Our Rich History: White Horse Tavern, a fine dining experience on the ‘Gourmet Strip’

By Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD
Special to NKyTribune

Part 1 of an occasional series about Casual & Fine Dining

The White Horse Tavern in Park Hills, just outside the city limits of Covington, was a Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area dining experience. Located at 1501 Dixie Highway (US 25/42), the White Horse was one of more than a dozen restaurants along what was once called the “Gourmet Strip.”

Other restaurants and clubs along the “Gourmet Strip” included Marshall’s (Park Hills), the Golden Goose (Park Hills), Town and Country (Park Hills), Lookout House (Ft. Wright), Oelsner’s Colonial Tavern (Ft. Wright), Hofbrau Haus (formerly Foltz’s, Ft. Wright), the Hearthstone (Ft. Mitchell), Greyhound Grill (Ft. Mitchell), Retschulte’s Five Mile House (Lakeside Park), Cabana Club (Erlanger), Colonial Cottage (Erlanger), Doc’s Place (Elsmere), the Swan (Elsmere), and Southern Trails (Florence).

Opened in 1936, during the Great Depression, the White Horse Tavern was —geographically — the first restaurant on the “Gourmet Strip” heading south along the Dixie Highway from Covington. Its founder was Ben S. Castleman, Sr. The restaurant began with one small dining room and a gasoline pump outside. Over the next 22 years, Castleman either remodeled or enlarged the restaurant nine times. In 1956, he added the “Keeneland Wing,” accommodating 200 diners.

By 1958, the White Horse employed 20 in the kitchen, 25 servers and hosts, and 4 mixologists. It was known throughout the area for its delicious food, including steaks, chops, fresh Maine lobster, country ham, and fried chicken. The atmosphere was cozy and inviting, featuring a fireplace, knotty pine paneling, and lots of pictures of famous racetracks and American thoroughbred horses. The restaurant opened daily at 11 a.m., closing at 1 a.m. on weekdays, and 2 a.m. on weekends.

Ben Castleman, Sr. loved horses and horse racing. He owned a farm in Lexington that bred horses. Historian James C. Claypool recalls that “Castleman tried to sell one of his horses at the Keeneland sales for $15,000, but to no avail. He received a call from a veterinarian named Hill, who represented some owners in Seattle. They offered $17,500 for the horse, and Castleman accepted. Named Seattle Slew by the new owners, the horse won the Triple Crown in 1977 and was undefeated through the Triple Crown races. Castleman then sold the broodmare who foaled Seattle Slew for $250,000.”

On Wednesday evening, January 26, 1972, fire swept through the White Horse Tavern. All employees and diners escaped safely. Caused by defective wiring, the fire completely destroyed the restaurant. Castleman temporarily relocated the establishment across the street in the old Golden Goose restaurant, but it subsequently closed in September 1972.

In October 1977, Ben Castleman reopened the White Horse at 3041 Dixie Highway, in the Heritage International Shopping Center in Edgewood. Nevertheless, the new White Horse was unable to rebuild its business and closed less than a year after, in June 1978. In April 1983, Ben Castleman, Sr. died. He is buried in Highland Cemetery in Ft. Mitchell .

A bit of the old White Horse Tavern lives on, though. You can still see the iconic white horse statue that stood outside the old restaurant at the Behringer-Crawford Museum in Covington’s Devou Park.

Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD is Editor of the “Our Rich History” weekly series and Professor of History and Gender Studies at Northern Kentucky University (NKU). He can be contacted at tenkottep@nku.edu. Tenkotte also serves as Co-Director of the ORVILLE Project (Ohio River Valley Innovation Library and Learning Enrichment). For more information see https://orvillelearning.org/