Nick Tahou’s transformation

There’s a changing of the guard at an iconic Rochester restaurant. This week, Nick Tahou’s II (the Lyell Ave location) was rechristened “Steve T. Hots and Potatoes”. The change reflects a branching off in the Tahou’s family tree between the two locations. Nick Tahou’s father, Alexander, opened the original location on West Main Street in downtown Rochester in 1918. The business was inherited by Nick and his brother Ike, who then opened the Lyell Ave location in 1979. When each of the founders died, they left the businesses to their wives, and thus in turn their children. Steve and his sister Joanne bought their Aunt Pat’s (Nick’s wife) portion of the Lyell Ave store, but since Nick Tahou had trademarked both the name “Nick Tahou” and “Garbage Plate”, the terms will be victims of the transformation and can only be used at the original location operated by their cousin, Alex.

The change isn’t all bad, though. Steve will return to using Zweigle’s hot dogs and sausage in the plates, which were used in the original garbage plate. Steve will also begin using his own hot sauce recipe on the revised plates.

Having spent my college years at RIT, we frequented the Lyell Ave Tahou’s location. In fact, I’ve never ventured to the downtown branch, mostly because they were forced to close at 8pm by the city due to repeated crime incidents in close proximity to it. Still today Amanda and I will swing by Tahou’s for dinner if we’re visiting Rochester. We were just there about a month ago when we went to RIT for a hockey game.

To me, it’s the location and the food more than the name that really defines the “Tahou’s Experience” so I’ll be sure to swing by Steve T.’s next time we’re out that way. I’ve only ever had cheeseburger plates, so maybe I’ll even use this as an opportunity to try the “Hots and Potats”. It was welcoming to hear that Steve will be remodeling the eatery this year, as even though the grime arguably added to the overall ambiance of the restaurant, I think the experience will certainly benefit from being cleaned up. Good luck to Steve and Joanne on their endeavor! Keep the good eats on the griddle.