Market Street Grille Harrison: A Timeless Dining Experience in Ohio

For over 17 years, Market Street Grille has stood as a premier dining destination in Harrison, Ohio, becoming a beloved fixture on the west side. Since its opening in February 2000, this restaurant has been instrumental in the revitalization of downtown Harrison, a contribution acknowledged with a prestigious preservation award.

Watch Brenda Leonard from Market Street Grille discuss their role in the community at a Harrison City Council Meeting.

This cherished local eatery offers a distinctive vintage atmosphere, where every dish is prepared from scratch, ensuring a high-quality dining experience. Market Street Grille’s culinary excellence has been recognized at the renowned Taste of Cincinnati competition for 11 years, earning accolades in nine of those years. Further solidifying its reputation, Market Street Grille was honored as one of OpenTable’s 100 Best Brunch Restaurants in America for 2017. Having doubled in size since its inception, the restaurant now achieves over $1 million in sales, demonstrating its continued success and popularity. Owners Paula Eggleston and Brenda Leonard consistently represent Harrison’s vibrant community on both local and national platforms through their exceptional establishment.

A Rich History Within its Walls

The building that houses Market Street Grille boasts a history dating back to approximately 1850. Originally, the ground floor served as a hardware store and coal shop. Intriguingly, remnants of an old elevator can still be found in the back, once used to lift buggies to the second floor for sale. Beneath the restaurant lies not only a basement but also a sub-basement, potentially the site of a former brewery. This sub-basement is connected to a network of underground tunnels that weave through Harrison, leading all the way to the river, once utilized to transport supplies from the Whitewater River. Local lore suggests these tunnels may have even played a role in the Underground Railroad during the Civil War era.

In 1893, the Independent Order of Oddfellows (I.O.O.F.), a civic group known for their quiet community support, acquired the building and maintained ownership for around 75 years. They undertook significant renovations, adding a ballroom and recreational spaces. The Masons also utilized meeting spaces within the building during this period.

Over the years, the restaurant space has transformed, serving as a home, an insurance office, various bars and restaurants, and even craft shops. Extensive renovations have shaped it into the Market Street Grille we recognize today, adorned with local historical artifacts. Notably, the brick room features a century-old mirror that once graced Harrison’s historic Central Hotel.

The bar in the main dining room itself is a piece of history, reclaimed from an establishment in Price Hill. Even the name “Market Street” carries historical weight, as it was the original name of Harrison’s main thoroughfare when the town was founded.