The Paxton Restaurant — Restaurant in Bainbridge

Potato salad has never compelled me to visit a restaurant, until now. I was enjoying some delicious potato salad at a 4th of July celebration at a friend's house when she told me she had purchased it from the Paxton Restaurant. She raved about their walleye special they serve on Fridays. She said she liked the potato salad so much that she had to have it at her Independence Day potluck too.

I hadn't been to this diner in at least 20 years. I don't live close enough to Bainbridge to make it over there very often, but memories of that potato salad prompted me to drive over from Chillicothe with a friend who was visiting from Columbus this past Friday.

My friend tried a bite of my potato salad and declared it was a little too sweet for her liking. She said the same thing about cole slaw that I loved at another restaurant. Like chili and spaghetti sauce, potato salad and cole slaw are items that can be made many different ways. If the restaurant doesn't make it the way you grew up living it as a kid, you're not going to end up gushing over it in a Google review. All that said, I loved the potato salad here.

The little hush puppies were delicious too. I could have eaten a lot more of them. The onion rings were excellent! Unlike most other diners in Ross County, this place doesn't charge extra for onion rings. Walleye is a fish that's hard to screw up unless you fry it too long. This place cooked it to perfection.

I have family in Bainbridge, and I plan to go back soon to sample other diner favorites on Paxton's menu. It's...

5/5 Stars – A Local Favorite in Bainbridge with Consistently Outstanding Food!

Tucked away on Main Street in charming Bainbridge, Ohio, The Paxton Restaurant is a true gem of small-town dining—where every dish is crafted with care and the quality never wavers. Living just a few miles away, I’ve been here multiple times and keep coming back for the reliably excellent food.

The menu celebrates classic American comfort food with daily homemade specials that always deliver. I’ve tried a variety of dishes on different visits, and each one has been very, very good—fresh ingredients, perfect seasoning, and that homemade touch that makes every plate special. Portions are generous, flavors are spot-on, and the consistency across the board is impressive. The friendly staff adds to the welcoming vibe, making every visit feel like stopping by a favorite neighborhood spot. It’s lively yet relaxed, with locals enjoying great meals and good company. If you’re anywhere near Bainbridge, The Paxton is a must. I always look forward to my next meal here!

(Pro tip: Call ahead for the daily specials—they’re...

New to area I went for carry out order waitress was nice she double checked order as she bagged it. Food was good and portion was good. Definitely will go back and maybe sit in for dinner. ( Update 9-6-22) liver and onions was very dry and burnt hard to cut. No gravy on liver and onions looked like they was thrown on top of liver as they wasn't cooked together. Onions had no gravy which showed they weren't cooked with liver. Previous post was on a Saturday so my guess the Saturday cook is better and takes a little more time to prep and liver is way more tender and I'm someone who hated liver growing up until fiancee talked me into trying hers once and paxtons weekend cook done a fabulous job with the liver tenderness. Yesterday was a reminder of my mom's dryed out shoe leather liver. I'll wait till Saturday evening for now on to get more and pray the good cook...