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Steer-In restaurant co-owner Casey Kehrer said he’s hopeful his 64-year-old diner will get back to serving customers on Tuesday following a week-long closure by the Marion County Public Health Department.
Kehrer said a customer’s sighting of a mouse in Steer-In’s dining room led to a call to the health department, which inspected and closed the restaurant on Jan. 7 “to protect public health and safety,” according to an official notice posted on the door at 5130 E. 10th St.
“We discovered some more issues with pests,” said Kehrer, whose family purchased Steer-In in 2007. “We have an older building. When it got colder out, they started coming in and we didn’t keep up on it well enough.”
According to a May 2024 restaurant inspection report, the health department cited Steer-In for not removing dead mice from enclosed traps in the kitchen and basement. Inspection reports are accessible to the public at the Marion County Public Health Department’s website.
The report based on this month’s inspection won’t be published until 10 days after the inspection, which is the health department’s policy.
The notice posted on Steer-In’s door listed violations in four categories of the Indiana Administrative Code for retail food and sanitation requirements. The four listed categories focus on:
- The presence of insects and rodents
- The removal of trapped or dead insects and rodents
- The protection of outer openings against the entry of insects and rodents
- The cleanliness of food-contact surfaces, nonfood-contact surfaces and utensils.
“We have been working with the board of health, pest control professionals and building maintenance people,” Kehrer said. “We’re trying to shore up all the problems and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
The Steer-In name on the 6,600-square-foot building near the intersection of East 10th Street and Emerson Avenue dates to 1960, when the business was known as Laughner’s Steer-In. The diner was known as Harold’s Steer-In from 1964 to 2007.
Steer-In has been featured on two Food Network shows hosted by Guy Fieri. A 2011 episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” showcased Steer-In, and the show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: Triple D Nation” showcased Steer-In on Jan. 3—or four days before the health department shutdown.
Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning once sat inside Steer-In and chanted “De-caf … De-caf” as encouragement to a server as part of a MasterCard television ad.
Kehrer said he’s seen negative comments online about the restaurant’s closure, as well as positive community support.
“I’m getting beaten up,” he said. “That comes with it, and I’ve earned that, I guess. Hopefully, we can earn it the other way.”
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I just don’t understand how this place is popular or stays open. Food is underwhelming.
I’m not expecting anything amazing foodwise at 10th and Emerson…
Love Steer-In. Always have, always will.
One of the top 3 best tenderloins in town, house made corned beef hash, and decent pizza. They employ high school kids from the neighborhood and do fundraisers for local organizations as well. I’m very glad to see that they are getting back open this quickly. A staple in the neighborhood and for our City as well. You aren’t paying for a $30 steak here, but your $10 tenderloin will be worth every bite.
Most food establishments wouldn’t likely pass. We should have the location grade signs posted like many states. It also shows date of last inspection.
True. Many restaurants could be cited. But if one eats out often, be aware that many premises have issues. That does not mean that one will be come ill, but 100% cleanliness should not be expected.
One can ask to see the kitchen. Few do so.