Buckeye brings in crowds with pulled pork, oysters

CLYDE – Whether it's the pulled pork sandwiches, brick-oven baked pizzas or oyster sanwiches, Buckeye Fire and Grill has built a following among regulars that describe the restaurant as a "diamond in the rough," says owner Mark Hackenburg.

Hackenburg said he and his wife, Betsy, opened the restaurant in August 2013 to add to the Buckeye Acre campgrounds on Sandusky County Road 278.

"My wife said if we built the campgrounds, she wanted a restaurant," Hackenburg said Wednesday, as he talked about Buckeye and its popular menu items.

Homemade cole slaw, wood-fired brick oven, smoked pulled pork and corned beef brisket, and oyster sandwiches top the list of customer favorites at Buckeye, Hackenburg said.

Most of the resturant's sandwiches feature names of friends and family members matched with food they enjoy, with offerings like Beth's Veggie Burger, Mark's Reuben and Bea's Oyster Sandwich.

Hackenburg said that one sandwich, Katrice's Thanksgiving, is named after his middle daughter and inspired by her love of that particular holiday. The sandwich features stuffing and bread topped with mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey breast and corn.

Hackenburg said his wife, Betsy, remembered a small bar called the Old Oaken Bucket in Green Springs that used to serve oyster sandwiches.

"She used to eat it there as a kid," Hackenburg said.

He said he and his wife decided to follow suit and bring something unique to Buckeye with their own oyster sandwiches.

Paul Ramey, Tony McBride and Chad Gerold ate some of Buckeye's brick oven pizza Wednesday. The three men said it was their second day in a row spending lunch at the Clyde restaurant.

"We work locally and just came over here for lunch," Ramey said.

The Buckeye campground opened in July 2012.

Hackenburg said Buckeye is adding a miniature golf course in June in the back of the restaurant, where campers and diners can play golf and have a beer.

Most of Buckeye's customers come from Bellevue and Clyde, Hackenburg said, with more customers starting to travel over from Fremont to eat at the restaurant. He said Buckeye also draws a group from Upper Sandusky every week.

dacarson@gannett.com

419-334-1046

Twitter:@DanielCarson7.

Restaurant name: Buckeye Fire and Grill

Address: 972 S. County Road 278, Clyde

Phone:419-603-7520

Restaurant Hours: Closed Sunday and Monday; Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday.