Abby's Restaurant

It's the place where biker guys in black-leather jackets drink yellow beer at the bar and talk to you about the meatloaf. In the main room, ma, pa and the grandkids are eating somewhere that tastes like home. Regulars show up for their favorite weekly special devotedly. Well dressed college couples can enjoy a cheap date away from downtown here, and it feels like a nice luxury to those visiting from the adjoining laundry mat to have a bite to eat or beer in between changing loads.

It's not really the food, which is good home-style eats for a good price, that defines the place. Barwise you don't get the NFL ticket broadcast to you on twenty flat screens, but you get that elsewhere. The beer prices are reasonable. The bar is short and cozy and it's easy to have a conversation with a stranger on the other side of the bar. Unlike many places, it's pleasant to eat at the bar at Abby's and the vibe is a communal one.

That's probably because Abby's is a small place, mostly quiet. You rarely have to wait to get a game on the two pooltables and the jukebox selection is one of the nicest in town. It seems York, the owner who you often find in the kitchen, personally tailored a nice mix that favors deep Dead style-cuts alongside soulful Joe Cocker tracks.

With Maxwell's gone, Abby's and the newly opened Dalton 's are the only restaurants serving North Main Street. It's worth trying if you find yourself in the neighborhood and in the mood for some affordable home-cookin in a blue-collar, relaxed environment. Be careful though, the freshly-cut and breaded tenderloin pork chops on Saturdays have the ability to turn you into a weekly diner.