Lumberjack's Bar & Grill — Restaurant in North Vernon

My initial review was 2 stars, it's below. We come to this area quarterly on business. I'd come in a couple times, and just found the place mildly off-putting...but the last time our crew came thru, it was dramatically different.

Seems folks from all around had stopped in, there was a huge group of reservists/national guardsmen running about, too.

Our group set up outside to enjoy the nice evening and avoid the smoke. Karaoke was going strong and the joint was jumping. I found myself inside waiting at the bar for another round, Tina was the bartender that evening and she was crushing it. She's an amputee, I'm not gonna guess what happened...it doesn't matter. It wasn't slowing her down any, and this spot was employing her--I made note of both observations. I noticed a lady next to me on a barstool, clearly the local variety. She was watching the guardsmen intently, most of whom were Asian, she said to me with a huge grin, "They sure are enjoying themselves". I replied, "They sure are." She was gleeful. This would've been one of the regulars I'd have judged too harshly last time.

Our group had a great time. Everyone that night had a great time. Thanks, Lumberjacks, for being a bigger person than me. See you in September. :) If you'll have me...

If you're not a local, this really isn't the spot for you. If you have all your teeth and a college education, again, you should probably keep going. And finally, if you're not a rabid Trump supporter, know that you're not exactly welcomed. There are other places less volatile and smoky. They do have food, but who eats...

Real place with real people, the owner was more than accommodating, one of the servers was a little standoff ish but she was alone and about 10 of us showed up all at once hungry and thirsty. She did great and warmed up as the night went on.

As for some of the other reviews, you can't judge the restaurant based off however you feel about what a local said to you. I've been here twice and the first time I went one local guy said something smart to my group and some of the girls as he was leaving and I just totally ignored him. Still had a great time!

I recommend the boneless chicken wings. I think they're pretty clearly just big chunks of chicken breast but were great both times I got em. Recommend the dry honey Sriracha rub as well.

I also recommend the bad axx nachos, a friend ordered them and said they were almost worth driving back 2 hours to get them again.

Thanks again for...

This is absolutely a local joint—but not some “locals only” gatekeeping BS. You’ll know the vibe the second you walk in: they don’t give a damn about your Google review, and that’s exactly why you’ll love it. The staff and the crew posted up at the bar at 1:30 PM on a Monday were all super welcoming, zero pretentiousness.

We didn’t go for drinks, but something tells me we missed out on a good time. I had the bacon double cheeseburger lunch special with fries—all that for under $9. If you're into home-style burgers (like I am), this place is your new happy place. That bacon cheeseburger slapped. Hard.

10/10 recommend you stop in, say hey to everyone, and treat yourself to a damn...