By Hayley Robb, Building Kentucky
As you drive down Dixie Highway in Fort Mitchell, you’ll pass by a little white colonial-style house with a wrap-around porch and outdoor garden seating. The looks, alone, may draw you in.
The Greyhound Tavern was recently named ‘Kentucky’s Most Legendary Restaurant’ by MSN. Not surprising is that one of their top menu items is their fried chicken.
The Greyhound was recently purchased by Taylor Mill-based One Holland Restaurant Group, which also owns and operates multiple locations of Skyline Chili, LaRosa’s Pizzeria, First Watch and Dunkin restaurants in the Northern Kentucky, Greater Cincinnati areas as well as Louisville and Lexington.
One Holland purchased the local gem from Butch and Mary Ann Wainscott, who operated the Greyhound with family members for more than three decades.
Like many other ‘legendary’ restaurants in Kentucky, this one has roots that reach many generations. The recognition puts the local eatery right at the top with the rest of Kentucky’s best like Slade’s Miguel’s Pizza, a favorite amongst eastern Kentucky’s nature lovers; Louisville’s English Grill at the Brown Hotel, home of the famous ‘Hot Brown’ sandwich; Shelbyville’s Claudia Sanders Dinner House, the original KFC opened by Colonel Sanders and Owensboro’s oldest spot in town, Old Hickory Bar-B-Q.
Remnants of Grandma’s house with a fireplace and wooden chairs comes to mind as you walk inside the original 1921 building. The Greyhound Tavern was named after an early owner’s brother, who was a successful greyhound dog trainer in Florida. The restaurant was originally known as The Dixie Tea Room.
The historic restaurant traces its success back to its location. Conveniently located at “the end of the line” in Fort Mitchell, it provided easy access for streetcars from Cincinnati and Covington to complete their journey south.
On the menu, you’ll find its ‘World Famous Onion Rings,’ ‘Tavern Meat Loaf,’ and ‘Reuben on Marble Rye.’ The restaurant features dinner specials on the weekends, cocktails and Sunday brunch. For more information on the Greyhound Tavern visit greyhoundtavern.com.
