Jer's Restaurant in Marble Hill, Mo., keeps diners coming back with homestyle favorites

Though he grew up in Michigan, Jer Thorne claims Marble Hill, Mo., as his home and spends his time making sure others feel at home in his restaurant in Marble Hill.

After closing his first Jer's in Marble Hill in the early 1970s, Thorne has owned restaurants in Jackson, Sikeston, Mo., Kentucky, Illinois and Arkansas. But he eventually came back "home," he said.

Jer's Restaurant has been at its current location for almost four years. The exposed woodwork and deck on the back of the restaurant make it feel a little like a log cabin and make sure the diners know the focus at Jer's is on the food.

"Our main thing is plain old home cookin'," Thorne said.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday the buffet is ready for the restaurant's regular customers. Twenty-two hot items line one buffet and 11 to 12 seafood items sit in another. Jer's has frog legs, oysters, shrimp, fish and other sea fare, but it's the fried chicken and country cooking people clamor over, Thorne said.

"Liver and onions," he said. "People eat the heck out of that stuff here."

Thorne has also broadened his culinary horizons with healthy options. Fat-free dressing packets sit at the salad bar, and he added items like a California chicken salad and chicken melts to appeal to the younger crowd.

"I understand that it's hard to keep up," he said. But the restaurant tries.

Jer's doesn't have to try too hard, though. Regular customers fill the place for a hearty lunch or just to hang out.

Sharon Bawden read her Bible with a cup of coffee and several discarded creamer packets stacked beside her.

"You'd think I was part of the woodwork," she said.

Jer's has let her church hold an on-location service on the deck, and she said coming to Jer's after Sunday services is as natural as Sunday school.

"It's just a clean family atmosphere," Bawden said.

Thorne's son, Dennis, helps cook. He's responsible for the fridge full of pies that stands next to the cash register. Individual slices show off chocolate and lemon filling. The meringue tops on the whole cream pies puff up like peaks on a mountain range.

Coconut, egg custard, chocolate, Thorne lists off the possibilities.

"Whatever they want, we'll fix it if we've got it," he said.

JER'S RESTAURANT

107 Presnell St., Marble Hill, Mo.

573-238-4068