Table for Tara is a column by Tara Gilts, sharing her dining experiences and takeaways from Athens County eateries.
CHESTERHILL, Ohio –– Located in Chesterhill off SR 555, Triple Nickel Diner is a family-owned and family-friendly establishment that provides a comfortable atmosphere, satisfying homestyle meals, and some of the local-ist dishes around. While many Athens-area restaurants highlight their commitment to sourcing ingredients from within 30 miles, Triple Nickel purchases many of their menu staples — from beef to eggs — from within a seven-mile radius.
While an obvious recommendation, it’s worth noting for folks who enjoy dining exploration as much as I do: an affordable way to try a new restaurant is for breakfast or brunch. You can sample a few dishes on the menu and take in the ambiance for half of a typical dinner tab. For two adults who overindulged in the interest of this story, our total before gratuity was $30 for breakfast, and $62 for dinner. At Triple Nickel, particularly if you swing by for the $7 burger-and-fries happy-hour on Wednesdays, a duo can leave satisfied for under $30 for dinner as well.
If you want to introduce someone to Midwest American cuisine, and the folksiness of a diner where even if you don’t know who you are sitting next to, by the end of the meal you might have pulled up a chair at their table (as I observed during breakfast), Triple Nickel is the spot. Adding to the charm, each table and chair is unique, and the dishware is an assembly of plates and cups thoughtfully collected one summer from thrift stores, yard sales, and estate auctions. Occasionally, a customer will donate a box of dishes or a mug to the collection.
For breakfast, I delighted in the Sweet and Savory dish, a half-order of the biscuits and gravy, and a hot cup of bottomless locally roasted Dirty Girl coffee. Eggs, a sausage patty, and home fries paired with a side pancake topped with real butter and a drizzle of local maple syrup might be why the lord made mornings.
Full disclosure: I grew up with limited exposure to breakfast variety. On weekdays it was cereal, and on weekends the hot breakfast rarely deviated from was corned beef hash from the blue can, scrambled eggs, and toast. Biscuits and gravy are a combination I have tried a handful of times. But my dining companion has decades of biscuits and gravy experience, and we both concurred: Those were the best biscuits and gravy we have ever eaten.
Triple Nickel is known for their fresh burgers and steaks. When I noticed that the Bison Burger was sourced from a farm nearby (Indian Legend Bison Ranch), I asked our server if she knew the address of the Bison Ranch, so I could lay eyes on a real bison. She offered directions that I recall as, “Up the road, around the bend, after the hill, down a gravel drive,” which is about as local as you can get with a burger. The restaurant owners also grow many of the peppers, tomatoes, and other dish staples in their own garden. Local beverage choices are abundant, including brews from Rice Brewery and Jackie O’s, and wine from Dutch Creek Winery.
The Chesterhill Chili, a staff and patron favorite made with beef and sausage, was the standout of our evening meal, and it paired well with the fresh-fried onion rings. I splurged on the steak dinner (price is variable), which on this evening was a ribeye accompanied by broccoli and a decadent macaroni and cheese.
Triple Nickel is owned by mother-daughter duo Kathy Strode and Rosie Berardi. Strode grew up in Chesterhill on a farm and worked in the only town restaurant as a teenager until it burned down. After being gone for 40 years, Strode returned to her hometown. Her father suggested that she open a restaurant in Chesterhill so that he and his friends had a place to get together. Strode bought an old building, thoughtfully renovated the space, and opened Triple Nickel to a community that quickly embraced the diner in 2016. Rosie Berardi, Strode’s daughter, joined on opening day, and has been there ever since.
Pie Tip: Call ahead the day before your outing to place an order for a whole pie to-go ($20). Can you imagine how popular you’d be at the next potluck if you arrived with a whole homemade blackberry pie? The pies are made by Nancy Starling of Starling Sweets, in her home kitchen just a couple miles outside of Chesterhill. As Strode prepared to open Triple Nickel, Starling reached out and offered to bake pies for the restaurant. She dropped a few pies off for the Strode family to taste-test and within a couple bites, Starling was hired.
Triple Nickel Diner is located at 1060 High St. in Chesterhill for dine-in and carry-out breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Outdoor seating is available year-round.
5/5 Stars.
