Columbus, Ohio: Krema Nut Company: PB & J Sandwiches

No longer offering tours or made-to-order sandwiches. Pretty much a retail store now only. You can look through the window into the production area while you shop.

When we visited, we were smitten by how genuinely kind the Krema employees were. They offered to show my young daughter a video filmed there for Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood ("How Peanut Butter is Made"). They were apologetic that the peanut butter works were on hold for lunch and we couldn't watch through the windows (nuts are roasted on Mondays, ground on Tuesdays, so if you want to watch a certain process, plan accordingly).

There is a specific procedure to dining. You give your order, and they write it and your name on a waxed paper bag (or cup, if you're getting a milkshake). They bring your order to the table. You receive a laminated card with the price of your item, and you present it at the checkout with your other purchases.

Make sure to look around the dining room for gems like the sack of Carter's Peanuts autographed by Jimmy Carter himself!

Krema Nut Company tour. OMG...the Nutty Mallow sandwich is amazing! I don't know if they make their own bread but it was not your standard wheat. You may think $5 is too much for a PB sandwich but it was a meal for two. Yummy!

Make sure to call to inquire about tours! They take groups through starting in January, but no one under 21.

Krema Nut Company was established in 1898 and is one of the oldest peanut butter makers still manufacturing in the US today. They still make peanut butter the old fashioned way, and it is always completely natural with no added salt, sugar or preservatives. Their retail store is fun, fun, fun, where you can find nut butters, nuts, chocolates, candies, popcorns, t-shirts, boxers and more. Don't miss the chance to taste their gourmet peanut butter sandwiches served on site in their Gourmet Peanut Butter Sandwich Store.

Everything from the Classic Old Timer, PB and Strawberry Preserves with an added layer of fresh strawberries to the Nutty Mallow, PB and Fluff piled high on white or wheat. Their peanut butter shakes are heavenly but it's the friendly service and smiling faces that keep us coming back.

We never drive through Columbus without stopping at Krema, whether it's to sit down for lunch or grab sandwiches for the road. Don't miss this local treasure, it will stick with you long after you leave!