Tap into great fried fare, tasty

Thursday, November 11, 2004

Perhaps the best-kept secret in town, Tapps Drive-In is a veritable gold mine of delicious goodies. I can only wonder why it took me so long to find this restaurant, a Bowling Green establishment of more than 30 years.

The restaurant seems to focus on broasted chicken, with economy packs ranging from $3.15 to the 200-piece at $186, but other eats like the bacon cheeseburger, hot wings and fried okra are also worth a try.

On my visit, I tried the quarter-pound bacon cheeseburger basket and a root beer frostie.

The cheeseburger came with mustard, ketchup, pickle and onion. The sandwich bun tasted a tad bit stale and I wish I had requested no mustard, but the bacon was so crispy and the hamburger itself so tasty that this sandwich was a winner.

The sandwich baskets include fries and cole slaw, but for an extra charge, the fries can be replaced with other side items such as fried mushrooms, cheese sticks, onion rings or fried okra.

I opted for the fried okra, being the sucker that I am for that particular variety of health food.

The okra appeared to be hand-dipped in batter, as opposed to the pre-packaged, frozen fried okra found in grocery stores. And it was the best darn vegetable Ive ever tasted. I wish it were always this enjoyable to eat vegetables.

The cole slaw was a different matter. It had entirely too much vinegar for my taste. Definitely homemade, which is a plus, but too much vinegar and I couldnt finish it. No matter two out of three aint bad.

My dining comrade ordered the chicken wings with fried mushrooms and raved thoroughly about both menu items. Though the wings werent particularly spicy, I was told they were meaty and very tasty.

I sampled a fried mushroom and it was very good. It was your standard fried mushroom in a crunchy, tastebud-tempting batter.

Last, but certainly not least, came dessert a root beer smoothie for me and a root beer float for my friend. The smoothie dessert was a deliciously creamy blend of root beer and vanilla ice cream.

If you visit Tapps, dont pass up the homemade root beer, made A Sonic-style drive-in with old menus and speakers, Tapps allows you to eat in the comfort of your car. For the more sociable bunch, the restaurant also offers dining tables indoors and out.

Though the place may look like a dive, keep in mind that looks can be deceiving. Old, slightly dingy places like Tapps often disguise the best food in town.

Even though the facility itself is old and slightly dingy, make no mistake that the tables, counters and floor are kept very clean.

The restaurants decor is homestyle, with the walls displaying various photos of community members showing off hunting and fishing prizes adorning the walls. There are no loudspeakers blaring annoying music and no television to watch, but good conversation can be had with the restaurants sparse staff.

The food is killer, the atmosphere is comfortable, the staff is friendly and the root beer is homemade. Why would you go anywhere else?

Tapps root beer is the best.

A Sonic-style drive-in with old menus and speakers, Tapps allows you to eat in the comfort of your car. For the more sociable bunch, the restaurant also offers dining tables indoors and out.

Though the place may look like a dive, keep in mind that looks can be deceiving. Old, slightly dingy places like Tapps often disguise the best food in town.

Even though the facility itself is old and slightly dingy, make no mistake that the tables, counters and floor are kept very clean.

The restaurants decor is homestyle, with the walls displaying various photos of community members showing off hunting and fishing prizes adorning the walls. There are no loudspeakers blaring annoying music and no television to watch, but good conversation can be had with the restaurants sparse staff.

The food is killer, the atmosphere is comfortable, the staff is friendly and the root beer is homemade. Why would you go anywhere else?

The anonymous restaurant reviewer, who displays a notorious absence of cholesterol fears when it comes to SO-GOOD fried food, gives new restaurants eight weeks before reviewing them. To comment, call managing editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235.

 Daily News ·813 College St. ·PO Box 90012 ·Bowling Green, KY ·42102 ·270-781-1700