GOOD EATS: C.J. Maggie's an Ashland staple

ASHLAND -- The first thing that that sticks out upon walking through the front doors of C.J. Maggie's All American Grill are the restaurant's walls.

For years the restaurant had paper over the tables along with a few crayons, encouraging customers to make their own pictures. The practice was ultimately dropped last year because of the environmental concerns of how much paper was ending up in landfills. Still customers have kept the tradition alive in one form or another; leaving pictures and signatures behind on their own paper, towels, even the walls themselves. Look closely and you can even find some familiar cartoon characters -- Snoopy, Jack Skellington, Sailor Moon and SpongeBob Squarepants to name a few.

The restaurant was founded in Buckhannon, W.Va., in 1992 by owners Clifford James Ryanlands and his wife Jenie. The first restaurant was named for their children Clifford James, Catherine Jean and Maggie.

"The owners felt like downtown America was getting lost in urban sprawl. Their vision was to renovate older buildings and help keep downtown communities alive," said Elizabeth Fairchild, general manager of the Ashland location. "I think without downtown Ashland, we don't have an Ashland at all."

The Ashland location opened in 1998. The chain will be opening its fourth location in Fairmont, W.Va., later this year.

C.J. Maggie's is a restaurant that prides itself on giving customers quality, variety and generous portions. The all-American menu stretches the gamut of popular cuisine. Chicken fried steak, tortillas, linguine alfredo and turkey with stuffing.

A variety of pizzas cooked in a real wood-fired oven are available in the $6.99-$8.99 range. The most popular pizza is the "Buffalo Soldier" which features chicken, a hot "Buffalo" sauce and roasted peppers. The restaurant also offers a large assortment of pastas such as the "meat lover's bolognese" and the vegetarian friendly "victory garden." These range in price from $7.99 to $12.99.

Sandwiches and hamburgers cost between $5.99 and 7.99.

For seafood lovers there's the giant broiled seafood platter, which includes crab cake, two shrimp skewers, scallops and a choice of salmon or mahi-mahi topped with crab imperial for $22.99.

"I've worked at other restaurants before, including the Applebees in downtown Huntington and the Lonestar Steakhouse, but this is definitely the largest menu I've worked with and the freshest menu," Fairchild said. "I've been in restaurant management for 13 years. I've been at places where the potato soup comes to us frozen. Here when we offer it as our soup of the day we make it by hand right down to pealing the potatoes ourselves. As a manager, your passion if you are in this business should be guest services and quality of food. I want to serve amazing homemade food. I want it to feel like it's a Thanksgiving dinner feast, and you're so excited to just sit down. That's the kind of food we serve on our menu here. The word of the restaurant is homemade."

The restaurant is also famous for its appetizer menu. Popular items include wings (topped with Buffalo, BBQ or Thai peanut sauce), crab cakes and thin crispy fried zucchini strips. The "#1 Starter" is the alfredo pieces, which are alfredo noodles stuffed with cheese, breaded and deep fried before being topped with marinara sauce and cheese.

Desserts are also made in house, the most popular one being the peanut butter pie. The restaurant has a full-service bar, separate from the main dining area offering a selection of mixed drinks. The most popular perhaps being the house margarita, which is made with real fruit juices rather than a mix.

"The other locations aren't signed like this with pictures along the walls," Fairchild said. "The people of Ashland and the Tri-State area have spoken. This is Ashland's restaurant."

Fairchild does have one favorite display, a hero's wall near the front entrance featuring photographs of members of the armed services from the community.

"It's not just customers, we also have pictures of people's family members up there, including my son Trevor who is in the Marines. Everyday I am humbled by their sacrifice and their bravery."

C.J. Maggie's is located at 1442 Winchester Ave., and is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Cash and all major credit cards are accepted.

For more information or to place a carryout order, call 606-324-7895. For additional locations and a menu visit www.cj-maggies.com/.

Paul Sebert/For The Herald-Dispatch

C.J. Maggies is located at 1442 Winchester Ave., in Ashland. The restaurant features a large menu with a big variety.

Paul Sebert/For The Herald-Dispatch

C.J. Maggies is located at 1442 Winchester Ave., in Ashland. One of the many features of the restaurant is its hero's wall, featuring local members of the armed services.

Paul Sebert/For The Herald-Dispatch

Elizabeth Fairchild is the general manager of C.J. Maggies, located at 1442 Winchester Ave., in Ashland. The restaurant has an extensive menu.

Paul Sebert/For The Herald-Dispatch

Elizabeth Fairchild is the general manager of C.J. Maggies, located at 1442 Winchester Ave., in Ashland. The restaurant has an extensive menu.