If you’re hungry for some delightfully prepared, lightly battered fish and chips during Lent, the Linden Hotel Bar & Grill is the place to go!
Nestled in the quaint little town of Linden, the restaurant was established in 1840 and is believed to be the oldest, continuously working business in Genesee County. It is owned by Jack and Rosann Furry and their adult children, Karen Stroud and Sharon Flowers. The family has owned the establishment for the last 23 years. The lower level houses a family-style eating area with a barroom that still has the original wooden bar. Upstairs, the Crow’s Nest is a popular local hangout.
And you will find much more than “bar food” at the Linden Hotel. According to Karen, the fish and chips (all-you-can-eat, all the time) are very popular, especially during this time of year. The family’s secret batter recipe is what makes the fried fish so light and crisp. “Everything here is homemade,” boasts Karen.”We make our own ranch dressing, salsa and soups, some of which are a little unusual.” The spaghetti sauce is made from her Italian grandmother’s recipe.
Karen and Sharon do most of the cooking, but Rosann makes the soups and many of the daily specials. Soup favorites include: stuffed green pepper, cabbage, BLT, German potato, Reuben chowder, and pickle soup. One of their more unusual soup creations is the potato and egg soup. “It sounds a little unusual, but is very tasty,” Karen says with a laugh.
Seafood is also well-liked at the Linden Hotel. Along with the famous fish and chips, diners can enjoy steamed mussels served in a flavorful white sauce – a recipe created by the Furry’s son, Mike, who recently passed away. “We were told by a customer that our mussels are better than some they ate at a restaurant in France,” says Rosann.
The menu’s seafood options also include broiled walleye, cod and salmon. “It gets a little crazy here during Lent!” Karen exclaims. Burger lovers find a variety of hand-patted burgers, including the popular Hotel burger, olive burger and even a buffalo burger. Appetizer favorites include deep-fried cauliflower (fresh, not frozen) and calamari.
Daily specials bring customers back for hearty meat loaf, cabbage rolls and stuffed green peppers, to name a few. “Rose’s Lasagna is requested by many patrons,” Karen reports. “and people love our liver and onions.”
The restaurant has a full-service bar and, on the sweeter side, homemade desserts, like German chocolate cake and coconut cream pie. According to Jack, there are many regular customers. “We have a group of older gentlemen who come in every day for good food and conversation.”
All in the Family: (L-R) Jack Furry, Rosann Furry, Sharon Flowers & Karen Stroud
The Linden Hotel has a rich history – and even a few ghosts. One of the ghost encounters Jack remembers was back in 1990 during a Civil War re-enactment and shoot-out, which was staged from the hotel balcony. Many of the re-enactors, still in their costumes, stayed at the hotel after the battle to enjoy some food and beverage. Jack took some photos of the group. When he gave a copy of the photo to one of the re-enactors, the man pointed to a person in the photo and said, “That Civil War guy [who appeared to be transparent]isn’t one of us.” Some people who have looked closely at that same photo also see a little girl standing beside the man. “There was a fire at the hotel and a little girl died of smoke inhalation,” Karen adds.
Rosann shared another ghost story: One of the servers was told by a customer that after their family had dined at the hotel, their young daughter was talking to “someone” in the backseat on the drive home. Her mother turned around and asked the child who she was talking to, and her daughter responded, “the little girl from the Linden Hotel.” Knowing that her daughter was alone in the backseat, the woman immediately drove back to the hotel and told her daughter to ask the little girl to get out of the car!
Through all the decades of food, drink, and spooky tales, the Linden Hotel is all about family. The third generation is now getting into the business. “The grandkids are working here now,” laughs Jack. The Furry family loves Linden’s small-town atmosphere and the regular customers who have supported them for so many years.
“Come out to Linden and enjoy some of our fish and chips,” says Rosann. “Give us a try.”
