Rider’s Inn review: Historic spot proves to be every bit the charming old haunt - The News-Herald
I’m not really a Halloween guy.
I’ll take pictures of my kids in their costumes, tolerate the house decorations the rest of the household insists on and hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. But I’m not getting into costume myself or going out of my way to watch horror films. It’s just not my thing.
That said, when it comes to my 9-and-a-half-year-old salvaging what seem to be the last vestiges of youth, I’m all aboard, Halloween included. So when presented with a recent dinner out with that kid, I suggested Rider’s Inn.
For the uninitiated, Rider’s Inn, on Mentor Avenue in Painesville, is a 200-plus-year-old place that through the years has been a stagecoach stop on the Oregon Trail, a station along the Underground Railroad and a speakeasy during Prohibition. It earned status on the National Register of Historic Places more than 50 years ago.
It also shows up on more than one list of the “most haunted” places in Ohio.
Acquired a little more than a year ago by owner Kaela Alex, the mostly bed-and-breakfast spot recently hung a banner out front that blares, “Restaurant now open.” The sign is positioned next to a two-story-high, scarecrow-skeleton brandishing a large scythe, Grim Reaper-style. It shouldn’t be a surprise that this time of year is a busy season at the inn, which adds seasonal-themed events to its slate of regular live-music nights.
Parking is to the west side and rear of the structure, and there is an entrance to the bar area from the west side. But we saw a lone patron in front, on the street side of the establishment, so that’s where we entered.
Our bartender/server was a bit confused that we were able to use the front entrance. She seemed genuinely surprised that someone had opened a door that normally is locked. It’s the kind of thing a 9-year-old seizes upon: Who, or what, opened that door for us?
Walking in is like taking several steps back in time, Rider’s Inn presenting as a cross between a modern-day Cracker Barrel — knick-knacks on tables perhaps left over from a Halloween event — and a place with real-deal reminders of the past.
There’s a front area, with windows facing Mentor Avenue, that provides a large enough table for bigger groups, and there was one such group when we arrived. Adjacent to that table, there’s a sort-of front room that features a pool table and what could easily be the original fireplace. We took a path around that configuration, sitting at a table in the bar area that, had the front door not mysteriously been opened, we would have originally entered. It was a pretty dark environment. There’s hunter green, paisley-patterned wallpaper all around and a staircase that, presumably, leads to the guest rooms upstairs. There’s a lot of wood, floor-to-ceiling. A flat-screen TV and a modern jukebox are the only giveaways that it’s 2024.
The table we settled into was slanted, although I looked around at the other tables and thought that they all appeared that way — maybe the 200-year old hardwood floor itself was slanted? If I had a tennis ball or something to put down, and it had moved the opposite direction I expected, I wouldn’t have been that shocked. The place has those vibes.
Ownership has definitely leaned into the haunted thing, and, honestly, it’s somewhat difficult to tell where old-timey décor separates itself from seasonal stuff. A menu board — from a different day — featured a BLT that explained it was “bugs, lizards and toads,” while a sign about prohibition behind the bar might very well be from that era.
It’s quirky for sure and maybe a little creepy. And, even as someone not really into Halloween, I loved it.
We weren’t presented with a menu. Our options were whatever the kitchen was cooking that night, billed as daily specials. Our bartender/server did say they could conjure up a chicken tender meal ($7) for my son, and my choices were pretty much a smash burger or a strip steak dinner that I could get with the soup du jour: potato leek. I’ve come to understand that potato leek soup long has been a specialty of the inn, dating back to … who knows how long.And the soup was awesome, flavorful without being too salty and with a good ratio of broth to vegetables. My steak dinner ($22.99) consisted of a thin cut of beef, topped with caramelized onions and served aside mashed potatoes and butter-sauced corn. It wasn’t a fancy-steakhouse meal — much more something my grandmother would feed me as a child — but it was delicious and satisfying. I was particularly impressed that, for as thin a cut as it was, it was cooked to the perfect medium I had requested. The corn and potatoes were great complements. It was just an overall great dish with a distinctly homemade feel.
My son’s chicken tenders, which came with fries, were also very good. Three decent-sized pieces of tender chicken fried to a perfect crispiness. Without a printed menu, I didn’t know how much anything would cost when we ordered it. It had not been mentioned. Honestly, I didn’t feel the need to know.
I do know that when the cook came out to check on our meals, my son asked her, “Is this place haunted?” She replied, “Absolutely.” She was about the nicest person you could meet, and she told him that if he cleaned his plate, she’d bring out dessert for the both of us. That, too, hit the spot, brownie-type pieces of cake of two varieties.
I also know that I was pretty surprised when we got the check. My kid’s impromptu chicken tenders with fries must have been a kids meal of sorts because they didn’t charge for his drink. A Goose Island IPA was a very reasonable $4.50. The desserts, which we both enjoyed, were missing from the bill. My kid can be cute, but he’s not free-dessert cute. And there was a $3 discount applied at the end, which might have been a happy hour thing? I couldn’t believe our check came out to $34. It felt like a Halloween miracle.
Rider’s Inn may or may not actually be haunted. A certain very happy 9-and-a-half-year-old is convinced that it is. Regardless, the food, environment and friendly staff make it a very cool, fun place not to be missed.
Maybe even if you’re not into Halloween,
Reviews are based on one anonymous visit to a restaurant.
Rider’s Inn
792 Mentor Ave.
Painesville
440-354-8200
Location: North side of Mentor Avenue just west of Chestnut Street.
Type of restaurant: Bed and breakfast/tavern.
Hours: 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday; 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday; 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; closed Sunday.
Liquor and wine: Full bar.
Facilities for the handicapped: Yes.
Credit cards: All major.
Cuisine: Traditional American.
Vegetarian: Some options.
Special diets: Ask about dietary preferences.
Kid-friendliness: Kids options, family-friendly.
Outdoor dining: Yes.
Dress code: Casual.
Reservations: Accepted.
Wi-Fi: Yes.
Online ordering: No.
Delivery: No.
Prices: Very affordable.
Value: Excellent.
Ratings (of five):
Food: 4.5.
Atmosphere: 4.5.
Service: 5.