Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Chapman's II Pie Wagon

Chapman's Pie Wagon was a Franklin staple from 1922-1946.  The Perkins family brought the wagon back to life a few years back, bringing with it the eclectic menu and old trolley feel.  (I'm not doing the history justice here, but my blogger friend Angela has a great background story you can read here.)  Now under new ownership but with the proprietary recipes, the wagon is still serving up good eats next to Landmark Booksellers in downtown Franklin.


My coworkers and I had talked about hitting up Chapman's for lunch for a long time.  It's not a true food truck, more of a food stand, but it's known for great service and food.  We finally found a Friday afternoon with time to head downtown, so we were very excited.  There's a good amount of parking behind Landmark and near the wagon.  We had to wait in line (and wait for the fresh-cooked food) but it was well worth it.


I chose the lunch special, a flank steak with red potatoes and mac 'n' cheese.  The steak was delicious, though I wish it were a little hotter and less salty.  The potatoes and rolls were great too.  The mac 'n' cheese was hands down the bomb.  I actually wonder if they'd serve me a Frank with a Flair with the macaroni on top.  My coworkers' hot dogs (sliced lengthwise and served on sandwich rolls) looked so good I wish I could have eaten to meals.  Our other coworker got her favorite Jazzy Yum Bowl, which are like ultra fresh burrito bowls with some secret sauce.


It was a rainy day, but there were umbrellas over the outdoor seating so we were able to eat near the wagon.  You can tell the new owners are doing a great job, because even with the changeover there's  still a lunch crowd at Chapman's!

Chapman's II Pie Wagon on Urbanspoon

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7 comments:

  1. Yummy! Gotta love a good mac-n-cheese! :)

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  2. It was great! A little salty, but good. My favorite macaroni recipe is from your former soldier, actually:

    -box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (the big box with elbow pasta with the Velveeta-like squeeze cheese packet)
    -can of cream of mushroom soup
    -8 oz. sour cream
    -4 cups shredded cheddar

    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cook the Kraft Macaroni as the package dictates. Then mix in the cream of mushroom, sour cream, and a couple handfuls of the shredded cheddar. Stir it all until it is melted and gooey. Then get a deep baking dish (or a loaf pan) and spoon a layer of macaroni into it. Add a thick layer of shredded cheddar; repeat again. The top layer should be cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and brown.

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  3. That is the cutest thing! I'm loving seeing Nashville through your blog.

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  4. You just keep a mental list of everything you want to do when you come visit me!

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  5. Hi Aubrey - Thanks for visiting the Historic Chapman's II Trolley! We are currently upgrading the trolley inside and out and will be down for a month or so. I'm adding all kinds of new appliances inside - including a lava rock grill so that I will be able to serve the flank steak hot - the way that I serve it at home. We are becoming mobile too - adding propane power with a full time generator instead of being plugged in and are really looking forward to being mobile.
    Thanks again - Scot K.

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  6. That is great news! Can't wait to see Chapman's at future festivals and events.

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