Homestyle Comfort

Smithsburg’s Dixie Eatery dishes up equal parts nostalgia and traditional, cozy fare

By April Bartel

Diners are an enduring part of the American restaurant landscape, so it’s easy to feel nostalgic walking into one. That’s true at the Dixie Eatery in Smithsburg. Online reviewers say this “gem” feels straight out of Mayberry, and we must agree. The restaurant is a favorite gathering spot for local families and visitors with more than eight decades’ worth of history.  

The bright yellow countertop has been part of the Dixie Eatery for longer than anyone can remember.

Tess Schildt started running the place in 2016, upgrading from renter to owner in 2021. “It used to be across the street,” she says, back when it was the Dixie Lunch. It relocated to the current location in the late 1950s, bringing its original sunny yellow counter and cushioned, chrome stools. 

The menu hasn’t changed much either, so long-time patrons can always find their favorites. Schildt beams, “It’s pretty much the same as people know and love. It’s all homemade food, all home cooked.” 

Seared ahi tuna or microgreens aren’t on the menu, but you will find diner classics like hot roast beef or turkey sandwiches that feature a pile of tender meat on delicate white bread with a cascade of gravy. Whole turkeys and beefy haunches roast slowly overnight for the next day, which Schildt says makes the place smell terrific when she gets in around 4 a.m. 

Other selections include country ham, fried chicken, clam strips, and the Big Bob fish fry. Each platter comes with two sides, from a list of more than a dozen. We opted for the chicken-fried steak with creamy gravy alongside a cup of Dixie’s smoky ham and bean soup and a portion of fresh pepper slaw. We waffled over adding mashed potatoes or fries but opted for an extra side of pink pickled eggs with beets, too, but our hands-down favorite was the crispy corn fritters dusted with powdered sugar. 

Dixie Eatery’s homestyle breakfast of eggs, potatoes, bacon, toast, and a waffle.

Schildt says she gets plenty of requests to share her recipes, especially for that sweet and tangy slaw or her creamy cucumbers with onion, but always politely declines. Specials on the day we visited included a slippery ham pot pie, a steak and cheese sandwich, or liver with onions, as well as their house-made chili. 

“Every single soup is made from scratch,” Schildt says. “Next, I’m getting ready to make beef vegetable soup, like how my mom made it.”  

There are grilled burgers, hot and cold subs, salads, and a kid’s menu. In true diner form there are tuna melts, steamer dogs, and oyster sandwiches, too. Of course, St. Patrick’s Day means there will be corned beef and cabbage. And what is a hometown diner without scratch-made desserts?  

Schildt and her crew, who she affectionately calls the Dixie Chicks, whip up a parade of cakes and pies like their snowy coconut cake, an apple-cinnamon-caramel confection, or their drool-worthy chocolate cake with homemade peanut butter icing. Schildt laughs, “That sells like a hot cake.” 

But how long the Dixie Eatery has been part of the Smithsburg community is a question. Frames on the walls show scenes of early Smithsburg, and Schildt is still looking for pictures of Dixie’s early years. Part of the diner’s lore is that no one seems to know exactly when it opened. 

Being part of the community is the best part about running a local business like the Dixie Eatery, says Schildt. “I like being around people and getting to make new friends. You really find a lot of nice people in this kind of a business.”  

As you might expect from a Mayberry-type setting, the eatery has no web site or official social media, although in sign of the diner’s popularity their auto-generated Facebook page has more than 900 likes, many from regular customers come in two to three times a day and know each staff member by name. 

It’s the place for family dinners, friendly luncheons, and team decompression after a high school game. Visitors will occasionally encounter Elvis impersonator Taylor Brown, a local favorite who performs monthly at Dixie Eatery, belting out “Blue Suede Shoes” and other classics alongside the year-round Christmas tree. At the Dixie Eatery you will find food you recognize, reasonable prices, and a side of “I remember when…” 

It’s that kind of place.