Taylor’s Cove restaurant offers cool vibe with lakefront scenery

Published 8:21 am Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Michael Taylor’s journey into the restaurant business began while he was applying to get his master of business administration at Harvard University. During the application process, the Macon, Ga. native was a senior at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. 

Taylor said his counselor at Georgia Tech encouraged him to start a business as a way to make himself stand out from the other applicants. He opened Between the Bread Cafe, which specialized in delivering lunches to corporate offices, and the business changed the course of his life. 

“I really found a niche and did extremely well,” Taylor said, “At the end of my three-year lease, I decided to continue with the restaurant as opposed to going back and getting my MBA.”

Taylor opened up another business, Michael’s on Mulberry, and ran it along with Between the Bread in Macon until he eventually sold both. At that point, Taylor said that he figured he was done with therestaurant business. By 2019, however, an opportunity presented itself in Milledgeville, and Taylor opened another restaurant, The Reel Grill. He has since gone on to open three additional restaurants in the area, including The Fat Squirrel, The Crazy Chic and now, Taylor’s Cove. 

Taylor’s Cove filled the Ole’ Chobys location, which had unfortunately struggled amid the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Located at 3065 N. Columbia St. in Milledgeville, Taylor’s Cove offers a variety of food and drinks. 

On the menu, customers will find oysters, wings, seafood, burgers, steaks and more. Among the  most popular menu items are the Dynamite Shrimp Tacos, which feature fried shrimp tossed in Taylor’s Cove’s Dynamite sauce, served on three flour tortillas with slaw, pepper jack cheese, and special sauce. There are several daily specials, which are featured on Taylor’s Cove’s Facebook page. 

What makes the food and drinks on the menu at Taylor’s Cove unique has to be the quality and detail put into them, according to Taylor. 

“It’s only made with the freshest quality and we’re very attentive to details. Usually, I’m personally in the kitchen myself and I see every single plate that goes out and make sure that it’s perfect,” Taylor said. “That’s the same type of detail we have at all of our places.” 

Taylor explained said he and his business partners (including Ben Cook, who Taylor said is also very hands-on) opened Taylor’s Cove because they wanted to be at Lake Sinclair. 

“When this opportunity became available, we just knew that it would be a perfect fit for our brand as far as our level of service and quality of food,” Taylor said. “We thought we’d do very well there.” 

Since Taylor’s Cove opened, Taylor said the business has seen excellent support from the community, though the COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges with supply and labor. 

Just a parking lot separates patrons from the lake and they can see the water out on the deck bar at Taylor’s Cove. The deck bar also has an 82-inch flat screen television, which is above an outdoor fireplace. 

“It’s a really cool vibe. The bartenders out there do fantastic jobs, everyone feels very comfortable, great service, great drinks, and the atmosphere is unlike anything in Milledgeville,” Taylor said.

The dining area at Taylor’s Cove is more in the vein of a traditional restaurant, with tables and a wait list. Taylor said it’s very family-friendly and family-oriented, with servers, a full menu, and drinks you can order from the bar. For those who don’t want to wait, there is a bar/lounge areawith tables and full service that is first come first serve.

Taylor’s Cove hosts events on Friday and Saturday nights, including karaoke nights and concerts. Additionally, the restaurant is accepting reservations for private groups in the private dining room. 

What gets Taylor out of bed each day and keeps him going? Along with the fact that he can’t imagine himself working for anybody, there’s the element of challenge. 

“I keep going because every day is a new adventure; not only working in the restaurant business but owning one. You never know what’s going to hit you, whether it’s a walk in cooler breaking, a food truck not showing up on time or with the right product, or a server calling out ill, it’s a challenge every day,” Taylor said.