For the last 30 years, the Luther family has served up some of the best comfort food you’ll find anywhere.
By Chuck McGill
HQ 122 | SUMMER 2023
As the lunch rush subsided on a sunny Thursday afternoon this spring, Central City Café owner David Luther emerged from the kitchen, his apron dusted by the day’s work, and made his way from table to table in the restaurant he has operated for three decades.
Luther gently placed his right hand on the shoulders of patrons, each time asking the same question: “Did you get enough to eat?”
Comfort doesn’t only relate to the food at Luther’s establishment, located in the heart of the Central City District, a collection of antique shops, art galleries, markets, coffee shops and bookstores. Central City Café is a blanket of comfort, from the style of home-cooked throwback meals to the familiar faces and voices that greet guests upon opening the front door on 14th Street West. In April, Luther and his family, who help him run the daily operations of the restaurant, celebrated 30 years in business.
The official birthday, written on a chalkboard that hangs behind the counter near the register, lists the date of commemoration: April 5, 1993. Above the date is a message in tribute to those who have visited over the years.
“Our customers are everything to us,” said Sherry, Luther’s wife of 45 years. “They have supported us through COVID; through everything that has gone on for the last 30 years. We’re so grateful for that. We try to socialize because these are our friends. We feel like we know everyone personally.”
David Luther’s journey in the kitchen started in the shadow of his mother, who taught him how to cook. David, who was born in Prichard and moved to Williamson a few years later, is the youngest of eight children. He moved out of the house as a 17-year-old and started “fiddling around” in the kitchen on his own. He took a giant step in the profession while employed at the Sheraton Hotel and Motor Inn in Columbus, Ohio, working in a kitchen that serviced 300 sleeping rooms and banquet halls that could accommodate 5,000 people. He was surrounded by chefs from around the globe, from Germany to Australia, and his culinary love continued to grow.
David long held the idea of his own restaurant, but he remained patient until the perfect location surfaced. Now, Central City Café is the longest-running business in the Central City District.
“It’s always on my short list when I’m taking out-of-towners to lunch,” said Steve Cotton, a longtime radio broadcaster at Marshall University who has made frequent trips to Central City for home-cooked fare. “When someone says they’re up for a local diner, my next question is whether they’d like a meatloaf sandwich or some tomato soup. If it’s ‘yes’ to either, we’re headed to Central City.”
The love the Luthers have put into the restaurant is apparent in the offerings on the menu. Soups and salads are popular. The day after Central City Café made its appearance on a 2008 television episode of The Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, a couple made the drive to Huntington from Dayton, Ohio, for a simple plate of pinto beans and cornbread. Meatloaf and baked steak, along with a pair of sides, often sell out. Handheld sandwiches, like the delectable Reuben and regional staple fried bologna, come with chips, a slice of watermelon and a pickle.
“Central City Café provides food as it’s meant to be,” said Cara Bailey, a Barboursville native and longtime patron. “A meal there feels like it comes from family. The comfortable environment, local history and consistent, fresh food combine to create a perfect lunch stop every time. Plus, the cornbread is the best in town.”
David and Sherry Luther rely almost exclusively on family — all of whom are listed on the menu — to operate the restaurant. Mike Harr and Nikki Harr are often seen buzzing about the dining room with no task too big or small for them to handle. Kristina Luther and Taylor Harr, the latter of whom used to stand on either a milk crate or a bucket, depending on who you ask, to operate the register, also lend a hand.
“Without the kids, there would not be a Central City Café,” Sherry Luther said. “I have a 1-year-old granddaughter and I hope I live long enough to put her to work, too. David and I spend every day here together, and we still love one another. We’ve been married for 45 years. The family is everything. They care as much as we do about everything being good and going right.”
After 30 years, the Central City Café family expressed appreciation for its customers who stayed loyal through the ebbs and flows, especially during the challenges of the COVID pandemic and soaring food costs. That’s why, scribbled on the chalkboard for their anniversary message, are these words:
“We love you all. We are so grateful.”
