I’ve lived in Columbus a little over three years now and have driven past Evelyn’s Cafe countless times, yet it was only a few months ago that Sgt. Grumpy realized it was actually a functioning diner and not just an empty shell. (It wouldn’t be the only empty storefront in a community once thriving, once supported by a mill now long closed and burned.) Every time we passed by since the discovery one of us would say to the other, ‘We ought to go in and check that place out one of these days!’ One bright March afternoon, contemplating where to take my nine-year-old to eat, I decided to do just that!
Turns out, aside from being the site of one of Columbus’ most well-known pieces of graffiti (this bit of local ‘art’ was put there back in the 80′s by a friend of a friend…I’ve heard him launch into this story more than once prefaced by ‘Have I told you this before?’) Evelyn’s Cafe is a long-time culinary landmark in the Rose Hill neighborhood. It seems everyone (aside from those like me who didn’t realize it was actually open for business) has a story to tell. Another friend, at the mention of the place, shared a memory of middle school. She was taken there along with other classmates from her 7th grade home room for an honor roll breakfast nearly 30 years ago. It was an old neighborhood establishment even then.
The inside of the cafe is lined with well-worn booths. Long tables with standard cafeteria chairs fill out the middle. Waitresses weave in and out between the diners carrying pitchers of sweet tea. Laminated signs above the booths request that those seats be reserved for parties of two or more during lunch hours. I asked our server (a cheerful woman, willing to chat with me even though I caught her in the middle of a lunch rush) where single diners sit seeing as there are no small tables in the room. She explained to me that single diners — and they have many folks who drop in by themselves on their lunch break — sit at the long tables with other single diners and larger groups. Evelyn’s is a neighborhood place and most of the patrons know each other, coming as much for the company as the food.
Evelyn’s Cafe features a menu that changes daily during the week. My son (henceforth known as Meatball) and I stopped by on a Monday which is the day for country fried steak, chicken and dumplings, and my personal favorite side dish in the entire world, squash casserole. I ordered a vegetable plate, choosing butter beans and mashed potatoes along with my casserole. The squash in this dish was cooked to perfection — tender enough but not at all overdone. The consistency was just perfect — moist but not runny and full of good things like cheese and buttered crumbs. My one complaint was the addition of bacon bits. The casserole was just chock full of ‘em! According to the waitress the cooks here have been using this same squash casserole recipe since the current owner (to her knowledge the third owner) took over operations over 40 years ago, and she reports that the squash casserole in particular has always been a patron favorite. My issue with the bacon is, I know, probably just a me-thing as many are inclined to think the addition of bacon bits an improvement to nearly anything. However, this is NOT how my Mama made it and thus it just isn’t right in my book. So pfffft!
Meatball ordered the country fried steak with mashed potatoes and butter beans. He had no complaints about anything atol. In fact he declared Evelyn’s Cafe to be the best ‘normal food restaurant’ (I think this means home cooking style?) in all of Columbus and maybe THE WORLD!
So good, in fact, that he wiped up every last bit of gravy from his plate with the last bit of his cornbread. (Leaving the onions of course. Nine-year-olds aren’t required to like onions.)
Even though I was a bit let-down by their squash casserole (I guess I’ll just have to wait patiently until the return of squash season and the casserole at Minnie’s Uptown — so far that’s the best I’ve had in town) everything else I’ve sampled at Evelyn’s has been good, solid, rib-sticking home cooking and I will definitely drop by again and again. Maybe next time I’ll check them out for breakfast.
I’m trying something new here on my blog. Help me test it out. If you’d like to know what other diners at Evelyn’s Cafe thought about the place, click the link below.
Wow… I was riding by there the other day and was sort of nostaligally depressed that the place does look defunct. Did I really start telling the “Clash” story that many times? Must of been when I was drinking. Or possibly someone has stolen my story? That entire few blocks headed in the downtown direction deserves some quick historical documentation: the area where Talbotton & Hamilton Roads meet a few blocks down was the site of the short-lived Electric Toadstool music venue (1970 or so). Rick Edwards is one of the few people still around who knew that scene, and recently began telling his version of the events on the balcony of The Loft. Let me see if any of the slight links for that still exist… brb.
Ah… this has turned up since the last time I looked, some solid details of the Electric Toadstool:
http://electrictoadstool.blogspot.com/
Actually, it wasn’t you I heard the story from…feel free to tell YOUR version. Not surprised everyone knows the guy who tagged that wall. Seems nobody in C’bus is more than two steps removed from each other.
Well, that sure is interesting that there’s another story about that wall… as a matter of fact, I’m even more surprised that anyone here even knew who The Clash were in Summer of 1984 when Jonsey painted it! Does this person who claims to have painted it seem like the type of person who might have been aware of The Clash in this area back then? I’d sure like to “interview” him about that era…
There’s a bit more to my version of the story, such as the paint used was a can of yellow “machinery” paint that I myself brought from the nearby Cartersville Spinning, where I worked at the time (the one that burned down). But, contrary to urban myth, it was the late John E. Jones who really did paint that graffiti… I saw him do it with my own eyes.
The best thing is that it still exists, almost 26 years later… no matter who gets the credit for painting it.
No, you’ve got me all wrong Will. I mean it wasn’t you what told me you knew the guy who painted it. It was some other guy what told me he knew the guy that painted it. He did not claim credit for actually painting it himself. And yes, I do indeed believe him old enough to have known who The Clash was in 1984.
I might know that guy, also…
I know you know that guy. Everyone knows that guy. The guy knows everyone.
Ah… he’s “that” guy.
What if you get there BEFORE lunch and are sitting in the booth by yourself? And your meal happens to go INTO the lunch hour? But you didn’t know. And you thought you were obeying all the signs?
Do you get a ticket?
It isn’t the HOV lane silly.
Muahahahahaha… HOV lane “pointless” tickets, indeed.
And Evelyn’s biscuits, cornbread sticks, apple pie, fried chicken (oh, law!), peach pie, tea, slaw…fried chicken day is sublime…gee, all of a sudden hungry (forgot to eat breakfast—again)…hmmm buttermilk biscuits?
Oh that DOES sound good! Now you’re making ME hungry!
It’s sad that I have lived in this area my whole life and I didn’t know that Evelyn’s was open. I will have to try it now.
Bring your baby so you won’t have sit alone at a table full of strangers. Or perhaps we could have lunch together.
Fried chicken day I’d love to catch. I haven’t eaten there in almost three decades, probably 1987 or so, or earlier, so I’d say I’m about due for it.
I’ve been thinking about fried chicken and gravy lately.
I have eaten at Evelyn’s ever since Cason Callaway first introduced me to Evelyn’s back in the early ’90′s. Columbus has always had it’s “diamonds in the rough” when it came to good southern home cooked meals. I always remember Linnet’s from back in the “70′s but one restaurant which has really stood over the years and has always had good food is also The Royal Cafe’.
Don’t know about Royal Cafe. Where is that? Is it still open?
Geno, wasn’t Royal Cafe where you said they have some spectacular fried chicken, et cetera?
Butter beans. Corn sticks. I miss home SO much!
Jane I think I might know you. How funny!
That was some fine writin’! When I come see ya we will go there and get some butter beans and cornbread sticks and we’ll take our own squash casserole, buttered crumbs and all.
Don’t forget COUNTRY KITCHEN with the aging cooks that used to be at the old LINWOOD LUNCH (predecessor to Evelyn’s). And don’t forget ROSE HILL SEAFOOD.
I enjoyed the bit on Evelyn’s but I am old enough to remember THE GOO-GOO RESTAURANT on Linwood Blvd. and BUCK’s that used to be on Brown Ave.
Then there was the VARSITY on Macon Road, later moved and changed name to INDY’S and had the best “steak” sandwich on the planet, which was really pork.
A nice follow-up to this article, I heard from Sharon, the widow of John E. Jones, who painted the “Clash” grafitti this morning!
http://waydownincolumbusgeorgiablog.ning.com/profile/WillDockery?xg_source=activity
At 9:04am on March 23, 2010, Toyzoyaha Yucchi aka Sharon wrote: “Hello My Friend! ‘The Clash’ How many times did I hear that story and how many times did we go by and trace the letters ? I know the artist and know him well. I know where the paint came from …. Jonsey’s accomplice and best friend “Doc” How can I be so sure??? Before Jonsey’s untimely death, I was his wife! “Doc” .. everytime I go by and look toward the blue sky and see those turquoise window frames on the top floor of the Empire Building, I know we share another ‘The Clash’ moment in time! “
I hope that Sharon enjoyed the article. That bit of graffiti is an essential part of Columbus pop-folk-history.
Yes, Sharon will hopefully make it to Doo-Nanny, Frogtown Hollow or Hogbottom & y’all can meet each other… actually, it just dawned on me that she should consider bringing some of Jonesey’s art to the D-N, it would fit well with the Native American-psychedelic mix it encompasses.
I love Evelyn’s Cafe. On Monday they serve either chicken with rice or chicken and dumplings, but the sides (squash casserole and stewed tomatoes) are by far my favorites. They serve fabulous fried chicken on Tuesday and Thursday and a fried pork chop on Wednesday that is out of this world. On Friday they serve fish and hamburger steak (my pick) with onions and gravy and squash and turnips. Everyday they have the most delicious cornbread sticks and wonderful sweet tea.
Katy… what happened to this excellent blog? Suddenly you stopped & I never figured out the reason why?
Anyways, I hope you’ll join us Saturday morning September 17th for the Will Dockery & The Shadowville All-Stars Revue at Riverwalk Event, musical entertainment for the 3rd Annual HIV AIDS Riverwalk Event, good BBQ, good vibes & good karma!
http://www.reverbnation.com/willdockery