Ten yellow letters spelling out cheesebarn on a curved barn roof catch the eye from the interstate, and hands steer toward the exit before the brain catches up. Some roadside stops are just a bathroom break with snacks.
This one turns into the best hour of the whole drive. Ohio has a cheese destination that started back in 1978, when a young couple sold their house, their sporting goods store, and nearly everything else to buy an old dairy barn.
That is a huge leap for a love of cheese, and it deserves respect. Today the place welcomes around 100,000 visitors a year, and after one sample of Ohio Swiss, every single one of them makes perfect sense.
The shelves are stacked with cheese, the samples are generous, and the smell of fresh curds fills the air. Grab a cooler and an empty stomach, because this family barn delivers.
A Family Bet Everything on an Old Barn
Learning the backstory made me appreciate every bite even more. In 1978, Ronda and Richard Poorbaugh sold their house and their sporting goods store to buy 20 acres from a neighbor.
The land came with a barn and a house, and that barn became Grandpa’s Cheesebarn. Ronda’s parents, Paul Dick Baum and Vera Baum, joined in as the famous Grandpa and Grandma Baum.
Think about that for a second. Most of us worry about buying a new couch, yet this family traded their whole life for wheels of cheese and a dream by the highway.
The roots go even deeper than 1978. Back in the early 1900s, Vera’s father, Grandpa Yarman, sold his only possession, a portable RCA radio, to buy his first wheel of Ohio Swiss cheese.
He opened Yarman’s, a meat and cheese house in West Salem, where he smoked his own country hams and bacon. Grandpa Baum later ran a store called Wonderland of Food before going full-time at the barn in 1991.
Grandpa and Grandma Baum passed away in December 2022, just two days apart, after 73 years of marriage. Their story lives on in every corner of the shop, and you can feel it from the moment you park.
Those Famous Yellow Letters off I-71
Honestly, the sign alone earns a photo stop. Ten bright yellow signs sit on top of the curved roof, each holding one letter of the word cheesebarn.
You can spot them from the interstate, and they act like a friendly wave telling hungry drivers to pull over. I grinned the second I saw them, and my travel buddy did too.
The building itself is a converted old dairy barn. When the shop first opened, the lower level even housed farm animals like sheep and goats, which sounds like a petting zoo with a cheese counter on top.
Getting there is simple since the barn sits right off Interstate 71 on US-250. That makes it an easy break on drives between Cleveland and Columbus or anywhere in between.
Parking is roomy, so you will not circle the lot for ages. There is even space set aside for larger vehicles, which is handy for RVs and big family vans.
A quick tip from me is to snap your picture early. The light on that yellow lettering looks great in the morning, and the lot tends to fill up as the day goes on, especially on weekends.
Sampling My Way Through Hundreds of Cheeses
My plan was to buy one block of cheese. That plan lasted about four minutes once the samples started.
The cheese shop holds hundreds of varieties, from domestic and imported picks to local options, and many of the domestic cheeses come from Ohio’s Amish Country. Staff members happily hand out tastes and answer questions, so you never feel rushed.
Ohio Swiss is the top seller by a mile. They sell around 28,000 pounds of it every year, which is a mountain of holes if you ask me.
Colby and Baby Swiss are big favorites too. In the fall, keep an eye out for Apple Pie Cheddar, a seasonal treat that tastes like dessert decided to join the cheese board.
The meat side deserves attention as well. Freshly smoked country hams, bacon, and soft beef jerky carry on Grandpa Yarman’s old smoking tradition.
Here is my practical advice. Bring a cooler with ice packs if you are driving far, because you will want to take home more than you planned, and the cheese deserves a cold ride.
Also look for items with a gold sticker, since those are made by the shop itself.
Lunch Served on a Frisbee You Get to Keep
Nobody warned me my plate would become a toy. At the café, sandwiches arrive on an upside-down Frisbee, and you can take it home as a souvenir.
Mine is now in the back seat, waiting for a park day. It might be the most fun dishware I have ever been handed.
The Orchard Melt is the one people talk about. It stacks Hickory Ham and Ohio Swiss with Dutch Apple Jam, giving you smoky, salty, and sweet flavors all in one warm bite.
Other choices include chicken salad and a BLT made with the Cheesebarn’s own bacon. Homemade soups like tomato or ham and bean are perfect on chilly days.
Save some room for the homemade ice cream, made with whole cream. Three chip mint is a standout, and the silky milkshakes come in flavors like turtle, black raspberry, and classic chocolate.
Outdoor seating makes lunch even better when the weather cooperates. A gazebo overlooks a pond, which turns a quick sandwich into a little picnic, and the breeze makes everything taste fresher.
Try to eat before noon if you can, since the lunch counter gets busy fast.
Sweetie’s Chocolates Steals Your Heart Next Door
Right when I thought I was full, the candy shop called my name. Sweetie’s Chocolates sits in its own building on the property, and resisting it is nearly impossible.
Ronda Poorbaugh launched it in 1995. The creamy centers, like caramel, peanut butter, and maple, follow Grandma’s secret recipes, which makes each piece taste like family history.
Fudge is the star here. You will find peanut butter, chocolate, and fruity flavors like strawberry, and staff often offer a sample so you can pick a favorite.
Homemade turtles are rich with chocolate, caramel, and nuts. Then there is Buckeye Pizza, a sweet slab with Buckeye candies layered over white and milk chocolate.
Double coated chocolate malt balls are another fun grab. They come in several flavors and bring back memories of childhood candy aisles.
There are even some sugar-free options for folks watching their sweets. My best tip is to buy a small box for the road and a bigger one for home, because the road box will not last long, trust me.
Chocolate also melts in hot cars, so keep it in the cooler with your cheese.
Shelves Packed with Ohio Pantry Treasures
Every aisle felt like a scavenger hunt for flavor. Beyond cheese and candy, the shelves are loaded with goodies, many proudly labeled Ohio ingredients, Ohio made.
Amish country jams and jellies line up in colorful rows. You will also find a huge pickle selection, local honey, and real maple syrup from nearby farms.
Dips and spreads are a big hit with visitors. Sampling stations let you try them before buying, which is great news for indecisive shoppers like me.
Baking mixes, crackers, sauces, and salsas round things out. With a few picks, you could build a full snack board without visiting another store.
Gifts are easy to find here too. A jar of jam, a bag of dill pickle snack mix, and a wedge of Swiss make a sweet thank-you package for a neighbor or teacher.
Branded shirts and fun trinkets are also on display if you want a reminder of the trip. Old-time cash registers add charm at checkout, and they make paying feel a bit like a trip back in time.
Grab a basket at the start, because carrying everything in your arms gets tricky quickly.
Four Generations and a Foodie Village Feel
Leaving took me longer than arriving, mostly because I kept finding new spots to explore. The property has grown into a small foodie village with the cheese shop, café, and Sweetie’s all close together.
A patio and rest area sit between the buildings. Families spread out with snacks, kids stretch their legs, and everyone seems to slow down a little.
The family is still running the show. Mistie Poorbaugh, Grandpa Yarman’s great-granddaughter, represents the fourth generation, and she even left a teaching career to rejoin the business.
That kind of loyalty shows. Staff treat guests like relatives at a reunion, cheerful and patient with every question.
Many customers have been coming for decades, now bringing their own kids and grandkids. It is a place where traditions get passed down along with the cheese.
Hours run 9 AM to 6 PM Monday through Saturday and 11 AM to 5 PM on Sunday. Plan at least an hour, more if you want lunch and dessert, because rushing through would miss the whole point of this cozy stop.
Address: 668 US-HWY 250 East, Ashland, OH 44805
