12:02 pm Eating Out: Ole Country Barn offers family-style dining
I enjoyed a recent Sunday dinner that was pretty darn close to what either of my late grandmothers could have cooked.
My dining destination that afternoon was the recently opened Ole Barn Restaurant, located off the Okolona Exit from Interstate 26 in Johnson City. This new family-style restaurant is currently open three days a week for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is served on Saturday and Sunday.
Area competition in family-style dining, namely The Farmer’s Daughter Restaurant in Chuckey and Shirley’s Home Cookin’ at Watauga Lake, have set the bar high for these sorts of establishments. The Ole Barn Restaurant, which opened in October of last year, rises to the challenge and does so in a fun, casual setting.
According to the restaurant’s website, the Ayers Family Farm was established in 1966 by Wayne and Joan Ayers. Over the years, the farm grew into the largest Christmas tree farm in the state. In 1993, Wayne Ayers was selected to provide the White House Christmas Tree. Today, Wayne and his two sons, John and Steve, farm more than 250 acres of Christmas trees in Tennessee and North Carolina.
The Ole Barn Restaurant is across the road from the original location where an historic cantilever barn was built about 1830. Logs were numbered as they were taken down and almost 90 percent of the original logs were used when building the barn on the new site. Cantilever barns are unique to the East Tennessee mountain area and some of the logs in this barn can be dated back to the 1700s.
I paid my first visit to the Ole Barn Restaurant with a friend who told me he wanted to try some good country cooking. The large building holds dining areas both upstairs and downstairs. A hostess asked us if dining in the upstairs area would be acceptable, and we readily agreed.
The casual setting inside the restored barn is definitely fun and comfortable. Our server was attentive and friendly, and I admired the rustic decor, which included live potted plants, the curiosity of the paper-nest built by hornets and framed artworks depicting country settings. The faux wood-plank walls are accented by dark-stained rough wood timbers that contrast with the polished light wood tables and chairs. A large centrally located flagstone fireplace offers a cozy reception to visitors entering the restaurant. The upper dining room offers plenty of windows with a view to other parts of the farmland surrounding the restaurant. I also liked the light fixtures, which consisted of parchment lampshades bearing rustic silhouettes and leather lacing. The front porch area on the outside of the restaurant was equipped with rocking chairs and was landscaped by colorful ornamental kales and cabbages as well as evergreen holly shrubs.
Once we were seated, our server, Olivia, provided menus and a basket of biscuits with butter. She asked us if we had visited previously. We admitted that this was our first visit, so she happily explained the procedure for family-style dining at The Ole Barn Restaurant. Diners can choose two of four daily meats, which are accompanied by about half a dozen side dishes.
The meat dishes offered during our visit included Fried Chicken, Country Ham and Chicken and Dumplings, which are the three staples offered daily. In addition, a fourth choice of meat — Beef Stew during our Sunday visit — is offered on a rotating basis. For instance, our server explained that Fried Whitefish had been available on a recent Friday evening.
The side dishes during our visit include Mac and Cheese, Creamed Corn, Slaw, Cornbread Salad, Pinto Beans and Mashed Potatoes with Gravy. These are the standard sides, but other sides are also available on a rotating basis, such as the Green Beans and Boiled Cabbage offered during our Sunday visit. During the growing season, the restaurant also plans to offer locally available vegetables among their side dishes. The cost of the all-you-can-eat meal also includes a beverage and dessert.
After some discussion, my friend and I selected the Fried Chicken and Beef Stew, although I was tempted to see if The Ole Barn Restaurant could make up a pot of Chicken and Dumplings as good as my grandmothers made. I’m already planning a future visit to try this and other alternative menu options.
We didn’t have to wait long at all for the food to arrive. The servers are spared the trial of carrying fully-laden trays up the flight of stairs from the ground-floor kitchens by an innovative motorized dumbwaiter located in the center of the dining area. This lift transports the platters of dishes to the upper floor, where the servers take the food to the tables.
We both loved the Fried Chicken, which consists of an ample boneless breast of chicken, nicely breaded and seasoned, and fried to a golden-brown. The tender chicken remained moist and quite flavorful through the process. The Beef Stew also won approval. The dish consisted of extremely tender chunks of roast beef cooked with carrots and onions in a heavy brown sauce.
The side dishes all got good grades, especially for use of proper seasonings to enhance their flavors. The creamy Mac and Cheese, in particular, stood out for being extra cheesy — an extremely tasty version of this classic comfort side. I also liked the Pinto Beans and Cornbread Salad, which I enjoyed together since they paired up so well. My dining companion enjoyed the Mashed Potatoes and Brown Gravy, one of the side dishes we asked to be replenished. We also enjoyed second helpings of both the Beef Stew and Fried Chicken.
We somehow managed to save a bit of room for our desserts. The choices during our visit included Peach Cobbler, Pineapple Pudding and Peanut Butter Brownie. My dining companion chose the lighter Pineapple Pudding while I chose the richer Peanut Butter Brownie. These sweet treats gave our Sunday meal at the Ole Barn Restaurant a most satisfying conclusion.
There’s plenty of variety in the choices available, but I would like to see a few additional green and yellow vegetables of some sort, such as steamed broccoli, greens, carrots, sweet potato or squash. Other than that small quibble, I was very happy with my first visit to the Ole Barn Restaurant.
If you visit, go with a big appetite and let them know they were recommended.
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AT A GLANCE: Ole Barn Restaurant, 440 Okolona Road, Johnson City. 631-0402 or 631-0403. Friday, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Sunday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. $12.99 for adults, $6.99 for children 6-12; kids 5 and under eat free. Credit cards accepted.
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