Boyd & Wurthmann in Berlin named Ohio's best diner by Food & Wine magazine
BERLIN - It's not uncommon to see long lines of patrons waiting to get into Boyd & Wurthmann Restaurant. And with the recent recognition as Ohio's Best Diner by the editors of Food & Wine magazine, the lines are sure to grow.
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Waiting a few moments for a delicious dinner is always worth it, according to Judy Davis of Chillicothe.
"We've been coming here twice a year for the past 12 years," Davis said. "We always stop here for lunch on our way out of town."
Davis said she doesn't mind waiting in line during the summer visit, but it's not quite so comfortable in December, when it's a lot colder outside.
"The food is all so good," she added. "And the people are so nice."
Recent visitors from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, touted the "home cooking," and "small-town feel."
Where else can you find dandelion gravy made with eggs, bacon and fresh-picked dandelion greens and served over potatoes?
Lois Weingarden of North Olmsted, said she is not surprised by the Boyd & Wurthmann ranking.
"We've been coming here for years. This is always one of our stops," she said. "I love the down-home cooking, and they have the best pies; especially the pumpkin pie."
Tom Lyons, also of North Olmsted, added that he enjoys the atmosphere and the friendly, Amish waitresses.
Where the locals eat in Holmes County
Boyd & Wurthmann is "Where the locals eat," according to the family-owned restaurant's slogan.
Established in 1938, Amish cooks specialize in making home-style food and the restaurant features daily specials plus a large variety of homemade pies.
Like many businesses in Holmes County, it is closed on Sundays.
Boyd & Wurthmann has long been a gathering place for locals to catch up on the latest news over a cup of coffee, which sells for 99 cents, and a slice of pie.
What makes Boyd & Wurthmann No. 1 in Ohio?
Alexis Leshner, associate communications manager for the Food & Wine publication, reported criteria used to evaluate the best diners included numbers served and longevity, along with other factors.
"For this list, Food & Wine’s David Landsel strove to spotlight the most essential, most important diners in every state," Leshner said. "According to David, essentialness can take all sorts of forms — perhaps the diner is performing at the top of their category, or bringing the most passion to the table. Maybe they're driving the industry forward. But the best diner could also be one of the oldest in its state and an inextricable part of a city's culinary heritage."
Landsel’s best of lists are backed by "boots-on-the-ground" research as he travels to various locations to assess the food, atmosphere and local culture.
According to Leshner, from the start of his career as a travel and food writer in the late 1990s, Landsel has traveled to each of the 50 states for research more times than he can count, with a distinct majority revisited at least once during a typical travel year.
Whether you call them diners, cafés, coffee shops or family restaurants, these classic spots are worth celebrating, according to the May 27 issue of Food & Wine magazine.
Leshner adds there were at least a few times over the last couple of years when people missed their local diners during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they had a taste for deluxe cheeseburgers and fries, waffles, pancakes and bottomless cups of coffee served in steel urns.
Those are some of the essential features of diners that were used in evaluating the eateries across the country.
Landsel's take on Boyd & Wurthmann
The report on Boyd & Wurthmann reads, in part:
"Like something out of an old advertisement for coffee in a can, the lights flicker on well before sun-up at Berlin's Boyd & Wurthmann, a historic café deep into Ohio's Amish Country.
"On weekdays, the tables fill up quickly with groups of farmers, other manual laborers and older folks who are retired but just trying to keep in the loop.
"The surrounding town can feel like something of a tourist trap, and the region does juggle an astonishing number of visitors each year. But since the 1930s, the diner has been a touchstone for the people who keep Holmes County humming, not to mention anyone else who cares to get in on the experience."
The review mentions the restaurants cinnamon rolls, buckwheat hot cakes served with real maple syrup and smoky applewood bacon, "which you can most probably afford (the decor here isn't the only thing that's old-timey)."
Reach Kevin at klynch@the-daily-record.com
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Boyd & Wurthmann Restaurant named No.1 in Ohio by Food & Wine Magazine
