story by GLENDA WINDERS
The problem with eating out in Richmond-Wayne County is figuring out which restaurant to choose. The area is filled with attractive options.
The Firehouse BBQ and Blues is a favorite for casual dining amid the sights and sounds of live blues music. The brisket here is lean and tender, and it would be hard to beat the ribs. The owners serve all of this up in an evocative former fire station with one of Richmond’s signature murals on the side of the building.
Another good barbecue spot is Stone Hearth Café, known for such menu highlights as Jo Jo’s Brisket Sandwich and Mini Pulled Pork Sliders. The recipe for their barbecue sauce was handed down from a grandfather, and everything from their kitchen is made from scratch — even the bread and pizza dough.
The big draw at 5 Arch Brewery is their craft beer and other Indiana-made wines and spirits. They also serve delicious barbecue that they smoke outside over hardwood, and unique pizzas. Another good choice would be their quarter-pound burgers made from a custom blend of chuck, brisket and short ribs and served on a brioche bun with a side of homemade fries cooked in beef tallow.
And speaking of burgers and beer, Legend’s Southside is Wayne County’s oldest tavern, opening in 1858, and Indiana’s second-oldest continuously running tavern. The burgers are great, but if tenderloins are your preference, this is the place to come.
Another good spot for tenderloins is Lumpy’s on Indiana Foodways Alliance’s Tenderloin Lovers Trail. They make 400 of the popular sandwiches each week, all of them hand-cut and breaded in-house.
Little Sheba’s Restaurant is also on the Tenderloin Lovers Trail, and they offer lots more, too, including vegan and gluten-free options. Try their soups, salads, pizza, quesadillas, and burgers. Save room for the signature chocolate cherry brownie or a slice of peanut-butter pie.
For down-home comfort food and a 1950s diner experience, A.J.’s Diner is the place to go. That’s when the business opened, and they’ve been making meals to order ever since. Here your entrée might be meatloaf, green beans, and mashed potatoes with tasty dairy-free gravy; beef and noodles; sauerkraut with franks; or a hand-formed hamburger.
The Cordial Cork Restaurant & Wine Bar offers casual fine dining with 60 wines by the glass, Indiana craft beers, and signature cocktails. Whether it’s a special dinner of Asiago Baked Salmon or Chicken Cordon Bleu, or a Sunday brunch of Salmon Benedict or Belgian Waffles, every dish is made in a from-scratch kitchen. The restaurant is housed in a building from 1890, so the ambience is distinctive, too.
Just stopping in for something to drink and a quick bite? Roscoe’s Coffee Bar & Tap Room is the place for you. They roast around 350 pounds of coffee beans from Central and South America each week. They also serve craft beers from all over the U.S. Choose your light bite from among sandwiches, wraps, tacos, bowls, and gluten-free options.
Finish your day with dessert at Ullery’s Ice Cream, which was featured on the Cooking Channel’s “Carnival Eats” program. They make their own ice cream as well as their waffle cones. Experiment with flavors such as Java Nut Quake, Cherry Cheesecake and Peanut Butter Dream.
