Bush’s Restaurant

I love this place. The food is good (bean soup and cornbread! Homemade pie!), the atmosphere is soothing (mostly older people, quiet and polite, reassuringly devoid of hipsters and high-​maintenance types), the prices are unbelievably low. Is it the best food you’ve eaten? No. But it is good, and it has something sweet that is quickly disappearing from our world, where food has to be gourmet or trendy and décor has to be stark and contemporary and the waiter has to tell you his name and ask you if you’ve been there before. Unlike the Unilocaler below I LIKE the old fashioned bathroom: its tiny blue tiles and plastic flowers remind me of my grandma’s house back in 1954. I guess I’m just not that sensitive about where I empty my bladder. What worries me more than out-​of-​date bathroom fixtures is the idea of a world where baked spaghetti, fried bologna, and jello are entirely displaced by pesto, espresso, and seared tuna (which are three things I actually like). All I’m saying is, judge Bush’s by what it is (old fashioned home cooking) and you’ll be satisfied.

How this place ever got a 4 star rating is beyond me. I’m no snob when it comes to ambiance; if the food’s good, I’m good. To say this place is a throwback might be a bit too gracious. (see restrooms) Anyway, we took a chance based on those 4 stars and were dismally disappointed. Turkey and dressing with a side of mashed potatoes and corn. Gravy on that? Yes, please! Big mistake. I can only describe the gravy, which topped the wretchedly fake mashed potatoes, as the result of someone possibly peeing into a bucket of cornstarch. A toxic looking mess of glowing yellow ooze. Dressing? A brownish pudding like blob with nary a fresh veggie in it. Even the corn was bad. I’d compare it to what’s harvested for hogs to enjoy. A roll was included, which was just a pre packaged Parker House type. The scary part was the ‘butter’ packs which were found on the table. I think what I used was curdled. Gross. I’ll give the dark meat from the turkey an extra star. Any thought of eating some of the interesting looking pie that was offered was vanquished by the queasy feeling that I felt when I received the $ 25 bill, which included 2 soft drinks. I just have the feeling that someone was laughing at us as we departed… suckers!

Good home cooked food. If driving through worth the stop. Huge menu. Breasted chicken was very good so was the Mac and cheese.

I have found myself driving between Columbus and Athens this week. I decided to stop by Bush’s in Logan because I had eaten breakfast there once and it was a perfect road stop.
The place is old and off the beaten path. The interior looks like every 1940s or 50s place you have ever seen or heard about. The staff is nice, in a homey way, and solicitous. Most customers are, I think, regulars. There is a HUGE menu but forget it. Order off of the specials which are announced on hand-​written pieces of paper stuck above the counter. Things like chicken and dumplings, all-​you-​can-​eat roast beef with stuffing and gravy, fried fresh fish, broasted chicken, daily soups, etc. You get the picture. All are wholesome and satisfying in not daringly spiced way. Today I had the bean soup with cornbread ($ 3.29. Did I mention the prices are very, very low?). Tender but not mushy white beans in a thick broth with small but plentiful chunks of smoked ham. It needed a bit of salt and pepper but I would rather have to add that then wish they had not put in so much. Cornbread was excellent, bordering on sweet but not quite getting there. For dessert I had coconut cream pie, home-​made, and one of about 20 pies available. Its was scrumptious.
Down-​home food like this is what many trendy new places try to emulate. However, those places run into foodie haughtiness and a chef’s ego. I am sure that in one of these places they would have added more spices, served it in a large round white dish with a minuscule dimple in the middle and sprinkled on chopped parsley or cilantro. And they would have ruined the dish and the concept (are you listening Cameron Mitchell’s Group?). And they would have charged $ 9.99 to $ 11.99 for the effort.
This is good food. Try it.

Anita was the best waitress! My buddy asked for A1 and ketchup for his meal and she already had them in her pockets and pulled them out five seconds after he asked. She didn’t even have to go get them. The food is great, I had peach pie and it was amazing warmed up and with whipped cream on the top. There is a drive thru in case you’re feeling lazy, and plenty of parking. The bathroom was really clean and everything seemed generally well put together. The only problem I could see is the layout. If you came in with a large group you would have to be separated in some capacity due to the fact that most of the seating is bench seats that can’t be moved together. You could have a group of ten easy with two if the tables and overall if you were a sports team or something and you separated into groups you would still be able to see and talk to one another. This place is pretty awesome. :)

just ok. i got the broasted chicken and mashed potatoes with corn on the cob. corn was soggy i didn’t even eat it. i was told by the waitress up front that the potatoes were instant but got them anyway. even so, they had absolutely. no. flavor. not so much as a hint of salt. hubby loves country fried steak and almost always orders it when it’s on the menu. he too was disappointed. the kiddos had a burger and the «popcorn chicken» special. which was actually what i would have called chicken «nugget» sized. kids were happy but with those choices they were pretty easy to please. we were looking forward to a ‘home cooked’ meal like it seems to proclaim but unfortunately didn’t find it here. a little on the high end for price for the meals we got.

I spent the weekend in Logan Ohio and Hocking Hills and before i went down i researched a few places and one that I did was Bush’s restaurant. I am glad I went because they had very good home cook meals. I got the country fried steak. I am normally have it with white gravy but they had a delicious brown gravy. My wife had the double burger, my little ones had the baked spaghetti and said it was yummy. My older two had baked spaghetti and the chicken sandwich platters. Everyone was smiles from the food to the service. And the prices were very reasonable. When i come back this will be a stop on my list.