Indiana’s Oldest Bar
By Duncan
A place that serves food can be called a restaurant, cafeteria, or dining room. If 'Da-Place' also serves alcohol, it could be referred to as a bar, inn, tavern, watering hole, or even a dive. The Slippery Noodle has also been called a Hotel, Roadhouse, Speakeasy, and Brothel.
People have lived and died at this location. There have been shootouts, some walking away, and some outlaws being carried out of the building on a Coroner's stretcher. Even John Dillinger left his mark behind. Shot-gun blasts and bullets are still embedded in the walls.
On Friday, I finally made the trip to the Slippery Noddle Inn.
As some of you know, I will travel miles to experience a “Mom and Pop.” I also look for old restaurants that have been in business for years. They have stood the test of time and are still going strong—there is history behind their shingles.
According to the National Restaurant Association, only 20% of new restaurants are still in business after five years. It’s said that 60% fail the first year.
I have a Mom and Pop right under my nose that I've never visited. A “joint” called The Slippery Noodle Inn is just four blocks south of downtown Indianapolis. Its location is incredibly convenient. It is close to all the attractions in downtown Indianapolis.
Lucus Oil Stadium. (Indianapolis Colts - Football - 67,000 - 70,000 seats.)
Gainbridge Field House (Indiana Pacers - Basketball - 18,000 seats.)
Victory Field - (Baseball - 14,200 seats).
Indiana Convention Center (566,000 Sq Ft - Gen Con - 70,000 attendees.)
In Indianapolis's mile square, 30,000 people live in apartments, condos, or single-family dwellings. Downtown Indianapolis has a unique lifestyle.
To provide some background, I opened the door to the Slippery Noodle Inn many years ago. It was late at night, but I didn’t go in. Perhaps I was intimidated by this very small bar, or was it the many people in a limited space?
I hesitated, stepped back, and closed the door. Standing on the street, I looked at the front door, unsure why I hesitated. Perhaps it just wasn’t my night. The bar was incredibly loud, filled beyond capacity with more people than it could hold, like fifteen college guys trying to cram into a phone booth. Everyone was elbow to elbow, laughing and drinking—large men with beer bellies, ball caps, and tattoos. I admit it; the crowd made me uncomfortable. Normally, I wouldn’t have noticed, but I must have been stone-cold sober.
Last Friday, I visited The Slippery Noodle Inn with my friends, who call themselves "The G-5." We all worked at the same Savings and Loan in the late 1980s. We decided to have lunch to reminisce about the "Good Old Times." We meet at a different restaurant each month, allowing each member to choose the location. It was my turn to select the venue for our December gathering.
Google Streets and Maps
The issue with the Slippery Noodle Inn is the parking situation. It’s located downtown; unfortunately, we could not find any free parking. I regret choosing this place, as there is no free parking option.
Across the street, there were two large parking lots. One was located on the south side of South Street, while the other was on the north side. The south parking lot featured a shack where an attendant would typically be stationed to collect payment. Each lot had a prominent sign indicating that it cost $5.00 to park. I decided to try the south lot first, but unfortunately, the shack was unattended. There was a heavy padlock on the door, suggesting that the attendant was not inside. It seemed likely that he would only be in the shack if there was a basement beneath it.
The warning signs are everywhere: "No Overnight Parking.” “Don’t pay, and you will be towed.” “We have multiple cameras watching you.” ‘We know where you live, and we will come for you and your children if you don’t pay.” Use your phone and follow the instructions on the QR Code on the side of the building. NOW!!
I have no idea what a QR code is, and I have never used one. However, I definitely didn’t want “Mean Yellow” to be towed, so I asked my Samsung S-24 cell phone, “What is a QR code?” The answer came back quickly: it stands for "Quick Response code."
I was unsure about what to do next. I knew I needed to take a picture, but that didn’t work. I tried holding my phone both close to the QR code and a little farther away. Suddenly, something changed. I must have pressed a button, and a menu appeared on my screen. It turned out to be the Dennison Parking Lot Application. I followed the prompts, and the first step was to enter my license plate number.
I had to walk back to my car to look at my license plate and then enter the number into a field on the application. After that, it requested my first name, last name, email address, phone number, military ID number, chow card, and vaccination record. Then, it asked for my credit card number, expiration month, and expiration year. Finally, it wanted the security code on the back of my credit card. At this point, I started feeling nervous.
I checked my cell phone screen and saw the parking fee: $5.00, with an additional $2.00 service charge for using my credit card, bringing the total to $7.00. Standing in the parking lot, my hands were cold, the wind was blowing, and I felt completely frozen. There was no way to pay with cash!
This is absolutely frustrating. I've gone through all the steps required, and I dislike this process immensely. Now I'm being charged a 40% surcharge—this is ridiculous. I decided to cancel my application, got into my car, and drove to the parking lot on the north side of South Street.
Google Streets and Maps
I noticed that there are significantly more cars in the north parking lot compared to the south lot. Is there a reason for this difference? What are the parking rules? When a restaurant's parking lot is full, it usually indicates something positive—good food, excellent service, and reasonable prices. Why didn't I consider this before deciding to park in the south lot? I'm not sure.
In the north parking lot, there is a charge card machine that resembles a small gray mailbox next to the shack, as can be seen in the picture. Once again, there was no attendant present in the shack. However, the process of paying for parking was much simpler. You just enter your license plate number into the machine, insert your credit card into the slot, and you're all set. I also noticed several cameras monitoring my every move. The signage in this lot was less intimidating than that in the south lot, as it did not threaten to pursue my children if I failed to pay.
I tucked my credit card back into my wallet, put my hands in my pockets, and assumed my usual defensive stance against the typical Indiana weather—with my neck buried under my collar. The wind was blowing, and it was cold. I pulled my head down into my coat to shield myself from the chill. I refer to this winter position as “not having a neck.”
The Slippery Noodle Inn - Meridian and South Street, Indianapolis.
There it was, across the street. I’m going in and have lunch. I pulled on the door, but it didn’t open. A sign on the door: “The Door Sticks—Pull Hard.”
You have to go back to 1850 when it all began. At that time, there was just a bar and a few chairs. While this photograph was taken in recent years, it shows the original size of the bar, which has been in operation for 174 years. The bar and back bar are made from Tiger Oak and are believed to be over 100 years old.
It’s common knowledge in Indianapolis that the Slippery Noodle has been around for a long time. It’s now known as a Blues Bar. Live Blues music every night.
When the building was constructed, it was originally designed as a roadhouse named The Tremont House, featuring a bar downstairs and sleeping rooms upstairs. Over the years, the property changed hands multiple times and was renamed.
1885 - The Tremont House
1860 - Concordia House
1990 - Germania House - German Club
1914 - Becks Saloon - Louis Beck
1935 - Moore’s Beer Tavern - Walter Moore
1940 - Boris’ Place - Boris Petercheff
1962 - Boris’ Place - Emelia Finehout
1963 - The Slippery Noodle Inn - Harold and Lorean Yeagy
2020 - The Slippery Noddle Inn - Son Hal Yeagy
2023 - The Slippery Noddle Inn - Jason Amonett & Sean Lothridge
DUNCAN - AARON KOENIG - GEORGE BURCH - ROBERT (BOB) CHEEK
As we settled into our seats, we asked Christian (our mid-twenties - male waiter) several questions about the place. First, he was extremely knowledgeable about the menu. And he had a couple of interesting stories.
“What is the most ordered food item at the Noddle?”
“Chicken wings, Pizza, Burgers. In that order.”
Aaron ordered a bowl of chili, George ordered the Reuben, and I ordered the French onion soup and a triple club. Bob wasn’t hungry, so I offered him a quarter of my club. “Well, okay!”
We asked Christian to take our picture as he returned to our table.
Christian was very helpful. “Over the years, the building has had an interesting cast of characters. Christian asked if we were aware that the place has ghosts?”
That comment caught Aaron’s attention.
Aaron: “Ghosts? What kind of Ghosts?”
We all looked over at Aaron; the tone in Aaron’s voice expressed alarm, concern, fear, and speculation.
“Simmer down, Aaron. We've got you covered.”
I encouraged Christian to tell us the story.
There have apparently been multiple encounters, and it seems that the staff who work here are aware of “who” the ghosts are.
“Is there more than one ghost?”
"You will make your own decision after hearing the stories. There is a presence of someone who may have been a maintenance worker or caretaker, and it appears he lingers in the area. I've heard that he resides in the basement and is often seen wearing a pair of overalls. His name is George."
I looked at Aaron, and he was all ears.
“Have you (Christian) seen this “George?”
“I’ve never been in the basement, but I’ve heard George stays down there. He apparently scares the delivery drivers who are supposed to bring the beer kegs and deliver them to the basement. One driver was told to put the beer in the basement, and when he flipped on the light, he found George right in front of him. He was shaken by the encounter and said he would never deliver to the Noodle again. I have no idea if George is really in the basement, but that’s what I’ve been told.”
“Christian, would you go down in the basement?”
“I don’t believe a person named ‘George’ is in the basement.”
“You didn’t answer my question. Would you go down in the basement?”
Christian smiled, hesitated, and asked, “You guys need anything?”
“So, Christian, do you have any other ghost stories?”
"Well, other ghosts are wandering around, including a sex worker who was killed while on duty. At least, that’s what I have been told. This place has also housed slaves seeking freedom as they came from the south, as well as a cowboy who lost his life after being stabbed over a 'Lady of the Evening.'"
"Is the cowboy walking around, or is the 'Lady of the Evening' taking a stroll?"
“I don’t know, I’m told it’s the cowboy?”
“But you have not seen George or the cowboy?”
“No, I have not personally seen the spirits.”
Well, I didn’t realize it would be this much fun. By the way, they have several dining rooms separate from the original bar area. But you have to walk through the bar to get to the dining rooms in the back. I looked over at Aaron and warned him to be careful when leaving the building and don't bump into sex workers or cowboys.
Aaron: “That’s not funny.”
DUNCAN
LEAVING THE SLIPPERY NODDLE INN
LOOKING BACK AS WE WALK OUT THE DOOR
