Berea Union Depot Taverne

Mr. H and I found ourselves near the Berea Union Depot Taverne on a recent Saturday at lunchtime, so our curiosity drew us in for a bite. My brother-in-law had told Mr. H about it, since our nephew loves trains and gets a big kick out of dining at the Taverne as trains roll by.

This casual atmosphere is serving upscale pub fare for reasonable prices. All sandwiches are under $12, and entrees range from $14 - $21. Very family-friendly food, and there's something for everyone on the menu.

The Berea Union Depot was established in 1876, and if you're dining in the Taverne's main dining room, you're actually eating where the train platform used to stand. The still-active train tracks are just feet from their patio.

Unfortunately, the food did not live up to the fun and historical setting.

I ordered the Beer Battered Perch sandwich with yellow perch fillets, "house" beer batter, lemon garlic tartar, shredded lettuce, tomato, house slaw, and a brioche bun ($10). Served with a side of fries.

The sandwich was dry, and so bland that I was seriously missing any hint of "lemon garlic tartar." The bun was stale, which didn't help. At least the fish was lightly breaded, which was appreciated. Also, I discovered that I really don't like pepper on my fries. These were heavily peppered, and it turned me off. Personal preference, but I'll just stick to salt. And malt vinegar. Mmmm, now I'm craving good French fries. 

At least the bill was relatively cheap, and we were in and out pretty quickly. Service was fine, but they only had two additional tables of diners at the time.

Fun location, and great use of a historical building, but I don't think that the food will bring us back. Not worth the stop.

Berea Union Depot Taverne
30 Depot Street
Berea, OH 44017
440-243-6169