The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
By David Grimes, for The Quill
Harold and Maude Ravenscraft, owners of The Pink in Lomax, truly appreciate the business they get from local residents.
But they know others travel, some from as far away as Macomb and Galesburg as well as from Des Moines and Lee counties in Iowa, to enjoy some of the tastiest fare in Henderson County.
" A lot of young people who've moved out of state or out of the area come to eat with their parents and other relatives here," Harold said.
And it's little wonder.
Nightly specials at reasonable prices include carp and ribeye steaks on Tuesday, all you can eat fried chicken on Wednesday, carp and shrimp on Thursday, all you can eat catfish on Friday and prime rib and ribeyes on Saturday. Sunday mornings it's not uncommon for "The Pink" to serve 140 or so breakfasts.
Lunch specials Maude prepares from scratch run around $4.25, but the kitchen at The Pink closes at 3 p.m. on Mondays.
"Mondays are our slow lunch days," Harold explained.
Buffet-style pizza is available lunch or dinner time at reasonable prices.
Maude also makes homemade potato salad, baked beans and the restaurant's Thousand Island, bleu cheese and Ranch salad dressings.
The dining room at The Pink is available for business meetings and special events with seating available for up to 160 guests.
Restaurant hours at The Pink are 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday.
Harold estimates business is divided equally from customers who live in the local area, visitors from Iowa, river cabin owners and surrounding counties such as Warren, McDonough and Hancock.
Daily lunch specials range from beef and noodles to liver and onions, but Maude's true claim to fame are the hand-breaded tenderloins that are popular with regulars.
"We get a lot of repeat business," Harold said.
Busiest days at The Pink, according to Harold, are Wednesday through Saturday.
"And if those days are slow, we know Sunday is going to be busier than usual," he said.
But slow business is not likely to happen too often with the reasonably priced home cooking at The Pink.
The Ravenscrafts maintain a staff of 15 part-time employees at The Pink.
The Pink is open seven days a week and located along state highway 96 in Lomax.