It’s not a roadtrip without some good eats, in my opinion so this post will be a break down of the best places to grab some noms that won’t disappoint.

THE BUSY BEE

Located on the West Side in Historic Harmar Village right along the water and accessible from downtown by the pedestrian-only Harmar Rail-Trail Muskigum River Bridge or of course the Putnam Street Bridge, this diner is your one stop shop for all things breakfast.

The Busy Bee is an Ohio staple and is always being listed as one of the best places to eat… in the state. The Busy Bee first opened in 1944, when “mom and pop” restaurants were common. Recently under new ownership, The Busy Bee has shifted to a more farm to table mentality by supporting local farmers with fresh ingredients grown in the community.

TONYA’S COUNTRY KITCHEN

This Front Street spot is one that looks like it could be a set location from the movie Grease with retro white and black tile, red chairs, and a chalk board menu. This is also a great place to grab lunch if you are strolling downtown.

MARIETTA BREWING COMPANY

For a good beer and your traditional “good bar” food look no further! MBC is perfect on a Friday night with some friends to catch up, grab a cold one, and listen to some live music. With a great beer selection, Marietta Brewing Company will impress any beer lover.

HARMAR TAVERN

“Home of the Sure to be Famous Bologna Sandwich,” Harmar Tavern is sure to be please the whole family. If a fried bologna sandwich is something you can’t quite commit to you can always order the ‘Harmar Bites’ as I like to call them which are the appetizer version of the sandwich, battered and fried to perfection. But if bologna just isn’t your thing, Marietta’s oldest tavern also has a greaaaaaat burger.

JEREMIAH’S COFFEE SHOP

Starbucks is not missed when Jeremiah’s is on Front Street fulfilling all the caffeine needs in town. This adorable counter culture coffee shop has adult coloring, delicious baked goods, and a cafe-light bites menu that includes an ever changing soup of the day. Bonus points: They have gluten free options!

MCHAPPY’S DONUTS

Delicious, delicious, fresh donuts. I believe this one is self explanatory but in the case that it is not: GO EAT DONUTS AT MCHAPPY’S!

To say I have a sweet tooth is an understatement and Tim is a peanut butter addict. So when you think of it, Buckeyes are like the perfect ying-yang analogy of our relationship. Now, the point of this isn’t to get philosophical about our marriage but rather to sing the praises of yet another Marietta wonder, Whit’s Frozen Custard.

The building that now houses downtown’s custard shop was once a gas station. While artifacts are sprinkled through out the inside of the shop giving you a glimpse at its past, it doesn’t take too much imagination to see what the brick building once was. Luckily for the folks in Marietta, Whit’s decided to keep the structure’s dreamy blue roof.

Whit’s isn’t like your typical ice cream shop. It’s frozen custard, so its much denser than ice cream as it has less frozen air. It has a different taste too since it is made fresh and served fresh, the richness of the custard is undeniably delicious.

If you are lucky you might get to see the custard coming out of the machine. It’s a soothing thing to watch as this shinny stainless steal machine squeezes out custard in a way that resembles a giant pastry bag piping out icing.

There are three main flavors of custard: vanilla, chocolate and the flavor of the week, but other flavors can be made by combining custard with fruit toppings, nuts and candies into a signature Whitser.

On this lucky day the flavor of the week was Buckeye Madness, a delicious peanut butter custard with chunks of peanut butter cups and chocolate. Now, the flavor of the week can be hit or miss, especially if you are like me (I’m talking about you butter pecan the second time we went. #notimpressed) but because of the Whitser options and the vanilla/chocolate base, you can always find something tastey.

Other favorites include:

• Sea Salt Caramel
• Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
• Caramel Apple Whitser
• Buckeye Whitser (for those days when Buckeye Madness isn’t a daily flavor)