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Quaint Henry County bistro worth the road trip
Sometimes taking the scenic route results in enjoying a delicious meal out in the middle of nowhere. The Log Cabin Tavern, located on the outskirts of Liberty Center (population: 1,108) in Henry County, is worth the half-hour drive from Toledo, and not just for the food.
Worthwhile drive
Take a nice, temperate autumn day, program the Log Cabin Tavern into your GPS, and prep for an enjoyable ride through the country, fields filled with waving soybeans and the tall stalks of cornfields.
This is a scenic route of the finest kind, taking you past lots of family farms, way out in the country. The rural setting adds to the mystique of the Log Cabin Tavern, which was originally an actual large log cabin. First established about 40 years ago, there was a big fire in 2014 that gutted the restaurant. Purchased by new owners, it has been rebuilt since the horrific fire. The bar is covered with pictures of what the original building looked like before the tragedy.
Lots to look at
The Log Cabin Tavern has a big playground out back that is a great attraction for little ones, and a large patio that’s just right for eating outdoors on sunny days. When you walk inside the cavernous dining room, your eyes are drawn to various tavern staples. There’s a Pac Man/Galaga video game console next to a claw machine. A jukebox hangs on the wall in the corner past a pool table. The bar and the brick wood fire pizza oven— where all the pies are freshly baked—are showcased in the open.
Seated promptly by a nice young lady named Logan, who sported a tattoo with the name of her horse on her forearm (Quint Essential), she took our drink order, and I decided on a Crown Cider, a delicious potion of Crown Royal and apple cider with a cinnamon-sugar dipped rim. We also ordered an appetizer of cheese curds, which arrived quickly and tasted delicious—crispy, deep-fried outside and full of gooey, cheesy goodness inside.
Excellent entrees
I’m a sucker for macaroni and cheese, so I couldn’t help but order the Loaded Mac & Cheese topped with brisket. Served on a plate the size of a medium pizza, I was blown away by the sweet smokiness of the brisket, which added the perfect touch to the macaroni, smothered in a fantastic cheese sauce. The rest of our dining party was just as impressed with their selections which included the Grown Up Grilled Cheese — that same delicious brisket with melted cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, and pickled red onions — all between two slices of grilled Texas toast.
The Brisket Gyro also rocked our taste buds, featuring a large pita filled to the gills with shredded brisket, lettuce, onion, tomato, and tangy tzatziki sauce, served with piping hot tots.
Logan said the Log Cabin Tavern was well known throughout the area for having damn good grinders, so we ordered an Italian grinder, which did not disappoint. The grinder, basically a large sandwich, the Italian version came jammed with ham, pepperoni, salami, banana peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and Italian dressing on a sourdough roll.
Anyone for dessert?
After finishing our entrees, all of us were begging for mercy as we were so happily stuffed. We had no room to try any of the desserts, particularly the chocolate cherry cordial pizza, despite being strongly recommended by Logan.
But there’s always next time. And rest assured, we will be back for another visit to the Log Cabin Tavern. It’s a place that’s worth the road trip.
Log Cabin Tavern, T464 at Co. Rd. 3 in Liberty Center. Mon.-Tues: 4pm-8pm, Wed 4pm- 10pm, Thurs 11am-11pm, Fri Sat.11am-1am, Sun 11am-10pm 419-832-0500 logcabintavern.net
