Undeterred by the culinary trauma associated with the previous week's visit to The Rusty Nail, the Trail Taste Adventure relentlessly continued north into restaurant-rich Loveland in a committed quest to identify eating spots along the Trail which merit recommendation. On Wednesday, September 20, this determination took John and George, along with Dr. Pete Hostetter, to Kirby's (known as Sleepy Hollow many years ago), located just a stone's throw from the Trail at the southern end of Loveland. While it fronts on Bridge Street, and has a door there near the sign depicting the place's namesake, the main entrance to the restaurant is in the rear. There is decent parking and a bike rack is conveniently located for patrons coming off the Trail. Kirby’s provides a comfortable, low key, family-friendly, unpretentious (plywood sheet floors) atmosphere. There is full bar service, including a number of craft beers on draft, and a unique all-one-price lunch menu; all lunches are $8.95, except the pulled pork sandwich, only $7.95. Service was fast, friendly, accommodating and efficient.
Dr. Pete went for Kirby's fish 'n chips; John opted for a bacon/cheese omelet with jalapeno peppers, which comes with tater tots and toast of your choice; and George, committed to being difficult, asked if he could get ANYTHING other than the standard fries with his order of panko-breaded grouper. In place of fries, he enjoyed at no extra cost a delightful side salad with blue cheese crumbles and blue cheese dressing.
All agreed that although the food was not exceptional, Kirby's delivers very good food at reasonable prices. It’s just 400 feet from the Trail, and 2.5 miles south of the Loveland staging area. There is a dinner menu as well, which offers more selections and full meal items. Good proximity to the Trail, availability of a convenient bike rack, and a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere makes it a definite stop while out for a ride, walk or run on the Trail.
Kirby's
378 Bridge St., Loveland, OH
Phone: 513/239-8890
Hours: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Website: kirbysinloveland.com
