By Tom McGowan
As you can see from the title, I can’t say enough about this iconic hamburger and ice-cream emporium. There are only two locations left in Atlanta: one in East Atlanta at the corner of Moreland Avenue and United Avenue, and the other in Forest Park.
Per their website (zestoatlanta.com), Zesto’s history starts in 1945 when the Taylor Freezer company made “Zest-O-Mat” soft serve ice cream machines – thus the name “Zesto.” In 1949, John Livaditis, who had worked for Taylor Freezer, opened his first store in Atlanta on Peachtree Road across the street from the Brookwood Station train depot. Later, he added hamburgers to another location on Piedmont Road. By 1955 there were five Zestos in operation: Peachtree Road, Ponce de Leon Avenue, Piedmont Road, Cheshire Bridge Road, and Roswell Road. Then, in 1959, he opened the East Atlanta store.
Their soft-serve ice cream is, in a word, delish! It is available as a cone with a “nut brown crown dip” and butterscotch, too. You can get it in a to-go cup, and as a sundae or a full banana split, plus arctic swirls. All options have a creamy smoothness on the tongue that other places cannot match. And for those dedicated to chocolate, there is also the Heck Of A Job Brownie Sundae.
If you want hot food, be sure to check the sign, because each day has a special. The Cubby Decker hamburger combo (with fries and drink) is high on my list, as well as the foot long hot dogs and the chili cheese dogs (coleslaw optional). They also have patty melts (for the uninitiated, those are a hamburger with grilled onions and cheese on toasted rye bread, grilled with a bit of butter on the bread), and side orders of onion rings. Baskets and combos can help you fill in your dietary needs in addition to the main course. Beef, fish, and veggie tacos are now on the menu too as well as quesadillas.
When I came to Atlanta in 1977, a native named George Mitchell filled me in on Zesto (everyone, it seems, adds and a “s,” saying for example, “Let’s go to Zesto’s”…) and my go-to was the big store on Ponce de Leon Avenue just east of Boulevard and Monroe Drive. I say “big store” because at some time around the mid-1980s, they demolished the smaller original and put up a classic 1950s-style glass and chrome store in the same location. If I recall correctly, they won an Urban Design Commission award for it. This later structure had miniature jukebox inputs at each of the booths where you could select and play your favorite tunes. Those disappeared, but a full size (non-working) jukebox stayed on the north wall for some years.
I have long taken friends, relatives, and out-of-towners to Zesto. Ten years back, after seeing a play at Horizon Theatre, I walked my date (now partner) up to Zesto for dinner. I wanted her to know that I was a real foodie (and did not mind picking up the tab).
It was a sad day when the Ponce location closed. I slipped a $20 bill to one of the long-term waitresses there as a token of my respect for her and for Zesto. These days, I still frequent the East Atlanta location. Fortunately, it appears that this one will be sticking around for the foreseeable future.
