Acorn restaurant opens at Red Oak Manor

After nearly a month in business, The Acorn Restaurant at Red Oak Manor in Harlem has served cuisine to diners from both near and far.

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"We've already had several international guests and guests from all over the country in the restaurant just in the last three weeks," said Lee Ann Meyer, who runs the family-owned restaurant along with Columbia County Commissioner Scott Dean, his wife Renee, and their parents.

The restaurant opened its doors Oct. 7, but the group will celebrate the Acorn's grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony with the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Thursday at noon.

The Acorn is located next to Red Oak Manor at 410 N. Louisville St.

"We closed in the carport that was attached to the home, and then added on to that," Meyer said.

The families purchased the facility in August 2007 and have since renovated the interior and exterior of Red Oak Manor, which serves as a bed and breakfast in addition to an event and meeting center. The first event was held there in November 2007.

Opening the restaurant was the next step in the process, Scott Dean said.

"We're thrilled now," he said. "It's taken us a year to get every piece of Red Oak open."

The restaurant seats up to 74 people and serves a variety of Southern-style meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.

A five-course meal priced between $17.95 and $24.95 per person is offered Friday and Saturday nights, Meyer said. On Sundays, the restaurant offers a family-style lunch.

The menu changes each weekend and can be viewed at www.redoakmanor.com.

"The restaurant, at this point, is strictly indoor," said Meyer, adding that a small patio could eventually be added for outdoor seating.

All six owners take a hands-on-approach at the restaurant. The 14-person staff also includes students who are enrolled in culinary courses at Harlem High School.

Dean said the 1,400 square-foot kitchen provides plenty of space to accommodate multiple cooks at one time. Both he and his wife serve as the restaurant's main chefs.

"I built the kitchen big enough, so we could do catering and the restaurant, and (those two) not get in the way of each other," he said.

The restaurant's catering business is mainly reserved for on-site events, Dean said.

"Harlem has a need for a full-service restaurant," he said. "We've made a facility here where it's a one-stop shop for everything."

The Acorn is open from 6:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 6:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Sunday.

For information, call The Acorn Restaurant at Red Oak Manor at (706) 556-8222.