INDIANAPOLIS — The oldest bar in Indiana is under new ownership.
The Slippery Noodle Inn, established in 1850, is now under the ownership of Jason Amonett and Sean Lothridge, who say they plan to maintain the history of the bar and pay tribute to the bar’s former owners, Hal and Carol Yeagy.
The Yeagy family bought the bar in 1963, and Hal took over in 1985. He ran the bar for nearly 40 years, before passing away from cancer in 2020.
Amonett and Lothridge say they’ll take the next few weeks to evaluate all aspects of the business in creating their new game plan. The men say they want to introduce more live music, healthier food, and expand the alcohol selection.
A statement from the new owners:
“It is a great honor and pleasure to be able to take over the iconic Slippery Noodle Inn and we are committed to respecting the legacy built by the Yeagy family,” said Jason Amonett, co-owner of Slippery Noodle Inn. “We have both admired and been patrons of the Noodle for decades. It is an icon in Indianapolis, Indiana and the Midwest.”
“We think it’s important to listen to the staff and see what ideas they have,” said Sean Lothridge, co-owner of Slippery Noodle Inn. “As friends of Hal’s, we take on this responsibility with great pride.”
The Slippery Noodle originally opened as a roadhouse called the Tremont House, and served as a station for the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. The bar was also a brothel until 1953, when two customers got into a fight over a woman, and one of the men stabbed the other to death and left the knife in the bar. The city of Indianapolis decided to put the brothel activities to rest.
During the Prohibition Era, the Brady and Dillinger gangs used the back brick wall of the Slippery Noodle for target practice – a bullet slug is still embedded in the wall. Alcohol was hidden inside the bar, and the gangs would use the bar as a hideout.
LISTEN TO THE WIBC SPECIAL REPORT “A BAR FOR THE AGES”, ORIGINALLY AIRED IN 2021:
