Home Sweet Home Cafe — Restaurant in Englewood

It's generally hard to find a decent meal anywhere in 2025 without it being overly processed or a blight on your wallet.

Infact, I think most people in the area will agree with the sentiment that there's almost NO WHERE in our neck of the woods with reasonable and flavorful accomodation. Englewood has been plagued by the same fast food chains for twenty years and the parasitical whims of DoorDash for the last five.

That's where HSHC shines. Home Sweet Home Cafe is very much the definition of the term "Hidden Gem". Not just because of the price either. The food has a flavorful freshness to it that makes me feel a little hope for the future of culinary delight in our town, and an atmosphere that stays true to it's name sake. It reminds you of home. Of Grandma's house in the dead of Fall, or your Mother's when you've spent too long on the road away from it all.

However - I will be the first to admit - I have a bit of a bias.

My mother and I for the last thirteen years have been trying to find ANYWHERE with a Reuben that closely resembles the kind that the Friendly's used to make in Vandalia. I have fond memories of the two of us playing hookie from work and school just to grab a bite to eat and forget what the world had in store for us for an hour. I got to relive that feeling just for a moment tonight.

The Reuben tasted EXACTLY like it had when I was a child. Come to find out - The person that made my sandwich just so happened to work for the same Friendly's for 35 years before their doors shut. I dined on a childhood memory that I never thought I'd have the pleasure to be reunited with. A powerful feeling to say the least.

I have yet to try the rest of the menu as of this review, however given the outstanding meal, the exemplary service, and the feeling of familiarity for the cost it was, I will be returning. I will not rest until I have had every single thing this cafe has had to offer and I'll do so with a smile on my face.

I can't recommend this place anymore than I have in this review, and I urge anyone curious to give this place a shot.

Make a new memory like the old ones I have. Play hookie with your kid to get a Reuben. Have a coffee. Breathe a little fresh air in this time of uncertainty.

I bid a humble 'Thank You' to the staff that worked tonight, and I wish...

Provided it's done with appropriate respect, I am a big fan of basic American diner food. Today, I was impressed. This place does some ritious down-home cooking.

Do not come here seeking veggie options. On the lunch menu, I saw 1, though I bet the breakfast (Fri. And Sat. until 11 only) does offer various egg and pancake based options. The veggies they do serve her, alongside the lunch entrees, are very nice, though. The greenbeans still had some crunch. The grilled tomatoes on the seasonal tomato burger were propper Ohio summertime specials. Are onion rigs still a vegetable? Those were very good!

Mostly is a place for meat and carbs and some top rate fixings along with some very friendly service. In other words, absolute torture for my service dog. (The dog's a well-educated beastie who knows exactly how these things go. She was actually fine.) What's not usual in a restaurant is my wife and I both ordering lightly spiced beef dishes. What's even less usual is both of us ordering these things and really enjoying them. We do not go to a restaurant for a bland hunk of meh meat served meh style, thank you!

Today at Home Sweet Home, the brown gravy on the hotshot was particularly flavorful and not too salty, which I MUCH appreciated. The roast beef on the hotshot was tender and similarly taisty. The mashed potatoes were the real thing. The burger was ample and jucy. My wife's gluten-free bread was a 2$ upcharge, but it did exist and was an enjoyable (not cardboar-y) kind too. The price of the whole meal together was very reasonable. All in all, this was diner lunch done well, as...

Two friends and I had lunch here today. It is a small, light, very clean space. The chairs are simple, but padded and comfortable. The tables are all matching, showed no signs of wear, and blessedly, did not rock. The space is decorated with local art and crafts, which is for sale. Service was friendly and timely. About the time one of us might have wanted something, she would stop and check on us. The sandwiches were large, (2 out of 3 bordering on oversized) and very good. My fries were hot and good, but nothing exceptional. The sandwiches were excellent, large, and the toppings fresh, plentiful, and well chosen. My friend commented that the meat on his hamburger was very good. We all found the coleslaw a bit too peppery, but a cut above typical restaurant coleslaw, it looked to me to have been made fresh. It was my week to buy lunch and I felt like I was cheating, the bill was very reasonable. I also appreciated that the prices were simple, all of our meals were priced in even dollars. No pretending that $11.98 is somehow a real saving over $12.00. I plan to return on a regular basis, and it is more than a half hour drive from home. Recommended if you like generous portions of good, straightforward food that is prepared...