Edgar's

Business Route 29 (at Pioneer Drug), Elk Point, SD - (605) 356-3336

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Posted By Michael Stern on 7/10/2007 10:13:00 PM

Soda jerking is a fine art at Edgar’s. Have a seat on one of the steel-banded counter stools and watch a soda made. It is no haphazard process. First, syrup and a little ice cream are smooshed together at the bottom of the deep vase-shaped glass to form a kind of sweet-shop roux; next, soda is squirted in and mixed vigorously; penultimately, a globe of ice cream is gingerly floated on top; finally, a crown of whipped cream is applied and, to that, a single cherry. It’s a beautiful sight; and while much of the soda will drip and spill down the sides of the glass as soon as it is touched by a spoon, one cannot help but admire the confectionery perfectionism.

The same high standards apply to tulip sundaes, malts and shakes, and a long roster of more elaborate daring delights that range from the relatively familiar turtle sundae (vanilla ice cream with hot caramel, chocolate syrup, and pecans) to the rocket, a vertical banana split that the menu promises “will send you for a blast!”

With its pink-and-white tin ceiling, quartet of creaky wood booths, and steel rod chairs for a scattering of tables, Edgar’s is an absolutely charming little place inside the Pioneer Drug store on the main street of Elk Point. Its nucleus is a soda fountain that was first installed in Schmiedt Drug in Centerville in 1906. In the 1960s, the old marble fountain was removed and put into storage. It was only recently discovered by Edgar Schmiedt’s granddaughter, Barb Wurtz. Barb brought it to Elk Point where it is once again part of a pharmacy (run by Barb’s pharmacist husband Kevin) and general store.

The back of Edgar’s menu is a marvelous page from soda fountain history that features practical how-to articles taken from the 1906 Standard Manual of Soda and Other Beverages. Among the suggestions are that a soda fountain attendant “should never display soiled towels or dirty sponges,” “should never stand watching the patrons drinking,” and “should study each customer's desire and endeavor to remember the particular way in which he likes his drinks mixed and served.” The year all this was written, the Centerville Journal declared Edgar’s soda fountain one of the finest in the state. Ninety-plus years later, once again it is.

Scorecard

Overall: Legendary - Worth driving from anyplace

ice cream soda	Banana Split
turtle sundae

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Reviewers Photos [Upload Your Photos]

"Edgar's unusual vertical banana split is a thing of beauty and extends almost six inches above the top rim of the glass."
Cliff Strutz

"The large scoop of ice cream precariously balanced atop this to-the-brim chocolate soda makes it impossible to eat without significant drippage."
Michael Stern

"When you order a hot fudge sundae you are asked if you want one scoop of ice cream or two. If you choose two, you also get a double layer of hot fudge."
Michael Stern

"Edgar's is an inviting place to stop for a sundae or soda while traveling the North-South interstate south of Sioux Falls."
Michael Stern

"The boy in this photo had to be lifted onto the stool at the counter; once there, he consumed a very large banana split."
Michael Stern

"Edgar's soda fountain is located inside Pioneer Drugs, which is adjoining the Odd Fellows Hall."
Michael Stern