An Anderson neighborhood staple is celebrating 100 years, and while a century has passed, the heart of the business has stayed the same.
Anderson locals know Salem Gardens as a gathering place. A Charlie O. Burger after Friday night football games, a hot spot after Saturday 5 o’clock Mass, and a necessary stop over the holidays.
But many might be surprised to learn that this community mainstay's reputation dates back a century.
General Manager Annie Larkin, whose father, Mike Larkin, bought the restaurant in 1983, learned that the property was used for everything from community gardens and political meetings to a dance hall before becoming a restaurant in 1926.
“It’s always adapted to what the neighborhood needs,” shares Annie.
Now, that looks less like a dance hall, and there are no lingering signs of prohibition. Instead, the doors stay open late for McNick and Anderson football coaches, alumni groups gather weekly for lunches and a few weddings have celebrated after hours…including Annie’s.
Annie met her husband while bartending, a canon event in the Larkin family.
“My parents actually met the same way,” she laughs. The business is a true family affair.
Annie grew up washing dishes and waiting tables, eventually returning to manage Salem Gardens in 2015. Her sister Phoebe works there, too, and all Larkin sisters have a shoutout on the menu next to their signature items.
“Mine’s the taco salad,” she tells us. “People are surprised to find out we have great salads. They’re always fresh and packed with protein.”
Still, the classic burgers—hand-pattied and served on buns that are delivered fresh four times a week—are a favorite for everyone.
“Our menu is classic. We’re not trying to keep up with the trends,” Annie explains.
The restaurant is honoring its 100th anniversary with an amber ale from MadTree, a fall Rhinegeist collaboration, and a golf outing on October 17, including a fundraiser benefiting the Reds Community Fund.
Some of the best memories over the years aren’t commemorative at all. They’re the first dates that turned into marriages, the surprise visits from guests like Johnny Bench and Maroon 5 and even the challenging moments, like the 2001 fire that shut the restaurant down for six months.
Regulars and local businesses pitched in to rebuild. The neighborhood, in a very literal sense, helped Salem Gardens get back on its feet.
“People who love it treat it like it's their own,” says Annie. “There was so much support. My dad will never forget it. He said it reinvigorated his love for the neighborhood.”
That love has kept Salem Gardens going for 100 years, and Annie hopes to carry it forward. She wants to keep doing what Salem Gardens has always done best: serve a good meal, keep prices reasonable, take care of employees and give people a place to have fun with friends.
“We're still here because of the great food and service that we've provided Anderson Township since 1983," shares Mike. “We've been lucky over the years to have great customers and great employees, too.”
Annie adds, “I want to keep it going for another hundred years.”
I think I speak for all of Anderson when I say we do, too. SalemGardens.net