Grandpa’s Cheesebarn & Sweeties Chocolates is a longtime roadside attraction in Ashland, Ohio, just off Interstate 71. Part specialty grocery store, part candy shop and part tourist destination, the family-owned business has been drawing travelers since 1978. "The rich history of Grandpa’s Cheesebarn started with Grandpa Yarman, who in the early 1900s sold his only possession (a portable RCA radio) for his first wheel of Ohio Swiss and opened his own Yarman’s cheese house in West Salem, Ohio. Grandpa Yarman smoked his own country hams and bacon. Word of his unique way of smoking meats along with his reputation for quality spread throughout Ohio. His daughter, Vera, met Grandpa Baum and the two of them began to reconstruct Grandpa Yarman's dream. Grandpa Baum followed the same path as Grandpa Yarman and sought out the best cheese makers in Ohio. He explored new areas in Ohio to obtain the best Colby, Swiss, baby Swiss and many other types of local cheeses. In 1978, Grandma and Grandpa Baum, along with their daughter, Ronda, and her husband, Dick Poorbaugh, opened Grandpa’s Cheesebarn in Ashland, Ohio. In 1991, Grandpa Baum sold his store “Wonderland of Food” in West Salem and joined Ronda and Dick working full time at Grandpa’s Cheesebarn. Under the watchful eye of the new Grandpa and Grandma, Grandpa's Cheesebarn has become a favorite among local and traveling customers alike. On the heels of the successful store in Ashland, the family opened a second location, The Best of Grandpa’s Cheesebarn, in 2015 in Norton, offering the same Ohio-made foods. The Best of Grandpa’s Cheesebarn is now the fourth-generation version of this family business. Operated by Mistie Poorbaugh, Ronda and Dick’s daughter, she shares the same passion as her great grandfather to offer the best quality products at affordable prices. Mistie grew up working in the family business while in school and then pursued a degree in business education from Ashland University. She taught business at the high school and collegiate levels and operated several YMCAs before coming back to family business in 2015 to run the new store." The two-story barn specializes in cheeses, including Ohio-made Swiss, aged cheddars, smoked varieties and imported selections. Shelves are also stocked with smoked meats, sausages, jerky, jams, jellies, pickles, maple syrup, honey, baking mixes and other specialty foods. Cheese sampling has long been part of the experience. The lower level houses a café serving casual lunch items, along with homemade ice cream. Sweeties Jumbo Chocolates was added in 1995, expanding the family's food business into homemade chocolates and confections. The neighboring shop features fudge, chocolate-covered pretzels, buckeyes, nut clusters, turtles, truffles, chocolate-covered marshmallows and old-fashioned candies. Its chocolates and fudge include recipes developed by the family, with homemade caramel and cream fillings among its specialties. Sweeties is also a stop on Ohio's Buckeye Candy Trail. Every single cheese I tasted was delicious and unique. Have you ever been? Grade: A