By Talaina Kor In the small town of Joseph City, a family owned restaurant named Esther’s Diner is satisfying cravings for delicious, hearty homemade food. Run by its namesake Esther and her husband Bill Patterson, the couple opened the eatery July 4 of last year and it has already become a favorite throughout the area. The diner is a family endeavor, run with help from Bill and Esther’s children. Their daughter Jenny helps cook while their son and daughter-in-law, John and Mary Patterson host the barbecue Fridays. “We wanted to create a place for people to come visit and socialize,” stated Esther. The cozy diner serves a variety of comfort food options, from the Hulk burger and loaded fries, to tacos and fish. They also have specials throughout the week. On Tuesdays they serve Navajo tacos, Thursday’s is fish and Friday is their barbecue day. “We want people to get plenty of food for what you pay for,” said Esther. With large portions and reasonable prices, the Patterson’s wanted to be sure to offer quality food with minimally processed ingredients. “We fry in peanut oil which is healthier,” added Esther, “We eat the food too, so we want to make sure it’s good.” Since moving to Joseph City in 1995, the Pattersons have had various jobs within the community, such as having a small restaurant and working for the school district for a number of years. “We used to have a little restaurant here in the Midway building about 18 years ago,” stated Esther, referring to the old Midway Dairy building on Main Street. When the couple bought the current building located further east on Main Street, they took to Facebook to ask what the community would like to see done with it. “We asked the town what they wanted,” said Esther, “and people had had our burgers before, so they asked if we could do that again.” Esther also made a point of adding ice cream to the restaurant’s menu as well. “If a kid finds a quarter on the sidewalk or gets a dollar for doing chores, I want them to be able to come in and afford an ice cream,” said Esther, “those are important childhood memories that kids remember.” The Patterson family give back to the community as well, offering their building space as a location for the Joseph City Market, which occurs the second Saturday of every month. In December they hosted an alligator barbeque and gave out free samples to give community members a chance to try something new. On their one year opening anniversary they gave out door prizes and games. With the family motto of “Always Improve,” the Pattersons are already looking to expand. “Jenny went to culinary school, so we are hoping to add a small bakery by the end of the year,” said Esther. “We are having a lot of fun and plan to be here for a long time.” Esther’s Diner is located at 4526 Main St. in Joseph City and is open Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
