Iconic Indy bar Slippery Noodle Inn has new ownership
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Slippery Noodle Inn, Indiana’s oldest continually-operating bar and an Indy-area icon, is under new ownership for the first time in 60 years.
Ownership of the blues bar downtown at 327 S. Meridian St. changed ownership Thursday, with restaurant industry veterans Jason Amonett and Seth Lothridge taking over for the Yeagy Family.
Amonett and Lothridge plan to “maintain the history of the iconic bar while paying tribute” to Hal and Carol Yeagy, according to a Thursday news release.
Hal Yeagy’s parents purchased the Noodle in 1963. He took over operations in 1985 and ran the bar until passing away from cancer in 2020.
“It is a great honor and pleasure to be able to take over the iconic Slippery Noodle Inn and we are committed to respecting the legacy built by the Yeagy family,” Amonett said. “We have both admired and been patrons of the Noodle for decades. It is an icon in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the Midwest.”
The new owners will collect feedback from employees while putting together a master plan for the Noodle. They hope to bring more live music, add healthier menu options, and expand the spirits selection.
The Slippery Noodle opened as a roadhouse called the Tremont House in 1850. During the Civil War, it was a station on the Underground Railroad. Years later, a bordello opened and remained in operation until 1953, when a customer was killed.
During Prohibition, the Brady and Dillinger gangs used a back building for target practice — some of their bullet slugs still remain embedded in the wall. Liquor and beer were still distilled at the Noodle in the Prohibition years, even though it was illegal.
The brick building on South Meridian Street has undergone a variety of name changes over the years, including Concordia House, Germania House, Moore’s Beer Tavern, and Moore’s Restaurant.
Under the leadership of Hal Yeagy, the Slippery Noodle was transformed from a one-room lunch counter into a premier blues club that’s hosted performers including Buddy Guy and Gregg Allman.
The final details of the purchase will remain confidential.