The Depot in Rittman is a great place to get sidetracked | Local Flavor

All aboard! We’re taking the Local Flavor Express to Rittman .

Next stop: Breakfast.

The Depot is a cozy diner in the former Erie Railroad depot at 80 Grant St. If you enjoy homestyle cooking with a railroad theme, you’ll want to make tracks to this historic city on the Medina-Wayne line.

Look for the flashing red lights on the X-shaped sign that reads “Good Food Crossing.”

My wife, Susie, and I took a beautiful autumn drive on a weekday morning to this quiet little community about 17 miles southwest of Akron.

Historic Rittman

Rittman historian Pat Watts told me that the city is named for Fred Rittman, former treasurer of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, which built a line through town in 1871. The previous name, Arkona, had to be changed because it was too easily confused with … well, you know.

Watts said the Erie depot opened in 1871 on South Main Street, but farmers moved the narrow wooden building to its current location in 1913. Conrail took over Erie in 1976 and discontinued its Rittman service in 1983.

Debra Lieberth has owned The Depot for nearly 20 years. The family restaurant is across the tracks from the Morton Salt facility, which means that customers won’t ever have to worry about running out of seasoning.

As we pulled up to the gray building with white trim, Susie exclaimed: “It’s very cute!”

Regulars at The Depot

The diner is filled with folksy charm. A country radio station played in the background as we took our seats at a small table. Train memorabilia and old photographs decorate the three dining areas, and a railroad crossing sign blinks on one of the walls.

The Depot is a friendly place where the staff greets regular customers by name.

“Hi, Jerry, you can sit anywhere you like.”

“Do you want more coffee, Dan?”

“See you tomorrow, Brian.”

We were strangers, but we felt at home.

The lunch menu, featuring burgers, sandwiches, salads and homemade soups, looked tempting, but we were in the mood for breakfast, which is served all day. The Depot offers everything from omelets to scrambles to bowls to hotcakes to sandwiches. You name it, the place has it: Corned beef hash, oatmeal, fried mush, hash browns, biscuits and gravy …

Our server, Sherri Volk, daughter of the owner, almost looked pained when I asked if the shredded hash browns were homemade.

“No frozen potatoes here,” she assured us.

The Conductor

I ordered The Conductor ($11.95), a sausage, onion and cheese patty topped with egg and cheese on a grilled sourdough bread, smothered with sausage gravy. My gosh, was it huge, a mighty mound of breakfast.

“It’s like a tower with a moat filled with gravy,” Susie said.

The dish was so darned comforting and delicious. The thick, creamy gravy was a luscious complement to the rich egg yolk, spicy sausage and other savory ingredients. In my estimation, it’s diner food at its finest.

The Conductor was a meal in itself, but I added a side of hash browns ($2.95) and a slice of fried mush ($1).

Yes, you definitely can tell the difference. These hash browns were so good that I didn’t bother to add hot sauce like I usually do. This is how breakfast potatoes should taste.

In all my years, I had never before eaten fried mush, a cornmeal cake served with butter and warm syrup. The rectangle’s edges were nice and crispy, and I really enjoyed the flavor.

“People come here for the mush,” our server said.

I get it now. I’m glad I tried something different.

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Country Breakfast Bowl

My wife ordered the Country Breakfast Bowl ($11.95), which includes hash browns, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage gravy and cheddar cheese.

“My food looks like it’s on a doily of eggs,” she said.

To me, it resembled a giant flower. The center was filled with bacon, sausage, potatoes and gravy.

“I feel like it’s a gravy that my mom or grandma used to make,” Susie said.

She joined the clean plate club while I chugged my way through The Conductor. Could I make it to the top?

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

I couldn’t.

About halfway through, I ran out of steam. That meal could easily have fed two people. I asked for a box to take the rest home.

“I guess you know what you’re having for dinner tonight,” Susie said.

Including beverages and tax, our bill came to $35.46, not including tip.

Top-notch service

Our cheerful waitress, Sherri, took great care of us. She answered all our questions, offered top-notch service and kept the hot coffee coming.

“A lot of our customers come in four or five days a week,” she explained.

We can understand why.

The Depot is a great place to get sidetracked in Rittman.

Mark J. Price can be reached at mprice@thebeaconjournal.com

Details

Place: The Depot

Address: 80 Grant St., Rittman

Hours: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday

More info: 330-925-2600

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: The Depot in Rittman is a great place to get sidetracked | Local Flavor