Nothing ushers in summer like drinking a giant beer on the taratsa at Dave’s Taverna. And Dave’s has provided that for us for nearly twenty years. Twenty years! A generation. Another impressive statistic?
Three million? That’s more people than the population of Jamaica. Which is another nice place to sit outside and enjoy a meal. And if Harrisonburg’s population hovers around 50,000, then Dave’s has served each and every one of us sixty times over the years. And I, for one, appreciate that hospitality. Greece is also quite hospitable – the number of tourists who visit each year exceeds the number of citizens by a long shot – and it’s one place, during my European hobo travels, I didn’t visit. If I ever get the chance again, I’m going there. For now, I am perfectly content to eat spanakopita at Dave’s, surrounded by people I love.
On this day I was on a “bargain high.” Brandy and I had just come from Duo, where I got three items for like $20. To my delight, it happened to be Tuesday, and kids eat free at Dave’s on Tuesday. AND, Dave’s offers BIG beers for just $3ish. It’s like the God of Bargains was smiling down on us from Mt. Olympus.
We ordered food. I got the Steak and Cheese (Dave’s has one of the best I’ve tried), and Ben and Brandy shared the Chicken Souvlaki and a house salad. We ate, drank, and merrily chatted.
At least once a day, Brandy looks at me, points to her hair, and says, “What’s going on here?” She’s convinced that some piece of hair is out of place or sticking out. I usually tell her, “Nothing. Looks fine.” Heh heh.
You know, sometimes, when you eat outside, you experience some challenges. Like wind, for instance. Or… bees. Now, let me say up front that I have a phobia of bees (and even more, moths – those things will just randomly fly right into your face/eye/ear/mouth). I’ve had several bizarre and scarring experiences with bees, like the time I was fishing with my brother and I sat right down on a hornet’s nest. Egads. So when something buzzed by me, I got a little nervous. My son, knowing my fear, said, “Don’t worry, Mom. It’s just a bumblebee. They have no power to hurt. Bumblebees are just big stuffed-animal bugs.”
Truth. So I relaxed and didn’t see another insect up there at all. But then Cal remembered his own frightening bee incident… when he was two. We were at the Wellness Center for Bree’s soccer game. Cal was sitting in his little chair, and I’d given him half of my egg and cheese bagel. A bee swooped in, landed on the hand that held the bagel, and stung him right on the finger. He promptly dropped the sandwich and howled. He was so mad at himself for dropping his breakfast…
On your visit to Dave’s, you can enjoy dollar pitchers of Natty Light, Virginia Wines, Mediterranean foods like Baklava, a Gyro, or pizza, and American favorites like a good ole burger and chocolate cake, plus a whole lot more. And you can help Dave get to four million served!
Dave’s is located downtown, between Shenandoah Bicycle and Oasis Fine Art & Craft, open 11am to 1am, every day.
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i love my burg. 