Last night found me in Rio Grande, Ohio. I was in need of dinner and desired something that didn’t come out of a paper sack. In case you don’t know, Rio is famous for two things: the University of Rio Grande and Bob Evans Farm.
That’s right, “Down On The Farm” isn’t just a slogan. It’s an origin story.
So, off to Bob Evans I went. This restaurant is on the grounds of the farm where Bob began making sausage for his diner back in 1948. This farm is now a tourist destination.
Bob and his wife Jewell (who famously helped perfect the sausage seasonings) are both gone now but their mark on home breakfast and fast casual dining is indelible.
In case you’re interested, the Bob Evans Farm Festival takes place on these grounds over three days every October. This event attracts thousands of people to see things like farm animals and sheep herding demonstrations along with other festival stuff like food and fun things for the kiddos.
Much has changed here at the farm since Bob was living. They tore down the original restaurant and built this new one that looks like all the others you’ll see around the country. But the food is good and reasonably quick and the rural feeling atmosphere is nice too.
It’s too bad they tore down the original restaurant though. The Bob Evans Farm Festival sounds like it would be fun.
Who knew? I agree they should have kept the original restaurant for its history.
I can’t help but wonder if they even tried.
In 1990, at my request, my father and I drove my new car to his hometown in West Virginia so I could see where he was from. Dad loved Bob Evans and we’d kind of made a game of taking meals at them on the trip. He always got the chicken fried steak.
We had no idea that the Bob Evans farm was on our route, or that there was a restaurant there. We weren’t even hungry, but we absolutely stopped. Dad said it was the best chicken fried steak on the trip.
What a fantastic memory! I love this story.
My Grandpa Homer hunted with Bob Evans back in the day, and I grew up spending summer weeks at my grandparents Rio Grande home, just down the road from the Evans farm. Good memories
What nice memories!! I love it!