G&R Tavern Attracts Tourists to Waldo

An area treasure loved by locals and travelers alike has been recognized by Ohio Magazine as one of 30 Famous Ohio Food Spots for Ohioans to add to their bucket lists. The G&R Tavern at 103 N. Marion Street in Waldo has been serving up thick slices of grilled bologna since 1962.

Tourist Reviews

“They have delicious food! People come from all over to have a fried bologna sandwich. Very nice people that work there as well,” said Debra Vanness of State College, Pennsylvania in a Facebook review.

“This place is hometown personified [with] friendly service, terrific food, [and] unbelievable prices,” said David Otto Scaer of Guatemala.

The famous bologna sandwich is a 1' thick slice of bologna with melted white Monterey Jack cheese, pickles, raw onion, and a soft hamburger bun. The bar is in the background.

“I live in Australia and when visiting family in the area it’s a ‘must go’ place to get my ‘fix’ of a G&R bologna sandwich,” said Sue Clifford.

“I come from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada to the G&R when visiting friends in the area [and] get at least one fried bologna sandwich and a piece of cream pie,” said Steve Tuff.

Local Fans

Many local residents agree.

“Such good food – I have grown up eating at the G&R and still do,” said Lisa Hollaway of Waldo, a teacher at River Valley High School.

With fans from all over, the G&R serves more than 1,000 pounds of bologna each week.

“We have very loyal hometown customers, out-of-town customers, and first-time customers that continue patronizing the G&R,” said owner Bernie Lewis.

Family-Owned

This MarionMade! business was named for founders George Yake and Roy Klingel. Bernie Lewis and his wife, Joy, took over the business in 1985. Their daughter, Misty Mercer, manages restaurant operations.

The family who owns and operates the G&R stands outside the building. Misty is a woman with brown curly hair, glasses, an orange shirt and a cream fleece jacket. Joy is a shorter, older woman with short white hair, a smile,m a gray shirt with a collar and a puffy black jacket. Bernie is a tall man with short white hair, glasses, a white beard, a blue button-down shirt and a black leather jacket. — From left to right: Misty Mercer and her parents, Joy and Bernie Lewis.

“My wife and I had a dream to run a restaurant,” said Lewis. “Over 36 years later, we have managed to serve great quality food, service, and atmosphere to the community.”

The Ohio Magazine honor is the latest in a long list of accolades. It has been featured on Good Morning America, The Travel Channel, the Food Network and The Chicago Tribune.

“It makes for a fun destination, it gives you a bit of local flavor and history, and most important of all: the food is great!” said Nick Dekker, a food and travel writer.

“As a former executive director of the Marion Area Chamber of Commerce, I was always fascinated by the fame of the G&R and the business it brought to Marion County,” said Edmond Loewe.

For more on the G&R, visit www.gandrtavern.com, call them at (740) 726-9685 or follow them on Facebook.

K9 Stash
During the month of October we are highlighting information about the K9 units of Marion County. The dogs are trained to conduct building and large area searches for hidden criminals, tracking lost persons and criminals, article/evidence searches, and narcotics detection. Though this is a light-hearted interview, asking questions as if the dogs have voices, they […]Read More »
Hispanic Woman Shares Love of Culture with Marion Community
For 17 years, Evelyn Fabiola Lisiecki Olivos and her husband have raised their four children here in Marion. At the same time, the immigrant from Peru works to celebrate Hispanic culture in our community. Lisiecki serves at St. Mary Catholic Church in Marion as the Latino ministry coordinator and director of religious education. She helps […]Read More »
Generations Labor to Preserve Local Landmark
Four generations of the Ballinger family have worked to preserve a historic local treasure. The True Home at the corner of State and Church Streets stands out with its gables and white picket fences bursting with colorful flowers. “My mother loved geraniums so my father would plant lots of them,” said Rex Ballinger, the current […]Read More »
Pat Case
Her First Impressions are Great! Although Pat Case wasn’t born in Marion, she considers it home. Her family moved here when she was in elementary school. She grew up here, married a hometown boy, and raised their children here. Her first try at interior design started with painting her bedroom at age 13. But, it […]Read More »