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Welcome to the Red Gables, where you can dine on the finest steaks and freshest seafood served anywhere in the world. All of our meals are cooked over mesquite wood to add flavor unsurpassed in the food service industry.

Red Gables stepped into history in the 1930’s as a truck stop, diner and weigh station built by a red-haired dutchman. At the time the buildings weigh station (now The Art Studio) was a primary distribution depot that played out to be nearly fatal for the owner.

In 1987 I met Rose…
…a petite lady in her late 70’s, who in a beam of excitement, told me of the day that 12 gentlemen arrived for a private luncheon. At the head of the table, a man with a derby and cigar tipped her $1oo (equal to a year’s wages for the time period). Rose soon found out that Al Capone, Machine-Gun Kelly and Left Finger Louie were among the 12 men she had waited on.




Al Capone with Derby and Cigar


Rose’s story answered many of my suspicions inside the building. For instance, on the second floor at the top of the original stairs swings a ’steel encased door’. And, when remodeling the restaurant I removed blood-stained 16 foot oak planks, that partly inspired the cherry stain trim.

Stories of the original Red Gables have been told in two settings:

The first begins with a driver who waited outside for the owner of the Red Gables to leave the building. Though, on this night the owner misplaced some paperwork which caused the driver to circle the building. Meanwhile, across the street stood members of the Purple Suit Gang, all holding Tommy Guns and waiting for the owner’s car to come back in sight. When the driver turned again to the buildings entrance the Purple Suit Gang unloaded on the vehicle and sped off thinking they had killed their target. Later, with the driver dead, they came to find out the owner was not in the vehicle.

The second is told by Harry Griffing, founder of Sandusky’s Griffing airport, who said when leaving work from the Red Gables one night was pushed to the ground by the owner. Thereafter, bullets hailed over their heads sending bits of brick and stone to the ground but missing them both. The shooters fled onto Rt. 2 west bound but were caught by local authorities, and said to have been members of the Purple Gang. This was strike one for the owner. When strike two came, the owners front porch was blown off his house. It is said he got the message, and I heard he retired to a ripe old age in Florida.

Nowadays, things have settled down where one can relax and reminisce about the wonders of an era with a meal to match its character.



Bon Appetite

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fine dining , seafood , restaurant , prohibition , steakhouse , sandusky , cedar point , the erie wire , red gables , mesquite grill , jamie pribanic