57 Years of Good Home Cookin'

Weaver's Restaurant & Bakery is a Hancock MD landmark

The Secret Gourmet heard about the piled high meringue pies and luscious desserts to be found at Weaver's Restaurant and Bakery. So, on a busy summer afternoon, the Gourmet decided to check out the local landmark in Hancock, MD.

Weaver's has been in business at the same location on West Main in Hancock, MD Street for 57 years.

About 13 years ago, Penny Pittman bought the business. It has been a home away from home for regulars its entire business life and a stopping point for Interstate-68 and Interstate-70 travelers who like to stop in for a good meal and dessert to take home with them.

It was easy to see that people come back and bring their children and grandchildren.

Although it was a Monday afternoon, it was abuzz with activity. The wait staff seemed to handle the rush with ease. Patrons of all ages, including one couple from Delaware, were enjoying a large lunch.

In fact, the portions are large enough one might not want supper. Weaver's is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu is home-style cooking, with fresh homemade soups each day and made to order sandwiches and breads.

Some of Weaver's staples are charbroiled steaks and chicken, roast beef and hot turkey sandwiches or fried chicken and pork chops.

One of the salad items is a tortilla salad. The Gourmet's dining companion decided to try it. When it arrived, it was the size of the plate, with a large edible shell bowl filed to the brim with teriyaki chicken, salsa, cheese and carrots and lettuce. Talk about a meal!

Also ordered was one of the daily specials, a half barbeque chicken, homemade mashed potatoes and gravy and choice of one other side. The Gourmet chose the applesauce. It was a little sweeter than I usually prefer, but each to his own.

When ordering, I hadn't thought about the size of the meal. The chicken was literally half a chicken, with four large pieces including a wing, leg, breast and thigh. The poultry portions were smothered in a sweet but tangy barbeque sauce and flanked by the mashed potatoes and a warm dinner roll. After attempting to eat the entire meal - the operative word being attempting - we left a little room for dessert. Samples of weaver's famous pies can be topped with Hershey's hand-dipped ice cream.

With so many dessert choices, it was hard to decide. But sweet lemony meringue pie was chose. Watch out. The meringue is piled extremely high - nearly tow inches - a tempting morsel.

Also available for dining in or purchase to take home are cookies, apple & berry pies, apple dumplings and cinnamon rolls, éclairs, breads and other cream pies. In fact, that five flavors of fruit pies and at least nine types of cookies are always available. A business card boasts more than 500 pies a week. All are strategically displayed as one walks in the front door, so one doesn't forget to purchase a diet-buster on the way out.

Parking at Weaver's, is a bit of a feat. The only parking is on-street metered parking or metered parking in a lot behind the building, near the famous C&O Canal that runs behind the restaurant. Perhaps this is a good thing, so one can walk off some of the calories of a large, satisfying meal.