Heading south on US 19 from Blood Mountain to Cleveland, you’ll pass by this place. Originally built as a gas station and then expanded into a country store, it’s been a cafe for many years. Of its many owners across the decades, it’s founder Charles Turner is best known. He was a local legend who famously kept a soda-guzzling pet bear. Heavily guarded all-night poker games with local politicians are as much a part of its history as are Friday-night dances for local teenagers back in the 50s. With such diversity, it’s a wonderful survivor. After going into foreclosure in 2009, the building sat empty for two years; Steve Amoruso bought it and stabilized it while retaining its integrity.
Yes indeed, Ben. I recall seeing the bear cage to the right of the store on forays into the mountains in my old chevy while a student at NGC. But I don’t recall ever stopping there. At that time Dahlonega and environs were decidedly rural …unlike now with all the tremendous growth coming northward into the area from Atlanta. (Thanks, GA. 400, lol.) Back then in the late 1960s, about as fancy as culinary delights got in Dahlonega was the Tasty Freeze at the base of Crown Mt. coming in from Gainesville. But of course, there WAS the Smith House.
Love this place! They made us feel really at home and the food was good!
My wide and I stopped in for lunch once, 20-25 years or so ago, when we were on a weekend vacation in Dahlonega, and out and about. There was no bear on premises at the time, but the food was good and it remains a vivid memory. As i recall, it is tucked into a corner where the road winds around a creek. One of those memorable places one sometimes comes across, “out in the middle of nowhere.”
You are bringing back the memories Brian. When I was a kid growing up in Gainesville in the 50’s at least once every couple of months we took a Sunday family drive through the mountains which always included a stop at Turner’s Corner to see the black bear in a cage that sat directly to the right of the ICE sign in your photo.