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Iron Masters Not Just a Golf Course; Restaurant is Open to Public

People who live down the street from Iron Masters Country Club in Roaring Spring don't know that the restaurant is open to the public.

"People think, 'Oh, it's a country club. Members only,'" said Helen Lipko, who is the head cook and runs the kitchen at the restaurant. "We like to say we're not a country club – we're a club in the country."

The restaurant is managed by Rick Grubb, who runs the golf course, but Lipko and Tammy Croft Hoover have been running the restaurant day to day for at least 5 years and working there for at least 15. Both retired, the pair started as extra sets of hands to help out for a few months and never left. The restaurant's team is compiled of fewer than 10 people: Lipko, Hoover, four kitchen workers and three waitresses. Hoover runs the front of the restaurant and works directly with the customers.

"Our customers are like family," Hoover said.

"Tammy knows everybody," Lipko said. "She'll come back to me when a new customer comes in and say, 'They've never been here before.'"

The restaurant sees many repeat customers.

"Regulars will come in and say, 'We've tried to move around and go to other places, but we always come back here,'" said Lipko.

Patrons enjoy homemade breakfasts, lunches and dinners, views of the golf course and adult beverages they can enjoy with their meals. The restaurant's daily specials often bring people in.

"People say the ham pot pie here is the best around," said Lipko. "It's funny because I'm from Western Pennsylvania and I didn't know what ham pot pie was when I started here, so I just had to figure it out."

Lipko had to teach herself how to prepare multiple dishes that customers expected, including scrapple and chicken and waffles. But she was able to introduce new dishes to the community as well, including haluski, served "the old-fashioned Slovak way," according to Lipko.

Lipko also tries to recreate (and add her own spin on) sandwiches and dishes she has enjoyed at restaurants.

Learning how to make new dishes was the least of Lipko's worries, as she has a lifelong love of cooking. Running a restaurant is completely different from Lipko's job before retiring, where she held an administrative position for the state. A little over a year after retiring, she signed on to help at the restaurant.

"I enjoy the planning aspect of this job, probably because of my admin job," said Lipko.

The restaurant caters events throughout the summer that require a lot of planning. It hosts class reunions, anniversary parties, and – in the past – wedding receptions. Two golf tournaments – a ladies and a mens – are to take place in July.

For the golf events during the pandemic, the restaurant had to box all meals for outdoor eating. Iron Masters offered take out until August, when customers were allowed inside again.

One thing customers missed during COVID-19 was the fish and chicken buffet, which takes place every Friday.

"People have really embraced the buffet after not having it last year," said Lipko.

The restaurant is busier when the golf course is busy. Iron Masters sees more golfers in September, so that is always a busy month for the restaurant.

Iron Masters Country Club – including the restaurant – is open from March to September. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday.

"We've heard that we're the 'best kept secret of the Cove,'" said Lipko. "But we'd like to let that secret get out a little bit."

 

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