The Ocoee River is jammed with rafters and kayakers each summer, and so is the Ocoee Dam Deli & Diner. It's a favorite hangout for the river guides as well as visitors in town for a whitewater adventure. Any day this time of year, the restaurant will be packed.
THE MENU
The river crowd gets an early start, so breakfast is a big hit. Offerings range from breakfast burritos to full plates with eggs, bacon, fried steak, chicken tenders, sausage, biscuits and gravy among the choices. Dinner offerings include huge hand-patted burgers, several sandwiches and meat-and-veggie country-style dinners.
The order (for two): Chicken quesadilla with white beans and coleslaw; open-face roast beef sandwich with fried okra, coleslaw and pickled beets; blackberry cobbler.
Both of our dinners were among the Thursday specials, each coming with two side dishes and a roll for $7.19.
The quesadilla was huge and stuffed to the max with cheese, chicken, mushrooms, onions and pepper, then served with a spicy salsa. No sour cream, though. It was very good and so large that one wedge was all I could master. It made good leftovers, though. The white beans and coleslaw were a curious pairing, but no Tex-Mex sides were among the offerings. The beans were good and tasted fresh, not from a can. The deli's coleslaw has a very light oil-and-vinegar dressing, not creamy whatsoever. What really makes the slaw, though, is that the cabbage was chopped, not shredded. That's a major plus for any coleslaw.
There's nothing more comforting than a good roast beef sandwich with lots of gravy. The one you'll find here fits the bill. The meat was tender, the gravy savory. It was excellent. I was disappointed that the okra was not fresh this time of year. It appeared and - more importantly - tasted like a good frozen variety.
But there's no discussion about the blackberry cobbler. If this wasn't made from scratch, it had me fooled. It comes warm and topped with vanilla ice cream.
THE SERVICE
Though the diner was busy, there were enough servers on hand to manage the crowd. The wait for our entrees was a little longer than I would have expected, but the kitchen is small and meals are cooked to order.
THE SPACE
You'll see the big Ocoee Dam Deli & Diner sign as you drive up Highway 64, as well as a parking lot filled with trailers and vehicles packing kayaks and other watercraft, so there's no chance of missing this place. There's an enclosed porch across the front to handle overflow diners. Inside the main dining room, you'll find kayaks on the ceiling, televisions embedded in a wall showing footage of rafting the Ocoee, handmade tables and booths, homegrown produce for sale, homemade jams and much more. It's an interesting place that will keep you busy looking around while you wait for your meal. The rustic look is quite fitting and appealing.
THE VERDICT
Float on by. You'll love this place. The food is simple, the atmosphere rustic - just what you would expect. If you don't live in the area, it's worth the drive, if for nothing more than a chance to get out of the city for a new dining adventure.