Great atmosphere, great staff are key to success for LD’s Bar and Grill in Ainsworth

LD’s Bar and Grill sits on Highway 92, three miles east of the Ainsworth exit off Highway 218.

Just across the Louisa County line, it is hard to miss the bright pink building perched above the north side of the highway.

The building has been home to other establishments previously, including Gussy’s Bar and Grill and the Bryn Mawr Steakhouse.

The inside walls pay homage to the building’s previous incarnations with Bryn Mawr Steakhouse signs hung on them.

Lennie and Darla Finke bought the building, along with the former motel beside it, and opened the bar and grill in early November 2020.

It did not take long for LD’s to build up a steady local clientele.

“The atmosphere keeps people coming back,” Barb Johnson, the manager at LD’s, said. “We’re local and locally owned.

“It’s a nice place where everybody can get together.”

Bartender Lisa Bonnichsen echoed that sentiment.

“The people that come in here are great,” Bonnichsen said. “That’s why I really like being here.”

Contributing to that atmosphere are the friendly employees at LD’s.

“I cannot express to you how good a staff we have,” Johnson said. “Everyone is so nice and easy to get along with. Our kitchen help is phenomenal, and the food is great.”

While the atmosphere helps to keep people coming back, it helps to have good food.

“Our food is really good,” Johnson said. “We have great catfish, and our breaded tenderloins are phenomenal.

“Our chicken wings are the jumbo chicken wings, and you can get them breaded or naked. Those have been a big hit as well.”

Also featured on LD’s menu are freshly cut rib-eye steaks.

“We serve a phenomenal 12-ounce rib-eye,” Johnson said. “We cut them in-house.”

LD’s has gained a reputation as a great place to have breakfast on the weekends. Breakfast is served from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

“The weekends have been really busy,” Johnson said. “On Sundays, we’ve been really busy for breakfast.”

There is a backroom where large groups can gather.

Johnson said that the room can be reserved for groups with no extra charge.

“We have an open backroom,” she said. “A lot of people come for family reunions and birthdays.”

As COVID-19 restrictions have eased, business has been steadily growing.

“Business has been good,” Johnson said. “Our customers are amazing, and we have a great staff.”

LD’s is located at 28648 Highway 92. Business hours are Wednesday and Thursday 4-9 p.m., Friday 4-10 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.-9 p.m.