Not your average Jo

Sheridan diner dishes out comfort for over a decade

Jo Crutchfield opened Jo’s Diner in Sheridan in February of 2012. Since then, she has served comfort food while treating customers like family.

Her family owned and operated another restaurant years ago that has since closed. She moved to Hot Springs, but on her visits back to Sheridan, her friends and neighbors asked her when she was moving home. Eventually, Crutchfield moved back to Sheridan and opened Jo’s Diner, much to the delight of locals.

Her charming restaurant’s walls are adorned with nostalgic photos of classic movie stars and country music artists. An impressive number of vintage soft drink bottles are displayed on shelves; guests often bring her bottles to add to the collection.

All of the dining tables at Jo’s are square, except for one round table. I noticed a group of men sitting around the table eating and talking and asked Crutchfield if they were regulars. She smiled and told me that she uses this group to test new recipes.

“I have regulars that stop by every day at the same time,” she said. “The round-table men come in shifts throughout the day. Many of our guests consider the restaurant a second home.”On the day of the Let’s Eat visit, the daily special was Hamburger Steak with two sides and a roll. The plate Crutchfield delivered to my table included a large, nicely spiced and perfectly cooked ground chuck steak, swimming in a generous amount of rich brown gravy with sautéed onions. The spices ensured that this was not your average Hamburger Steak. The plate also included green beans and mashed potatoes with more country-good gravy. It was a great combination.

Although I couldn’t sample the daily specials offered on other days, I would bet they are all great. She did mention Chicken and Dumplings, Meatloaf and USDA farm-raised Catfish as three of the top orders.

Crutchfield promised me the Chicken Fried Chicken was excellent, and I will attest that she was accurate. The serving featured a huge, golden-brown fried chicken breast topped with an outstanding white gravy that also accented the yummy mashed potatoes. I also loved the purple hull peas that accompanied the tender, moist yardbird.

The final entrée was a classic Cheeseburger with onion rings. The large, ground chuck burger topped with melted American cheese, jalapeños and bacon was a winner. Of course, I dipped the onion rings in the house-made ranch dressing.

Other menu items include everything from fried shrimp to salads to sandwiches. Breakfast, which includes traditional favorites like Biscuits and Gravy, is served
daily until 10:30 a.m. and until 11 a.m. on Saturdays. Crutchfield said the omelets are extremely popular, especially the Western Omelet.

Desserts at Jo’s vary, but on my visit, I was treated to slices of Lemon Icebox Pie and Hershey Pie. The lemon was light and tasty, and the Hershey Pie was “My, oh, my!” good.