Wheelhouse Memories

[rickybubbles]

Anybody rememer the old wheelhouse restaurant in Seagrove? It served good old southern-friend heart attack breakfasts in the morning, and during lunch they'd serve vegetables out of giant cans and chilean beef-like stuff to the construction workers, and then they'd serve meat-n-3's to the 4pm looney-pinching snowbird diners.

Then it "burned down" as we say here in SOWALMART...and now it's as black inside as a Walton county commissioner's heart (and that is a DAAARK place, children).

Wonder what 18-story "community" JOE might have planned for that location (now that the "MARKET HAS MIRACULOUSLY BOUNCED BACK to BIG SUPER #1 EVERYTHING OK TIME" as the few remaining realtors like to repeat over and over in hopes that if they say it often enough to enough stupid people that it will somehow come true)?

Anyway, the ladies who served the food were great. They were pros ay slinging hash and pouring gallons of coffee---and the coffee was always hot. But the grits, they often could be served cold, though, and the former politician/felon who ran the place could get damn sure get on your nerves, but that was part of the charm of the old Wheelhouse---it truly was a microcosm of SOWALMART: too little parking, too many people wanting in, cold grits at inflated prices, and just when you fall in love with the rancid old shed, it gets 'burned down.'

 

[ShallowsNole]

I remember many a lunch buffet at the Wheelhouse.

Prior to that, I remember Emory Elkins' Seagrove Restaurant. Yum.

What a shame...

 

[Teresa]

THE very worst food I've ever had in my entire life was at wheelhouse. I do not miss it. Breakfast was okay. But come lunchtime - it was an entire buffet of barfaroni!!!

 

[ShallowsNole]

I had heard that from several people. I know there were several management changes. The many lunch buffets I ate there were from when I worked at Seaside, and they were fairly decent. But thinking back, that was 15 - 16 years ago. I had not eaten at the Wheelhouse but maybe three or four times since.

One thing that I do miss from the Wheelhouse was the picture of Woody Flowers. I was still fairly small when he was killed. So tragic -

 

[TreeFrog]

Toward the end, the lunch buffet was, ahem, not exactly fine dining. But they still had a good grouper sandwich, and the old-fashioned fishhouse plates at dinner time were fresh, pretty tasty, and $12.

 

[jeffadamshti]

I never did have a bad meal at the wheelhouse whilst Wig had it.

Might be nice to dig into what really happened that got him into trouble, I find that once I know details things are much more clear. He did his best to serve the state and his people, a poor choice led to fed money being spent on local projects from what his politico friends have told me. Sadly it became an excuse to take down an old school guy that tried to take care of his local people. He was a stand up guy that took it, and did his time and has fulfilled his obligations under that situation. He still holds his head up, tries to make things better for everyone, and give a voice to those that are largely being ignored.

I enjoyed his stories, and all the history he had inside his head. So much so I bought his book, the Yellow River Code when it came out. Nothing like having someone that was there, that can tell you "like it Was way back when" Old Florida was really an amazing place, the wold west mixed with laid back beach fun. And always a huge sense of humor. I also enjoyed the mix of people that dropped in there, many more old pols, realtors, construction workers and people working in the area, he made sure they all had a good basic lunch, even sometimes when they couldn't pay for it.

Also, did you know if not for him serving us in the senate, we'd still be waiting to turn right on red?

Jeffrey

 

[Hop]

i've gotta say that i'm just nasty enough to love the old wheelhouse. bottmless sweet tea and fried chicken at unbeatable prices in sowal. a southern boys dream. dirty food and dirty politicians. was it nasty...yep! was it a rat hole...yep! was it sowal...absolutely!

 

[Smiling JOe]

I never had the stomach to eat at the Wheelhouse. Often, I would hear my friends mention eating at the Wheelhouse. Many went there religiously, and I always asked the question, "Is it good." Never once, did I hear a reply, "yes." The answers were always regarding mediocre, at best, food, but it was filling and inexpensive.

Screw that! Can't say that I'm missing it either.

 

[Miss Kitty]

We ate there....once.

 

[Hop]

I never had the stomach to eat at the Wheelhouse. Often, I would hear my friends mention eating at the Wheelhouse. Many went there religiously, and I always asked the question, "Is it good." Never once, did I hear a reply, "yes." The answers were always regarding mediocre, at best, food, but it was filling and inexpensive.

Screw that! Can't say that I'm missing it either.

yes!

We ate there....once.

see Kitty...that's where you went wrong...you have to "get your grease on" at least twice before you are hooked...


i gotta stand up for the ole' dive. I miss it and there just isn't enough southern beach grunge here for my taste...am I the only one??? i'm ok with that...

a couple more that I love that ya'll will want to avoid are:
Freeport Cafe (fresh fried mullet) and the Sunnyside Diner (Greasy Burger) in PCB...both are classic SoWal in my book.