My childhood was spent behind the tall counters of Taylor’s BBQ, the restaurant my parents opened in Salisbury, Maryland, in 1995. They wanted to bring a true barbecue experience to the Eastern Shore. The restaurant's motto: "BBQ that's Taylor made."
Most days, the line of customers reached the front door, and people would wait to place their order of a chicken salad sandwich on a buttery roll with salty Utz chips, a daily special of meatloaf and mashed potatoes, or just a simple slab of Southern-style “wet” cornbread. (Even Kenny Chesney was a fan.) Taylor’s was a talked-about place known for its simple, memorable food.
For 19 years, my family and I spent just about all of our time at the restaurant, until my parents sold it in 2015. Over the last year, I’ve thought a lot about how special it was to grow up there and how the lessons I learned are still applicable today. Here are some that have stuck with me.