Commander’s Grill on Boonville, Indiana’s Downtown square, boasts a confident name and atmosphere, inspired by a classy individual who left a remarkable legacy.
Born in 1888 in Boonville, Ralph Downs Weyerbacher graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and later supervised the construction of what would become known as the U.S.S. Shenandoah, a massive zeppelin that was the Navy’s first rigid airship. Weyerbacher was the great-uncle of Julie Reeder, who owns Commander’s Grill with her husband, Mike. “He was a genius,” Mike says of Weyerbacher, whose portrait casts a dignified presence above the restaurant’s wooden bar.
“My great uncle was not only instrumental in building the first rigid airship in the U.S. military but also inspired my dad to want to enlist and fly 77 bomber missions in World War II,” Julie says. “We wanted to let folks know that Boonville’s native son and his nephew had such an impact on aviation history.”
This year marks Commander’s Grill’s 10th anniversary, a milestone the Reeders don’t take for granted. The restaurant honors Weyerbacher’s exceptional story with a menu that the couple and their son, head chef Ben, strive to also make exceptional. Ben Reeder is a product of the culinary arts program at Louisville, Kentucky’s Sullivan University, and he worked for hotels and restaurants in Louisville as well as in Kansas City, Missouri, before coming onboard his parents’ venture in 2016. “I wasn’t going to open without him,” Mike says.
Ben, for his part, jumped at the opportunity. “I knew that we could offer a great product and do it right,” he says. “We may be a little more expensive, but great ingredients simply cost more. We have certainly changed the face of the dining community here.”
Open Wednesday through Sunday, Commander’s Grill prides itself on first-class sandwiches and salads, steak dinners, and much more in a setting that fits both a quiet date or a lively group meal. In all menu offerings, “we use great products, and we don’t skimp,” says Mike, an Alton, Illinois, native who followed Julie back to her native Boonville.
Get things started with the Buffalo chicken meatballs. Surely you’ve heard of Buffalo chicken wings; Commander’s goes in a different direction with these savory, spherical delights paired with celery and either bleu cheese or ranch dressing. More appetizer choices include shrimp cocktail and baked goat cheese dip.
Mike says Commander’s Grill has taken sandwiches seriously from its inception, and none is finer than the Hangar No. 1 Burger, its name a nod to Weyerbacher, whose airship is atop the dinner menu’s design. “It has a bourbon glaze, onion straws, two kinds of cheese, sauteed mushrooms, and a potato bun,” Mike says of Hangar No. 1. “You can get it as a single, but it comes as a double.” Other classic sandwiches cater to many tastes, with the Indiana tenderloin, fried German bologna, and catfish filet among them.
Numerous big salads also come from the Commander’s kitchen. There’s no skimping here, either. “We sell thousands and thousands of salads. It’s crazy,” Mike says. One ingredient is provel cheese, a processed blend of Swiss, provolone, and white cheddar that’s commonly associated with cuisine popular in Saint Louis, Missouri. All of the dressings are made in-house: Pick from ranch, French, Italian, bleu cheese, and honey mustard. Fried chicken, with cole slaw and a roll, also is available for both lunch and dinner.
An evolution at Commander’s Grill has been its steak offerings, an intentional focus, Mike says, with the goal of “distinguishing ourselves among the restaurants that are here now.” Diners can carve into a huge, 14-ounce ribeye, which is served on a wooden plate with pub fries alongside. There’s also a New York strip.
Loyal Commander’s Grill diners know the daily dinner specials by heart, and a signature is the Friday night prime rib. Loosen your belt for this one, as it comes with whipped spuds, grilled asparagus, house salad, and a roll. On Friday nights, “you can’t get in the door most of the time,” Mike says. Other dinner specials are lasagna on Wednesdays, pork tenderloin medallions on Thursdays, and barbecue pork steak on Sundays. To-go orders are welcomed at Commander’s Grill, except during busy Friday and Saturday night hours.
The Reeder family’s formula has worked in Boonville. With a stately ambiance and a deep, high-quality menu, Commander’s Grill has become a go-to place, attracting diners from Evansville and across the Tri-State’s footprint. “Our draw is amazingly large for a little restaurant,” Mike says. “We’re a destination spot. I think the best part about this is we brought something to the community that we didn’t have.”
Julie agrees. “I am grateful that we’ve been able to reach a large demographic and have them visit our little place,” she says. “I always say that we are so happy to see everyone in Commander’s that we know, but are also thrilled when we know no one. We’ve met and made friends with so many fine people in our 10 years here.”
Lasting a decade in a challenging industry is an achievement, the Reeders say, and they hope Commander’s Grill has a long life to go, with Weyerbacher’s story continuing to inspire. “After 10 years,” Mike says, “we are happy to still be here.”
