Over the past decade, Harvest has carved out its own unique niche on Airport Highway in Holland. One side of the family-owned business is a traditional deli, while the other is a craft bottle shop.
Voted the best sandwich place by readers in the Toledo City Paper’s Dining Guide for four years running, the restaurant celebrated its 10th anniversary in November.
Originally named Garden Harvest Market, it began as a produce stand and deli. During the pandemic, the fresh produce side slowed, but demand for prepared meals surged, leading Harvest to find its groove as a popular lunch destination with a loyal following.
Real food made in-house
Owner Amy Baumgartner explains that the Harvest tagline, “Eat-Drink-Better,” references the quality of the food they serve. “I am not particularly diet focused, but I want it to be good food and real food,” she said.
As a mother of seven who also grew up in a large family, Baumgartner loves nurturing others with food. She attributes the popularity of their roast beef and pastrami sandwiches to the importance of using quality ingredients. Soups and deli salads are also made on site.
As the fresh produce aspect of the business went away, Baumgartner said they began to curate a small selection of craft beers and wine that grew with demand.
“Now we have 30 taps and we have one of the biggest selections in the area of craft beer,” she said. “If you are looking for pretty much any kind of specialty beer, we usually will have it.”
Sensational sandwiches
We stopped in for lunch on a Saturday afternoon and ordered at the deli counter. Sandwiches are the heart of the menu, including toasted ciabatta flatbreads, wraps and “stacks” that are served on either a brioche or a pretzel bun.
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Our sandwiches were ready in less than 10 minutes. Since it wasn’t crowded at the time we chose to eat in the small dining area on the bottle shop side of the building. Casual seating is limited, with mostly high-top tables for two or four, so we moved a few chairs to make room for our family of five.
In warmer weather there is also outside seating in a small courtyard, and Baumgartner says a patio expansion is in the works for next summer.
The giant club stack ($11.99) that my husband ordered included eight ounces of all-natural smoked turkey and fire-roasted ham, topped with bacon slices, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion on a brioche bun.
The rest of us tried the toasted ciabattas ($10.99) — two of us ordered the pizza stromboli and two opted for the ham, bacon and Swiss. These decadent, melty sandwiches were similar to a panini.
My older children were able to finish them with no problem, but younger children might only finish half a sandwich. While the menu offers only one sandwich size and no kids’ menu, Baumgartner said they’re happy to make smaller sandwiches or accommodate younger customers’ preferences upon request.
Bottom line
Harvest is a family business with a small-town feel. One of the reasons Baumgartner opened the shop was to work alongside her children, who now range from 13 to 35.
“They kind of grew up here and worked here through school and went on to college and this helped them learn a lot of real life skills,” she said.
The restaurant maintains its friendly, family atmosphere and Baumgartner assures that nobody leaves hungry. Next time you need a break, skip the chain drive-through and wander west on Airport Highway for a truly great sandwich.
The Short Course
Online ordering? Yes
Carryout? Yes
Delivery? No
Outdoor Dining? Yes
Kids Menu? No
Changing Table? No
Booster Seat/High Chair? Yes
Hours:
Monday and Tuesday: 10am-8pm
Wednesday-Friday: 6:30am-8pm
Saturday: 8am-8pm
Sunday: 8am-6pm
Harvest | 8060 Airport Hwy, Holland | 419-491-0049 | harvestinholland.com
