I'd long wanted to get to Have-A-Bite dinner, however, these days it's not often that I get to Franklin County's Metamora, Indiana. This is the kind of smalltown restaurant that defines what it means to serve "down home" cooking. This isn't fancy. It's just plain good. While I'm typically more of a burger guy, when I go to a down-home place like Have-A-Bite it's fried chicken I'm looking for and it sure doesn't disappoint here. Yelper Rick G. was a big fan of the tenderloin. As a tenderloin blogger, I trust his opinions there. The basics? Accessibility is surprisingly solid - Metamora can be really hit-and-miss (it's an older, folksy town with the main claim to fame being the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site and an emphasis on old-timey music and antique shops. The front entrance is workable - there's a slight lip at the door. The dining room itself is pretty well laid out and I had no problems. I didn't try the restroom. There's sandwiches here, traditional diner fare, fish/shrimp, appetizers, several dessert options, and more. The fried chicken had it going on. The mashed potatoes were inspired. The people were friendly. Is this the best meal I've ever had? Nah, but it's delicious and definitely a shining jewel in this small town and one of the best options for those who need wheelchair accessibility. I'll definitely be back when I'm in the area. read more

Hav-A-Bite - Have-A-Bite Diner sign. - Diners Near Me - Metamora, Indiana

We had excellent service! We will go back again soon. Place is small, clean and has great atomosphere. We love our food! The waitress is wonderful! read more

Hav-A-Bite - 3 piece chicken dinner and BLT with fries - Diners Near Me - Metamora, Indiana

My Best Friend and I came to visit Metamora and had lunch the first day here. I had the Patty Melt, Onion rings and my friend had a deluxe grilled cheese and breaded mushrooms and we shared fried pickles. Everything was amazing the breading was so delicious. The next day we went for breakfast and were just as pleased. It's a great little diner right off 52. Both days the guys there gave great service! We will be back next time in town! read more

Hav-A-Bite - Jr sampler with biscuits and gravy 2 eggs choice of meat and fried potatoes - Diners Near Me - Metamora, Indiana

See all

Possibly the best breakfast in Franklin County. Old school diner vibes. Great service.

I love there biscuits and gravy and there other foods The special is good to can't wait for am read more

They opened back up and it is as good as ever. Breakfast is awesome and the fried chicken is delicious.

Never can get what I want, not sure why they even have a menu. Went yesterday and all 3 burgers were raw and not plain like ordered. Will Not be going back, oh yea and my son has been up all night in and out of bathroom cuz he took few bites before realizing how raw it was. The burgers were still mooing... WTH read more

The food is down home good!! Most of it is hand breaded and hand Patty'd the specials are plentiful and the employees are like family!! If you stop in more than twice you're treated like a regular!! Come to Metamora to walk around the shops and stay and eat at Have-A- Bite read more

They are very friendly there and they have the best biscuits and gravy I have ever ate

A wonderful diner. The people are friendly, the food is good and it's a great price. Been going there for almost 40 years.

Well, to be honest, for my needs, this place gets a 1 star, but I felt that would be unfair. I knew what I was getting myself into and I was apparently the only person at the table who felt let down by the food selections. Plus this is a small town diner where everyone appears to know everyone else, and the requisite atmosphere is part of its charm. The fact that it was a smoke-wherever-you-like-while-you-eat type establishment was not one of its finer points for me. It's your standard low key diner complete with local teenagers who have their own idea of how food service should run. (I'm not slamming them, just making an observation. They were perfectly adequate for the establishment, even if they did yell at each other from across the room while throwing our straws at us.) One part of our group went there for breakfast and raved about it, so the rest of us made our way over there for lunch. I can't speak to the breakfast food, but the selection did look a bit more appetizing for me personally. There is one color of food: brown. And for the most part, one preparation: fried. If you like that, this is a great place because they do it justice and in rather large quantity for the price. If you've heard of Michael Pollan, like your body, or don't want diabetes, stay away. ;) Ha, so that's a bit harsh I know, but I'm just calling it as I see it. For what it's worth, my salad and baked potato weren't bad, perhaps in line with something you'd get from a fast food restaurant. If you like down home, country style cooking in a family style environment, enjoy big portions, meat, starch, fried food and copious amounts of sugar, salt and soda, this is definitely your place. If you are looking for health conscious, light, or vegetarian, you might want to go grocery shopping at IGA instead. read more

See all

I like this place. I like it a lot. But I should qualify that. Because I'm watching my diet for heath reasons, I don't eat here very often. It's a place I "save up" for....because, to me, it's that good. Don't get me wrong. You won't get a gourmet meal here. You WILL get a healthy dose of down home cookin' deep fried and battered. And we all need that once in a while! The breaded tenderloin is one of the VERY best I've ever had. Hand breaded, this thing is huge. I'm a big eater, but I couldn't finish mine, It would be a great sandwich to share with some one, or to take half of it home for a later meal. Their burgers are awesome. And, I love the small town atmosphere. Service has always been very good for us, in a pleasant, down home way. If you're looking for a small, out of the way diner, you won't go wrong here. If you're looking for a refined dining experience....drive on. ;) read more

We had a very good breakfast. Reasonably priced Very clean. Good food. Great service. You should try the biscuits and gravy. read more

If you're looking for a diner that serves good deep fried food, this is your place. The fried chicken is good and peppery. My husband liked his breaded pork tenderloin sandwich. The mashed potatoes seemed homemade but were a bit watery. According to the dry erase board, this place is newly renovated. I love the floor, but whoever "designed" the place is a minimalist on a budget. It's hard to get past the smell of grease that smacks you in the face upon entering and all the food and debris on the floor. Service was adequate. read more

Loved the food. Best BLT Ive had. Lots of flat bacon, good bread, homegrown 'real' tomatoes. We also had a tenderloin. Huge and crispy. B

I was extremely dissapointed in my take out pizza hoagie. This was always a go to restaurant for our family but I will not eat here again. The hoagie was half the size of any other establishment. I choked it down with the smallest order of fries I've ever had. Not pleased at all read more

This restaurant is under new management as of 2019, so previous reviews may not be relevant. I had the chicken dinner special. Excellent, piping hot, tasty and tender chicken served with homemade mashed potatoes and gravy made in the kitchen from scratch. Green beans were good too. All for a great price.... $7.95. I live 45 minutes away, but I could see driving to Metamora to eat here. I saw some pies that I hope to try soon. read more

Not a fan. Service sucked, sweet tea was good but the food portion size is not too great wont be back next time ill just drive to osgood.

I've had both breakfast and lunch here and both were barely ok. The term 'homemade' is used loosely here. It is what it is, a roadside diner in a very small town. If your going for a small town diner meal here are much better places to eat within a couple of miles! read more

The Have A Bite has re-opened under new ownership. Just ate breakfast there and it was all very good. They know how to do 'real' food. Bacon, eggs, gravy - all excellent. Met Jessica Wells who has this now and she is very sincere about making this the rock solid place it used to be years ago. Home cooking at its finest. read more

Yes, the Hav A Bite is your classic small town diner but that's why you go there, not for the hottest trends or a wide array of vegan options. For what it tries to accomplish, it does better than anyone. Its a consistent local eatery with great burgers for a low price, homemade pie that will rival your grandma's, and, although informal, great service from a hardworking, polite staff. The informality just adds to the small town feel, makes you feel welcome. I'm not a local, but I can appreciate what the diner does and how they do it. read more

On the contrary I am in love with this place. The burgers are amazing, the slaw is just fantastic. Every person I have gone with says they don't like cole slaw, but change their mind once they try Hav-A-Bite's. Their pie is absolutely wonderful. The only butterscotch pie that reminds me of my grandmothers. Me and some friends stop by at least one or two times everytime we are in Metamora for a guy's weekend, and just can't get enough of this place. The service is excellent. They are all about the community and you can see it in their regulars and how they treat them. Going to Hav-A-Bite has become tradition for us. read more