Licking County
You'll find plenty to do all around Licking County, Ohio, from small towns like Granville and Newark to beautiful farms and rural areas, all with great breweries, restaurants, parks, and museums tucked throughout.
Food
Aladdin Diner: old school diner in downtown Granville, serving uncomplicated but easy-to-love breakfast burritos, biscuits and gravy, burgers
Broadway Pub: solid pub with a great beer selection in the heart of Granville
Canal Market District: a seasonal market in Newark along Canal Street in a beautiful new pavilion. Find it Tuesday and Friday evenings.
Copia Farm: family-run farm in Johnstown dedicated to sustainable and regenerative practices, with a small shop featuring their eggs, milk, cheese, meats, and other products.
Day Y Noche: solid Mexican spot in downtown Granville. It opens early for breakfast (hint).
Elliott's Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap: pizzas, fun appetizers, beer, and cocktails in this cool downtown Newark spot
The Lot Beer Co.: playful spot with beer and cocktails, crave-able foods like hot dogs, poutine, burgers - plus arcade games and pinball
Market Street Soda Works: small shop next to Newark's Canal Market District, open Fridays and Saturdays with a huge selection of bottled sodas, root beer floats, and more
Nutcracker Family Restaurant: family-favorite diner in Pataskala with throwback decor
Our Lakeside Diner: rustic little diner on the north side of Buckeye Lake, serving breakfast all day
Ray Ray's Hog Pit: although it shed the meat + three concept, Ray Ray's is open for special dinners and serves its classic food truck menu: pulled pork, jerk chicken, ribs, brisket, and sides.
River Road Coffeehouse: local coffee shops with two locations in Newark and one in Granville
Snapshots Coffee & Kitchen: little family run spot in Newark serving coffee and terrific biscuits, gravy, sandwiches
Snapshots Lounge: eclectic family spot, related to the coffee shop in Newark, situated in an old house and serving a really creative menu. Also: some of the best cheesecake we've ever tasted.
Station: located in the old Granville train station, this spot features great coffee, scratch-made pastries, breakfast, and lunch
Three Tigers Brewing: Three Tigers merged with its food truck Mai Chau Kitchen and moved into the old fire station in Granville, pairing house brews with Vietnamese banh mi, rice and noodle bowls, steam buns
Velvet Ice Cream: long-running creamery in Utica. You can find their ice creams in grocery stores all over, but you can visit Ye Olde Mill May-October for ice cream, tours, and a full meal.
Village Coffee Company: long-time coffee shop in downtown Granville
Beer
Autumn Rush Vineyard: winery and tasting room on beautiful farmland
Buckeye Lake Brewery: cozy taproom located on the north side of Buckeye Lake
Buck's Brewing Company: lo-fi brewery and taproom in Newark
DankHouse Brewing: eclectic IPA- and sour-heavy brewery in Newark, with MNCHS Kitchen on site
Homestead Beer Co.: growing brewery in Heath with multiple locations. Find its original taproom tied to the brewery, plus a taproom in Cherry Valley Hotel in Newark and a pub in Delaware.
Three Tigers Brewing: brewpub in downtown Granville with a diverse line-up of beer. Also home to Mai Chau Kitchen.
Trek Brewing: family-run brewery and pub in Newark, located in a spacious former Damon's
Parks, Attractions, Accommodations
Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve: 10 miles of trails cross this preserve, which is known for the rocky gorge cut by the Licking River
Branstool Orchards: Utica orchards known for peaches, apples, sunflowers
Cherry Valley Hotel: recently renovated hotel and event center outside Newark, with multiple restaurants open to the public
Buxton Inn: historic restaurant and hotel in Granville
Dawes Arboretum: nearly 2000 acres of walking and driving paths featuring a diverse mix of plants and landscapes. Stop near the observation tower to see the hedges cut into the shape of the arboretum's name.
Lynd Fruit Farm: huge family farm known for apple picking, pumpkin picking, sunflower fields, fall fun events, and the central market building. (Psst... pick me up some Swiss Maid fry pies if you go.)
Newark Earthworks: operated by the Ohio History Connection, the Earthworks is the largest set of geometric earthwork enclosures in the world.
Pigeon Roost Farm: big farm in Hebron open in the fall with loads of kids' games, fall foods, tractor rides, corn maze
Spring Valley Nature Preserve: dense and hilly preserve just south of Granville with loads of hiking trails
The Works: museum in Newark dedicated to science, technology, industry, and local history. Has exhibition space, a planetarium, hands-on activities, large history section. Catch demonstrations in the glass-blowing studio, tour the old streetcar, see items from Jerrie Mock - Newark native who was the first woman to fly solo around the world in 1964.
Read our Licking County itineraries
The Best Restaurants in Granville, Ohio
From breakfast diners to barbecue joints, Old World Italian markets to family-run taco joints, here are the best places to eat in Granville!
October 2023
Let's Go to Licking County
An invited trip getting to know Licking County, with a stay at the Buxton Inn and visits to parks, breweries, farmers markets.
July 2019
A Staycation In & Around Cherry Valley
On assignment we stayed at the renovated Cherry Valley Hotel in Newark, and used it as a base for exploring local parks, breweries, and restaurants.
January 2021
