Even if you are staying in a Hocking Hills cabin and cooking most of your own meals, you’ll probably want to take at least one night off to sample the local fare. Logan and the surrounding areas have some excellent restaurants, perfect for a romantic dinner or a night out with the family. Here are five top-rated restaurants in Hocking Hills.
Inn and Spa at Cedar Falls Restaurant
Fine dining doesn’t get much better than this. The Inn and Spa at Cedar Falls Restaurant, located in an 1840’s log cabin, is the place to go for an intimate, romantic dinner with your loved one. The menu is small and changes seasonally, but everything they do, they do well, and much of the menu is locally sourced so you are truly getting the full Hocking Hills culinary experience. Dinner reservations are absolutely mandatory, and lunch is also available.
The Ridge Inn Restaurant
The Ridge Inn Restaurant bills itself as “where fine dining meets home cooking,” and that’s exactly what you’ll find at this out-of-the-way gem. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the Ridge Inn Restaurant serves classic breakfast items, as well as sandwiches, wraps, salads, and a selection of specialty entrees. The second Saturday of every month is Sweet Saturday, when the restaurant features a special fine dining menu and live jazz. Truth be told, although the food is good and the prices are right, the real reason to go is the fabulous freshly made donuts available on Thursday afternoons.
Millstone BBQ
Millstone Southern Smoked BBQ is a top choice for families and casual diners. The menu features all of your pit barbeque favorites including pulled pork, beef brisket, and baby back ribs, as well as sandwiches and other southern standards. This is a great place to watch sports while enjoying a weekly special, like Monday Wing Night. Reservations are accepted during the week, but weekends are first come, first served.
Lake Hope Lodge
BBQ aficionados will also want to venture over to Lake Hope Lodge in McArthur. Reviewers agree that it has one of the best BBQ pits in all of Ohio. Steaks, burgers, ribs, mac ‘n’ cheese—the menu has all of your down home southern favorites, made with locally sourced meats and produce. The drinks menu is impressive, with plenty of local beers and wines, and the restaurant offers a “Campside Cuisine” service for dinners who want to eat sitting around a campfire.
Urban Grille
The Urban Grille at Hocking Hills Golf Club is now under new ownership. The menu features a great selection of upscale fare, like scallops and prime rib, at casual dining prices. The adjoining pub serves appies, salads, and sandwiches that run for less than $10, in addition to some full entrees in the $16 to $20 range. So book your tee time and your dinner reservation, and plan to spend a day on the links.
Hocking Hills Dining Lodge
If your idea of a perfect afternoon is an excellent lunch with a spectacular view, then you will want to visit Hocking Hills Dining Lodge. Located inside Hocking Hills State Park, this sister restaurant to Lake Hope Lodge offers casual lunches and dinners featuring steaks, sandwiches, and a pulled pork platter that gives the other BBQ joints on this list a run for their money. For a delicious treat that you won’t find on many other menus, try the fried bologna sandwich.
Hocking Hills has long been a popular vacation spot for nature lovers and bird watchers, but lately it has also started to get some attention from foodies and oenophiles as well. Plan your trip today and experience the outstanding local cuisine for yourself!
Photo Credits: “Candlelight Dinners” by Smathur80 [CC-BY-SA-3.0]; “Baby Back Ribs” by Foodista [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
