Roadside Gourmet

Submitted by Christina Valhouli on Tue, 2007-10-16 12:44.

While we were downing glasses of champagne at the Schramsberg vineyard in Calistoga, we were tipped off that the place to have lunch in St. Helena is the roadside Taylor's Automatic Refresher. We were told to just drive down the main street and look for the massive line of people. Sure enough, we found this retro style restaurant by its funky design, and line of people around the block. Taylor's Automatic Refresher is exactly what an American fast food joint should be. It serves up classics like burgers and fries but with a gourmet twist- and is also the recipient of a James Beard award (how many fast food places can say that?) We tucked into turkey burgers (which were delicious, except for the mango chutney which I thought was overkill), as well as chilli dusted sweet potato fries and washed it all down with a green tea milkshake. As Rachael Ray would say, Yum-O! Next time I'll have to come back and try the fish tacos. For lunch for two, expect to pay about $50 - a small price to pay for fast food that actually tastes good. Taylor's Automatic Refresher, 933 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574. Phone: (707) 963-3486.