By Barbara Augsdorfer, editor for the Effingham Herald

Rincon restaurant 108 Ale House hosted a film crew from America’s Best Restaurants Dec. 13 for an upcoming episode.

America’s Best Restaurant airs on YouTube and Facebook. The air date for 108 Ale House has not been released, yet.

According to its website, America’s Best Restaurants features family-owned establishments that are not chains or franchises. 108 Ale House at 108 Weisenbaker Rd. (just off Hwy. 21 across from Rincon City Hall) was nominated by a customer, Heather Ray.

“We were notified in October 2023 that we’d be on the show,” co-owner Lizzie Keith said.

The filming coincided (almost) with the restaurant’s ninth anniversary Dec. 15.

“We’re like family,” co-owner Kelly Douglas added. Their 22 employees all are treated like family.

“Some leave for a little while, then they want to come back,” Keith said. Katie Fludd has been a waitress at 108 for five years. Kelly Terry, nicknamed the “mayor” of 108 Ale House works behind the bar.

“(Terry’s) always here, talking with everyone. She’s like family,” Keith said.

The restaurant endured a six-week shutdown in 2020 during COVID.

“I was going crazy,” Douglas said. “I couldn’t sit at home. I wanted to serve burgers out the back door.”

But, of course, they reopened and picked up where they left off. The restaurant remains busy.

The film crew from America’s Best Restaurants stopped in Rincon during a swing through Georgia that saw them cover restaurants in Perry, Claxton, and Statesboro.

“We cover one or two restaurants a day,” Ashley Dawn, host of America’s Best Restaurants said. ABR is based in Florence, Kentucky, and has published more than 800 episodes spanning 28 states so far.

The public can nominate a favorite restaurant for ABR to possibly feature at its website, www.americasbestrestaurants.com.