I left off in my last post with Jim and I failing to eat at Allman's bbq and Goolrich's Pharmacy due to it being Sunday but we managed to find a very tasty place all on our own. So the following day, we visited part of the battlefields at Fredericksburg, Va and then ate at both Allman's and Goolrich's.
I'll admit that I wasn't terribly impressed with Allman's. We both had chopped pork sandwiches, not because that was what I wanted but because it was the first thing on the menu (that we had to ask for because you are obviously
supposed to know what you want before entering) and the waiter was in a bit of a rush. He wasn't rude, don't get me wrong, but it seemed like the type of place that people go to when they're in a hurry and need to get in and get out. But putting that aside, if the sandwich had been fantastic I wouldn't have minded but the pork was very dry, fries unmemorable, and cole slaw almost painfully sweet.
Immediately after Allman's, we drove the two minutes to Goolrich's pharmacy for milkshakes and a piece of pie. What a change from Allman's! The three ladies manning the counter were super friendly and all of the little tables (they were only five) and most of the lunch counter were full of customers enjoying a more leisurely meal. The place is in a long, thin building and there is an actual, working pharmacy in the back.
We were so busy talking to the ladies that I completely forgot to take pictures inside. I had a chocolate milkshake, a piece of very berry pie, and Jim had a cherry milkshake. The milkshakes are huge. They make them in old metal beakers and fill it to the top with ice cream. They then blend it right in front of you with the old-style milkshake machine. The drink is then served to you in the beaker. The pie was tasty but not home made.
We headed to Antietam, Md, after all that food. Antietam was a beautiful place, it's hard to believe that so many people died there.
After Antietam we stopped at an ice cream place in Sharpsburg that was recommended here at the forum, Nutter's Ice Cream. This is their
small cone.
And Jim couldn't wait for me to take a picture before digging into his mint chocolate chip sundae.
It was a very enjoyable stop for us!
After Antietam and Nutter's we still had some daylight left so we headed north to Gettysburg, making sure to stop at Chubby's for dinner. Chubby's was easily the best BBQ that I have ever had. Seriously, it was that good. I had a half rack of ribs and the meat was just falling off as I pulled it apart. My ribs also came with mac & cheese and collard greens (which were very tasty and full of chopped meat).
Jim had the Beef Brisket sandwich which he also said was the best Beef Brisket he's ever had.
I would highly recommend Chubby's! (And Bill Adama ate there! Woo Battlestar Galactica!)
Onward to Gettysburg! I really liked Gettysburg, but my first reaction to the visitor center was that we had found the Disney World of the National Park system. There was just bus load after bus load of people. But after you get away from the visitor center and get on the auto tour it is very majestic.
The battlefield area itself is huge, this is only a tiny part of it.
This is where Lincoln gave his famous speech.
There were monuments about every 15 feet.
In the middle of our Gettysburg drive we stopped and had lunch at the Dobbin House down in the underground tavern. Now this place had atmosphere! It is a building that was there before the war and the tavern is very dark and little by candles. We had the baked onion soup, which was fantastic, a deep broth filled with onion, pieces of beef, and topped with a piece of bread and a thick layer of cheese! Yummy! Jim then had a baked beef sandwich, ie French Dip (which was fine) and I had a salad (which was also fine). Beside the soup, the food wasn't spectacular, but it was all very tasty and you are eating there for atmosphere more than anything else.
Unfortunately, the Dobbin House tavern is so dark and atmospheric that we didn't have any pictures come out.
