LIFE

Cove Eatery offers homestyle classics

Seth Weibel

There’s something to be said for grandmas passing down their cooking techniques, and we found evidence of that in Perrysville. As we took an evening ride down Ohio 511 from Ashland, the scenery and curves were a pleasure on the bikes. Along the Black Fork of the Mohican River and near Pleasant Hill Lake, Perrysville has lots of water fun to offer.

We arrived at The Cove Eatery and Tavern, just two short blocks off of Ohio 39. Like many places, it’s the food and people that are the stars of the show. Owner Chris Gallagher greeted and seated us as he was assisting another table.

Seth Weibel

Brenda George, the magic in the kitchen, has been with The Cove since the beginning. As a short-order cook, she has cooked in restaurants for the past six years, but shared she learned much of her knowledge from her grandmother. She specializes in home-style cooking utilizing fresh vegetables and tried and true recipes to bring forth quality dishes for patrons.

Looking at the menu, the prices are super-reasonable, with entrees well below $10. The menu is a three-pager and offers something for everyone, including a full breakfast menu served all day. Ten burgers, coneys, Philly steaks, four salads and nine entrees were plenty. Combine that with several popular wraps and eight choices of fresh-made sides, it gets you excited.

We started out with their fried fish dinner with a crisp, but not-too-heavy batter. It was golden brown and tasty with homemade tartar sauce. Fresh-cut fries with malt vinegar accompanied the fish, which was like being at the fair. A sampling of homemade coleslaw finished the entrée and it’s no surprise it’s the Friday and Saturday special. Brenda knows how to cook steaks as we indulged in a well-seasoned ribeye that was on the money medium-rare. A generous sample of the macaroni salad hit the spot with simple, grandma-blessed flavor.

They do offer a full bar of drinks, beer, soda and fresh-brewed iced tea for your enjoyment. Although the burgers are very popular, we were partial to their fresh Reuben with plenty of kraut, loads of cheese and their homemade dressing. The sandwich was housed between thick-sliced rye bread perfectly toasted with plenty of caraway seeds.

Chris and Brenda had opened the restaurant about four years ago this December and find themselves claiming Tuesday as their day off, with boating Sundays after work. Several comments from customers have been how friendly and quick the service is every day. Portion sizes are ample and when you can get an order of fresh-cut fries for 99 cents, nobody’s complaining.

A hot Phillysteak sandwich with tender beef, peppers and onions, as mounded with a good amount of cheese on a toasted bun is served with a side of fresh cucumber salad.

Next up was a simple, but very good chicken melt with bacon and swiss on Texas toast. It included their secret sauce, which propelled this sandwich to one of our favorites. A hot Phillysteak sandwich with tender beef, peppers and onions was mounded with a good amount of cheese on a toasted bun. Best supporting side goes to the fresh cucumber salad doused with a mayonnaise-based sauce, seasonings and onion.

During the slightly colder months, Brenda fixes several different soups and specials that offer an even larger menu to customers.

If you’re in the mood for breakfast all day, they have many options including four omelets, biscuits and gravy, Belgium waffles and some of the best pancakes around. Our hot cakes were fluffy, big and had a hint of cinnamon and dusted with powdered sugar. Next, we tried the light Western omelet with traditional ham, pepper, onion and cheese. It was great, but we really enjoyed the fresh shredded Yukon potato hash browns that I strongly suggest.

The Cove Eatery and Tavern also has a kid’s menu to keep all family members happy and they have larger tables to accommodate your clan.

Lastly, we dove into their ever-rotating homemade desserts as this day they featured peanut butter pie and strawberry cheesecake. The pie was dense and had an excellent peanut butter flavor topped with whipped cream. The cheesecake was equally good and filled any conceivable void we had.

If you’re in the mood this weekend to take a pretty drive, eat some delicious house-made foods and see the lake, give The Cove Eatery and Tavern a try. It’s located at 126 N. Bridge St., Perrysville; you can call them at 419-938-0100 or find them on Facebook. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays.