With a menu that would rival any big city restaurant and hours to accommodate every diner, the Outpost Pizza, Pub, and Grill at 201 West Main Street in John Day indeed does it all. Add to that a hometown feel and stellar customer service, you cannot find a more complete dining experience. The restaurant offers a mix of pizza, pub fare, and American dishes and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Owners Tia and Joe Barrietua note that the mission of the Outpost is to be there for their customers—both the regulars and the tourists who visit—and to be supportive of other local businesses. With manager Heidi Wolf, their all-around “worker bee” and “tech lady,” and their 20+ dedicated and dependable workers, the Outpost Pizza, Pub, and Grill carries out this mission every day.

Tia has a years-long association with the Outpost, having served as a waitress and then manager for the previous owners, Janet Robertson and Kim Randless. When they retired, Tia and her husband, Joe, purchased the Outpost and have owned the restaurant for over 12 years. Over the years, they have catered everything from Cycle Oregon to BMW rallies and baseball tournaments.

The menu is quite extensive, offering complete breakfasts for reasonable prices, scrumptious lunches with daily soup and sandwich specials (check into Facebook early for each offering), and delightful dinners for everyday and a special night out. And then there is the pizza, with many delicious combos and a “make your own option.” The Outpost also offers membership in the Coffee Club—order a meal and receive free coffee.

Going forward, Tia is planning on acquiring a new pizza oven and having her son train as a head cook. She also would like to restore some of the offerings that disappeared with COVID. Ultimately, Tia would like to “run the business instead of working the business,” and credits her bookkeepers, “Solutions Group,” with keeping the paperwork on track. The Outpost has always been a family enterprise, with her daughter, Kayla, coming over from La Grande in the summer to bartend during tourist season. All of her children have worked for the restaurant even before Tia and Joe took over.

The Outpost Pizza, Pub, and Grill is the best of all worlds—a familiar place for locals to meet up throughout the week, a special occasion destination, and a welcome stop for visitors to the area to experience great home-town cooking and a warm family atmosphere.