Earl G Dumplin’s: Food & place come together
Chicken tenders. Country fried steak. Fried fish. Pork tenderloins. Chicken fried chicken. And a surprise—chicken livers.
Those are the favorites at Earl G Dumplin’s in Scottville, which is served by Tri-County Electric.
“If it’s not fried, we put gravy on it,” jokes co-owner Brent Ramsy about the Southern comfort food the popular restaurant offers from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day.
In the morning, seniors gather for breakfast—pancakes, biscuits, bacon, sausage, all the trimmings. And numerous omelets: Italian; sausage & cheese; western; vegetable; cheese; ham & cheese; bacon & cheese; and the Scottsville cheesesteak omelet.
At lunch, people stream in from work for an equally broad array of choices—hamburgers, chicken in all its iterations, a full salad bar, sandwiches of all sorts. Then dinner brings in parents and their children, just off the ballfield or another activity. They too, find a plethora of choices. There are reasonably priced steaks—one even cut to look like the state of Kentucky.
A wide array of sandwiches is always a hit, especially the Scottsville Cheesesteak Sandwich (see recipe). Wednesday night and Saturday lunch draw church members for the food and the chance to socialize. High-top tables, booths and even a party room house parties of most any size.
The restaurant offers a sense of place not just with food but with the photos and memorability that cover the walls. The most notable is an enormous clock that once hung in the Allen County Courthouse along with photos of notable companies, the former train service, and old calendars from the 1950s and early ‘60s. “We worked with the historical society to choose appropriate photos,” says Ramsy. The restaurant is a history of Allen County and its county seat Scottsville. Just walk around and look at the pictures—too many to count.
This January, the restaurant owners—Ramsy and Mike Wood—are recovering from the holidays because Earl G. Dumplin’s also offers catering. The day we spoke, Ramsy had just finished a job requiring 400 chicken tenders plus sides. The restaurant closes only two days—Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Perhaps the best news is that you don’t need a reservation—unless you want to bring an entire ball team or large group. For a few people, simply arrive, and if there is a wait, consider it a good thing. You’ll need time to choose what you want from a large menu.
