A little rain didn’t bother the restaurants serving tasty tidbits and sensational sips at the annual Taste of Evergreen event.

Food and drink vendors lined up in the grassy area in front of the Evergreen Lake House on Sept. 19, prepared to give attendees a taste of something special. Seven new food vendors joined veteran establishments at this year’s celebration of everything food.

“This is a great community event,” said Nancy Judge, president of the Evergreen Area Chamber of Commerce, which hosts Taste of Evergreen. “It allows restaurants to showcase their food and drinks. Many people tend to go to the same restaurants all the time. This event gives them a chance to try something new.”

Participating in Taste of Evergreen is a big deal, according to Jared and Amanda Leonard, owners of Campfire Evergreen. Jared Leonard called the event a good representation of the local area because it provided food and a way for friends to get together, plus it was outdoors.

“I look forward to this event,” Amanda said. “I get to see everyone here.”

The Lucky Charm Mobile Bar was open for business, serving its Rocky Mountain Mai Tais. Owners Jill and Michael Manser said during the pandemic, they learned about a mobile bar online and decided it would be a fun thing to try, so they bought a horse trailer and converted it.

“It wasn’t meant to be a business,” Jill said, “but that’s what it turned into.”

Jill was hoping they could repeat as winners in the spirits category, one of six awards handed out by judges. She said Taste of Evergreen helped bring awareness to the business.

“We love being part of the community and letting people see what we do,” she added.

For Megan Mitchell, co-owner of Cactus Jack’s Saloon and Grill, Taste of Evergreen is a chance to serve something different than typical Cactus Jack’s fare, explaining, “We step up for this occasion.”

This year Cactus Jack’s served Buddha’s Temptation, a Medjool date stuffed with bleu cheese, wrapped in bacon and deep fried. In addition to serving and tasting fun food, she likes talking to the other restaurant owners all in one place.

Kathy and Peggy Nohava have opened the Pieces of Eight food truck, which serves a twist on Southern comfort food. They wanted to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant but had a difficult time finding a location, so they decided to go the food-truck route.

They like being at Taste of Evergreen to let area residents know about their food truck and the good food they serve.

Tiffani and Rand Packer showed off the food and drinks from their Evergreen restaurants: Murphy’s Mountain Grill, Espresso Evergreen, Kiki’s Bowls and the Bistro. 

“This is a fun opportunity to see familiar faces,” Tiffani said, “and it’s always fun to participate in a chamber event.”