One Of The Oldest Family-Owned Restaurants In Ohio Is Also Among The Most Delicious Places You'll Ever Eat
By Sarah McCosham|Published September 20, 2022
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
Ohio might not be as well-known as its southern siblings for delicious, down-home fare, but you shouldn’t discount the Buckeye State’s comfort food prowess. There are long-standing, family-owned restaurants all across the state that serve up wholly comforting, home-cooked classics. One such establishment is The Schoolhouse Restaurant, a long-standing favorite that’s one of the oldest family-owned restaurants in Ohio, and also among the most delicious places to dine.
The Schoolhouse Restaurant isn't just one of the oldest family-operated restaurants in Ohio, it's one of the oldest restaurants in Ohio, period.
The building that houses the aptly-named restaurant was, as you might have guessed, once a schoolhouse. The Camp Dennison School was built in 1864 after the conclusion of the Civil War and was occupied from 1870-1952 as part of the Hamilton County School District. It was one of the first two-room, two-story brick schools built in the entire Midwest.
The last class graduated from The Camp Dennison School in 1952 and the students were relocated to the new Drake School in the Indian Hill School District.
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In 1961, The Camp Dennison School was purchased by local couple Donald and Phyllis Miller, who ultimately saved the school from being demolished.
Drawing inspiration from their own childhoods, the Millers came up with the idea for a restaurant where families would gather 'round a dinner table and break bread. Or, in this case, cornbread.
"Family-style" in every sense of the word, The Schoolhouse Restaurant built its reputation on serving delicious, down-home food atop red checkered tablecloth-covered tables, with dishes served on Lazy Susans.
The Millers might not have known it then, but what they'd created was a restaurant concept that was truly, wholly special. In addition to evoking a sense of nostalgia in terms of school days and childhood, they'd also come up with a recipe for one of the longest-standing, family-operated restaurants in Ohio.
Today, The Schoolhouse Restaurant remains in the Miller Family: Chris, Jeff, Pam, and Beth now proudly own and operate The Schoolhouse Restaurant and General Store.
At its core, the "family dinner table" -- whatever that looked like for you -- is special place where family members could gather and catch up on the events of the day, all while sharing a meal.
Today, The Schoolhouse Restaurant remains a place that's truly "family style" -- inviting all to come in and enjoy a hot, home-cooked meal that's served with a heaping side of nostalgia.
Have you dined at The Schoolhouse before? In terms of family-owned restaurants in Ohio, The Schoolhouse Restaurant gets a gold star!
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