The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse

Steak house · Scott

The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse

Steak house · Scott

1

11845 Petersburg Rd, Evansville, IN 47725

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The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null
The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse by null

Highlights

Comfort food, steaks, karaoke, fried pickles, great burgers  

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11845 Petersburg Rd, Evansville, IN 47725 Get directions

hornetsnestrestaurant.com

$10–20 · Menu

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11845 Petersburg Rd, Evansville, IN 47725 Get directions

+1 812 867 2386
hornetsnestrestaurant.com
HornetsNestRestaurant

$10–20 · Menu

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Last updated

Aug 29, 2025

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A historic roadhouse dating to the mid‑1800s that locals champion for hearty plates, weekend brunch, and fried chicken. Come for the small‑town welcome; stay for prime rib and scratch sides that feel distinctly Tri‑State.

https://hornetsnestrestaurant.com/
Best Restaurants in Evansville (2025)
View Postcard for The Hornet's Nest Steakhouse

Alison Bauza

Google
The blackened rib tortellini special was presented decently, though the cheese/butter left a puddle of grease in the bottom of the dish. The taste of the dish was good, but maybe there’s a way to adjust to avoid the grease.

Jason Marsh

Google
Is been years since visiting and I love the new bar area. Went for lunch with 5 coworkers. Everything tasted great. Highly recommend the fried pickles!! Ate dinner with the family on a Tuesday night. Was busy but our server was prompt. Good fried chicken and livers!

Crystal Wood

Google
My husband and I use to come to the Hornet’s Nest several times a month for brunch and the occasional dinner. We were big supporters during the pandemic ordering out when we could. Post pandemic we loved brunches with bartender Ed. Our go to use to be the spicy sweetness (but chicken instead of burger patties) and the hot brown and Nest Benedict for brunch. The prices have gone up (which is understandable given the economy) but due to the service and quality of the food having gone down over the past 3 years, we started going less and less. Tonight might have been our last time going. Ordered online at 6:46pm on a Friday. Was given a pick up time of 7:41pm. The hour wait was understandable since we know it’s a Friday night and they are very busy on the weekends. When I got there I was promptly taken care by a young lady. Unfortunately that was the only thing pleasant about our experience tonight. Picked order up through the drive thru at 7:42. Got home to find that they had forgotten an order of fries. My Cajun catfish bites were over cooked but not crispy at all. They were so salty that I could not eat more than a few bites of them. My husband’s dinner order of gizzards was not the size we remember it being a few months ago. He said they were not cooked well. None of it was hot. All of the fried food was soggy. Overall this was a disappointing outing. We want to support local but each time just seems like our experience is worse than the last.

Troy Farr

Google
Arrived around 3PM on Sunday. Easy parking, quick seating and service. Ordered Fried green tomatoes. They were delicious. French dip and the West Coast Animal burger (added bacon) for entrees. The fries are unique, fat, and amazing. I wish more places had fries like these. The burger very juicy,( not greasy). French dip was juicy and flavorful. The Au Jus brings out the flavors of the seasonings. Dessert was Lemon Berry Cream cake and Banana Butterscotch bread pudding. Both are sized for sharing and a nice sweet finish to the meal. Just under $64 for 2 drinks, appetizer, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts and 2 stuffed full bellies. Definitely recommend stopping here if you happen to be in this beautiful little town.

Viv Fultz

Google
Today's visit was not up to the standards I'd experienced here before. The food was not quite right (my dish was dry and lackluster and my friend's tasted burned)and I kept noticing one lady in particular walking from the bar area into the kitchen with waist length hair hanging loosely about and with no hair net present. Sadly, my friend was a guest from out of town and this experience was memorable in the worst of ways. Not the impression I had hoped she'd leave with!

DONNA PARRISH

Google
Charles the manager, Candice & team were awesome in this cool place. Inside or outside, you will be made comfortable with a diverse menu. It gets busy, might pay to book. Great food. Great service. Cheers Fletch - Classic Restos TV Show Australia.

Hettie Nicole

Google
We had a party of six and were seated right away. The food was excellent and so was the service. We were seated in the bar area and during our meal karaoke started. It was a lot of fun.

Barbara Hester

Google
Had a wonderful dinner here with my sisters. The bourbon pecan chicken dish was so flavorful and delicious! We stayed late into the evening and our waitress was very patient!
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Jean H.

Yelp
I didn't come here with high expectations but the waitress was attentive, food came out pretty quickly. The catfish was delicious - perfectly seasoned & breaded. Fries were delicious. Would go back for the catfish. We got an order of the catfish bites to go & those were delicious. Big pieces of catfish.
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Lindsey P.

Yelp
Wanted to love it but the food is sooooo mid and not worth the price. It's right around the corner from our house but we've been 3x time with the same experience each time. The third time wasn't a charm, we won't be returning. I guess people like it bc it's "the place to be" in the area. if you like overpriced mediocre food then this is "your place to be". If not, then choose another local "hot spot". I mean it's ok, it's just not AMAZING.
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Kirk W.

Yelp
There are a lot of poor reviews some of which are rather old. I do not know if ownership has changed, but my son and I both thought it was decent. The food was served relatively fast. The breaded pork tenderloin came recommended from the pursuing pork tenderloin facebook page. It was decent but I have had better. The pork was slightly dry and the batter wasn't terribly flavorful. The onion rings were good and were homemade the sidewinder fries were good as well. So, would I come back? Maybe, but I might try something else. As others mentioned, the fried chicken looks good but it is definitely a little expensive. One last thing I didn't care for was the tip buttons are programmed for 18%, 20%, 22%, and 24%. Wow, make me feel like a cheapskate giving the customary 20% tip. I think this sets a terrible precedent and 20% should be the top along with a custom button. It looks bad on the restaurant to ask that we pay even more and the reason why I only gave 3 stars.
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Gwen A.

Yelp
Meals were all delicious. Salmon with fries and mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes had a sour flavor, but the salmon and fries were greats. The fries were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Cheeseburger, salad, chicken parm, and spaghetti were all reported to be good. I had the pecan bourbon chicken with green beans and an adult root beer float. I enjoyed it all, but the chicken dish got to be too sweet by the end of the dish.
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Mark L.

Yelp
My wife wanted carry out from the Hornets Nest and told me to look at the menu on-line. I selected Thai Chicken. Big mistake it is absolute glop. Take a look at this shit... . I swear they opened a pouch of chicken threw in some thin sliced bell pepper and onion and wild rice a handful of basil or thyme. Glop it is horrible. oMG Take this shit off the menu. I've had good food from The Hornets nest steak or Hot Brown or Fried Chicken Catfish. My advice to the owner... slim your menu down and focus on your strength. I am throwing this out. I tried to save it with Sweet Thai sauce and some Jalapeño to no avail.

Jean D.

Yelp
We had good service and the ambiance was perfect for a night out with friends. The server seemed to know our friends and it made it very easy going
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Nancy E.

Yelp
So I changed my mind and decided to give the hornets nest another try. My brother invited us for lunch and wanted to stay close to home so we decided to do hornets nest. We all ordered the breaded tenderloin with fries. Let me just say this is "the best" tenderloin I've had in a long time. It came out piping hot and the fries or whatever they were were plentiful. The sandwich came with lettuce, Tomato, pickle, mayo and red onion. The meat was thick, tender and juicy. The fries were hot and crispy but tender on the inside. This is my new neighborhood "go to".
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Scott N.

Yelp
Great food, great service, the food is top notch, very busy but that tells you how good this place is... great atmosphere for families and couples. Totally Awesome, 5*! We shared the King Cut Prime rib!
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John B.

Yelp
We celebrated Valentine's Day with dinner. The food was excellent, our waitress, Sarah was courteous and attentive. We will definitely be back.

Deborah H.

Yelp
Over priced I had not enough to eat. Small portions. The fried chicken had no flavor. Marinated chicken was dry. Only thing that was good was bread pudding. !!! We came from Florida. So disappointed. people raved about it. Place was nice service was good. Food was too overpriced. Shame.

Nathan W.

Yelp
Vary Rude employees especially one older woman with glasses if I only knew name ask her one simple question threw her hands up and said don't know.

Lori S.

Yelp
The bartender Charles was fabulous! He was so friendly & informative about the history & menu. Such a pleasure to talk to! The food he recommended was the best we have ever eaten! My husband got the pork chop & I got the blackened chicken alfredo! We have never had better! We are from out of state & we will be back and will tell all of our friends about it! Wish I could give the bartender & food 10 stars
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Scott C.

Yelp
The fish there is good. Service a little slow but still worth the go. If you like chicken livers you get s plate enough for two people
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Anthony G.

Yelp
We were a party of 10,everyone enjoyed their meals I didn't like the up charge for card method of payment I will just bring cash next visit

Anna R.

Yelp
Tenderloin best I've had tender and not greasy at all !!!! Excellent attentive service

Kathleen O.

Yelp
Food was very good and not very expensive Our server was awesome very friendly and attentive
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Drake B.

Yelp
Good Service, Great Food. Sweet Tea is really good. I recommend the NY Cheesecake. Very Nice Workers
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Katie C.

Yelp
My favorite restaurant in Evansville! They have the best bacon pasta!! Also love the staff!!
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April N.

Yelp
I absolutely love their burgers and fries but everything else is overpriced in my opinion. I got the spinach salad once and it was expensive. Only had spinach, mushrooms, egg, tomatoes and its $9 plus tax.
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Steven S.

Yelp
My in-laws told me they had gizzards. Well heck yeah, I'm going to go and try them out. I mean, who serves a good platter of gizzards anymore? I ordered them as an appetizer ( for myself). I. Ate. Them. All. Cooked to gizzardy perfection. It took me about 30 to chew each one. They serve it with milk gravy, but I prefer Ketchup. I'm old school. I also ordered The West Coast Animal. It's a burger with the perfect amount of extra flavor without being overbearing. And the sandwich was cooked as it should be. Done but tender and juicy. My only wish, and I mean only, would be home cut fries. It would have brought a tear to my eyes. My wife tried my burger and said she would order one the next time. And there will be a next time. The service was awesome. Very friendly staff. Clean and roomy. Enjoy!

robert t.

Yelp
Haven't been here in a while and had the honey buffalo chicken over biscuits for breakfast. Y'all, this thing was absolutely awesome!!!!! Perfect combination of sweet and savory and chicken was perfectly tender and seasoned. Can't wait to come back and try more in the menu.
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Laurie C.

Yelp
I had dinner here with my father who was visiting from out of town. As others have mentioned, the prices for their steaks are extremely high. They offer prime rib on the weekends at almost $40. Since this was a week night, he had a filet and I had the grilled chicken. I tried ordering fried green tomatoes for an appetizer but they were out. My dad got the onion rings and said they were good. Our dinner salad, consisting of iceberg lettuce and carrots, arrived before the appetizers. Our main course was very good though. All in all the food was great, but considering the prices they charge for their food, one would think that the service would be of higher quality. Don't get me wrong, the staff was friendly and all, but at those prices, I expected an all around exceptional dining and food experience.

Ann F.

Yelp
Ordered the sliders based on the online pic - got enough pork to make 2 sliders, minimal bbq sauce, and less than a teaspoon of Cole slaw. I've given the place three chances - and they're out!
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T M.

Yelp
Awesome food! Love the mashed potatoes and gravy!! So good and love the atmosphere!! Quality of food is great!
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David R.

Yelp
From the airport to this place was a gorgeous drive in the fall. Place looks like it's been around for a while . Has some old charm and some modern features . The bar is separate from the dining area . I had wings and prime rib. They were both pretty good . Outdoor seating looks great and the staff was friendly. Glad that I stopped in.
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Heather W.

Yelp
I had heard a lot of really good things about this place so we decided to check it out. I called earlier in the day and made reservations. When we got there they took us to a booth right away. After looking over the menu I decided on the ribeye. My husband ordered the New York strip. When our food arrived my steak was much larger than his and his looked more like a filet than a New York strip. I asked the waitress about it and she said yes he ordered the filet. Instead of waiting any longer he opted to just keep the filet. My ribeye was cooked medium and was very juicy and flavorful. His filet was medium well and appeared to be somewhat dry. The twice baked potato was delicious. It was recommended by a friend that we get the bread pudding for dessert. Our waitress had brought out our ticket without asking if we wanted dessert or not and so she had to take it back and bring out a new one. The bread pudding was so so. It had a bourbon caramel sauce over it that was very good however I have had better bread pudding elsewhere. Apparently it is common place to add 3% to a ticket for a credit card sale nowadays. I was paying with cash and had overheard our waitress tell the table next to us that if they pay with cash she will deduct that credit card fee for them. I laid my cash out and she came by to see if I was going to need change and I said yes because if she deducted the cc percentage off mine I would get a small amount back. She brought all my money and the ticket back out and muttered something about not needing any change back because I didn't give her enough in the first place. I ended up going to the restroom and when I got back they had cleared up the confusion. I'm not sure I really agree with adding that percentage on across the board. Overall it was an ok experience. I would probably go back but it is about an hour drive for us and so it won't be a place we frequent very often.
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Carrie B.

Yelp
Had a terrible experience, Waitress seemed put- out.. had to ask for drinks. Then asked for menus ,and then she proceeded to tell us oh kitchen is closed.. Will not be going back
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Micky H.

Yelp
Food portions have shrunk, prices have increased, and you never see the same person working there, so service is generally poor. A shame really since it used to be our favorite place.
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Sharon J.

Yelp
Every time I go to the Hornets Nest; hands down they have the best steak consistently! The service is always great and the staff attentive and friendly. Highly recommend this hidden gem!

J L.

Yelp
One of our local favorites for the past 10yrs. Rustic and historical location in a comfortable atmosphere with good service and food.
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Jennifer W.

Yelp
Quality and delicious food. Good service. Bar has lots of TVs and sports are a given on them. Owner stops by to check on ya.
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Terri V.

Yelp
Fish Nuggets and Fried Catfish what does licious. And I have a real good breaded tenderloin and a real good hot brown.
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David W.

Yelp
Went by for lunch on a Saturday and sat out on the patio. Very nice out there on a summers day. Had a double cheese burger with fries. The burger was huge! My waitress was a little slow out there. I think she was busy with groups of golfers. I never got my tea refilled and had to go ask for my check. Other than having slightly crappy service, I liked the place.
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Lauren F.

Yelp
I'm about to give up on this restaurant. We are frequent customers and every time we are there, we have a problem. This last time: *"I think there's a 15min wait" [6booths open] *"We dont take Reservations" [Tina walked in with a reservation for 2] *People who walked in AFTER us were offered seating in the bar *hostesses & waitresses gossiping about tables at the host stand *made us wait 15 mins, no other names on the list, as we were being seated, a couple came and and she sat them right behind us. *All booths on the left side were full, 2 booths on the right side taken. *waitress stood in corner by drinks knowing my credit card was ready to be taken. *my husbands order came out tasting terrible, took 30mins to bring out a new waffle. *waited several minutes for a refill.

Jill W.

Yelp
Food subpar. No one makes homemade anymore all processed from Sams. Way over priced! Not sure what the hype is.

Leegayle D.

Yelp
Really good place to eat! The catfish is awesome! The cheddar cheese balls are really good as well!

Michael B.

Yelp
Picked up right before close -Multiple Missing items on take out last night- I guess I should have checked, but I thought they could handle it- called back to let them know but closed
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Tami S.

Yelp
Wonderful restaurant service food was awesome. Waitress recommended a burger husband loved and the fried chicken which I loved. Also bruschetta was so perfect hard to believe. Wish we'd had room for desert. Sad we're just passing thru and won't be back anytime soon. Bought 2 tee shirts for the memories. Highly recommend
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Meri S.

Yelp
Hornet has the best brunch I've ever had and have been going for years. The chicken and waffles, honey buffalo chicken, nest benedict, chimichanga and mimosas are definitely favorites. The customer service is always on point and not to mention their food and drinks are delicious.

GK S.

Yelp
Good food great atmosphere. Was recommended by my hotel staff. It did not disappoint.
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Scott J.

Yelp
This use to be one of my favorite places back in the day when the Finks owned it and Joe was the cook. Whomever bought and is running this Place now have really let the place do down hill; service and food are less than even to be slightly considered acceptable at this point Maybe still make a decent drink but cant comment on that either way. I would not go back nor recommend unless you are desperately hungry or you just wanna drink.
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Anthony R.

Yelp
I got 1/4 white fried chicken with salad and onion rings Chicken- 6.6/10 O rings -3.5/10 Austin got 1/4 white with slaw and o rings Chicken -6.6/10 O rings- 4/10 (rookie score)
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Sarah K.

Yelp
Love the "Cheers" atmosphere in the bar. Great bartenders & staff. Great prices & the food is always yummy too. They've adapted well during Covid by adding the drive-they window.
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Joseph K.

Yelp
I had the New York Strip. Steak was cooked well. I actually got it medium which is what I wanted. Good and friendly service. Also had a pretty good beer selection both on tap and bottle/canned. No real complaints.

Kendra J.

Yelp
We went to get a steak, but I was unwilling to pay almost 40 dollars for it. They were out of what I wanted but the food was pretty good.
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Jessica H.

Yelp
We are frequent visitors to The Hornet's Nest. The food is always great but of the many times we've been there, there are only a handful of times when we can say we were impressed with the service (Ian and Ed take good care of their customers if you're lucky enough to get one of them). We went in tonight and asked to be seated outside. Ten minutes after we were seated two more tables were seated. 5 minutes after that, BOTH of those parties were not only greeted but had their drinks and orders taken. No one even said, "hello" to us. Behind us was another new table that also got greeted and waited on. We tried waving down a server and were ignored. We finally got up and left to go elsewhere where we would be waited on and AT THE VERY LEAST greeted. This is not the first time we have left for these exact same reasons. We keep thinking it will get better but it just doesn't. Willing to spend our money there but tonight decided to spend it elsewhere where we felt like our business was wanted.
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Ebonie S.

Yelp
Yesterday was my 2nd visit to The Hornet's Nest and once again it was delicious! Both time I went for the Sunday Brunch. The 1st time there I had the Honey Buffalo Fried Chicken biscuits.... one word BOMB!!! This time I got the Hot Brown and its was delicious. My friend had the Chimichanga and he said it was good as well. We had the bottomless mimosas as well. Our server (who was also my server last time) WAS GREAT! He was friendly and made recommendations on what to order. He also made sure our glass was always full. It's pretty deep into Evansville (I live in Henderson) but worth the drive! I'll see you guys again soon!!!
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Kathy H.

Yelp
We go to Hornets Nest about 1 time q week. Never disappointed. Great Food and service
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Kelly H.

Yelp
This is a longtime favorite and today's visit did nothing to diminish my impression. On the backroads of McCutchanville one does not expect to see a tavern, but that is southern Indiana. Our lunch choices were a hot brown - deemed fantastic by my mom, a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich accompanied by fried mushrooms and a fried green tomato salad. OK. Not a healthy lunch, but definitely not something we can get at home in Tennessee. We loved every bit and service was the no nonsense efficiency we expect in Evansville.