Stopping through later this week with the family. Is Hopkins Eatery still any good? Any other recommendations fairly close to the exit?
Best lunch spot around Thomasville / I-10 exit?
- Thread starter Roy McEvoy
- Start date
If you like sprout sandwiches, yes.
If you like meat, Ted's Montana Grill or Island Wing Company.
If you like meat, Ted's Montana Grill or Island Wing Company.
I never liked Hopkins Eatery to begin with so I can’t comment on their current status, but at the Capital Circle/Thomasville exit there are a number of great restaurants right nearby and even more within a five to ten minute drive.
Very near to the exit is Ted’s Montana Grill, a small chain owned by Ted Turner and utilising beef and cattle from his many ranches. It’s my favorite steakplace in town over Shula’s and Marie Livingston’s plus the hamburgers, meatloaf, pot roast and crab cakes (almost as much lump meat as a real Baltimore style and WAY more than typical Florida and Southern versions where the emphasis is on the cake and not the crab).
Also right nearby is Osaka which is the best sushi in town imo (which isn’t saying A LOT as Florida requires you to use previously frozen fish so don’t expect amazing local fish like in Hawaii, California, Washington, British Columbia, etc...). But there are several good rolls, I’d suggest the baked salmon, the White Russian (as opposed to the orange), the Dirty Old Man, the Dragon and the Crawfish Salad roll.
If you want quick and good, Steak N Shake is nearby and it’s got amazingly cheap burgers that competes with the more expensive Five Guys et al. A big chain, but a good one.
A little further away than the others but still within 5-10 mins is Coosh’s which is the best Cajun place in town. Their fried gator is usually fantastic as is their muffulettas, Po boys, Crawfish etoufee, atchafayala soup, and their shrimp and grits. Stay away from their jambalaya and red beans and rice as you’ll get better versions at Popeyes or Bojangles.
Lunch or dinner? I used to live in NE side of town and when I went back up north was blown away by how much it has grown in just 3-4 years. Bannerman Crossing has a couple of nice restaurants. Blue Halo was very good. But it is a 10 min drive.
Mosaics used to be right there and was different and good. Ate at Flying Bear or something like that as well and it was good.
Mosaics used to be right there and was different and good. Ate at Flying Bear or something like that as well and it was good.
I just ate at this new place last week. It was pretty good with very large portions and an awesome local draft beer selection. It's where CJ's (Calico Jack's) used to be on Cap Cir NE: http://bumpas349.com/
To be clear, I don't even like living in Tallahassee, but something in me has been roused to post...
vs
I get the House Special or the Cordon Bleu sandwich, neither of which has sprouts. Always with mint sweet tea and a sometimes a congo bar or a piece of homemade cake.
OP's choices:
ALL the chains, fast and fast casual.
A few previously mentioned local(ish) places.
Since we're naming joints all willy-nilly. Blaze Pizza, Tijuana Flats, Hopkins Eatery, Island Wings, Chicken Salad Chick, Sage,
Atlanta is know as the "city in the forest." So...
But yeah. That exit has not gotten any new options in years. It's stagnant. Some would say dying. No investment in years....
Not sure what you mean here. The TJ Maxx shopping center was updated and got a Trader Joes and Grub Burger Bar. Before that the Fresh Market area was expanded and WhichWich and Smashburger were added. Across Timberlane(Market Plaza Phase 2) the new Island Wing and other options were added. The south part of Market Square is in the middle of a large demolish and rebuild. PDQ is building/opening on Market St across from Super Suds. Not sure Bannerman Crossing is considered the exit area(5 miles north) but it's new and full of dining options also.
The plan for Market Square south of Timberlane:
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I mean the examples you provided are not really that big of a deal. Trader Joes? Which Which? Next thing you know a new Mattress Firm is going to be transformative. I'm not completely dismissing the area, but this is the 'nice side' of town and over the past fifteen years it has changed minimally. And the changes have been, at best, mediocre. It's really surprising to me how little investment has been done on this corridor, that's my point. And you can see it with the examples of lunch options in the area.
All you have to do is go up towards Kerry Forrest and Bannerman and you will see enormous investment. If you are talking right around the interstate exit, well pretty much everywhere is chains.
Tallahassee has ALWAYS had a weak local food scene. I don’t know why other than a guess that with all the transients (students, low paid Gov workers staying for only a couple of years, all of the temporary/short stay politicians and lobbyists) that they prefer chains to locals they don’t know.
Now it HAS gotten better, even substantially better, over the past five to ten years but those good new locals are scattered all over the city. There’s not really a good local “food district” that’s popped up.
Yeah, the OP said “at the interstate” which is why other than Coosh’s everything I listed is literally right there within a minute or two. If you go to a 5-10 minute drive there’s a lot of options.
Enormous investment? A Target that was put in almost 15 years ago? A Walmart? What am I missing?
Atlanta metro ~6 million people
Tallahassee ~200k people
Guess its relative. Not sure what you're expecting as far as investment especially with the economic climate the past 15yrs. Most of the money has gone to downtown/midtown to make it an "18 hour city".
A new location for a popular chain is a pretty big deal in a (small) place where it has never existed.
I'm not comparing to Atlanta. I just think the growth rate has slowed tremendously than my days there. It appears to be the case.
Year Population Growth Growth Rate
2017 191,049 1,794 0.95%
2016 189,255 252 0.13%
2015 189,003 1,657 0.88%
2014 187,346 1,566 0.84%
2013 185,780 -678 -0.36%
2012 186,458 3,315 1.81%
2011 183,143 1,545 0.85%
2010 181,598 30,974 20.56%
2000 150,624 25,851 20.72%
1990 124,773 43,225 53.01%
When is the last time you went up that way Trip? Bannerman Crossing just got finished or the main part from what I can tell in 2016 or 17. New restaurants and stores. There is a relatively new area north of Walmart that features Coosh's, office space, Flying Bear and others.
I had a thing for Lindy's when attending FSU 40 plus years ago. The chicken liver box for $2 or so as a warm-up, hours of beer, then WhataBurger to end the night, or start the morning....
Speaking of Bradfordville, who remembers Moby Dick restaurant? Great catfish plus a nice Sunday buffet.
Atlanta is know as the "city in the forest." So...
But yeah. That exit has not gotten any new options in years. It's stagnant. Some would say dying. No investment in years....
LOL..The NE Side of town at that Exit has grown so much the last 15 Years that if it was not for Proof and Ology the only time all year I would have to go South of I 10 would be for FSU Football Games
Out at anyone that uses The Word Townies as I don't want to have to describe things with words like "Groovy".."Neato" and "Boss"
LOL. Random capitalization. Frequent uses of LOL. Sentences that make no sense. Your frustration with your inability to defend the indefensible is quite apparent from two short error filled posts, it'd be quite cute if it wasn't so sad.
Defend your town. I'm all ears. I made an observation, as the growth seems to have slowed significantly. From 1990-2000, there was a ton of growth in that direction. Now? Eh. A trickle.
I disagree. I have a rational argument as to why the growth rate outward from the city center is unsustainable, subsidized by the government, for people who hate the government. I want to see sustainable, urban growth and despise the hypocrisy of people who live in their sheltered, gated subdivisions but want to have a voice in how the city grows.
So, you show that you don't get butthurt by people fleeing the ITP by calling those OTP hypocrites? Seems like a defensive mechanism to me.
Never had any beers at Deep that I thought were very good and I've given them several tries
Just an observation......there was higher growth from 1990 to 2000, but the average annual rate of growth was only 1.9% during that time. It's less now, but I don't think it's ever been a ton of growth. It's gone from a consistent trickle to a drip. Tallahassee has remained pretty steady over the years, at least in terms of population.
Seems like you need to read up on defense mechanisms. hint: they normally are not based on facts.
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