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Name:	libertybell -	Reply
Subject:	YELLOW HAMMER
Date:	12/17/2008 8:33:51 PM

I joined this forum in hopes of sharing with all of you my personal belief regarding the value of The Yellow Hammer.. After three years of reading post that complain about the lack of good resturant establishments close to the lake (many posted by some of those in the "thread" below), I can't help but be amused.

Mike Hoff, Colin, Amanda and the "crew" have done a marvelous job in creating a really unique and quaint atmosphere .... halfway between Auburn/Opelika and Lake Martin. Sure , it is on the south side of the lake and somewhat inconvenient to Alexander City and moreso to Eclectic, Yet, it is a marvelous little place with some of the best dining in the region. Mike Hoff is a visionary who has recongnized a great potential. My family and friends have enjoyed The Yellow Hammer and it's personable staff on many occasions.

I think all of us who live at the lake will share in a loss of MOMENTUM... if we continue to loose businesses, especially dining establishements such as The Yellow Hammer. Many of us are concerned about the loss of
value in porperty. Others hope and pray for a Publix or Kroger. Yet, when a true gentleman has the fortitude to post a true appraisal of the circumstances he and his staff faces he is ridiculed for choosing a location which is
bound to experience growth in the forseeable future... just not in the current economic circumstances.

This forum has become a pulpit for OLD BASTIONS' of the know it all! I respectfully ask YOU ALL......
SUPPORT THE YELLOW HAMMER WITH YOUR BUSINESS.. IT'S A GREAT LITTLE PLACE.

and... they wont need an investor AND... it will be pure capitalism with NO BAILOUT!

Name:	DJ -	Reply
Subject:	YELLOW HAMMER
Date:	12/17/2008 9:13:07 PM

Well here's my two pennies worth for a week-ender anyway, I drive two and a half hours to the lake as do a lot of folks on this side of the lake, after that and knowing I have another two and a half hours to get home on Sunday night or Monday morning I am not about to drive that far to go out to eat after spending all day out on the lake. Does this make sense to anyone else? If the man wanted "Lake Business" he should be near the lake!

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	YELLOW HAMMER
Date:	12/17/2008 9:55:16 PM

Fine food at an out of the way location just does not make sense. He tried to capture the Auburn/Opelika crowd and the Lake residents by locating between his prospects. The A/O folks have several equal opportunities closer by, which they frequent. The Lake folks don't want to travel that far, even for great food.

Just like the realtor's say, it's location, location, location. And Waverly ain't it. Great food. But you don't build a restaurant 20 miles from your customers.

Name:	AUCATZ -	Reply
Subject:	YELLOW HAMMER
Date:	12/18/2008 7:43:17 AM

It is very sad when any business may be closed. We drive up 280 to the lake every time we come, and we see the sign to Yellow Hammer in Waverly and talk about going there. It has always seemed a bit strange that a restaurant would be located in such an out-of-the-way place though.

Like others, when we get to the lake, we don't want to go far for dinner. We have talked about the place tons of times, but the fact is that - even though we live on the Dadeville side of the lake - it is still a good drive to the Yellow Hammer. Also, in my opinion, the plain fact is that folks don't much want to dress up to go fine dining a lot when they are at the lake. I don't see the Yellow Hammer as an everyday restaurant, but more a special occasion place. I could be wrong, having not been there though.

I do wish them the best of luck and hope they can remain open. Times are very hard for pretty much everyone, and it is going to be worse before it gets better. A night out in a restaurant may be the first thing to go for many folks who have lost their jobs.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	YELLOW HAMMER
Date:	12/18/2008 8:39:42 AM

Didn't the Waverly location have something to do with the chef or the owner being from there? I thought I read that somewhere.
We have been there a number of times and the food has been consistently great. The service is always warm and friendly. The atmosphere is charming. I love being able to have a innovative and delicious meal without going in the direction of B'ham.
We live on the Alex City side of the lake, and I personally don't mind making the trip to Waverly. However, we live her full time and I can appreciate that people that drive to get to their lake house don't necessarily want to turn around and make a drive back up 280 to eat dinner.
The thing is, even if everyone on this forum went to dinner there in the month of December, I don't know that it would be enough to save the Yellow Hammer beyond December. And outside of people on the lake, I don't know if the local population would frequent that kind of restaurant enough to keep it open, even if it was located in the most central place on the lake.

B ut, if you have always thought about going, and just haven't gotten around to it, do yourself a favor and go.
They are open Wed-Saturday for dinner. You don't have to get dressed up -- I've seen people in there in all kinds of clothes -- even jeans. I don't think it's a jeans and sneakers place, but it's certainly not a snobby dress up place either.

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	YELLOW HAMMER
Date:	12/18/2008 11:29:07 AM

Hound, if you live where I think you do, then you could probably tell me how long it takes to get there from the intersection of Coosa 20 and AL 259.....I've thought about going there before, but have always thought it was just too far...

NH

The Hodja, bruised and limping, came upon a neighbor at the marketplace.

"My dear friend, what happened to you?" asked the neighbor.

The Hodja answered, "Last night my wife grew angry and kicked my robe down the stairs."

"But how could that have caused your injuries?" continued the neighbor.

"I was wearing the robe when she kicked it down the stairs," explained the Hodja.

From: Nasreddin Hodja
Tales of the Turkish Trickster
retold by D. L. Ashliman

Name:	farmboy -	Reply
Subject:	YELLOW HAMMER
Date:	12/18/2008 11:35:56 AM

LibertyBell and T Hound you are right on the money. I have been here 8 yrs coming from Montgomery and the Yellowhammer is far and away better than most places. If you live out to Paces point its 10 miles to get to Niffers. People always say they want some thing but are not willing to support it.Its really sad that people have the time to sink a refrigerator in the lake but not support a great restaurant.

Name:	Cobalt222 -	Reply
Subject:	YELLOW HAMMER
Date:	12/18/2008 1:38:59 PM

We're very big fans of the Yellow Hammer. Extraordinary food, fantastic service and very interesting wines. We're in Bay Pine area and it is a longer drive that going to Alex City for us, but not much longer than going to Oskar's. Still, I respect the fact that some just won't make the trip. We go at least once every time we are at the lake and we take our 12 and 16 year olds who also love it. Sure hope they make it.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	YELLOW HAMMER
Date:	12/18/2008 7:38:44 PM

It's about 45-50 Minutes.
If you decide to go, it can be a challenge finding the turnoff of 280 to Waverly in the dark. It's not especially well marked and you are on it before you see the sign.

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	YELLOW HAMMER
Date:	12/18/2008 9:27:31 PM

Hard to justify going there when we have so many choices here in MGM and go to the lake to get away from it all....our excitement on a lake weekend is a trip to the AC Super Wally World....but if Yellowhammer survives maybe one day we'll go (don't want them to think we'd be regulars by going now and falsely inflating their hopes)..

Had a similar experience with Cecil's several months ago. Mediocre food and worse service. Its like they really didn't care - not a recipe for success in a town like AC that is struggling to survive. Hope the Suzi replacement is for real.

Hats off for now to your choice for pres....seemingly a consensus builder on the surface....will reserve final judgment until nearer the end of his term, though after the initil cadre resigns and are replaced by ??. You'll have to admit that we were right when we said we really didn't know WHAT he would do - and his choices so far have surprised a lot of folks and pi$$ed off his far left base.

Cheers,

NH

Hodja came home one night with a violin. He touched one string and played the same note over and over for some hours. His wife finally lost patience and told him that real violin players know how to move their hands up and down and to use all of the strings.

"Oh no, my dear," replied Hodja. "That is not the case. Those other players move their hands around all the time because they still have not learned where to find this note!"

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