Republic file photo The exterior of Zaharakos in downtown Columbus, 329 Washington St.
Columbus restaurant Zaharakos will be hosting a visit from America’s Best Restaurants later this month.
America’s Best Restaurants, a national media and marketing company focusing on bringing attention to local, independently-owned restaurants, will bring its ABR Roadshow to the restaurant on Nov. 21. Popular dishes will be highlighted, along with an extensive on-camera interview with general manager Scott Denewett about the restaurant’s special place in the community. The episode will be aired extensively on social media channels at a later date.
Visiting Zaharakos is like stepping back to 1900; a true turn-of-the-century ice cream parlor experience. Stained glass, polished wood, and marble counters all add to the ornate interior and draw customers from around the world. Next year marks its 125th anniversary.
Zaharakos began when three brothers, James, Louis and Pete Zaharako, left Sparta Greece and immigrated to New York City; later they moved to Indiana and opened a confectionery. Inspired by the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, they expanded to an ice cream parlor and soda fountain, adding a carbonated water dispenser styled like a Tiffany lamp, twin Mexican onyx soda fountains and a 50-foot backbar of polished mahogany.
Although Zaharakos closed in 2006 due to business downturns, it was purchased and restored to its glory in the late 2000s and re-opened in 2009. Additions included a Museum Room, Soda Fountain Library, and a late 1800s Victorian-style suite, called the Crystal Parlor.
Popular menu items that may be featured on the episode include the GOM sandwich, a classic Greek-style sloppy joe on Texas toast; the Big Z, a giant sundae of five flavors of house-made ice cream with three sauces and whipped cream and cherries; and Green River soda, a hard-to-find lime-flavored soft drink introduced during Prohibition; it is made by hand at Zaharakos.
America’s Best Restaurants will be filming on location Nov. 21 from 9 a.m. to noon. The restaurant’s finished episode premiere date will be announced on its Facebook page and will be featured on America’s Best Restaurants’ website at https://americasbestrestaurants.com/rests/indiana/zaharakos.
Restaurants featured on the ABR Roadshow are selected based on their customer reviews, menu items, social media presence, and level of involvement with their community. They are found through customer nominations, internal vetting or by a restaurant applying to be featured at www.americasbestrestaurants.com.
To learn more about Zaharakos, visit zaharakos.com.
To learn more about ABR, visit AmericasBestRestaurants.com.
