Our Rich History: Walt’s Hitching Post, a NKY favorite from World War II to present

By Raymond G. Hebert, PhD
Special to NKyTribune

Part seven of an occasional series about Casual and Fine Dining

In 1942 Walt Ballanger and his wife Mary opened Walt’s Hitching Post on the northwest corner of Kyles Lane and Madison Pike (3L Highway). In 1958, their neighbor and longtime bartender from the old White House Tavern, Bill Melton, joined them at Walt’s. (see NKyTribune story here .)

By the following year, Melton had purchased the restaurant and reopened it under his own management. For decades, “ Walt’s Hitching Post has been known for delicious ribs, cooked in an outside smokehouse at the edge of the parking lot.” These ribs have been complemented by Walt’s signature “secret sauce.” They are accompanied by salted rye bread.

Bill Melton retained the name Walt’s Hitching Post, expanding the restaurant seven times over his five-decade management, until his death in 2008. After his death, it was held by the Melton Trust. Two years later, a 2010 Cincinnati Enquirer headline gave the bad news: “Walt’s Hitching Post Closes; Last Owners Ran It for 52 Years.” The article emphasized the passionate interest in reopening after renovations, though without a target date. It also quoted one of the longest-standing patrons, a local attorney named Burr Travis who emphasized the restaurant’s importance to the Northern Kentucky community. “Burr, and others like him, had longstanding relationships/friendships connected to Walt’s during those peak years” (Cindy Schroeder, “Walt’s Hitching Post Closes; Last Owners Ran It for Over 52 Years,” Cincinnati Enquirer, August 17, 2010).

In September 2012, longtime patrons Bronson Trebbi and Donny Arnsperger purchased the restaurant from the Melton Trust, and renovated it, while restoring “many existing fixtures and furnishings.” For example, there is an “exposed log wall in the main dining room, showcasing the original log cabin that was used as a hunting lodge for Western & Southern executives in the early 1900s before it became Walt’s in 1942.”

Before moving forward from 2012, however, there are some interesting stories that remind us of successes from the Bill Melton years. He was, after all, dedicated to the history of the restaurant – and the maintenance of its quality. For example, I personally was a regular volunteer for the Thomas More College Bingo Friday evenings in the multi-decade 1980s/1990s. At that time, as well as into the early 21st century, a core group of volunteers would end each of those Friday evenings with ribs at Walt’s, along with the ever-present and beloved rye bread.

Other stories can be found in articles about Walt’s over the years. For example, in the “Dining Out” section of the Cincinnati Post in 1979, Dale Stevens reminded his readers that “Walt’s is one of those down-home spots made merry by the quality of food and caring staff like Dolores, who does everything to keep her patrons happy except dance on the tables and, when she reads this, may do just that.” Stevens underscored the family atmosphere of Walt’s under Bill Melton, who could frequently be found in the bar area on any given evening (Dale Stevens, “Notes: Edwards Eats Ribs Terwilliger,’s” Cincinnati Post , November 15, 1979, p. 16).

An after-hours fire occurred at Walt’s in 1989, but the restaurant bounced back quickly, simply noting that “no one had been injured” and announcing that they would “only be serving dinners afterward” – which became the standard from that point on—no lunch service (“Dining Notes – Walt’s Hitching Post Reopens after Fire Cleanup,” Cincinnati Post , September 14, 1989, p. 86). In 1995, another fire occurred at Walt’s but was fortunately controlled “in 45 minutes.” Tom Cardosi, one of the managers, pointed out that the restaurant was saved by a firewall, and it was hoped that they would reopen by the weekend (Karla Scoon, “KY Eatery Struck by Blaze in Dining Room,” Cincinnati Enquirer , August 8, 1995, p. C1).

It was important news to area diners that Walt’s — “famous for its ribs” — was open again for patrons. The second fire affected what had been the dining room addition, requiring firefighters to cut “holes in the restaurant’s roof to let the heat escape” (Scoon). Without much delay on that occasion, however, the restaurant reopened and experienced some strong years with its reputation increasing. One example was the prestige of a Cincinnati Enquirer feature just over a decade later in the Weekend Section entitled “Worth the Drive: Lasso a Slab of Walt’s Ribs.” After commenting on the décor and the menu locked into “tradition,” she asserted that “it’s the ribs you want to focus on.” She then elaborated on how “they were smoked outside, in a wood-fired pit, finished under the grill, served with very little sauce, so they’re burnished and dry” (Polly Campbell, “Worth the Drive: Lasso a Slab of Walt’s Ribs,” Cincinnati Enquirer , March 19, 2004, p. 12).

Then, sadly, came Bill Melton’s death in 2008. The management of the restaurant went through some uncertainty for a time, managed by a trust, and even closed briefly until, in 2012, again in an Enquirer article, Shauna Steigerwald led off her “New in Town” column by informing her readers of Walt’s projected reopening under new management a few months later in January 2013, adding that it had closed for renovations in August and that “the new owners had acquired the rights to Walt’s recipes (and) . . . had plans for a wider, more user-friendly bar.” The new owners also intended, as a look back to the more active years, that the renovated structure would feature “reclaimed wood from a tobacco farm, with horse racing themed meals and vibrant colors” (Shauna Steigerwald, “New in Town,” Cincinnati Enquirer , November 26, 2012).

Owners Bronson Trebbi and Donny Arnsperger have shown their commitment to the restaurant’s legacy. For example, they clearly appreciated the reasons for Bill Melton’s horse theme and enhanced it.

“The new owners even decided to expand on the horse theme in an innovative way, paying tribute to the sport that the nation had grown to fondly identify with Kentucky.” They have consistently taken pride in the 70-year history of the restaurant and proclaimed as part of their mission that: “Our secret sauce was established long ago. The ribs will be as delicious as they always were. The rye bread will be like folks remember” (Craig Smith, “A Kentucky Culinary Legend: Walt’s Hitching Post,” Chaine des Rotisseurs [Chain of Roasters] , March 18, 2024).

While their goal was to restore the prestige that loyal followers have long appreciated, it now seems clear well into Trebbi and Arnsperger’s leadership that Walt and Mary Ballanger, and especially Bill Melton, would be proud of the place Walt’s Hitching Post claims in the culinary world of Greater Cincinnati, not just Northern Kentucky. This can be seen on an occasion when the Chaine de Rotisseurs Cincinnati Bailliage (Chapter) ventured south for its annual gathering in Northern Kentucky, to what they called in their invitation: “A Kentucky Culinary Legend, Walt’s Hitching Post.” One of their members had been Dame de la Chaine Linda Trebbi, mother of one of the new owners, Bronson Trebbi. All clearly went well, enjoyed by all, highlighted by special rounds of applause for the staff who were introduced and thanked: “for their excellent execution of a flawless dinner involving quite a large number of people.” For this event to go so well for this special group of food and drink aficionados meant a great deal to Walt’s new owners who had worked so hard to bring back the prestige that had been so important to the restaurant’s success in its earlier peak years.

It is ironic for me, when I return to Walt’s in 2024, having been a regular Friday night patron in the Bill Melton years, to immediately look to see if Bill is in the house at the bar or greeting patrons that night. His spirit is still there because his dream of an unforgettable restaurant experience in Northern Kentucky has persisted.

Dr. Raymond G. Hebert is Professor of History and Executive Director of the William T. Robinson III Institute for Religious Liberty at Thomas More University. He is the leading author of Thomas More University at 100: Purpose, People, and Pathways to Student Success (2023). The book can be purchased by contacting the Thomas More University Bookstore at 859-344-3335. Dr. Hebert can be contacted at hebertr@thomasmore.edu .

Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD is Editor of the “Our Rich History” weekly series and Professor of History and Gender Studies at Northern Kentucky University (NKU). He can be contacted at tenkottep@nku.edu . Tenkotte also serves as Co-Director of the ORVILLE Project (Ohio River Valley Innovation Library and Learning Enrichment). For more information see orvillelearning.org

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