A steakhouse that lets you swap a baked potato for a pile of spaghetti beside your ribeye? That one detail had me hooked.
The dining room manager has even said it’s a combo you rarely find anywhere else.
The building helps too. It stood around 1900 and once held a furniture store.
Today it holds hardwood floors, cozy booths, and an old back bar rescued from a long-gone neighborhood tavern.
I like how this Indiana spot feels dressed up without acting fancy. The lasagna stacks six layers of meat and cream sauce.
Plates come out big enough that to-go boxes are basically part of the meal plan.
Then there’s a patio with twinkling lights and a fountain. I can’t imagine a better place to linger over a slow, made-to-order dinner.
A Tavern Grew Up and Learned to Cook Like an Italian Grandma
Smitty’s Italian Steakhouse didn’t start out as a white-napkin kind of place. Until 2010, it mostly ran as a tavern serving pizza and burgers on Evansville’s West Side.
Then Executive Chef Romie Kimbrell had a bigger idea. He suggested adding pasta dishes and other Italian favorites to the lineup.
That nudge changed everything. The restaurant became a full-scale, made-from-scratch kitchen, and it now stands as a major player on the West Franklin Street dining scene.
Brothers Jim and Jerry Chandler own the place. They know this street well, since they’ve also owned the Gerst Bavarian Haus nearby since 1998.
Kimbrell has worked with the Chandlers for about two decades. That kind of long partnership usually shows up in the details, from the sauces to the steady menu.
I love a comeback story that involves lasagna. Most taverns stay taverns forever, and that’s fine, but this one took a real swing.
Knowing the backstory makes a meal here feel a little more personal. You’re eating the result of one chef’s pitch and two brothers saying yes.
Plenty of Indiana restaurants have long histories. Few can say their identity flipped this dramatically, this successfully, in the last fifteen years or so.
The Name Came With a Bar Attached
Here’s a fun one for trivia night. There was no chef or founder named Smitty behind this restaurant at all.
The name comes from an old bar that once sat at the corner of Franklin and Main streets. When the Chandlers bought that bar’s back bar, they kept the name too.
So the big wooden piece behind the counter isn’t just decoration. It’s a real chunk of Evansville history that moved down the road and found a new home.
I believe furniture like that carries a kind of memory. Think of all the conversations, celebrations, and ordinary Tuesday nights it has already witnessed.
Saving it was a smart move. New restaurants spend fortunes trying to fake that kind of character, and here it’s the genuine article.
It also gives the dining room a natural focal point. Your eyes go straight to it, and the room feels anchored by something solid and lived-in.
When you visit, take a minute to look closely at the craftsmanship. Older bars were built with care because they were meant to last for generations.
Not many places can say their name and their centerpiece arrived together. That’s a pretty charming package deal for one steakhouse.
Furniture Store Bones, Dinner Party Soul
Long before anyone ordered veal piccata here, people shopped for furniture. The building dates back to around 1900, and that furniture store closed in 1971.
Around 2000, it reopened as a bar. Today those old walls wrap around a dining room with well-used hardwood floors and intimate booths.
The lighting stays low and warm. It’s the kind of glow that makes you lower your voice a little and lean in across the table.
The overall mood lands somewhere between elegant and easygoing. You can show up for a celebration or a plain old weeknight and fit right in.
Those booths are a big draw for special occasions. Anniversaries, birthdays, and date nights all suit a cozy corner seat with a little privacy.
I like that the floors look like they’ve earned their scuffs. A century-old building shouldn’t pretend to be brand new.
This mix of history and comfort is a big reason the place feels different from chain steakhouses. Nothing here looks pulled from a corporate design catalog.
If you enjoy old buildings, look up at the room’s shape and size. Picture the sofas and dressers that once filled this same space.
Steak With a Side of Spaghetti? Yes, Please
Most steakhouses hand you a potato and call it a day. Smitty’s Italian Steakhouse lets you pair your steak with spaghetti or fettuccine instead.
Dining Room Manager Katie Altman has pointed out that this option is uncommon elsewhere. Honestly, once you hear it, you’ll wonder why everyone doesn’t do it.
The steaks themselves are USDA Choice. They come from corn-fed Midwestern beef and get a butter dipping sauce for seasoning.
Ribeye ranks as a top seller. The porterhouse and sirloin also show up on the menu for folks who like options.
Every plate is made to order. That means the kitchen puts quality ahead of speed, so settle in and enjoy the conversation.
Here’s a practical tip. If you can’t choose between steakhouse and Italian, this is the one place that won’t make you pick.
Spaghetti comes with marinara or meat sauce, which adds another layer of decision-making. Choose wisely, or bring a friend and share.
It’s a smart, simple twist that captures the whole personality of the restaurant. One plate, two traditions, zero arguments at the table.
Six Layers Deep and Worth Every Forkful
Six layers. That’s how the homemade baked lasagna is built, stacked with meat and cream sauce.
It’s one of the signature dishes, and it fits the restaurant’s whole philosophy. The kitchen leans on handmade and farm-fresh traditions with simple ingredients done well.
The Italian side of the menu goes way beyond lasagna. You’ll find chicken and veal Marsala, chicken and veal Parmigiana, veal piccata, and manicotti.
Rigatoni ala vodka sauce is there for creamy pasta fans. Grouper Parmigiana gives seafood lovers a fun twist on a classic.
Portions run generous, so plenty of diners ask for to-go boxes. Plan for tomorrow’s lunch before you even open the menu.
My advice? Order the dish that sounds most comforting, not the one that sounds most impressive.
This is food meant to fill you up and make you happy. Nobody needs tiny drizzles and foam when a hearty Parmigiana is sitting right there.
That’s the real secret behind the no-fuss value. Big, made-from-scratch plates in a handsome old room make the bill feel very fair for this corner of Indiana.
Starters That Could Pass for a Whole Meal
Garlic cheese bread kicks things off the right way. From there, the appetizer list gets wonderfully long.
Fried pickles, breaded mushrooms, and cauliflower bites all make an appearance. Italian meatballs and toasted cannelloni bites keep the theme going strong.
Then the menu wanders a bit, in a good way. Potato skins, chicken wings, zucchini sticks, and crab rangoon share space with mozzarella marinara and calamari fritti.
Jalapeno mac and cheese bites might be the wildest crossover. They feel like the tavern days waving hello from the past.
Not in the mood for a full entree? The sandwich and burger lineup covers you too.
Options include a tenderloin, stromboli, a steak sandwich, a pork cutlet sandwich, and Smitty’s roast beef. The bacon cheddar spread burger and sourdough burger round things out.
Here’s a smart plan for groups. Order a few starters for the table, then decide how hungry everyone really is.
Given the generous portions, you might discover dinner already happened. That’s not a failure, just good strategy at a place that cooks this much food.
Twinkle Lights and a Fountain Out Back
Some patios are just a few tables by the parking lot. This one feels more like a small escape.
Twinkling lights hang overhead, and a fountain sits right in the center. Lush foliage surrounds the space, giving it a tucked-away, secluded feeling.
It’s a guest favorite for alfresco dining, and it’s easy to see why. Who wouldn’t want pasta under string lights with water splashing nearby?
I believe a fountain changes the whole mood of a meal. The sound covers street noise and makes everything feel calmer.
Warm Indiana evenings are made for a setup like this. Spring and early fall seem like the sweet spots for lingering outside.
Since the food is cooked to order, the patio suits a slower pace. Let the evening stretch a little.
It also works beautifully for date nights. The lights do half the romantic work for you, which is a nice bonus.
If outdoor seating matters to you, ask about it when you arrive. Then grab a seat, look up at those lights, and let the fountain handle the soundtrack.
Jazz Sundays, Party Rooms, and Room for Dessert
Once a month, Sunday gets a soundtrack. Smitty’s Italian Steakhouse hosts jazz nights, which adds a smooth, old-school vibe to dinner.
It pairs nicely with the historic room and low lighting. Live music plus a big Italian plate sounds like a very good way to end a weekend.
Planning something bigger? There’s a dedicated party space right next to the main dining room.
That setup works well for birthdays, anniversaries, rehearsal dinners, or family reunions. Your group gets its own room without leaving the restaurant’s atmosphere behind.
Now, about dessert. Tiramisu, bread pudding with praline sauce, and Italian cream cake all appear on the sweet side of things.
Bread pudding with praline sauce feels especially fitting for a cozy night. It’s warm, rich, and very hard to share fairly.
My tip is simple. Save one corner of your appetite, even if the lasagna is begging you to finish it.
Or box the entree and eat dessert now. Nobody’s grading you, and leftovers taste great the next day anyway.
Make a Whole Evening of the Franklin Street Scene
Finding it is easy. The address is 2109 W Franklin St, Evansville, IN 47712, near St. Joe Avenue on the city’s West Side.
That puts you right in the busy Franklin Street district. The area is packed with restaurants, bars, and local shops along a lively stretch.
The Chandler brothers own a little cluster here. Gerst Bavarian Haus sits across the street, and Sportsman’s Grille and Billiards is part of the family too.
Nearby, you’ll find Honey Moon Coffee West Side for a morning pick-me-up. Walther’s Golf and Fun offers mini golf energy for families.
The Franklin Street Bazaar is another fun stop when it’s running. It’s a great way to see the neighborhood’s personality up close.
Plan around the hours before you go. The restaurant opens at 11 a.m.
Tuesday through Sunday and closes on Mondays.
Fridays and Saturdays run until 10 p.m. Other open days wrap up at 9 p.m.
Pair dinner with a stroll or a round of mini golf, and suddenly it’s a full Indiana outing. Not bad for a place that started with burgers and pizza.
