The Oldest Restaurant In Indiana Once Served Abraham Lincoln

Up and down the East Coast, you'll find dozens of places that claim, "George Washington slept here." It's a little more rare to find records of where and what our founding fathers ate or drank, especially in the Midwest. However, the Log Inn in Haubstadt, Indiana, is one of the few to earn those bragging rights after serving a meal to Abraham Lincoln in 1844.

At the time, Lincoln had already served his term in the Illinois state legislature and was campaigning to support Henry Clay's unsuccessful run for president. On his way home from Evansville, he stopped for a meal at what was then the Noon Day Stage Coach Stop and Trading Post, where drivers stopped to change horses along the main route between Evansville and Vincennes. Established in 1825, the restaurant was already a fixture in the community, and it has been officially recognized as the oldest in Indiana. While historians have compiled the favorite foods of every U.S. president, there's no record of what Lincoln ate at this meal, but diners who want to walk in the footsteps of Lincoln and eat a meal where he did, too, can choose from many traditional entrees.

If you're making a reservation, note that the name of the restaurant has changed to the Log Inn, a type of building often associated with the 16th president — in fact, the name of Log Cabin syrup was inspired by Abraham Lincoln. The old stagecoach stop has also added on and installed some modern conveniences. However, part of the interior looks nearly the same as it did when Lincoln dined there, including one room that features the original log walls and chinking he would have seen during his meal. The Log Inn doesn't appear to serve alcohol, which would have been just fine for the president who mostly avoided alcohol.

Order up a generous plate of family-style chicken, ham, or beef, and take a look around. The rooms are decorated with many photographs of Lincoln and some artifacts from the time, including farm tools. You can also spot a special plaque claiming that the restaurant's stone cellar was used as an underground hiding place for enslaved people escaping to the north– showing that their paths crossed with the president who championed their freedom.