The Old Indiana Bar That Allegedly Served Historical Figures Like Al Capone

Al Capone is famous for a lot of things — but perhaps lesser-known as a gourmand and avid traveler. When the New-York-native crime boss was in his home base of Chicago, Capone was a well-known regular at the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge. Elsewhere across the U.S., Capone was also a patron of The Ohio Club (Arkansas' oldest bar), where a life-sized statue of the mobster still sits on a bench just outside the restaurant's doors. But, just east of Capone's Illinois lies Indiana — and during his travels, he was pulling up a barstool at the Knickerbocker Saloon.

The Hoosier State is home to more than a few gastronomic historical hotspots. The oldest restaurant in Indiana once served Abraham Lincoln. In similar fashion, the Knickerbocker Saloon has been serving the Lafayette community for nearly 200 years, making it the oldest bar in the state of Indiana .

Knickerbocker received the first liquor license in the state ("the first place to allow patrons to legally drink in Hoosier territory," as the Knickerbocker Saloon's official website puts it) back in 1835, when the joint was still known as the Gault House Tavern. Capone himself wouldn't be born for another 64 years. Its current name didn't arrive until 1874, after a brief stint as the "Cherry Wood Bar" during the 1850s and '60s. 

In addition to Al Capone, other famous Knickerbocker Saloon patrons over the years have included Mark Twain, Neil Armstrong, John Purdue of Purdue University, and President Ulysses S. Grant. In a 1982 article from local Lafayette newspaper the Journal and Courier, then-proprietor Rick Wheeler expounds that Knickerbocker Saloon cemented its place in the community thanks to its focus on music. During the mid-1800s, bars and music venues didn't share the linkage they do now. "If you went to what you would call a saloon back then," says Wheeler, "there was no entertainment, just a bunch of bar hogs — rowdy and gambling — maybe a girl singing with a piano."

In fact, the name "Knickerbocker" was originally inspired by a piano of the same name; the saloon was the first place in the area to have one, and the music was a major crowd magnet. Today, the saloon keeps its musical reputation alive and thriving with regular live jazz and rock performances. The Knickerbocker Saloon added a dedicated performance room in 1981 — during which time the saloon's original, ornate pressed tin ceiling was uncovered and restored.  Modern fans can swing by the saloon to catch live piano music every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, plus karaoke on Mondays. The bar even sponsors the annual Lafayette Uptown Jazz and Blues Festival. 

The Knickerbocker Saloon has been serving patrons on the same iconic, thick walnut and cherry bartop since 1891. The bar has held down the same location at 113 N. 5th St. since 1835, and remains open from 4:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. every day. A sign outside the saloon promises "Lafayette's home for conversation and libation" — a timeless formula.

Inside, the saloon houses a fully-stocked bar with cocktail ingredients, a sprawling wine list, and more than 80 different beers. Vintage lighting fixtures, that classic tin ceiling, and wooden detailing throughout preserve the saloon's history. Yelp reviews rave, "The place is great. Good drinks, good beer selection, friendly (if seriously busy) bartenders, decent patio and fantastic inside seating. The decor is wonderful — love the belt-driven fans and the tin ceiling." Other patrons praise the saloon's dedication to service and ambiance: "Old school speakeasy vibe. Live piano player taking requests. Plenty of bartenders. Great old woodwork throughout. I could stay there forever." When patrons get hungry, they can have food delivered for free from Digby's Pub nearby. Its offerings include a variety of mac and cheese dishes and specialty burgers such as the Jalapeño Popper Burger and the Pickle Rick, which is topped with sriracha aioli and fried pickles.

In 2019, owner Jeff Harmann posted an update on Tripadvisor. "Our 'Upscale but not Uptight' bar has recently undergone a floor to ceiling renovation which includes new booths, furnishings, paint, windex & polish," it read. "The Knickerbocker looks & smells great. (No more Staleness from past years as a smoking bar)." We might call it panache, or piety to the past, but we digress ... breathe deep and imbibe like Capone at the still-musical Knickerbocker, centuries later.