We were heading to visit family in the area for dinner and were asked to bring dessert. While…read moredriving through Stayton, my wife remembered The Lovin Oven from years ago. We also recalled that there was some connection to Gerry Frank's Konditorei in Salem, which immediately caught our interest. After doing a little research, we discovered there's a deep and fascinating history linking the two businesses. The Lovin Oven began in 1983, when founder Doreen Helmemn operated the bakery out of her home. In 1993, the business expanded into a small storefront in downtown Stayton after being purchased by Mike and Valerie Schultz. Mike, who was formerly a logger, was personally taught cake decorating by the original founder, an origin story that adds to the bakery's charm and authenticity. One of the most interesting details we learned is that The Lovin Oven is the primary baker for Gerry Frank's Konditorei in Salem, a partnership that dates back to the 1980s. That relationship grew even stronger in 2017, when the Schultzes became co-owners of the Konditorei. Many people enjoying desserts at high-end restaurants throughout the region may not realize that their cakes were baked in Stayton. The Lovin Oven is especially well known for its Champagne Raspberry cake, Marionberry cheesecake, and an impressive variety of gourmet bars and cookies. Their menu also includes cakes, cheesecakes, cinnamon rolls, brownies, cupcakes, and more, something for just about every dessert preference. The bakery itself is housed in an industrial-style building that includes the production bakery, a storefront, and a small seating area where you can enjoy your treats on site. The outside is a unique with a black painted brick exterior. The customer facing area of the inside is industrial. We picked up a selection of cupcakes to take to dinner and were quickly back on the road. The cupcakes were a hit, everyone loved them, and they disappeared fast. It felt great to share something local with such a rich backstory. Overall, this was a fantastic experience, and we're glad we stopped. If you find yourself passing through Stayton or looking for high-quality desserts in the Willamette Valley, The Lovin Oven is absolutely worth checking out.

This is a really good bakery. The homemade products are awesome. The prices and quality are…read morebetter than stores. The staff are very polite and professional. The bakery is clean and has a large dining area if you want to eat there. Skylar is a rockstar.

Food , service are very good! Clean establishment, friendly people ! Constant friendly employees!read more

Great Little local dive bar with good food Go local!…read moreSupport your local business Support your town

Nice restaurant with friendly staff. The restaurant is clean. The food is good. The steak frites…read moreare the best. The aged ribeye was a little disappointing but everything else was good.

We gave this place a second try a few months ago after a less than desirable experience back in…read more2024, and I am so glad we did! We have now been back twice and both times it's been top notch! The food and the service have been excellent! It has a reasonably priced menu and a well stocked bar. In a town where options are limited, this is a great spot! We have only been in for dinner but the breakfast menu looks amazing and we'll be trying out the breakfast scene very soon.

Encantada de este lugar, la comida deliciosa y el trato excelente!…read more A mi y a nuestra familia nos encantó; los dueños muy amables y te hacen sentir bienvenido. Muchas opciones de té y cafés!

Sorry to say, today was the day to try Gardner House. So I Thought. Checked Yelp tonfind something…read moreamazing. Drove out of town just to find a note on the door. Do I have Bad Luck? Or should I have called and not trusted Yelp??

Wonderful price friendly store. And staff was excellent when searching for a certain itemread more

Very disappointed in the burgers we ordered, they were SO good the 1st time we ordered a month ago…read more Tonight was a waste of our money. They didn't taste fresh,they were sloppy and had barely any Veganise mayo on them. We won't order them from here again. Service was ok at least.

The Covered Bridge Restaurant was a pleasant experience all around. I was warmly greeted…read moreimmediately, even though they were very busy. The menu has a nice variety of choices for breakfast and lunch and today I was there for breakfast. I loved that they always made sure my coffee was filled up and hot. I ordered their bacon and eggs, and the bacon was very thick! They eggs were fixed over medium as I requested and the toast came with homemade jam. The atmosphere was cozy, well lit and the clientele were obviously happy to be there. I will definitely come back with friends.

Relaxed breakfast and lunch restaurant. Service was polite and patient. Helped explain the menu,…read moreand made accommodations for dietary needs. Super helpful young waiters made sure our drinks never emptied. Corner location , popular with seating outside for waiting. And you may need to wait. We had a party of 7, all had a great meal, and bill was only $120! Highly recommended

Went thru drive thru unaware that they closed in a few minutes ordered a double cheeseburger and a…read morefish sandwich then after paying I noticed they turned the open sign to close I thought oh no I'm not that guy to come in at the last minute. They were all so nice and I felt bad this is always going to be my place like home. Amazing place.

Interesting all in all. Double cheeseburger meal was ok. A little expensive, but everything has…read moregone up. It seems money over comfort. Booths are covering every square inch. Years ago, they had a fireplace, which did not bring in money. We even overheard one customer commenting to others, that their booth seemed cramped. Which seemed to be the norm for the most part. Service was good. Did not know they started using trays at the drive up again. Years ago we went there, they handed the bag through the car window and walked away. It seems you need to inspect each booth, to make sure it is not cramped, no matter your size. Not a bad place, just seems to be overcramped for space....7-2-2026 response from manager, "we will look into it". In reality whoever made the decision to renovate should have thought of customers. We were having lunch in a crowded tight fitting booth, when another customer noticed other people in crowded / tight booth, and mentioned to them," They should look for one that is not so tight, and uncomfortable" So, in the long run owner does not really care about customers. It is what it is.

Great food! The Rhonda burger is the best. Bartenders are all super amazing. A good place to meet…read morefriends and play card games. Very welcoming bar and always super clean.

I was not impressed with the burger. The service was fine. The people there were pretty cool. It…read morewas very clean but extremely small and that's the name.