 (at all three locations!)
AMBIENCE:
All dining is outside, Very heavy and noisy street traffic up front, quiet country out back. The lines had grown to 50 or more by the time we finished our meal. Diners were competing for tables as we left. In all everyone was enjoying this scene.
PARKING:
Saint Helena: On-site is adequate weekdays, overflow is available on week ends. It is hectic but some patrons were walking 50 yards from a nearby connecting car wash.
---------CONS: Visitors are allowed to bring their pets out onto the lawn and they do. Don't let your kids play on the grass and don't go barefoot.
ONLY ONE SINGLE BI-GENDER RESTROOM FOR THE TEEMING CROWD!
San Francisco: Leave the car home. Meters are sky high and scarce as hen's teeth. Ample restrooms in the Ferry Building.
NAPA OXBOW Street parking close-by, free private lots for now. Restrooms are indoors. We leave the car at the Vallejo Ferry lot (Free)
A 45 minute ride takes you right to the Ferry Building dock and to Taylor's.
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On line at http://www.taylorsautomaticrefresher.com/
Highly Recommended (All three of them.)
COMMENT:
When the San Francisco Ferry Building was being renovated, tenants lined up for spaces in the spectacular new retail center being created. The eldest son of my cousin and his wife opened one of their ACME Bread Bakeries there.
in 2005, Taylor's opened their Ferry Building branch. It is partially a Sidewalk Cafe', with lots of tables on the Embarcadero side. I confess that I did not recognize that name because of sign ordinances in San Francisco - the Ferry Center does not allow signs on the exterior. It is easy to find although only a red “T” shows through the window from the Embarcadero. As you face the Ferry Building from the Street Car tracks, Taylor's is in the corner to your LEFT, next to Pier 1/2.
That San Francisco location has a counter facing inward that caters to the Lunch Crowd; when it is very busy - I do not see how one could 'do' lunch in an hour.
(The Personal Touch: As we boarded the Vallejo Ferry one day last summer, we met some friends who were headed for the same destination. We enjoyed their company, stopping at the local Peete's Coffee store, then tagged along to the Underground Metro line that took us out to Golden Gate Park. There was a special exhibit at the new DeYoung Art Museum. We split up there and took in the show. On the way back, we boarded the same train, it was PACKED so we had no chance to find a CONDUCTOR (no such exists, the system uses a modified honor system. Back at Embarcadero, fares in hand, we were attacked by two Security Guards who accused us of FARE EVASION! (Punishable by Death). We were in their hands and they enjoyed themselves immensely. Finally, tiring of their power play, they ran us around to the fare booth where we obediently did what we had wanted to and tried to scuttle away....)
The rule is that one boards the FIRST CAR and pays the DRIVER right then. Ignorance is no defense; we were arrested and hanged from the Ferry Building Clock Tower. In the headlines next day, someone mentioned that CONDUCTORS are always on the Cable Cars! Remorseful Metro Officials took mercy; had us cut down and thrown into the Bay. Revived, we swam across to Vallejo. The Camry was still there.
© Maurice McDonell - 2008
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ASourdough4
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 - Top 500 |
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Member: Maurice McDonell
Location: Above Beautiful Napa Valley
Reviews written: 200
Trusted by: 193 members
About Me:
July-2009 Gone to the Wide World of Wireless. Still reading and rating. Mostly elsewhere.
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