Skeeter Barlow's Grill & Bar

George Stathis tapped out of his family’s Sarnia-based restaurant business and took a different path, moving out west to become a driller on a drilling rig. Ten years later, he couldn’t resist the temptation to get back into the kitchen. “A cousin of mine called me and said he had a small restaurant in a place near Windsor called Harrow and asked if I’d be interested in buying into it,” George recalls. “I said, ‘Why not? What the heck; it’s in my blood.’ So I moved to Harrow and we ran the place for about six years.”

The next chapter in George’s restaurant adventure occurred when his brother, who was living in Sarnia, said a place had come up for lease and wondered if he’d be interested in joining him and another partner in taking over the operation? That led to the birth of Skeeter Barlow’s Grill & Bar in Bright’s Grove. “The place was already established; it just needed some TLC,” George recalls.

George says he wanted Skeeter Barlow’s to be a chicken and ribs joint because he had enjoyed success with that formula in Harrow. “It was a popular seller,” George says. “It was fresh chicken that was marinated for 8-12 hours and then you’re good to go. There are special machines that you use to cook it in. It has been very popular.”So, who exactly is Skeeter Barlow? Well, nobody if you must know. “Prior to coming to work here I would drive to Sarnia to visit my parents thinking one of these days I’d like to open my own place,” George says. “I always liked the name Barlow’s because it just seemed to go with everything. So half of the name was already concocted. I was listening to some radio station one day and two guys were talking. One guy referred to the other as ‘Skeeter’ and I said to myself, ‘Skeeter Barlow’s. Geez, that’s catchy.’ We tossed around other names, but we kept coming back to Skeeter Barlow’s. Now everybody just refers to it as Skeeter’s.”

While George concurred the restaurant world, he also grew a family with his wife of 24 years, Denise Stathis, who has stood by George from the beginning. The two have passed their love of the restaurant industry down to their daughters, Tia (24) and Lisa (19), who have put in many years as servers. "Skeeter's is our second home, and we wouldn't have it any other way," shares Tia and Lisa.

George says he is fortunate to have the same managers and head chef for 25 years. “It is a combination of myself having grown up and worked in kitchens and those guys having worked in kitchens at other places and we all get along pretty good,” George says. “I have been very fortunate I have to admit.”

George, who is 65 years old, thought about retiring, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he decided to stay on. “I think I’ll retire in the next few years because I don’t want to be seating people while using a walker,” George jokes. “But for now, we’re having fun. Our restaurant is comfortably casual and we have a great view. We’re right on the water overlooking Lake Huron. We have great sunsets and a really nice patio. The best part about owning this is you have the freedom to make decisions on your own. If it doesn’t work you have nobody to blame but yourself.”