Ohio's Hunger Paynes Restaurant: Family-Style Cooking and All-Day Breakfast

Intrigued by the sign, my husband and I had to stop at Hunger Paynes Restaurant in Crestline while traveling through north-central Ohio recently.

This down-home restaurant and its friendly staff quickly stopped our hunger pangs with its family-style cooking, including soups that are famous throughout the area. I highly recommend the outstanding croissant sandwiches and fried Lake Erie perch. You can also order breakfast anytime.

Years ago, railroad crews on the line between Chicago and New York used to change in Crestline, and the Payne family got its start in the restaurant business by feeding those hungry workers as they waited for their train home.

Crestline is located where U.S. Highway 30 crosses State Highway 61, about 13 miles west of Mansfield and 65 miles north of Columbus.

Hunger Paynes (819 E. Main St.) is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. It's closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. For more information, call 1-419-683-3433 or visit their site.