Photograph by Elizabeth A. Lowry
For 67 years, The Houston Inn operated off State Route 42 in Lebanon, serving up customer favorites like fried chicken, prime rib, liver and onions, and of course, their famous frog legs and 55-item salad bar.
While the inn changed owners several times in the first few years after its 1953 opening, it was largely remembered as “Mayor” Lou and Frances Eves’s place. The couple ran the restaurant for more than five decades until the 2020 pandemic caused them to shut down.
In the years since, it appeared as though the legendary restaurant whose patrons were drawn to it for its hometown, mid-century-supper-club vibe and American fare was all but lost as the building remained vacant.
Fortunately, Bronson Trebbi and his business partner Doug Logeman saw its potential. Trebbi, the CEO of IT consulting firm RDI Corp., has been making his mark restoring and reviving area businesses since 2012, first with Walt’s Hitching Post, then Sorrento’s, King Arthur’s Court, and the 20th Century Theater.
Initially, Trebbi went to look at the property in 2023 as a possible location for another King Arthur’s, then quickly changed his mind.
“As I was walking through the space, I thought, ‘I don’t see a toy store here. I see the Houston Inn,’” he says. “It has a very similar appeal to the community [as] Walt’s, and I recognized that when I first saw the property and thought it would be fun to bring it back and give the community a place to call their own. The Inn had the same layout, square footage, and other similarities [as Walt’s] that gave me confidence there was potential there.”
Extensive renovations meant a longer completion time, and nearly three years and an almost complete gut job later, the Houston Inn reopened its doors in mid-June.
The 10,440-square-foot building is divided between the main dining area and an event room, both of which have their own bars named in honor of the Inn’s past. The main Mayor Lou Bar stretches off to the right of the restaurant, and The Paddock bar anchors the gathering space located inside the Raceway Room, a tribute to the historic Lebanon Raceway.
Photograph by Elizabeth A. Lowry
There are also three smaller rooms available for private parties or dining with names like the Situation Room, the Gambler’s Room, and the Saddle Room. Seven Western-themed murals by the artist Chris Powers adorn the interior.
Trebbi worked with chef Jake Kunkel, previously of MadTree’s Parks & Rec and Hard Rock Café, to create a new menu with nods to the Inn’s past. “We tried to get outside of the box of a traditional steakhouse menu so there are some items on that will surprise people,” he says.
While patrons will recognize comeback items like fried frog legs and hand-cut steaks, new items like the rattle steak burrito, blackened mahi tacos, thick-cut bologna sliders, and “the salad bar salute” (featuring popular items from the original salad bar served charcuterie-style) were added to modernize their offerings while paying homage to the classics.
The restaurant rounds out its menu with items such as scratch-made soups, signature salads, and unique starters; steaks with optional, decadent toppings; fried chicken; and several seafood entrees.
All the years of hard work has seemingly paid off, with Trebbi reporting that patrons have been thrilled to have a fine dining establishment within their neighborhood.
“The biggest surprise is how so many people are hoping we will be a huge success. We want the customers to love The Houston Inn and the experience it can provide,” he says. “Come on in with both an open mind and your fond memories. Hopefully you will feel the warmth and comfort of the refined establishment, while taking in the nostalgia of what once was.”
Houston Inn, 4026 US-42, Lebanon, (513) 701-9012, houstoninn.com
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