Between the Clap Out from fifth grade for my great nephew, DeAveon and the VIP Charity Event at Cedar Point Shores Water Park, my husband, Bobby, and I took a detour into Norwalk. We wanted to eat at the historic, Berry’s Restaurant. Because I was driving, Bobby was doing the searching for places to eat on our way to Cedar Point. We hadn’t had lunch before DeAveon’s Clap Out and we were hungry. We always like to try new places and Berry’s sounded especially good, so we didn’t mind a minor shift in our route.
Berry’s is located on West Main Street in Norwalk. Based on the history printed on the menu, we learned that Berry’s has been a fixture in Norwalk since 1946, although the building itself has been standing in the town since the late 1800’s.
Walking into the restaurant you are taken back to the era of soda shops and lunch counters, at least at first. There is a long counter with stools, that I’m sure during the actual lunch hour is crowded with local business people. (We were there for a very late lunch.)
The hostess took us to another part of the restaurant which was what I imagine stepping even further back in time would have been like. The wood tables and chairs on one side and the leather booths on the other were surrounded by old photos and stained glass windows. Probably because of being in between lunch and dinner, it was a quiet and peaceful place to enjoy rest and refreshment.
The lunch menu offered a variety of items from appetizers like sauerkraut balls and crab cakes, to salads, entrees and sandwiches. We decided to order sandwiches because we knew that Cedar Point would have quite a spread (which they did and you can read about it and the waterpark here). I chose the Yellow Lake Perch sandwich and Bobby went with the Cuban sandwich.
My sandwich was two pieces of fish on a bun. It was just like the menu described — hand breaded, mild, and flaky. It had just the right amount of crunch to the outside. I enjoyed it very much. What was maybe more of a surprise was the quality of the salad. I opted for a side salad instead of french fries with my sandwich and I’m glad I did! The salad was not your standard iceberg with a slice of tomato and cucumber. Instead it was a spring salad mix, with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and craisins. I loved the variety.
Bobby’s Cuban sandwich came loaded with ham, pork and pickles. It also had a “bistro sauce” which neither one of us could pin down the flavor. I thought it had a little bit of heat, but Bobby wasn’t sure. I will say that he and I differ regarding what is “spicy” and what isn’t. He got fries with his sandwich. I tried a couple and they were good (not fresh cut), but I was very glad to have chosen the salad. Bobby told me that a true Cuban has dill pickles. This one had sweet, so he gave them to me. What can I say, I like sweet pickles.
I’m glad we went to Berry’s. It was kind of neat to take the step back in time. I really liked the pictures they had on their walls, preserving history of the town and their establishment from years past. They even encouraged us to take a few minutes to wander around and view the photos. I understand they also operate in adjacent spaces, The Dinky Pub and Grille and St. Charles Place which is a courtyard restaurant. All in all, Berry’s was worth the detour.
