Pioneers Inn Restaurant

Had a great meal at Pioneers Inn! I ordered the hamburger loaded with meat, onions, lettuce, tomato, mushrooms, and crispy bacon fresh, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. One of the things I love is that you can call in your order ahead of time and choose to dine in. Always a reliable spot for good food and friendly service.

For the last 37 years, owners Karen and Lyle have been working hard at making Pioneers Inn one of the premier restaurants in the area, and it shows. I was in town a couple months back on a Sunday night, and there might’ve been arguably more cars parked outside the restaurant than there are people who live in the town! I made myself at home and was helped by Mary, who quickly listed off the nightly special (it was a rocky mountain oyster buffet during my visit), and some of the highlights of their menu. The first thing I noticed at the table was the flyer that read “Pioneers Inn: February – Menu – Specials.” Honestly, it reminded me of a church bulletin. It boasted that Pioneers Inn was open at 8am daily, and that it closed at 7pm Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. Beneath a note stating that no credit or debit cards were accepted, they listed off every special for the month. Sunday specials of mountain oysters, broasted chicken, roast beef, and Salisbury steak were featured all throughout the month of February, as were specials for a buck off of sides on Fridays, a Happy Hour on Tuesday, a Hamburger Night on Thursday, and more. Patrons were encouraged to take their bulletin with them so they could recall all that month’s specials! I think what made me chuckle most about the menu was some of their interesting pricing methods. A scoop of ice cream: $1.42. Pie: $2.37. Children Sunday Noon Buffet: $7.82. Peanut Butter & Jelly: $2.13. Though it took me a while to mmake sense of the odd number of cents on some items, in general, the prices were quite low and were rounded to the nearest quarter. There are dozens of options for food ranging from side orders of soup, macaroni salad, BBQ fries, cheese balls, mozzarella sticks and more, to chicken fried steak, sirloins, chicken breast, livers, and gizzards, fish, barbeque pork, ham sandwiches, mountain oysters, broasted chicken, and burgers. Really there’s an option for just about anything you might be craving that during your visit! I don’t typically order burgers when I eat at these small town bars, but on this occasion, I was talked into trying one of their fan-favorite bacon cheeseburgers. As you can tell by my photo, my choice was rewarded with a generous amount of bacon, a buttered bun, and a sizeable, juicy beef patty. I was also curious as to what the BBQ fries were, and I soon learned that they were covered with a seasoning that gave them a sweet little extra kick. I think altogether my meal cost me close to ten bucks by the time it was all said and done. While one might think this town would be sleepy and stale at first glance, my visit proved that Gilead is still bustling to this day as a teeny-tiny town that knows its taste. Thanks to Karen, Lyle, Mary, and staff for their speedy service and for their hospitality, I wish y’all the best of luck this year in your endeavors!

Sunday buffet is fantastic! All you can eat for $12. Includes 12+salads, two meats and basics, plus free coffee, tea, lemonade, rolls and butter AND homemade pies and cakes. What a buy! It all tastes great-even pickled beets. Staff refills drinks and provides great service. If you're a former regular but now occasional, you receive warm welcome and, maybe a hug! Sundays are busy so reservations recommended, especially if more than a couple-but not required. There's always room at the Inn.