Table for Tara: Comfort, affordability and a few surprises at Shade on State

Table for Tara is a column by Tara Gilts, sharing her dining experiences and takeaways from Athens County eateries.

ATHENS, Ohio — I don’t have a favorite restaurant in Athens County. If you’ve been reading this column, you already know I love a lot about a lot of dining establishments in our community. But I do have a most frequented restaurant: Shade on East State Street. Due to its proximity to my home, a sprawling menu, and consistently offering Jackie O’s Mystic Mama on tap, Shade is where I land most often. 

I have been a steadfast patron since Shade was Leghorn’s (the original name), and my regular order is the vast Buffalo Chicken salad (available in a full or half size) with a side of fresh cut, perfectly salted and seasoned fries (plenty to share, and only $2.99). One of 10 salad options on the menu, the Buffalo Chicken salad includes mixed greens, cucumber, red onion, and cheddar cheese, topped with hand breaded, deep-fried chicken, drenched in the wing sauce of your choice. Consider adding a sliced hard-boiled egg if you are also a middle-aged woman with daily protein goals.  

A bustling, casual, and affordable restaurant, Shade is open daily with an expansive lineup of American favorites and 20 beers on draft. And Shade is easy. It was the restaurant that felt easier (but never easy) with a toddler. Easy to say yes to when grocery shopping, preparing a meal, and cleaning up are just too many extra tasks in a full day. Plenty of parking, seat-yourself-simplicity, wear-your-damp-hair-in-a-claw-clip-and-you won’t-be-the-only-one easy. 

On Saturday evenings, Shade is packed, inside and out, with an occasional wait for a table during peak dinner hours. But on a Sunday before the post-church crowd began to roll in, the establishment was quiet when I arrived for a solo meal with my damp hair in a claw clip.  

Shade’s baked macaroni and cheese might just be the best in town. Overflowing a carafe straight from the pizza oven, it is creamy, indulgent, and bubbling hot — so carve out time to allow it to cool before diving in. The wings, available in traditional or boneless, are another popular menu item. With 14 wing sauces to choose from, ranging from a sweet honey barbeque to fatalii, there is a sauce to please (or annihilate) most tastebuds.  

Tucked among traditional American pub favorites like buffalo dip, quesadillas, and nachos, you’ll find a few surprises: a hearty French onion soup; fish tacos with grilled tilapia, cabbage, cheddar, bruschetta, and a house-made sauce; and Natty’s Chowder, a New Orleans-style chowder with clam, crab meat, potatoes, celery, corn, onions and a blend of spices ($3.99 for a cup). 

While I waited (briefly) for my order, I noticed my waitress sitting down with a guest to chat. Was he a regular? A friend? I landed on a regular, who became a friend. The welcoming staff and atmosphere made it easy to keep coming back. 

I may occasionally need a quiet meal alone midday on a Sunday, but I’m not a monster. I brought home a Cuban sandwich, the spinach and artichoke dip, and baked beans for the folks I’d left behind. The dip — which can be accompanied by toasted pita, French bread, or chips — received rave reviews from a diverse range of samplers. And the Cuban sandwich, stacked with ham, pulled pork, Swiss, pickles, and a tangy sauce on toasted ciabatta ($10.99), will be ordered again. 

Late in his life, my grandpa adopted a predictable routine. If he wasn’t at home at dinner time, and someone was trying to find him, they’d call or stop by Quarters Bar and Grill (Perrysburg, Ohio) and would find him there, enjoying a grilled cheese sandwich and a Heineken. I may not have a single favorite restaurant in Athens County, but if you’re looking for me on a Sunday afternoon, check Shade first.

5/5 stars