Pickle soup, hula hoops among unique dishes at Blind Bob’s in downtown Dayton

A family-owned tavern in Dayton's Oregon District has several unique appetizers and dishes customers can't get anywhere else. In fact, Blind Bob's pickle soup and hula hoops were shared by some of our readers as what they consider to be Dayton's signature food.

"For it being a dive bar, all of our food is normal bar fare, but it's all made from scratch, besides a few things that would be a little ridiculous to try to prep," said Cameron Howell, a kitchen manager at Blind Bob's.

Howell said he has been at the bar for six-and-a-half years and credits everything he knows about cooking to Blind Bob's. He said one of his favorites parts about his job is the ability to grow in his culinary skills and work with people he can learn from.

Credit: Natalie Jones

One of those people is Ashley Ashbrook, lead kitchen manager.

"The dude's a culinary genius," Howell said. "He has a million different ideas constantly going in and out."

A dish Ashbrook thought of that Howell claims is one of the most popular items are Hula Hoops, which are described as beer battered, pineapple rings topped with powdered sugar and served with a side of sweet, creamy coconut sauce.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Howell attributes its appeal to taking an ingredient (pineapples) from a sandwich already on the menu and utilizing the ingredient for more.

Another popular dish is pickle soup. Howell said it's "a cream-based potato soup that has dill and shredded pickles in it."

Howell explained the original pickle soup recipe comes from Lisa Mendenhall, one of the owners of Blind Bob's. He said she used to make it for her son, Nate, and Andy Rowe, assistant general manager at Blind Bob's, when they were first working at the tavern in 2008.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Howell describes the dish as "love at first bite."

He mentioned they have had to add a button on the register to include quart-sized portions because customers love it so much.

Other unique appetizers and dishes include the Hummus Plate and Ultimate Falafel. Howell said both dishes include a tzatziki sauce he describes as a cream-based cucumber sauce. He mentioned their wings and burgers are also very popular.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Each month, Blind Bob's carries specials. Howell said they usually include an entrée, brunch item and appetizer.

Howell noted November's specials will be created by him and customers can expect items described as Nashville hot, southern comfort and spicy.

"It is fun to be able to put my stamp on something, especially if it gets popular enough to keep around," he said.

Blind Bob's, located at 430 E. Fifth Street, opens at 11 a.m. daily. The tavern has brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information about Blind Bob's visit www.blindbobs.com or the tavern's Facebook page.

About the Author

Natalie Jones is an All Media Journalist with Dayton.com focusing on food and dining, pop culture and lifestyle. She is a Wright State University graduate with over seven years of experience in the media field.