Ye Olde Tavern was a restaurant that specialized in tavern sandwiches located at the corner of 14th and Jackson streets in Sioux City, Iowa. The establishment was founded by John David ("Dave") Heglin, who is credited as one of the creators of the tavern sandwich.

Ye Olde Tavern
Map
Restaurant information
Established1924 (1924)
Closed1974 (1974)
Food typeNorth American cuisine
Street address1322 Jackson Street
CitySioux City
StateIowa
CountryUnited States
Coordinates42°30′18″N 96°24′07″W / 42.5049°N 96.4019°W / 42.5049; -96.4019

History edit

Dave Heglin opened the restaurant in 1920, he named the restaurant Ye Olde Tavern Inn (Heglin family archives). He sold loose ground beef sandwiches that he called tavern burgers. The recipe was closely guarded.[1] The building was completed in 1928. After Heglin died, his wife sold the restaurant and the recipe for the tavern sandwich to Abe Kaled in 1934. He may have modified the formula for the tavern that he and his wife, Bertha Kaled, sold for a dime each, served in wax paper without a plate. Ye Olde Tavern was especially popular with students at nearby Central High School. The restaurant saw great success under the Kaled’s, and in 1952 they added a full menu. Taverns began to be sold in restaurants and bars across the Sioux City area and are now regarded as local specialty. The restaurant closed in 1974 because of Bertha’s failing health.[2][3][4][5]

Present edit

The restaurant was brought up on the radio broadcast A Way with Words on May 23, 2011, on the episode titled Pickles and Ice Cream.[6]

The Ye Olde Tavern building has been home to multiple restaurants since 1974. In 2012, The Garden Cafe moved into the space and began selling a “Ye Olde Tavern” sandwich based on the original tavern recipe. In the September 2012 issue of Food Network Magazine, the publication named The Garden Cafe’s tavern the best sandwich in Iowa.[7][8] The Garden Cafe closed in 2020, due to the retirement of the owner of the restaurant.[9]


References edit

  1. ^ "Is Ground Beef Safe To Eat?" (PDF). Chefs Association of the Pacific Coast.
  2. ^ "Interview with Bertha Kaled". Sioux City History. August 14, 1978.
  3. ^ Stern, Jane; Stern, Michael (2011). The Lexicon of Real American Food. Lyons Press. ISBN 9780762760947. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. ^ Stern, Jane; Stern, Michael (2009). 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0547059075. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  5. ^ Poole, Marcia (October 19, 2005). "Loosemeat legend feeds curiosity about Siouxland classic". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Pickles and Ice Cream". A Way with Words. May 23, 2011.
  7. ^ Horlyk, Earl (January 2, 2013). "Taverns that have stood the test of time". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  8. ^ "Traditional sandwich shop gains national attention". KTIV. August 10, 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  9. ^ R, Libbie; all (2020-06-07). "Sioux City says goodbye to Garden Cafe Sunday". KTIV. Retrieved 2021-10-18.