A Washington Indiana Roadside Stop for Pie, Fried Chicken and Pantry Finds

A plate of fried chicken, a basket of homemade bread with butter, and a slice of chocolate, cherry or strawberry pie can turn a stretch of old U.S. Highway 50 into a very agreeable stop. A few miles east of Interstate 69 in Washington, Indiana, this combination restaurant and country store gives a drive-through lunch break a little more range than usual.

The setup is nicely practical: sit down for Amish-style home cooking, then wander next door for bread, candy, cheese, jams, baking supplies and a few gifts. It works just as well for a quick sandwich as for a buffet meal that calls for a slow finish with pie.

The restaurant serves buffet meals as well as made-to-order lunch options, so a visit need not follow one script. On buffet days, the spread has included fried chicken, meatloaf, soups, a salad bar, macaroni and cheese, fried fish, shrimp and desserts.

Fried chicken is a frequent favorite, and roast beef has its own following, especially as a full order for diners in the mood for a straightforward meat-and-potatoes meal. Beef Manhattan is another substantial choice, suitable for lunch or dinner.

The meal can be simple, too. Ham sandwiches arrive on notably good bread, and a BLT is among the familiar lunch choices. Booth seating keeps the dining room casual, while an outdoor patio or terrace offers another place to sit when available.

Among the more inventive lunch offerings is a blueberry fried chicken croissant. It combines a boneless fried chicken breast with blueberry cheese, finely diced jalapeños, spring mix and blueberry glaze, all on a flaky croissant.

It is an unexpectedly playful turn in a place otherwise devoted to classic comfort food. The sweet-savory mix makes a useful reminder not to assume the lunch menu is limited to the usual diner standards.

Fresh baking carries over from the restaurant into the store, and homemade bread is served with butter alongside the meal. It is the sort of small table detail that can make a sandwich lunch feel less hurried.

Pie deserves its own plan. Chocolate, cherry and strawberry have all been singled out, and the store’s fresh baked goods make it easy to bring a second dessert home rather than trying to negotiate a choice at the table.

There is no need to overthink that decision. A pie for later, a loaf of bread for the kitchen counter and a few sweets for the car are all perfectly reasonable outcomes of one roadside stop.

The adjoining variety store is more than a checkout counter for restaurant leftovers. Its shelves include pantry-minded basics and specialty foods: honey, canned goods, cheese, spices, jams and jellies, along with baking supplies for people who prefer to make the next pie themselves.

Frozen prepared dinners add another useful category. These are meals intended to be taken home and finished in the oven, a handy purchase for a night when cooking from scratch does not sound especially appealing.

The food selection shares space with gifts and assorted general-store merchandise. That gives a mixed group plenty of separate interests: one person can inspect cheese and preserves, another can shop for a small gift, and somebody else can head directly for dessert.

The sweets section has a cheerful, old-fashioned general-store sensibility. Colored miniature marshmallows and large lollipops are among the treats that make the browsing slower than expected.

Candy, jelly and other small take-home items are easy additions to a bag already carrying bread or pie. They also make the store a useful stop for people who may not need a full meal but would not object to a little sugar for the road.

Prepared food is not limited to the lunch plate. The business has also offered organized take-home holiday dinners, along with frozen and prepared meals for ordinary days.

Seasonal specials have included Easter meals, and a Thanksgiving dinner has been available in carefully packaged take-home form. Those offerings, like buffet selections, can change by day or season, so the current meal format and special menu are worth confirming before a trip.

The business sits on old U.S. Highway 50 in Washington, a few miles east of Interstate 69. A free lot with ample parking has been reported, fitting its role as both a planned meal stop and a pleasant interruption during a longer drive.

Its buffet-style restaurant roots reach back at least to the early 2000s. Today, the appeal remains pleasantly uncomplicated: lunch if you are hungry, pie if you have room, and a country-store browse if you do not feel quite ready to get back in the car.