The Fort at Exit 18
151 Heater Rd, Lebanon
(603) 448-5512
Recent Reviews
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Who would have known there was such a cool restaurant in a truck stop. Great place to stop.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
The burger was still half frozen, the chicken sandwich was mostly meat glue. Spent 12$ probably ate 2$ worth of it. Not a good spot for hot food warmers.
Food: 1
Great pla e for an old fashioned breakfast!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Had the Fort melt was good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
It's been quite a few years since I set foot in this restaurant and I have to say the food is still downright satisfying. Let the cooks know they do a damn fine medium steak and those home fries were perfectly crispy. And the attention to detail the staff has is remarkable.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
A true diner (from a genX pov). This was my first time there but if I lived closer, this would be the place I would visit a few times per week. Hard to describe the atmosphere. If you grew up with a diner being an integral part of your life, you'd understand.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Friendly service,Good prices and yummy food.Bathrooms are clean
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food,service and a reasonable timed we got our food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
When we walked in to The Fort diner, they were playing Bocephus (Hank Williams, Jr.) , and now they’re playing Patsy Cline and maybe that’s at least half of the charm of this diner-inside a gas station, here.
But first, when you drive in, you will never think there is a restaurant here! And once you walk in, you definitely think you misunderstood the term, “restaurant.” But keep walking to the back and towards the right, and you’ll find a door that opens up to a whole, charming, old-fashioned slice of historic Lebanon country restaurant.
You can get breakfast, lunch or dinner here, and breakfast is served all day. So, unless you are looking for 24-hour breakfast at Denny’s, this is the most awesome homestyle diner to eat at up through 6:30pm-ish (it clears out by 7:45 i think). There is a lot of charm to be had, here, including friendly waitresses and cantankerously-charming cooks. And did I mention that I loved the vintage country music?! :)
There is a narrow U-shaped counter here with a fair amount of seating. Our server was fast and friendly. We really enjoyed it when one of the cooks came out who has just the right amount of self-depricating humor if you dare to banter with him.
The hot cakes and biscuits are cooked on a real cast-iron griddle, here, and you can taste that flavor and how good it is. The biscuits are like nothing I’ve seen: cast iron grilled corn meal and wheat maybe? Not sure. They look like hamburger buns but have the mouth feel of a nice, firm cornbread - though not as sweet. Our biscuit was overcooked but if I get back there, next time I’ll ask for it toasted light. (You might ask for your hot cakes cooked light, as well, because one of those came out dark.) This biscuit did have a good and unique flavor. We got a double side of mashed potatoes and gravy as an appetizer and it was delicious! They have an almost-whipped but definitely substantial feel, yet also firm and so buttery. Very good! You can tell the cooks put a lot of work into this food and that comes across in the flavors.
We ordered a breakfast called the Lumberjack and it was gigantic! 2 eggs,3 slices of fresh, crispy bacon, big sausage patties, 2 gigantic slices of rye toast and well-seasoned potatoes. There was a very subtle taste of garlic seasoning and i loved it! The bacon was my favorite: very flavorful - oversized and light in flavor - vs. some of the real country bacon I’ve tasted a few times around here.
Their sweet tea is good! It tastes like the homemade version of what Country Time Lemonade was modeled after.
Their 2 dessert cases definitely serve up some tasty treats: homemade muffins, cruellers, donuts, pies, oversized brownies and gigantic coconut squares (chocolate chips, coconut slivers, Oreo cookies and tons of other sweet goodies layered in). You can order 3 different types of pie slices for the same price of a half of a pie. We ordered:
1. Coconut Custard: sweet, coconut throughout the custard, with even sweeter whipped cream
2. Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie: smooth and sweet peanut butter filling with a very present flavor of Hershey’s syrup. This is good and tastes like flavors i haven’t enjoyed for decades. You will not find this anywhere else.
3. Cherry Pie: perfectly tart, round and plump mostly whole cherries with a sweet sauce. I love that the cherries aren’t over-baked drowning in a sea of sauce in pieces and half sizes. The pie crust is thick and buttery.
Order to go by 7:30 at the latest. Or be seated by 6:30 latest because when they close at 8, customers are leaving by 7:45pm.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Old school diner feel, excellent food, generous portion sizes, super friendly staff and the prices were very reasonable! I Very much appreciated my experience and would definitely recommend this place! Oh, and the homemade deserts are to die for!❤️ 2 thumbs way up!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Homemade corned beef hash is delicious!!
Traditional diner with healthy options and Amazing baked goods!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Steak and eggs is so delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good food not bad price. Great service.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
great place for breakfast, lunch or dinner, pull off now and grab a reasonably priced meal.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
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