Buckeye Express Diner in Bellville off I-71

If you're ever driving on I-71 just south of Mansfield near the Bellville Exit 165, and you look up to the east and see a train all alone and high on the hill – that's the Buckeye Express Diner. On my way home from the Ohio State Fair this past weekend, I made sure that I would be passing that area right around dinner time, and I'm glad I did. If you're looking for some great food in a unique setting, it's well worth the stop.

The first thing I noticed after I drove up the hill from SR 97 and pulled into the parking lot behind the restaurant was this giant fiberglas statue. Jacque is his name. Does he look familiar?

If you've ever been to Marblehead, you've probably seen his twin, right next to a Mickey's gas station on SR 163. While the Marblehead one now has monstrous hands (after having no hands for decades), the Buckeye Express Diner one is holding burgers that could very well be the actual size of the ones being served there. (Click here for the story of Marblehead Jacque, and here for Buckeye Express Jacque's tale, both on the great "Roadside America" website.)

The owners of the Buckeye Express Diner obviously have an eclectic, fun outlook on life. Just to the left of the green train car behind Jacque are statues of a pair of buffalo, as well an American Indian on a horse that's rearing up. Why? I have no idea. But they're fun to look at.

Anyway, once you get inside and are in the dining car, you get the idea you're in Ohio State Buckeye country. It's a fun decor.

One of my co-workers (who is a big Ohio State Buckeyes fan) told me the burgers at Buckeye Express Diner were fantastic and he wasn't kidding. My hamburger was the biggest I've ever eaten in my life, and one of the best. And my order of French fries could have fed a family of four.

So how long has the diner been there? Well, the trains were put there around 2007 with the intention of opening a restaurant. That happened about two years later, so it's been in business for about 17 years.

(Click here for an article on the Spectrum news site.)

So if you like burgers, the Buckeyes, trains – or all three – be sure to visit the Buckeye Express Diner. Check the website for hours just to be sure they're open.

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And here's my photo of Jacque, taken up at Marblehead earlier this summer.

Mickey the Moose can probably use an extra pair of hands to help send that pesky gas-pumping beaver back to the Lone Star State. And giant Jacque is just the guy to do it.