🍴Maid-Rite Sandwich Shoppe
Location: 125 N. Broadway St., Greenville
Hours: Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Since 1934, the Maid-Rite Sandwich Shoppe has been serving up its iconic loose-meat sandwich (it has been described as a Sloppy Joe minus the sauce). While it has become famous for its sandwiches, ice cream and shakes, the Greenville institution has also garnered national attention for a tradition started by its customers. For decades, visitors to the Maid-Rite Sandwich Shoppe have made it a tradition to stick their chewing gum to the exterior walls of the restaurant.
🍴K’s Hamburger Shop
Credit: None
Credit: None
Location: 117 E. Main St., Troy
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed on Sundays.
A trip to K’s Hamburger Shop is akin to stepping into a time machine. The restaurant, which has been open since 1935 in downtown Troy, still maintains the ambiance and decor from decades past. Customers can dine on delicious burgers made with meat ground on-site, milkshakes, malts, homemade soups, macaroni salads and more nostalgic items.
🍴Kewpee Hamburgers
Credit: Kewpee Hamburgers Facebook
Credit: Kewpee Hamburgers Facebook
Location: 2111 Allentown Road, 111 N. Elizabeth St. and 1350 Bellefontaine Ave. in Lima
Hours: Hours vary based upon location. Check the restaurant’s website for the operating hours of each location.
Back in 1928, Hoyt. F “Stub” Wilson and his wife, June, opened the first Kewpee Hamburgers location in downtown Lima. In the past century, Kewpee Hamburgers has expanded to include two other locations in the Lima area. The Lima chain has become famous for its hamburgers that come simply adorned with a pickle. (“Hamburg, pickle on top, makes your heart go flippity-flop”). The restaurant chain also serves fish sandwiches, simple breakfast foods, like doughnuts and omelets, fresh-baked pie, frosted malts and soft-serve frozen yogurt.
🍴Sam and Ethel’s in Tipp City
Location: 120 E Main St., Tipp City
Hours: Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
More info: Facebook
Sam and Ethel’s was first opened by Bill and Flora Senseman in 1944. Then, over a decade later, in 1957, Sam and Ethel Moore took over ownership of the restaurant and turned it into the establishment that locals know and adore today. The original building, located at 120 E. Main St. in Tipp City, was built in 1868 and used as a shoe repair shop and an ice cream parlor until it was turned into a restaurant.
The restaurant especially appeals to those who claim breakfast as their favorite meal of the day. The cuisine at Sam and Ethel’s, like large, fluffy pancakes and Main Street Skillet, celebrates the first meal of the day with unparalleled ease. Those who prefer a cozy breakfast experience will not be disappointed at Sam and Ethel’s in downtown Tipp City.
🍴The Spot Restaurant
Credit: Michael Jannides
Credit: Michael Jannides
Location: 201 S. Ohio Ave., Sidney
Hours: Open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Spot Restaurant was first created by Spot Miller in 1907. At the time, Miller was selling food from a chuckwagon that he set up at the corner of Court Street and Ohio Avenue in downtown Sidney. In 1934, a permanent building was erected in that same location. The building was remodeled in 1941 after a fire destroyed the first permanent structure in 1940.
Since 1941, The Spot Restaurant has been serving up mid-century modern ambiance with delicious cheeseburgers, tenderloins, pies, homemade soup and frosted malts in tow.
Fun fact: Dayton native Rob Lowe’s grandfather once owned The Spot Restaurant and Lowe has been spotted taking a walk or two down memory lane in the past.
🍴Mel-O-Dee Restaurant & Catering
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
Location: 2350 S. Dayton-Lakeview Road, New Carlisle
Hours: Open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Their food is sure to put a mel-o-dee in your heart. Since opening for business in 1965, Mel-O-Dee Restaurant in New Carlisle has been serving up homecooked food like Broaster Chicken, fried steak, spaghetti and liver and onions. For decades, the restaurant has served as a gathering place for New Carlisle residents and a loyal customer base.
🍴Wot-A-Dog Drive-In
Location: 603 S. Main St., New Carlisle
Hours: Open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m.
For decades, Wot-A-Dog Drive-In has been a summertime staple in New Carlisle, serving famous coneys, hamburgers, crinkle-cut fries, root beer in frosted mugs, root beer floats and milkshakes. These nostalgic items can be enjoyed in the restaurant or you can have them delivered to your vehicle by one of the restaurant’s carhops.
🍴Crabill’s Hamburger Shoppe in Urbana
Credit: Crabill's Hamburger Shoppe Facebook
Credit: Crabill's Hamburger Shoppe Facebook
Location: 727 Miami St., Urbana
Hours: Open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Forest Crabill first began selling hamburgers out of a small garage in 1927. In the years that followed, the family carried on the legacy of Crabill, eventually moving into the restaurant’s current building in 1989. Over the past century, Crabill’s has been one of the most popular institutions in Urbana, maintaining a long roster of faithful customers who enjoy indulging in the restaurant’s iconic hamburgers (which come with interesting condiment options, like brown mustard and sweet relish), soups and homemade pies.
Currently, the restaurant is only serving customers through their drive-thru window.
🍴Bulldog Diner
Credit: Bulldog Diner Facebook
Credit: Bulldog Diner Facebook
Location: 30 Lowry Drive, West Milton
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from 8-11 a.m.
More info: Facebook
West Milton residents and outsiders alike will find a bit of comfort in this long-running establishment that serves up cozy ambiance, a wide selection of hearty breakfast foods, homemade pies and delicious breakfast and lunch specials.
🍴Hussey’s Restaurant
Credit: Hussey's Restaurant Facebook
Credit: Hussey's Restaurant Facebook
Location: 8760 Broad St., Port Jefferson
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday from 4-7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 4-9 p.m.
More info: Facebook
Located where a pond and flour mill once stood in Shelby County’s Port Jefferson is Hussey’s Restaurant, which has been serving up delicious food like prime rib and an assortment of seafood platters since 1933.
🍴Buffalo Jack’s
Location: 137 S. High St., Covington
Hours: Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
More info: Facebook
Those looking for a truly unique dining experience will surely find it at Buffalo Jack’s in Covington. Apart from its fairly nontraditional menu, which includes game dishes centered around alligator, buffalo, elk, wild boar and venison, guests will be treated to an entirely unique ambiance within the Miami County restaurant that is curated with taxidermied animals on the walls and a rustic charm straight from the 1970s.
🍴Wooden Shoe Inn
Credit: The Wooden Shoe Inn Facebook
Credit: The Wooden Shoe Inn Facebook
Location: 6 N. Main St., Minster
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday from 4-8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 4-9 p.m. and Sunday from 4-8 p.m.
The Wooden Shoe Inn has been a Minster landmark since 1933. The long-running establishment was renovated last year and now includes a larger menu and an updated dining area. Despite these changes, The Wooden Shoe Inn still maintains a bit of nostalgia through its historic back bar that is chock full of memorabilia from the restaurant’s past.
Customers can look forward to indulging in a range of family-friendly German and American fare from steaks and a special tenderloin pizza to pork schnitzel and German chocolate cake.
🍴Loretta’s Country Kitchen
Location: 12 E. Pike St., Christiansburg
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
More info: Facebook
In the mid-1980s, the Lyons Family Restaurant opened in Christiansburg. During that time, Loretta Rhodes worked as a waitress at the establishment and spent nearly a decade attempting to open her own version of Lyons Family Restaurant after the establishment closed. Finally, in 1998, Rhodes opened Loretta’s Country Kitchen. The restaurant specializes in serving homecooked meals and desserts to customers who want “Home Cookin’ At The Right Price!”
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