“Rustic Luxury” is the predominant theme throughout the newly renovated Walt’s Hitching Post.  During the restoration, its owners preserved many existing fixtures and furnishings to preserve the rich history surrounding the property.  The exposed log wall in the main dining room showcases the building’s log cabin structure which has remained intact for over 100 years.  Other notable features include a stunning stone fireplace centerpiece in the main dining room.  The owners also carefully selected the fireplace stone facade to perfectly match the building’s original stone hearth chimney.

Guests who have loved Walt’s Hitching Post for decades can rest assured that the new and improved experience will provide authentic relics of its past, while beguiling their senses with contemporary updates with its rich history in mind.  Exterior updates include a new awning, resurfaced parking lot, colorful landscaping, and striking entry doors ensconced with metal overlays to provide an elegant sense of arrival. Abrahan Romero, whose Cincinnati-based company recently finished working on musician Mick Fleetwood’s new restaurant in Maui, has created custom interior work at Walt’s, such as a wider, more user-friendly bar, complete with tamarind from Indonesia.

Most notably, an innovative horse racing theme runs throughout, paying tribute to the sport that the nation has grown to fondly identify with the state of Kentucky. For decades, Walt’s has been decorated with images of thoroughbreds, accredited to Melton who owned a horse farm.  Whether it’s the custom-made horseshoe chandeliers and sconces, reclaimed tobacco farm wood throughout the space, or reoccurring use of stone to emulate Kentucky’s old horse rock walls, there are frequent reminders at every turn of this memorial to Kentucky and horse-racing. This theme extends further into the private dining areas including the Cauthen Room, Champion’s Room, and Latonia Jockey Club. The Cauthen Room is an endearing tribute to Kentucky native, Steve Cauthen who is world-famous for being the youngest jockey to ever win the U.S. Triple Crown, while the Latonia Jockey Club is adorned with horse-racing murals as a monument to the famous nearby Kentucky race track forced to close during the Great Depression.