| ----- | Tafel's Log Cabin & Motel Algonquin, IL | ----- | ||
Tafel's was located at the intersection of Route 31 and Cary-Algonquin Road. The complex began with a small restaurant and grew to include two motels and a swimming pool. The Log Cabin Drive-In opened in the 1940s and was operated by Ben and Edna Pflaum. A 1939 aerial photograph shows a building of the same size in the same spot, so I believe an existing building was remodeled. Frank and Violet Tafel purchased the property in 1950 and renamed it Tafel's Log Cabin.True to its name, the original building did resemble a log cabin. Inside, you could find tables and chairs, a service counter and a cozy fireplace. Although it was called a drive-in, there were no carhops. It was strictly dine-in only. | |||
 Tafel's was famous for homemade pies, custard and the best hamburgers in McHenry County. The Tafel's Three-Decker Hamburger was slathered in a tasty sauce made from a secret family recipe. According to a 1951 advertisement, other menu items included toasted dogs, fresh-ground coffee and draught root beer blended with famous Algonquin spring water. The Log Cabin was open daily from 10 a.m. to midnight and on Saturdays until 3 a.m. Carry-out orders were also available. In 1954, breakfast was added to the menu. Tafel's was very popular with teenagers and was a great place to take a date. | |||
In the early 1950s, a motel was added to the property. Known as Motel Tafel, this building was located along the cemetery boundary to the northeast. It had eight units, a redwood exterior and a penthouse with kitchenette facilities.
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1960-1974  Major changes took place in the 1960s. South of the restaurant, a set of stone pillars on Route 31 marked the entrance to a dirt road leading down the hill. The Tafels acquired this parcel in the 1950s, and it became the site of the next phase of the business.
First, a heated swimming pool was built in 1960. It was open to motel guests and to area residents for a nominal fee. Locker rooms were located beneath the pool area. | |||
In 1962, a second motel was added. The stone pillars that once marked the entrance to the dirt road became the entrance to the motel parking lot. The new motel was called The Annex. It had 24 units, free TV, phones, electric heat, wall-to-wall carpeting and ceramic tubs and showers. In 1961, Frank and Violet Tafel took out a chattel mortgage for 20 General Electric air-conditioners, 20 Admiral black & white TVs and one Admiral color TV. | |||
 A concrete retaining wall was built at the bottom of the hill, and a set of concrete steps led up to the Log Cabin restaurant. This photo shows the view from the second floor of the new motel, where you can see the retaining wall and original motel. | |||
 In 1962, the Log Cabin restaurant was destroyed by fire. An octagon-shaped restaurant with redwood siding was built in its place. I believe the fire occurred in 1962, because the new building is present in a 1963 aerial photograph (shown at left). A small addition to the new building was completed in 1964.
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 In 1967, the entire parcel was deeded to Fred Allegretti after Frank Tafel passed away. William and Donald Abed signed a contract to purchase the property, but never actually owned it outright. Allegretti remodeled the restaurant and reopened it in 1968 as the Four Horsemen Lounge. This new restaurant was the third location in the Four Horsemen chain, and featured jukebox dancing, live entertainment and a basement dining room used for banquets and meetings.The Annex motel was renamed the Beau Rivage Motel, and I believe the original motel near the cemetery became the Sky Haven Apartments. The restaurant parcel was leased in 1973 and became the Peking Palace. It featured live entertainment, dancing, Cantonese and American cuisine. | |||
1975-2000  A fire gutted the Beau Rivage Motel in January 1975. According to a newspaper article, the owners believed the fire started in the southeast corner on the lower level near room 18. The firemen believed it started in the third unit from the north. The strong winds and lack of firestops caused the fire to spread rapidly. Approximately 20 people were evacuated without injury from nine or ten occupied units. Tankers from Cary, Fox River Grove and Crystal Lake assisted Algonquin crews in fighting the blaze for eight hours.The article named Donald and William Abed as the owners of the motel and adjoining restaurant, although they were only the contract purchasers. The Abeds weren't sure if they would rebuild, and they estimated that their losses would total $300,000 to $350,000. It turns out that they had not maintained insurance on the structure and were not able to rebuild. The damaged building was torn down. The motel sign remained out front for many years after the fire. | |||
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In 1977, Fred Allegretti took the Abeds to court to sever the relationship and acquire clear title to the property. From 1977 until at least 1988, the restaurant was known as the Eight Immortals, again featuring Chinese cuisine. In the 1990s, it was known as Top Of The Hill and Thirty-One. In the late 1990s, the owners began construction of an outdoor terrace and volleyball court, but this was never completed. In 2000, foreclosure ended the building's history as a restaurant. "Groundhog Day"
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