Emilio’s Cantina Mexican Restaurant, Grovetown, Georgia

“Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we had less negativity and more tacos?”

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Emilio’s Cantina in Grovetown, Georgia is a hidden gem, located on the lower floor of the Baymont Hotel across from Cracker Barrel. It is conveniently located just off I-20, exit 194, and is an easy 8 miles from Augusta. It is a part of the Baymont Hotel which makes this a great place for people to spend the night. All they have to do is park their car for the night and walk to the restaurant/bar without ever having to leave the hotel. We learned about this place from a good friend of ours, Mike Montgomery who like to sing Karaoke here on the weekends. This is where friends go to congregate, relax, sing, and share great food and drink.

When you walk in you can see that this restaurant has been brightly painted with fun decor on the walls. There is a small bar with seating around it as well as booths and tables. You can seat yourself unless they are really busy. Right after we came in, the waitress came to our table with menus and took our drink order.

The menu is full of great items to eat but Joe and I always stick with ordering our usual since they are made perfectly and are delicious. I order the Pollo Fiesta which is a chicken breast cooked with Mexican sausage served with a cheese sauce. It is so good with a side salad with Guacamole. Joe gets a Poblano which is stuffed with cheese and Chile Rellano’s with ground beef. The food is delicious and flavorful and the margaritas are great.

They offer specials every day and they do 99 cent taco special every Tuesday. Just read their chalk board set out near the entrance to see what the special of the day may be. They have great Mexican food, friendly service, and the prices are reasonable. For those Karaoke lovers, they have Karaoke every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 6 pm to 10 pm. 

This restaurant is located at 461 Park West Drive, Grovetown, Georgia. There typical hours are 11 am – 10 pm seven days a week. Stop by and check them out. They won’t disappoint. We highly recommend this restaurant as it is a comfortable atmosphere, service is excellent, and you will have a great meal. Go and enjoy a meal. Buen Provecho.

Update: Because of the Novel Cornavirus please check with the restaurant to see if they still are open for inside dining or if it is just take out. If you like good Mexican food, stop by or call and order a meal to go. They would surely appreciate your business at this time.

Till next time. Bye for now.

Lizard’s Thicket, Columbia, South Carolina

“Country Cookin’ Makes You Good Lookin’!”

Past Lizard’s Thicket’s Slogan

I learned about this gem of a restaurant from my many visits to Columbia to see my dear friend, Helen Gatch. Initially when I would visit her, she would always cook for me. One day I suggested to her, “Helen, why don’t we go to lunch. My treat and your choice. You can pick anywhere in Columbia and price is not an issue.” She smiled at me and immediately answered, “Let’s go to the Lizard’s Thicket”. I had never heard of that name and gave a little giggle and she exclaimed, “You’ve never heard about that restaurant before? I’ve been going there for years.” No, I never had heard of that restaurant since I was living in Augusta, Georgia and it is a local restaurant but I happily agreed to take her there.

From that first day, I knew Helen introduced me to a grand restaurant. We had a great meal that day and everyone was so accommodating and friendly to us. Every time I visited her from then on, that is where she choose to go. One time, Joe was able to join us and since then has become our go to restaurant in Columbia.

This restaurant was established by Anna and Bob Williams in 1977 and has been going strong for over 40 years. Anna and Bob were natives of the Columbia area and originally thought of opening an Italian restaurant but they realized good, authentic regional southern home cooking was needed in this area. Their first restaurant was in a humble five room home that they converted into a restaurant with three small rooms and a small kitchen on Broad River Road in Columbia. They served meals that were based on Anna’s recipes.

Are you wondering about the whimsical name of the restaurant? After a visit to Northwest Alabama in the 1960’s, the Williams noticed a place called the Lizard’s Thicket in the small town of Hamilton, Alabama. This was a place where people would congregate on Sunday nights and bring steaks to cook and they could bring their own whiskey to drink. This place went out of business a long time ago but the name stuck in their heads. What a great name.

This family restaurant is now run by the Williams children and grandchildren and has grown around Columbia. There are now 15 restaurants in the Midlands of South Carolina and in Florence and they employ over 700 people. They have kept a version of the Chalk board menu from the original restaurant but have modernized the menu now. They still serve breakfast, lunch, and supper seven days a week from 6 am to 9 pm. They have kept their reasonable prices and it is a great place to take children.

The food is fantastic here and the portions are a good size. You can choose how many meats your would like and vegetables. They serve a wide variety of choices. All the meals come with a complimentary side of cornbread or rolls. The staff is very friendly and everyone is treated as family. They have regulars who frequent their restaurant and the staff will check up on them if they are not there for a day or two. We have always enjoyed the staff and were treated wonderfully. My Helen, has since passed on but my family now continues the tradition.

We highly recommend this restaurant and you should give it a try. You will not be sorry. Check them out at: Lizardsthicket.com.

Update: Because of the Novel Coronavirus, the restaurant is taking all the precautions they can to protect their customers and staff, so they have closed the restaurant for inside eating only for now. The restaurant is still able to do orders for take out. They are hoping for your continued support during this time and hope you will come by and order the same great food as always.

Take care, be safe, and till next time. Bye for now.

Cedar Island Rest Area and Ferry, North Carolina

“Being on a boat that’s moving through the water, it’s so clear. Everything falls into place in terms of what’s important and what’s not.”

James Taylor

When Joe and I were heading to Ocracoke, we decided to take the Cedar Island Ferry since we had time to relax. We had stayed at Cherry Point Marine Air Station the night before so our ride to Cedar Island was just over an hour. It was a lovely drive through the North Carolina country side.

Of course, with Joe being retired Army, we got to the port plenty early. We pulled up the check in station and gave the lady our printed out reservations we had made online for the ferry before leaving home. They do highly recommend making reservations in advance. Depending on the time of year, it may be hard getting a ferry without reservations. She explained where she wanted us to park, gave us our receipt, and we headed to our spot in line.

After we parked, we got out of the car and walked into the Visitors Center, and spoke to the lovely ladies working there. They were very friendly and knowledgeable. Do not go there hungry as there is only a vending machine and no snack bar. We found out later, most people bring a packed lunch to take on the ferry to eat on the way to Ocracoke Island. While in the Visitors Center, one of the ladies explained there was a book they had put together with information on all the lighthouses on the Outer Banks. How did she know I love lighthouses?

After reading through some of the information, we headed out to the back of the building and walked down the trail to see the Pamlico Sound. The shoreline was beautiful even with it being low tide. How beautiful and peaceful. After walking down to the beach area, we came back up and sat at a picnic table to watch the ferry come into port.

We headed to our car where they methodically placed all the vehicles on the ferry. The ferry can hold up to 50 vehicles and 300 passengers. After we pulled in, we got out and went to the most upper floor to get the best views. After all the cars were loaded and secured, we headed out to the open water. Once Cedar Island was out of sight, we enjoyed looking out to the open water of the Pamlico Sound. Sunset must be amazing out here. It was very peaceful and beautiful watching the sea gulls flying behind us, thankful to get a meal and the engines churned up and confused the fish.

The trip from Cedar Island to Ocracoke is 2.25 hours and a 22 mile journey across the Sound. The Cedar Island Ferry had three decks. The lowest level is where the vehicles are parked in a row. The second floor is partially enclosed with benches and some seating with tables. We noticed many families had brought either cards or board games to entertain them during the trip. Smart thinking. They also had a couple of flat screen televisions to watch on that level.  We on the other hand, since we weren’t regulars, wanted to enjoy the scenery. The top floor of the ferry was just benches and totally open. That is where we spent our time on this journey loving the views.

On the ferry, you can purchase hot coffee and they have snack and drink vending machines. The ferry runs three or four round trips a day in the winter months and five or more in the summer. If you have a car that is under 20 feet they charge $15 per crossing. Larger vehicles can cost between $30 - $45 a crossing. You can go as a pedestrian and it is only $1 to cross and if you bring a bicycle it will run you $3. They do offer military discounts.

This ferry runs 365 days a year and only doesn’t run when the weather is severe with winds 30 – 35 mph or greater. The NCDOT controls the ferry operation and they now have 7 different routes they run in the Outer Banks region. This is a great way to travel as the personnel are very professional and courteous and the ferries are timely. It is a nice, safe, and reliable way to travel.

If you want to try taking a ferry, you can either call them at 1-800-BY-FERRY or go online at: Outerbanks.com/ferry-system.html for your advanced reservations. We recommend the ferry system in North Carolina as we had very smooth sailings all the way up the Outer Banks in North Carolina. What a beautiful area. Bon voyage.

Till next time. Bye for now.

Happy’s Restaurant, Swainsboro, Georgia

“After a full belly all is poetry.”

Frank McCourt

Anitique Shop

On one of our many Friday journeys around the state of Georgia, we ended up heading through the quaint town of Swainsboro, Georgia in Emanuel County. This town has a lovely town square with a beautiful fountain and park. We loved the wooden wagon that sat on display on one corner of the square. Swainsboro is known as the Crossroads of the Great South because two major roads, Route 1 and US 80 cross through this town. This town became a major stop between the north and the south.   We parked right in front of a lovely antique store with lots of great items on the outside as well as the inside. We walked around the square to get a nice lunch.

Memorial to all those who served in the armed forces.

Wagon is dedicated the Crossroads of the Great South

Brick exposed wall in Happy's Restaurant.  Like the leg lamp?

Comfortable dining area

We saw the sign for Happy’s Restaurant (loved the name) and went inside to give it a try. It was not a large restaurant but set up nicely to fit quite a few people without feeling cramped. A friendly hostess greeted us, got us seated, and handed us a menu. She told us the specials for the day, but we ended up ordering off the menu and choosing the cold salad plate and the cheeseburger sliders, fries, and salad. Everything was great and we really enjoyed it.

The decor is very eclectic and fun. The walls are covered with colorful paintings as well many records with their artsy covers on display. I loved the exposed brick walls that adorned the restaurant and the fun “Christmas Story leg lamp” on the counter. We enjoyed the whimsical feel of this restaurant.

They serve specials every day as well as what is on the usual menu like sandwiches, wraps, salads, burgers, tacos, and much more. They also do catering for special events. This is a great restaurant with delicious food and we would recommend it as a great stop if you are in Swainsboro.

Neat bathroom sink.  So creative.

Their normal hours are Tuesday – Friday 11 am – 2 am and they are closed, Mondays, Saturdays, and Sundays. They are located at 108 W. Main Street, Swainsboro, Georgia. Their phone number is 478-289-0108.

Fountain on the town square.

Update: With the current health situation with Novel Coronavirus, they are only doing take out. They are requesting for their patrons to pick whatever casserole they have available at least a day ahead of time so they can make sure they have enough supplies. They would appreciate orders now and hope to see you again soon.

Till next time. Bye for now.

Groucho’s Deli, Augusta, Georgia.

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

J.R.R. Tolkien

We discovered this great neighborhood deli on our trip to downtown Augusta, Georgia. This deli had been here for over a year but we hadn’t had the chance to check them out. A deli sandwich sounded like the perfect meal.

The owner, Harold “Groucho” Miller moved to Columbia, SC in 1941 with a handful of recipes he thought would be good to use in a restaurant. He came up with the recipes while he was in a Philadelphia orphanage. When he opened his first restaurant, his motto was “Quality is the most important ingredient.” I guess he was right since Groucho’s has remained in business for over 70 years.

His nickname, Groucho came about as he always had a large cigar on him, had a mustache, and looked and joked around like Groucho Marx. He was a big jokester and was very nice person that everyone loved. When he opened his first restaurant, along with his quality meats and sandwiches, he also carried imported teas, coffees and exotic delicacies. In later years, he phased that out to get more seating in his restaurant as it became more popular.

Groucho’s became a franchise in 2000 and every year since then, the franchise has added about three new restaurants with the first franchise in Lexington, South Carolina. I am so glad a franchise has opened up here in Augusta.

We walked in and this restaurant was shiny and spotless. The restaurant sits on the corner of Broad Street and 8th Street and is brightly lit and has plenty of windows for great views of Broad Street. We sat down and our friendly waitress came to our table and gave us the menus. We ordered our drinks and sat back and started examining the menu. The menu is chock full of great items to choose. There were vegetarian choices, salads, wraps, sandwiches, and dipper subs all made of finest quality meats, cheese, and produce.

Joe picked a Reuben sandwich and I choose the Tuna Sandwich. When our food came out, the sandwiches were amazing. My tuna sandwich was huge and had fantastic flavor. Joe also loved his large Reuben sandwich. We enjoyed our lunch and the staff was wonderful, friendly and efficient.

We were very satisfied with our meal and will gladly come back to eat. We would highly recommend this deli. The food was superb.

They offer a Loyalty card if you eat there often you get a point for every dollar spent and can use them for a meal when you have accumulated enough points. They also offer catering and TOGO services. Now with the Novel Coronavirus, they offer pick up only during this time. They would certainly welcome your business.

They are located at 758 Broad Street, Augusta, Georgia. Their phone number is 706-945-1901. Normally their hours are Monday – Thursday 11 am – 9 pm. Friday and Saturdays hours are 11 am to 10 pm and Sunday they are open from 11 am to 3 pm. Call them and check on their hours during this time. Call and order food for take out and help this local business.

Take care and stay healthy. Till next time. Bye for now.