Nearly 80 years’ worth of food, drinks, and good times have been shared at Saint Phillips and Weinzapfel roads on the eastern edge of Posey County. The restaurant formerly known as Weinzapfel’s dates to 1946, has shortened its name to Zaps Tavern, and still is going strong under a team led by General Manager Rachael Greenwell.
Hearty lunches and dinners are prepared in the Zaps kitchen seven days a week. Despite the restaurant’s name, Greenwell doesn’t entirely buy the “tavern food” description.
“The way I like to say it is, it’s tavern food, but a classier version of tavern food,” says Greenwell, who is the daughter of Zaps owner Mike Greenwell. “And we’re very family friendly.”
Zaps offers a relaxed, fun atmosphere, a spacious dining room fit for larger or small gatherings, and a stacked menu of everything from appetizers to desserts. The apps are nearly a meal unto themselves — try the loaded nachos (tortilla chips with pulled pork or ground beef and lots of toppings) or the cowboy fries or chips. Zaps’ zing shrimp is another filling pick for an appetizer, salad topper, or wrap.
Specialty pizzas and flatbreads include the Zaps deluxe (three meats, veggies, and mozzarella), the all-meat, buffalo chicken, taco, Hawaiian, chicken bacon ranch, chicken pesto, and barbecue chicken, or you can build your own. Zaps strombolis and sandwiches aim to please, as do the burgers: A signature is the Boss Hog, which piles house-smoked pork, melted cheese, and haystack onions onto three patties. Tenderloin and chicken sandwiches come fried or grilled, and Zaps offers the fried German bologna, a longtime Southwestern Indiana favorite.
Greenwell says wings are another big seller, and Zaps’ eight flavor choices include the Westside rub, a house-made dust. The catfish and chicken strip baskets deliver hot, crispy goodness. Desserts include cheesecake, homemade ice cream from nearby JB’s Barnyard, and more. And yes, there’s a full bar — the bar itself is a rustic, solid-wood classic.
Many of Zaps’ customers come from the rural neighborhood it calls home, but Greenwell says she notices a lot of new faces who come to check out the friendly vibe and all those menu options.
Greenwell says the secrets to Zaps’ longevity in the challenging restaurant industry are loyal customers, as well as a staff “that’s almost family at this point. Knowing that if you’re in a rough spot, there’s a way through it.”
