Popular farm-style restaurant and music venue abruptly closes near Jupiter. Here's why.
The news had a promising ring to it this summer: a veteran steakhouse owner with an expanding barbecue business would take over the food operations at a popular north county farmhouse restaurant and music venue, the only free-standing restaurant in Jupiter Farms.
But the barely three-month-old takeover agreement between the owner of the Okeechobee Steakhouse family of restaurants and the owners of Taylor Farmhouse has ended on a sour note.
Okeechobee owner Ralph Lewis and his team, who took over the farmhouse restaurant on July 24, abruptly closed the restaurant on Oct. 28.
Here's what led to farmhouse restaurant's closing
An “undisclosed defect” on the farmhouse property, owned by husband-and-wife Chris and Elizabeth Taylor, made the place inoperable, Lewis said by phone Thursday.
He said a faulty septic system put not only the business at risk but also the health of customers and employees. The problem worsened to the point that it forced him to shut down, Lewis said.
“The Taylors did not disclose this to the public, to their staff or to us, the operators. Because of this, we had no choice but to close for safety reasons,” said Lewis, who had released a statement Wednesday saying the property defect prohibited his team “from operating the restaurant at a level in conformance with our levels of standard.”
Fixing the issue would have required pulling a permit, Lewis said.
“We are not the property owners. We can’t pull permits,” he said.
Taylor Farmhouse owners Chris and Elizabeth Taylor disputed Lewis’ charge that a property defect was to blame.
“He’s looking for an out,” Elizabeth Taylor said by phone Thursday. She said employees were left jobless with little notice. “He just packed his bag and they were closed.”
Lewis countered that the Taylors could put those employees back to work at any time.
“The Taylors can operate the property right now. They are the owners and they have possession of the property. Why did they not put the staff back to work?” he said.
Elizabeth Taylor said she and her husband were seeking legal clarification on the matter of property access.
“Some facts: He had a long due diligence period. Everything to operate is currently in his name, so we can’t reopen quickly. Even if we could, he cleared out all of the contents except the furniture and fixtures,” Elizabeth Taylor said via text message Friday.
Employees received word of the closure via a notice sent by Lewis team member Christina Wishart, who is general manager for Okeechobee Steakhouse.
“Due to circumstances beyond our control, Prime BBQ Catering Co LLC will no longer be managing, operating or affiliated with Taylor Farmhouse effective October 31, 2023,” it read.
Taylor Farmhouse co-owner Chris Taylor posted a long comment in a Jupiter Farms community forum on Facebook, saying he and his family had been “blindsided” by the closing.
“We only just found out through our former employees,” read his post. “... The relationship turned south almost immediately and has become the greatest regret of my life.”
Lewis said he has regrets as well.
“Had we known about these issues, in good conscience, we would have never taken over managing the food operations of that facility,” he said.
The Taylors opened Taylor Farmhouse on a 2-acre plot in 2018. The folksy restaurant drew locals, some who would ride over on horseback and park their horses in the farmhouse’s corral while they dined. When the Taylors entered the takeover agreement with Lewis this summer, they said they wanted to devote more time to their Hobe Sound restaurant Taylor Beach Café.
Elizabeth Taylor said she believes “greatly increased” prices at the Farmhouse following Lewis’ takeover and a new, barbecue-focused menu alienated a loyal and hyper-local clientele.
“That really hurt him. It’s a cultish community in the Farms. They either love you or hate you,” said Taylor.
A comparative review of the restaurant’s most recent menu under Lewis’ management and the Taylors’ menu in May shows a nominal price increase in some dishes.
In the menu overhaul, some comfort favorites were kept and some enhanced dishes were added.
Several salads went up by $2 as did the Blue Ribbon Meatloaf (from $19 to $21). The most notable price increase involves short rib entrees, though those dishes are presented differently. In May, the Taylors’ menu listed a five-spice short rib plate with pan sauce for $24. Lewis’ most recent website menu lists braised short rib for $36, but that more elevated dish also featured sweet corn puree, roasted shallot jus, garlic and chive aioli.
Some former menu items, such as flatbreads, were not listed on the most recent menu posted on Taylor Farmhouse’s website.
Most menu items cannot be compared because Lewis, who owns the Okeechobee Prime Barbecue roadside stand and catering business in West Palm Beach, added a large menu of onsite-smoked meats by the pound, in sandwiches and on combo platters.
The future of their farmhouse restaurant is up in the air for now, said Elizabeth Taylor.
Lewis said he wishes the best for the place and its community.
“It is a beautiful property. We love the people out there. We hope it’s successful,” he said. “Sadly, there was nothing we could do. Ethically, we could not operate in circumstances like that.”
In his Facebook post, Chris Taylor expressed plans to revive the place:
“We still own the property and we will help bring it back to its glory and then some, if you all will give us the chance.”
What else is cooking?
Mexican tortillas made with love.
Listening to Claudia Monroy tell the story behind her year-old organic tortilla shop transported me to her native Mexico, where her late grandfather once ran a tortilla factory. She never knew him but his legacy lives on in the stacks of fresh corn tortillas she and her husband Mounir make each day in Lake Worth Beach.
This story is special to me because it shows how food can be a vehicle to explore family traditions, cultural roots, identity and the intangibles of from-the-soul cooking. My mother’s Cuban recipes keep me close to her memory even 17 years after her death. They keep me connected to my roots and to the refugee girl in me whose family Thanksgiving table always reserved room, between the turkey and canned cranberry jelly, for my mom’s black beans and rice.
It’s easy to understand why Claudia’s shop has become so popular, not only with Mexican customers but with a diverse community of chefs, foodies and anyone seeking a great tortilla.
Dinners on the farm.
Farm dinner season is here and it offers quite a lineup of great chefs and sumptuous feasts.
I’ve compiled a cheat sheet on the upcoming dinners at Swank Farm in Loxahatchee Groves and Kai-Kai Farm in Indiantown.
Restaurant openings.
A couple of new West Palm Beach spots to put on your radar.
There’s a stylish new restaurant that offers sweeping golf course views. You can read all about The House restaurant here.
A favorite healthy foods mini-chain just opened a sunny South Dixie Highway location. Here’s the scoop on the new Field of Greens and why it’s no longer called Pixie on Dixie.
Speaking of Field of Greens...
A quite spacious Field of Greens is expected to open in downtown West Palm Beach in December, the developer Related Southeast announced in a news release this week.
The second downtown location will move into a 3,000-square-foot space on the ground level of the Phillips Point building at 777 S Flagler Dr.
Have a delicious weekend!
Liz Balmaseda
Hungry for more restaurant news?
Here's how to stay up-to-date with your local dining scene: follow our food & dining writer, Liz Balmaseda on Twitter @LizBalmaseda, Instagram at @silkpalm or sign up for our free weekly foodie newsletter, At the Table.
Read recent columns by Liz Balmaseda
◾ Best restaurants for Day of the Dead treats
◾ Stone crabs arrive. Steakhouse hires top chef.
◾ A destination restaurant moves to a new city
◾ New afternoon tea, served with a French twist
◾ Ticket sales hot as PB Food & Wine Fest returns with celebrity chefs
◾ Buzzy restaurant plans major expansion in north county
◾ A porchetta sandwich that spirits you to Italy
Liz Balmaseda is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network. She covers the local food and dining beat. Follow her on Instagram and on Threads @Silkpalm and Post on Food Facebook. She can be reached by email at lbalmaseda@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Okeechobee Steakhouse owner closes Taylor Farmhouse restaurant near Jupiter
