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Feature Story : Troyer's Country Dining
 By Joanne Lehman Step inside this restaurant and you’ll enjoy a congenial atmosphere and plenty of space for families to gather at large tables. Bring some friends with you and eat the way country people do every day- dinner at noon. Troyer’s Country Dining is a family place- managed by a family- so they know the importance of sharing a good, hearty home-cooked meal. Owen Troyer, patriarch and elder manager of Troyer’s Country Dining, said there is more than one Troyer family who lends the name to the area’s food products. He isn’t sure they’re all blood relatives, but he’s doing his part to keep his branch of the Troyer name synonymous with good eats. Like many area businesses, Troyer likes to keep things in the family. Several younger Troyers are part of a team that keeps the restaurant running seven days a week. Sons Joe and Ray share management duties with Owen and his wife, Sue. Daughter Sheila Abel is general manager and a grandson, Corey Troyer, works in various capacities as he learns the restaurant business. Owen Troyer did not choose to join the Amish church as a young adult but he continues to value his heritage- especially when it comes to food. In the foyer at Troyer’s Country Dining you see remnants of that legacy. Grammy’s black and white wood-fired cook stove assures guests that authentic Amish cooking goes back several generations for the Troyers. As for faith, the menu reminds guests “At our house we give thanks before we eat” and “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Troyer’s Country Dining has found a calling in their work as they create a comfortable home-like setting where guests relax at tables that overlook the rolling hills near Berlin. In winter, guests might choose to gather close to the large fieldstone fireplace. The yellow painted exterior, with wrap-around porches, is reminiscent of a sprawling country farmhouse. Inside, the establishment offers family-style meals along with daily buffet meals, with plenty of choices for tasting. Several of their recipes come straight out of their Amish and Mennonite forebears’ cookbooks. “We use the recipe for my mom’s pan-fried chicken that’s still served at Amish weddings. Sue’s mom is a Mennonite lady and we make her dressing recipe. It’s the dressing I was raised up on,” said Owen Troyer. The Troyers took over management of the restaurant three years ago after managing a B&B. Renovations to the building addressed a need for local residents to grab a quick lunch. The larger dining rooms are home away from home for area visitors who want to linger over traditional foods and have seconds of the restaurant’s famous secret recipe Bag Apple Pie, a six-inch high crust filled with 10 Golden Delicious apples and secret ingredients, originally baked in a paper bag. But the “locals” can bypass the hostess and head straight to their own community dining room, where it’s easy to grab a quick bite from the daily breakfast or lunch buffet. This renovated space is perfect for frequent diners who want to catch the news, sports and weather on the two large flat screen TVs in that area. The restaurant also has Internet wireless available for guests and local business people who need to keep in touch with the home office. The Troyer family offers a variety of foods in addition to traditional Amish Country favorites. Because it is one of the few larger restaurants in the surrounding area, they want to offer many entrees, such as steaks, pastas and the new BBQ Pit, featuring wings, burgers, ribs and pulled pork. They’ve selected an All Natural brand steak, which is fork tender and USDA Choice. The managers also purchase selections of produce and meat and cheese from local vendors, depending on the season and what’s available. During the winter months, the taco bar offers a quick and filling lunch. During the busy season of the year, they have a generous breakfast buffet featuring local smoked meats, eggs, mom’s biscuits and gravy and other hearty fare. Consider ordering the Big “O” Belgian waffle made with Troyer’s own sweet cream batter and topped with red raspberry glaze. A gift shop area offers scenic photos from the local area by photographer Doyle Yoder and the line of Amish Wedding Foods, a variety of take-home goodies produced by one the area’s other Troyer families doing business a few miles up the road. If you’re in the area over the summer, be sure to look for the special entertainment in Troyer’s banquet room on Saturday night, along with a full family style. Northwest Territory, a bluegrass band from Wooster, will provide live music on June 14. Plans are underway for additional dinner concerts through the summer. Troyers Country Dining is located at 5324 County Road 201, Millersburg, just west of Berlin. The restaurant is one of only a handful in the area that is open on Sunday, when their hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. A banquet room, on the lower level of the building, seats up to 250. They are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For information, go to www.troyersdining.com or call 330-893-3333. |
Address: 5324 County Road 201 Millersburg, OH 44654 330-893-3333 Email Us: sabel@troyersdining.com Visit Our Website: www.troyersdining.com
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