Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Remember Yeager's Acres?


I turned 50 this year, so naturally I'm starting to fall apart – necessitating a visit to the doctor for a physical. Since I hadn't been to a doctor in years, I had to find a new one. I was lucky enough to find a terrific one at the Tri City Family Medicine in Amherst. What was interesting to me about this is that Tri City Family Medicine is right where a restaurant called Yeager's Acres used to be.

Yeager's Acres was one of those things that I associated with Amherst, along with the Old Spring. The restaurant was located at the intersection of N. Main (or Kolbe Road if you prefer) and Cooper Foster Park Road. Two of its phone book ads – one from the late 1950's (top) and late 1960's (below) are shown.
I can't say I actually remember eating there, although I think my grandparents did. (The 'No Liquor Served' line in the ad makes me doubtful though!) Maybe I just liked the name of it. (Several other people do too, because a quick Google search reveals that there are several other Yeager's Acres around the country, including Ohio.)
The restaurant first showed up in the Lorain phone book as Yeager's Acres Drive Inn in 1949. Its listing disappeared after the 1971-72 phone book.
After the restaurant closed, a Lawsons was later located on the site. It, too, closed at some point, because my doctor's office is in the unmistakable old Lawsons building. (I thought I smelled chipped chopped ham during my exam.)
Anyway, if anyone has any memories of Yeager's Acres, please post them so I know I'm not the only old coot that remembers the place!

16 comments:

  1. I think I remember eating there. My memory is the inside was sort of like a large...large house. I also think when we went there, I got to have a Roy Roger to drink...MMMmmmmmmmm. I also remember we went to a place called Presti's in Oberlin???

    Hoy hoy,

    Jeff Rash

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  2. I remember eating there a lot as a child, my parents like to go there for fish on fridays.

    I wish you could get some photos of this place because in my mind I remember a lot of wood. Wood walls, a pretty wood,, not UGLY 70's paneling. It was rich looking inside. Maybe it was the lighting and the wood that made it so different. The food was good but mainly I remember it looked so different inside than any other Lorain county or cleveland restaurant at the time.

    Barbara Rufo

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  3. We didn't eat out very often, but when it was time to give Mom a break from cooking Sunday dinner after church, we went to Yeager's Acres. I remember (Salisbury?) steak with ketchup and small curd cottage cheese. This would be circa 1962 or so.

    Glenn

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  4. I washed dishes there.

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  5. My father was born in amherst and we always went there when we visited his parents during the 1960s. The Lake Erie perch was fantastic!

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  6. I don't have any pictures but my grandparent's owned the restaurant until it burned down. I was the little baby who was always running around the restaurant. My mom (my grandparents girl) and Uncle also worked there.

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  7. I worked at Yeager's Acres along with my school friends Bettie Higgins and Donna Thomas. I worked in the kitchen and they waited tables. Alice and Al were the owners there and I remember their son Bob and his wife Lorainne. Does anybody have a picture of the restaurant? I am on the board of the Amherst Historical Society and would love to see some or meet any of the remaining family.

    Joan Rosenbusch
    joaneologist@gmail.com

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  8. I remember going there a time or two. I'm pretty sure that was the area restaurant that had a "jackalope" on the wall near the counter. DT

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  9. My parents took us there a lot in the 60's up until it burned down in '71, I think.
    I was young so I had the kids meals and the fish fries on Fridays. Loved it. Mahogany paneling and burgundy booths. Is that correct?

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  10. The best apple butter. Perch dinners were the best. It had a waitress board that lite up when their order was finished.

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  11. Ate there many times.. have pictures inside but have moved many times since an# have misplaced or lost them. Had a couple of the owners too. Remember the breaded veal cutlets. Was a great place. Dont remember it burning down and was still open in 71, thought it was just sitting empty for some time then made it drs offices as is now.

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  12. I worked there with my Sister Sandy back in 1961 or 62. Then part time till 64. I also remember Carol Zunt from Amherst working there. I loved the whole family and they treated me as one of their own. On the Swiss steak You don't know how much I would love to have the recipe. I remember making it but not all that went in it. Most Swiss steak uses tomatoes I don't believe (or remember) that being it it. The Chicken fried steak, breaded veal, And of course the wonderful peach dinners. Cookie use to fix one form me at the end of the day before I went home. Loved that woman.

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  13. Wasn't there a Lawson store one that corner

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  14. The Lawson store came later after Yeager's was tore down.

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  15. We would go there for trout with sides, and Welches, grape juice in small bottles

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  16. I am so glad I found this discussion. I searched for years trying to find old postcards or some info about Jaeger’s Acres. My family often went there for dinner after church.

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