1220 Cafe in Tallassee may not be a waterfront bistro, but it is located on one of the gateway corridors to Lake Martin.  Tallassee natives and veterans of the restaurant industry, Pam and Noah Griggs, opened 1220 Cafe as a “fast casual” restaurant, and since I’d heard so many good things about it, I decided to check it out myself.

I was really surprised by how big it is.  They have a lot of room both inside and outside, so even if you see a lot of cars in the parking lot, they can fit you in.  In small towns you often find local places that simply reheat frozen foods from distributors, but not here. They have put a lot of thought and effort into creating foods that are fresh and unique.  Noah’s mom has even contributed the recipes for many of the homemade desserts.

My parents travel through Tallassee all the time and my mom is an avid coffee fan.  Neither she nor my dad will pass by without stopping, and the 1220 Cafe folks make them a special frozen coffee drink that is not on the menu – that’s something that doesn’t happen at a chain eatery. And, at Lake Martin you can count the number of restaurants with cool cappuccino machines on your toes, so this is definitely a special experience for this area.

Next time you’re on the south side of the lake, or driving through Tallassee on the way to the lake, check them out.  You can also find them on Facebook.