If you aren’t a House of Como regular, it might be hard to imagine that some of the region’s best dining exists in a mostly desolate area of South Kentucky Avenue inside a flat, white, brick building that doesn’t look the part. Christmas decorations are up all year. Customer bills are paid by cash or check. There’s no website, and only occasionally do owners make social media posts.
But legions of fans know the truth: They keep coming back for steaks, seafood, chicken, and Mediterranean delicacies. House of Como has done its own thing its own way for decades, and the upscale menu, unpretentious ambiance, and quirks have kept it a food
scene favorite.
Libby Hage says diners know what they’re getting at House of Como. “You don’t fix what’s not broken,” states Hage, whose late father, George, opened House of Como’s original location up the street in 1960. He died in 2004, with his wife, Martha, taking over ownership.
With a menu influenced by George’s Lebanese heritage, diners quickly are reminded what makes House of Como special. Start with the Arabian salad: It comes in a giant bowl, is coated with lemon, mint, and garlic dressing, and pairs perfectly with a big, buttered slice of flatbread.
Follow that with crispy Lyonnaise potatoes with caramelized onions — as with the salad, this is shareable depending on appetite. Dinner options include a shish kabob, a foot-long helping of perfectly cooked beef, onion, pepper, and tomato that, upon arrival at your table, is pulled from its skewer by the waitstaff. Another popular choice is pork chops. Underscoring House of Como’s commitment to the best service, don’t be surprised if a chef emerges from the kitchen to ask how you wanted your chops prepared.
Hage says djage (baked chicken with rice) is a popular Arabian dish, and lamb chops and all of the steaks sell well. A signature seafood item is shrimp ala Como, which comes with rice or pasta. There’s no need to drive to a larger city for a good shrimp cocktail — House of Como has you covered. Mediterranean cravings are satisfied by adena Italian chicken, butter chicken, lasagna, and ravioli.
Filling up on entrees may leave customers struggling to find room for dessert, but make space, you should: Bread pudding with whiskey sauce, cheesecake, baklava, and chocolate molten lava cake await. House of Como has a full bar available to complete your meal. A great restaurant requires skilled kitchen staff, and House of Como diners have enjoyed the work of beloved server Robin Bentley since 2000 and head chef Tyrone Patton since 2011.
Hage, who manages the restaurant, and her mother proudly carry on George’s tradition. After establishing Roca Bar on South Kentucky Avenue in 1953, he opened House of Como on the same street in 1960. It moved to its current spot in 1969 after a fire at its first home. Its iconic sign facing the street features knocked-out lettering, but the restaurant seems in no hurry to replace or upgrade the sign; long-time diners, after all, know where they’re going. Owners also aren’t rushing to rethink their cash-only approach. It’s seldom an issue, Hage says, even with no ATM onsite. A sign taped to the front door states the policy.
The late Dick Engbers, the acclaimed former Evansville Civic Theatre director, was among House of Como’s most loyal regulars. “It’s unique, it’s special, it’s friendly,” Engbers told Evansville Living before he passed away on Nov. 8. “The menu is quite extensive for everyone and everyone’s pocketbook. But most of all, it’s family where we enjoy Christmas all year long. I have been going to Como for over 30 years, and every Thursday night for over 20. It’s home, with the best steaks you’ll ever eat.”
That Christmas season vibe is part of House of Como’s kitschy appeal. Santa Claus figures and images dot the inside and even outside, and holiday lights gleam above the bar. The story behind the decor is meaningful for the Hage family, and it speaks to why they operate House of Como as they do. George, born in 1919 in Chicago, Illinois, to Lebanese parents, served in World War II’s Battle of the Bulge and spent six months in a Nazi prison camp. “He said, if he got out alive, he would celebrate every day like it was Christmas,” his daughter says. “That’s the story behind the Santas. Some people think it’s quirky, but it doesn’t bother me. … They don’t know the true meaning of it.”
Hage says House of Como’s next chapter involves continuing the traditions of delicious food established by her father and honoring his memory by making every day a celebration. No changes of menu or ownership are on the horizon, she says, referring again to her philosophy that what’s not broken doesn’t need to be fixed. Like Bentley, and like her mother, “As long as I can wake up every day,” Hage says, “I’ll be here.”
Editor’s note: Dick Engbers passed away Nov. 8, 2025, as this issue went to press.
