Smokehouse & saloon
The Old Kettle Saloon
Looks like a dive from the parking lot. Isn't. Over a thousand reviews and a 4.7 average say the people of Wabash have already settled this argument.
The Old Kettle is a short drive west of downtown and it is, by review count, the most-loved kitchen in Wabash by a considerable distance. The building doesn't sell it. Multiple people have written some version of “looks like a dive outside, but” — and then gone on at length about the food.
What to order
Friday night ribs are the headline and they are smoked properly. The macaroni and cheese gets called the best some reviewers have had in any restaurant, which is a large claim made often enough to take seriously. Sidewinder fries are thick and unusual, the bison burger is real, the chili is worth starting with, and the pulled pork nachos are a meal on their own.
One consistent note across reviews: the fries run a touch salty. Everything else lands.
Why it matters for a show night
Two reasons. First, it is open Sunday, when much of downtown is closed. Second, the kitchen runs until 11 on weeknights and midnight Friday and Saturday — which makes it one of the few places in Wabash that can feed you properly after a late curtain, if a cocktail bar isn't what you want.
It is not a walk from the theatre, though. Plan on driving the mile or so back into town.
Worth knowing
- Closed Mondays.
- Sunday opens at 10, earlier than almost anywhere else in town.
- Long-time locals may still call it Harry's Old Kettle — same place.