Tadburger at General Store Pub in Stone City.
I have heard about The General Store Pub in Stone City for a while now. The live music. The motorcycles. The setting in the hillside tucked away so that if you blink you might miss it. But, what about the food? My interest was piqued.
We went to The General Store on a Friday night, with a toddler in tow. From all I’d heard, it seemed as if my 3-year-old would be welcome. As we maneuvered the winding roads to Stone City, I was sad that it was too dark to see the scenery. Then we pulled in the packed parking lot, and I started to fall in love. The restaurant, recently refinished with large stones, heavy wooden doors and beautiful wooden floors, was packed with families, women drinking (what I came to later find out was) a Wapsirita and men bellied up to the bar for a cold beer to close the day. We put our name in for a table but ended up in the bar downstairs nestled into a corner table.
We were greeted by a waitress so welcoming and accommodating that I thought for a moment she was a relative who was opening her home to us. We ordered beers — oatmeal stout — and start to peruse the menu. I didn’t have to look far. As soon as I saw that the Sweet Potato Fries were accompanied by a cup of marshmallow fluff, I ordered immediately. We also got a good old standby — chips and salsa. The sweet potato fries were thick-cut and lightly salted. I loved the idea of the marshmallow fluff but desperately wanted it to be stirred, or fluffed, or warmed enough that I could get a fry into it without using half of my finger for digging leverage.
Since it was my first visit, I decided to try one of the dishes labeled as recommended on the menu. The Tadburger is topped with a fried egg, bacon, American cheese and served on a toasted bun. The rest of our dinner party ordered fish and chips and prime rib paired with several sides. There is a kids menu, but we decided to let my son sample from our entrees.
My burger was delivered as promised, topped with two slices of bacon and a fried egg. The trend of topping burgers with a fried egg ran rampant in Chicago a few years ago. At that time, the eggs were served over easy, so when you cut through the yolk it soaked into the burger as a compliment to the cheese and grease. This egg came “over hard.” I’m not sure I cared too much, though. I’d agree that it should be a recommended dish, but it wasn’t bad either. The fish and chips had a great batter that wasn’t too salty. And the two prime ribs were polished off by the men, no questions asked. I barely got my fork in to the garlic mashed potatoes for a taste.
To end our meal, the waitress brought tabletop fire and s’mores for my son. You can’t go wrong with a simple, nice gesture.
The food was good. But the setting steals the show. It is a place to easily settle into, just like home in both fare and atmosphere. Some places the aroma, atmosphere, guests and experience are such a feast for the senses that you don’t mind if the fluff isn’t very, well, fluffy.
— Laura Kaiden
