I remember learning about Sam and Ethel’s in Tipp City, Ohio when my grandparents would visit here for breakfast on Sunday mornings.  This amazing diner in the heart of town has been serving delicious, down home meals since 1944. That’s over 70 years of yummy food.
The menu was endless with amazing options, including buffalo, but I had my mind set on their famous Reuben Sandwich, a decadent combination of rye bread, thousand island dressing, corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. My mouth was watering as I ordered this local favorite and one of Sam and Ethel’s best sellers. Along with their tenderloin and roundhouse club, each sandwich is served with their signature chips and garlic onion dip.
The front room of the restaurant is reminiscent to the diners of the good ole days, where locals can sit at a counter and enjoy a hearty, home cooked meal or a cup of coffee with a slice of pie. I found a seat at one of the booths where I could see the kitchen through the pass-through and was close enough to take in the delicious smell of meat cooking on the grill.
When my sandwich arrived with a heaping of Sam and Ethel’s famous, homemade potato chips, I was in culinary heaven. One of the most amazing sandwiches I had ever eaten, this Reuben was oozing with dressing and Swiss cheese. The buttered bread was perfectly toasted with a generous portion of juicy corned beef piled high to make this the ultimate sandwich.
While I was ordering my meal, the waitress mentioned Sam and Ethel’s signature dill dip and she asked if I wanted to try it. The gentleman sitting at the bar turned from his meal to agree with her. He further warned me that it was addictive and guaranteed I would not be able to stop eating it once I started.
I was so happy I had asked for a to-go box, because secretly, I probably would have ordered another sandwich…it was that amazing, I was disappointed that I didn’t save room for pie, but promised myself that on a return visit, I would definitely order one to share with my friends.
I learned a lot about Sam and Ethel’s from reading the menu. This former single family home was built in 1869 and housed a variety of businesses before Bill and Flora Sensemen turned it into a restaurant in 1944.  Mom and Pop Pittinger bought the restaurant and ran it from 1947 to 1955 until it was purchased by Sam and Ethel Moore, giving the restaurant its current name. The restaurant stayed in the Moore family when Sam and Ethel’s son John took over and ran the business for forty years before selling the property to Keith Long in 2009.  The restaurant has won several awards including the 2012 Best Comfort Food and 2013 Best of Dayton Restaurants. There is also a photo of former comedian and actor Jonathan Winters, a Dayton, Ohio native stopping in to enjoy a meal at this longtime eatery.
The Dayton newspaper had just written an article about Sam and Ethel’s famous pancakes, which are also a hit with the locals. I guess I will have to try them on my next visit. Could I order the pancakes with a piece of pie on the side please?
Have you eaten at Sam and Ethel’s Restaurant in Tipp City? What is your favorite menu item? I would love to hear from you if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below.  Many Thanks and Bon Appetit!
What to See and What to Do:
Sam and Ethel’s Restaurant
120 East Main Street
Tipp City, Ohio 45371
Telephone:Â 937 667 0113
- Hours of Operation: Monday – Saturday from 6AM to 3PM and on Sunday from 8AM to 2PM
- What to Eat: I highly recommend the Reuben sandwich with the chips and homemade dill dip, the fried bologna sandwich and any one of their fabulous pies! For breakfast, enjoy their plate-sized pancakes and corned beef hash (I like mine crispy). Enjoy!
Where to Stay:Â
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Dayton North – Tipp City
1100 W. Main Street
Tipp City, OHÂ 45371
Telephone:Â 937 667 5161
Where to Eat:
Sam and Ethel’s Restaurant
120 East Main Street
Tipp City, Ohio 45371
Telephone:Â 937 667 0113
Website:Â www.samandethels.com
- Hours of Operation: Monday – Saturday from 6AM to 3PM and on Sunday from 8AM to 2PM
- What to Eat: I highly recommend the Reuben sandwich with the chips and homemade dill dip, the fried bologna sandwich and any one of their fabulous pies! For breakfast, enjoy their plate-sized pancakes and corned beef hash (I like mine crispy). Enjoy!
Photo Guide for Tipp City:Â
- Canal Lock located just outside of town
- Charleston Falls, 3538 Ross Road
- Coldwater Creek for food photos
- Mums during the Tipp City Mum FestivalÂ
- Gem City Ice Cream Mural, 1462 Harmony Drive
- Tipp Roller Mill is an historic grist mill where they provide entertainment on Thursdays from May to December.
Disclosure:Â Â Please refer to our blog disclaimer tab for more information.
I grew up in that place. My Mom & Dad bought the restaurant in 1947 when I was 11. I still eat there often and love the tenderloin sandwich. It is really hard to chose one favorite item!!!
Hi Gordon! I have often wondered what it would have been like to grow up with a family restaurant. 🙂 I imagine that you had to help out every now and then, but I am sure you have some fun stories to tell over the years! Sam and Ethel’s is such a fabulous part of Tipp City’s history, just as much as it is for the state of Ohio. So many people have fond memories of dining at the restaurant and I am happy to see the tradition continue! My only dilemma will be to try all of the yummy items on the menu! Thank you for commenting on my post!
As Sam and Ethel’s daughter, I am grateful for your article and the fact that Keith continues the tradition. Whenever we are in town, from California, we must go to Sam and Ethel’s! Tenderloin sandwich is just as amazing now as when my dad made them. Wish Guy Fieri would highlight it on Diners, Dives and Drive-Ins!
Hi Beverly! It was my pleasure to write about Sam and Ethel’s! I imagine you have some fantastic memories of growing up with the restaurant! 🙂 I adored looking over some of the historical photographs as they reminded me of the diners my grandparents would visit when we were children. The nostalgic atmosphere of Sam and Ethel’s is quite unique and the food is spectacular!
I would love to see Sam and Ethel’s on Diners, Dives and Drive-Ins as well! Thank you for commenting on my post!
My uncle Oscar Gray loved Sam and Ethels as well as my many Stark cousins. I miss drinking coffee with Oscar there.
Hi Robert! I am so sorry for your loss.
I am glad that you have such fond memories of your Uncle Oscar and that Sam and Ethel’s was a place that the two of you enjoyed together! Thank you so much for sharing your great memory with me!
Visiting my Dad there in Tipp City we enjoyed the dinner special, chicken alfredo with a fresh salad! It was wonderful!
Hi Janet! I am so glad that my post brought back some great memories of you and your father! Sam and Ethel’s not only has a history of their own, but has been a part of so many people’s lives as well. So glad the tradition continues!
The breakfasts and the Fried bologna sandwich are my favorites
Of course almost everything you mentioned, the home made chips and dill dip and the Reuben are my favorites too. Sounds like your next meal should be pancakes and pie. So glad you loved it as much as the town does.
Thanks for your comment Elaine! What Midwestern girl hasn’t had a fried bologna sandwich or two? Reminds me of growing up and brings back such great memories! Thanks! Sam and Ethel’s is definitely loved by the locals of Tipp City! I would not be surprised to find a number of people that make the drive for some of their memorable down home cooking too! 🙂
Everything on the menu is wonderful. They having amazing soups that the cooks come up with. Their French toast is the best. Pancakes? I usually get the buckwheat which is the size of a dinner plate.
I enjoyed reading all of the fabulous options on the menu…I also felt it heartwarming to see Sam’s Favorite and Ethel’s Plate for breakfast. 🙂 And as for the French Toast? I’m on it! 🙂
We LOVE their chicken salad wraps and chicken salad on a pretzel bun! But you really can’t go wrong with anything on their menu! We are SO happy that the Keith Long and family brought it back to life!
Chicken salad is one of my favorite food items! I can’t wait to order it as a wrap…although you have me curious about the pretzel bun! 🙂 I may have to try it! Thank you so much Lynn for your recommendations! Looks like a couple of visits back to Sam and Ethel’s are in order!
The blueberry pancake! Just one. Amazing!
Thanks for the pancake suggestion Lynn! Are you sure I will be able to eat just one? 🙂
I love Sam and Ethel’s Restaurant. It is a welcoming renovated building that evokes an appreciation for it’s passed owners and future sustainability through the collaborative skills and talents of many of Keith’s family members and friends who took part in it’s rejuvenation. Keith’s style is genuine home comfort food prepared and served by individuals with care, quality, value and excellence as it’s core. Sam and Ethel’s is a pure icon of Tipp City and a part of what makes it one of the best small towns in Ohio.
Thanks for your comment Krista! I could not agree more! I was sitting near a man at the counter that has been coming here for years and he suggested that I come back for the pancakes! Sam and Ethel’s has a strong following and that says so much about the restaurant. I will be back again for the 2 P’s….pancakes and pie! Yum!