Cars, Coffee, Snow and Fried Chicken
When spring hits Ohio a lot of people like to joke about how unpredictable the weather can be. One day it might be sunny and 70 and the next day will be in the 30s and snowing, well, that's pretty much how this story begins. We began to get a glimpse of spring and I started to get excited to be able to spend some more time outside. If you read my opening post you'll know I've been itching to do some creating outside of my day job, so when I knew I had a free Saturday morning I called my old friend Rob up to see if he wanted to hit up Cars and Coffee at the Ta'Bogo Cafe (previously Fuel Coffee) one of our old stomping grounds. We could grab a cup of joe, catch up and see some cool cars. Sounded like an amazing plan to me! Mother nature had other plans.
My alarm went off at 6:30am and if you know me that isn't just way to early for the weekend, it's way to early period. I hit snooze about 15 times before I decided to drag myself out of bed. As I sat up I looked through the blinds of my bedroom window only to be met with a light dusting of snow on the ground. Great. I knew It was going to be cold, but I did not anticipate snow.
If you know car people you know some of them are a little protective of their rides. Many won't go out in the rain, let alone in the snow with salt covered roads. I texted Rob to see if he was still in to see what "junk" was going to show up knowing we were going to be deprived of the really cool cars. He was in. In all honesty I was excited to see some "real" cars show up. I'd rather stand around and chat about a project car someone was wrenching on in their garage last night over someone that just pulls up in a Lambo. I gathered my camera gear, grabbed a Monster from the fridge because I knew I was going to need more than just a coffee to get me going and headed down to Ta'Bogo Cafe.
If you know car people you know some of them are a little protective of their rides. Many won't go out in the rain, let alone in the snow with salt covered roads. I texted Rob to see if he was still in to see what "junk" was going to show up knowing we were going to be deprived of the really cool cars. He was in. In all honesty I was excited to see some "real" cars show up. I'd rather stand around and chat about a project car someone was wrenching on in their garage last night over someone that just pulls up in a Lambo. I gathered my camera gear, grabbed a Monster from the fridge because I knew I was going to need more than just a coffee to get me going and headed down to Ta'Bogo Cafe.
Rob and I rolled in at almost the same time and were met with a rather small gathering of car enthusiasts. Some chatting over open engine bays, others walking around coffee in hand and a few standing around a fire (pro move). We walked into the tiny cafe, grabbed our coffee and headed back out into the coldness as Rob made fun of me for getting an iced coffee on a 30 degree F day. I shrugged it off, but quickly admitted an iced coffee was an awful idea.
As we were getting our coffee I joked about the loudly colored Corvette C8 parked out front was giving off some major Tron vibes, but after talking to the owner that was absolutely the mission. The license plate actually said C8 Tron. Not my thing, but definitely an eye catcher.
As we turned back towards the rest of the crowd we noticed this first generation Toyota Celica had pulled up. This right here was more of my speed. Exactly the type of "junk" I meant when I had texted Rob earlier that morning. Now, I have to preface that I am using the word junk in an endearing way. This car was loved, is still loved and still has a lot of loving left in it. The owner was proud of it and was excited to tell us about his future plans about swapping out some engine parts. I live for this kind of car. I've always wanted a project car, but space was always an issue and I was afraid to take on the challenge. I've always been a car guy, know a lot about cars, but that knowledge ends when you get to the mechanicals. We do live in the YouTube age now where all knowledge is only a tutorial away. One day I might have to finally tackle my dream of having a project car or truck.
Enter this beauty, the Subaru Baja. I don't know why, but I've always wanted one of these things. They only made them for four years so there aren't many around any more. Rob actually owned one of these when I met him years ago.
We decided to take a fire break after checking out the Celica and Baja. We dressed warm, but Ta'Bogo Cafe is right off of the river so the chilly winds cut across their parking lot often. We ended up chatting with some of the people around the fire joking about motorcycles and car parts piling up in our garages with no end in site. Talking about the cars that were arriving and leaving. It was a great little break from walking around freezing our toes off.
As we warmed up more and more cars started showing up. Way more than I expected with the crummy weather. Lots of BMWs, an Alfa, Camaro, Tacoma, Mitsubishi's and more. We took one more lap before we left to see who all showed up to freeze with us. I still had some time to burn and suggested to Rob we should grab some grub before we went our separate ways.
I told him about this super small restaurant that I passed many times called The Hitching Post which had a sign that boasted that they had the "world's best fried chicken." I said we should put that claim to the test and he agreed.
I had passed this building so many times in my life and always wanted to stop, but I was always on my way to work or busy with something else. Today was the day I was finally going to taste the "world's best fried chicken." How lucky was I?
The dining room was rather cozy with only a handful of booths. Every time I passed this place in the morning there isn't a spot left in the lot. I honestly wonder where everyone fit in there. A server manned the cash register and took our orders. We both got a combo of chicken tenders, sides and a drink and we both didn't pay over $8. What a deal! In addition to chicken they had a handful of sandwiches like burgers, hoagies, fish and also boasted a full page of Cincinnati Chili entrees. I will have to return to investigate further.
The world's best fried chicken ladies and gentleman. Did it live up to the hype? While I don't think it was the best fried chicken I ever had it was definitely the best sub $10 plate of chicken I've ever had. I'd come back here and order it again in a heartbeat. The breading was perfect and the onion rings were amazing. The paper plate, bun from your average school cafeteria and plastic silverware really brought on the down home feel. The Hitching Post is a gem that everyone in Cincinnati needs to experience.
Want to check out Cincinnati Cars and Coffee at the Ta'bogo Cafe? They seem to do them both on Saturdays and Sundays starting at 8am down on 2726 Riverside Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45202. It will get extremely busy during the warmer months so get there early if you want to park in the lot.
The Hitching Post is located not too far East from Ta'Bogo at 4535 Kellogg Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45226. You're going to have to get lucky to find a seat, but it's well worth it.
Thank you for taking the time to go on this journey with me. Onto the next one!