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Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Dinner and a View

Hungry patrons searching for freshly fried chicken and slow-cooked ribs flock to the Overlook Restaurant, located on a picturesque bluff in Leavenworth, Indiana.

The aptly named restaurant — about a 90-minute drive from Evansville — is situated above the horseshoe-shaped bend in the Ohio River. The high vantage point of the eatery provides vistas for miles around.

“It’s the view that gets people. We have people who will drive for three hours to visit,” says Karen Haverstock, owner of the Overlook Restaurant.

Currently, Haverstock and her staff are in the midst of their busiest season.

Haverstock, who has owned the restaurant since 2010, said she works to maintain a fun, family atmosphere at the historic Crawford County restaurant while serving up made-to-order dishes.

The dining establishment dates back to 1948 when it was just a grocery store and filling station. According to the restaurant’s website, a Greyhound bus station was added and the traffic really began to pick up. Not long after tourists and passersby started calling it the “Overlook” and the name stuck. Flash forward several decades and a half dozen owners and visitors will see a restaurant that has stayed true to its humble beginnings.

Haverstock bought the restaurant when she heard the previous owners were thinking about closing down the local eatery.

“We’ve lived in Marengo all our lives. I hated to see it close, and I thought it would be a challenge,” she says.
Haverstock, along with her son Brandon, who is a part owner, said their staff has given special attention to redeveloping the menu — including many items made from scratch.

“We make our own chicken cordon bleu. We slow cook our ribs for hours in a slow cooker. We make our own pizza sauce,” she says.

The restaurant also offers a daily special featuring a fresh catch of the day. Some of the most popular items on the menu are the made-to-order fried chicken and fresh fish special.

The restaurant has three dining rooms and can seat 225 on the upper level. Down below, diners will find Walter’s Pub, which offers pizza and a variety of other foods. Guests are welcome to sit on the expansive patio and take in the panoramic views.

For more information about the Overlook Restaurant, visit theoverlook.com.

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