An Afternoon in Sutherlin

Story by Jennifer Grafiada Photos by Thomas Boyd

Books Gallery proprietor Levi Owens.

You know how it goes. You’re driving down I-5, and the hunger pangs start, and you need to nip them in the taste buds before hungry turns to hangry. 

At Exit 136, you’ll find an answer. Sutherlin, home to 8,025 residents, offers more than a few ways to satisfy your hunger and enjoy a pleasant afternoon at the same time. It’s also a popular route to the Oregon coast via Highway 138.

Central Avenue is the main route into downtown Sutherlin and offers plenty of window shopping and local favorites. 

Here are a few:

To take care of that hunger, head for Nellie’s Deli & Tap House (667 E. Central Ave.), which offers an impressive selection of homemade soups, sandwiches, salads, wraps and baked goods, as well as local beer and wine. Janelle Edelman, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Dave, has more than three decades’ experience in the food industry, but gives much of the credit to her son, Terrence Stone, a professional chef who has cooked at a variety of top restaurants in California, where the family is from. Nellie’s Deli opened in 2014 as a drive-through coffee shop and kiosk and quickly became a local favorite. In its larger space, it offers a home-like, family friendly atmosphere for lunch and dinner six days a week. In the summer, take your plate outdoors to enjoy the beer garden and, frequently, live local musicians.

Family & Friends Mercantile

If it’s raining (and even if it’s not) there’s no better pastime than a good book and a hot cup of organic espresso, and Books Gallery (220 W. Central Ave.) offers both. Wander through its well-stocked aisles to relaxing corner areas dedicated to individual genres such as westerns, romances and mysteries. Each room offers pillows or an armchair to make the reading comfortable, too. House plants share space with new and used books, and tables allow Wi-Fi warriors to make a day of it. The space also hosts events such as “Positive!,” a monthly open mic night with an optimist slant. Also popular are book clubs, meet-ups of every variety and works by local artists. The gallery offers a selection of herbal teas and baked goods as well as freshly baked bread from Lighthouse Bakery.

Sharing the bookstore’s parking lot is the fragrant, colorful Tub-time Treasures (226 W. Central Ave.) opened in 2014 by self-described “soap slinger” Renee Lillee. Before opening her storefront, Lillee had been selling her foamy, fizzy products at craft fairs, markets and special events while working in the medical field. She has since gone full time at formulating innovative varieties of delicious smelling bath bombs, lotions, perfumes and soaps and has many dedicated customers who come in from out of town. 

While Lillee is happy to ship items, she says customers like to visit in person to get a sniff of whatever new scents she has in stock. She draws on her medical background to design soap bars for people with skin sensitivities, or those who need extra-strength cleaning. The shop also hosts private events like Bathbomb-Making Birthday Parties and Make Your Own Perfume soirees. Lillee donates all her soap end pieces to homeless shelters and volunteers with organizations that help teach the art of soap-making to women in developing countries.

Across the street is Family & Friends Mercantile (227 W. Central Ave.), a gift shop owned and managed by sisters and longtime Sutherlin residents Lynne Ralls and Susan Eggleston. Organized by themes, the proprietors stock pretty little things that fill every square inch of “The Garden,” “The Farmhouse” and “Mike’s Books and Finds,” which includes birdhouses built by brother Mike. A “greeting area” contains holiday goods, baby gifts, signs, candles, soaps, jewelry and more, and the “Gathering Room” offers soup and dip mixes, teas and mugs. Shoppers are treated to a complimentary cup of hot coffee paired with a cookie. 

On the first Saturday of alternate months, the family hosts a fund-raiser dinner (even the grandchildren help serve) and donates the proceeds to local organizations such as Sleep in Heavenly Peace, the Food Pantry, Saving Grace Animal Shelter, Douglas County Kids Christmas, Fremont Jazz Band and the Foster Children’s Assistance Fund. 

---

More Sutherlin Favorites

Coffee & Brunch

Henry’s Bakery

White Horse Coffee & Tea Co.

Phoenix Rising Coffee Co.

Dinner

Pedotti’s Italian Restaurant

Migado Restaurant

Out & About

Sutherlin Community Playground & Splash Pad

Ford’s Pond

Cooper Creek Reservoir