Updated July 2022. The folks at Doug’s Dinner bucket have retired and the business is sadly closed and will be missed by all!
Every time I drive by Doug’s Dinner Bucket in Hudson, right off Rt 8 and 303, the parking lot is full. It’s a small restaurant located right up against Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s popular Virginia Kendall Ledges and Happy Days and just up the road form Downtown Peninsula. It couldn’t be a more iconic small-town diner but don’t let the small appearance foul you, Doug’s Dinner Bucket the best breakfast spot in Hudson, Ohio and CVNP, hands down!
In fact, I’m nominating Doug’s Dinner Bucket for the Ohio Breakfast Restaurant Grant to win a $2,500 grant! This is a way that we can all support our favorite Ohio restaurants that serve Ohio eggs and bacon! I’m working with Ohio Poultry Association on this sponsored post to spread on the word on great breakfast restaurants in Ohio. 2020 and 2021 hit the restaurant industry hard – and the threats of shutting down are buzzing around again in government. Small, family-owned and operated restaurants like Doug’s Dinner Bucket need our continued support – whether we dine in or carry out. You can join the conversation on social media by sharing your favorite breakfast restaurant and menu item too for a chance to win a $100 restaurant gift card too!
Best Breakfast Spot in Hudson, Ohio and CVNP
My family loves breakfast, especially when eggs and bacon are involved! Doug’s Dinner Bucket has a great breakfast menu filled with delicious egg and bacon options. My husband’s favorite is the Breakfast Melt. It’s served with scrambled eggs, melty cheese, and crispy bacon on your choice of bread – he always chooses rye. It is the perfect sandwich to start your day in the morning before a hike at CVNP or to start your work day! It’s a great choice for lunch too.
I love the classics of over-medium-eggs with bacon. If I’m really hungry, I shoot for the Explorer that has eggs, bacon, and french toast! It’s my favorite breakfast at Doug’s Dinner Bucket but I can never, ever finish it!
Doug’s Dinner Bucket has a small dine-in seating area with fun history photos and quirky decor on the walls. You’ll immediately feel right at home and truly welcomed when you enter by the staff. This restaurant is family owned and operated by the sweetest people ever who treat you like a very welcomed guest in their dining room. They quickly get to know you and your name – as you are sitting to dine, you’ll notice many people are regulars and known by name.
Like I said, the Explorer is my favorite menu item because it has all my favorites – eggs, bacon, and french toast. When we visited for this post, we arrived for brunch and they were already out of their fresh baked bread for the french toast – however, it was still divine. Doug’s Dinner Bucket is well-known for their amazing breakfast and friendly atmosphere, if you get there too close to closing time, they may have to turn you away. It gets busy! So busy that when we visited, they were on their 30th pound of bacon that day!
I love to cook but I never have bacon so delicious and crispy!
The Breakfast Melt is a hearty breakfast that is good on-the-go as well. With a generous portion of eggs and bacon, this melt will fuel you no matter how adventurous your day at Cuyahoga Valley National Park gets! In fact, there aren’t many restaurants in Cuyahoga Valley National Park so if you are visiting, be sure to mark Doug’s Dinner Bucket on your schedule from around 6:30 am – 2pm.
Doug’s Dinner Bucket makes amazing melts for both breakfast and lunch. You can almost tell it’s made with love – which they are not afraid to tell you is the secret ingredient. Yum! I love supporting local businesses, especially when they are family owned and operated. Doug’s Dinner Bucket is a favorite of mine because the food is always amazing, the service is top-notch and always friendly, and it just feels like ‘home’ away from home. You don’t get that at a chain restaurant.
If you are in the area for lunch, they have great melts and burgers too. My kids love the Big Mama when we go for lunch which is a burger with bacon and hand-cut fries and cole slaw.
Doug’s Dinner Bucket isn’t fancy, it’s a small restaurant with a lot of love and some of the most amazing breakfasts you’ll ever enjoy. You can never go wrong stopping by – unless you stop by too close to closing and it’s already full! 🙂 It’s a one-of-a-kind foodie destination in Ohio that is worth the drive no matter where you live in Summit County and beyond.
Many people wonder why it’s called ‘dinner bucket’ it’s because when it started back in 1977, there weren’t many places that offered to-go breakfast and dinner (we call dinner lunch today). Doug’s Dinner Bucket would fill guests’ lunch buckets with both breakfast and lunch to fuel their work day. They are still fueling our days whether before work or a day at the park!
Doug’s Dinner Bucket
5730 Akron Cleveland Rd
Hudson, OH 44236
(330) 653-8184
Open Tuesday – Friday 6am – 2:30pm, Saturday and Sunday 7am – 2pm, closed Monday.
Best Buckeye Breakfasts
This is my nomination for Best Buckeye Breakfasts for sure. Ohio’s egg and bacon farmers are asking you to support your local restaurants by dining in, carrying out, or sharing on social media your favorite breakfast spot. Follow along with #bestbuckeyebreakfasts to check out a different breakfast sandwich or meal from restaurants around the great state of Ohio. Maybe even go on your own Best Buckeye Breakfasts “trail” from one spot to the next this summer – that sounds fun!
And, don’t forget to enter to win a $100 restaurant gift card by sharing your favorite breakfast restaurant and menu item on the Ohio Egg and Poultry Facebook page. Just comment on their most recently pinned post at the top of the page and follow the instructions in that post.
