Have been to The Story Inn multiple times and have also attended Festivals & stayed in one of the cabins several times as well. Highly recommend. It is outside Nashville but not particularly easy to get to, but worth the trip! Actually, not that far from Columbus or Bloomington and a pretty drive. The restaurant is great and food & service are high quality -- tasty, efficient, friendly and casual. You don't have to be in a hurry and for most who find their way there, rushing is not what they are doing. Brunch is my favorite but the menu is solid throughout the day. One of the Oldest Restaurants & Inns in Indiana, I do believe. Find it & enjoy! read more

A friend and I stopped at The Story Inn for a night on our way to Indianapolis. I went in blind because she had made all the arrangements and upon driving into the area I felt like I had stepped back in time. The best way to describe the picturesque compound is that it feels like the town of Spectre from the movie Big Fish. It is adorable and quaint. We had arrived in the early evening and quickly put our luggage into our adorable cottage so we could make our way down to the tavern. We enjoyed many drinks and some typical bar fare along with some conversations with the locals. The atmosphere was incredibly welcoming and homey. We walked back to our cottage and had a comfortable slumber. It was a great stay and I can't wait to return! read more

Story Inn - Story Inn - Bed & Breakfast Near Me - Nashville, Indiana

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DO NOT take your dog. Story has a blue heeler named "blue" that the owner frequently takes around guests and their dogs. Blue attacked my dog - a smaller black lab - so aggressively that my dog had to be ripped away from her and had bloody ears. In speaking with other guests, apparently this has happened several times before. The owner just stood and watched and didn't say anything after it happened. read more

If you are in the Bloomington Indiana area. This is a place you must come to. The best way to describe it is a small town from the early 1900s with plumbing heating and Internet. The buildings are cottages you can rent in the general store has a very good dinner and reallycool bar in the basement. We had Guinness beef stew, and a puff pastry, my kids had the shepherds pie with lamb sourced from a local farmer, and we had a peach and blackberry pie that was fantastic. Rich runs the place and is a very kind and accommodating person. He tells the history of the town, how things have been built up and what has been restored. We stayed in the Doc Story House, which is a 2 floor, 3 bedroom, 2 bath, and hot tub replete with uneven floors and stain glass windows leading up the stairs to the second story. I can't say enough good things about this place. It is a unique throwback in time and holy recommend every part of it. read more

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We really enjoyed our Thanksgiving Day dinner. The Story Inn is charming, cozy and quaint. We especially liked having live piano music during our meal! read more

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The owner is so kind and we loved hearing the history behind the land the Inn is built on. Our dinner was peaceful and we loved the dinner and drink selection for the restaurant. That being said, very disappointed by the female bartender in the basement. We spent nearly $400 over dinner and drinks, and were suggested by the staff to go into the bar below. We were greeted by a blonde older female bartender who immediately looked disgusted by us walking in with our group ranging from 24-35 years old. Mind you, who just happily spent $400 on drinks above. After the rude looks, she pulled all of our IDs and commented how we weren't from town... yet the Story Inn is an award winning establishment. Meeting the owner and eating at the restaurant, it is clear to see why. After she finally accepted our IDs, who she question the 35 year olds the most... she only took one persons drink order and closed out our tab. I would highly suggest the inn to those visiting, but the bar below is apparently only for 50+ year old locals. Again, I cannot express how wonderful the restaurant and Inn owner were, and would just avoid the old blonde lady as that is easy to do. read more

Excellent food; very few choices for dinner! Service also excellent. It had better be amazing when my chicken breast dinner ..w mashed potatoes and 1 vegetables was $60.00...the other entrees were more. Go for LUNCH. Lunch prices for sandwiches were reasonable!!! ... read more

Super cool building. Good service. We ordered 2 different fish dishes and 1 pork dish. Unanimous ratings were 6 out of 10 ratings with prices of a 10. Based on flavor, texture, cooking "doneness" and creativity. We ordered 4 cocktails, 1 app and 3 entrees. The bill was $400 including 23% tip which we don't mind paying for exceptional dining . read more

My husband and I were planning a camping trip in Hoosier National Forest in Indiana and I stumbled upon information about The Story Inn. We decided to stay a night and were absolutely smitten by the old fashioned charm of this magical place. The old general store and epically cool downstairs tavern are worth a visit even if you don't spend the night, but the vintage rooms were beautiful, comfortable and full of history. I would HIGHLY recommend this place for lodging and lovely dining. Also, the people were super friendly and interesting to talk to. Stay, enjoy the grounds, food, drink and wonderment. read more

The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the ambience was great. The restaurant made my wife's Mother's Day very special. Thanks read more

I ate at Story Inn for Thanksgiving yesterday. The meals were thrown on our table within a few minutes of sitting down and having a drink. Unaware that every single side would be thrown on the plate there was never any discussion of what was on the plate or any choices to be made about preferred meat or sides. No one in the place smiled or said happy Thanksgiving. And they could not have rushed us out of there fast enough. I've eaten at high quality steakhouses for Thanksgiving that are $20 cheaper and the quality of food is so much better. We'll never come back. read more

Everything about this place is MAGICAL The food is incredible!!! The barn would be great for wedding. Everything and everyone is so welcoming. The history is also simply beautiful and fun to explore! read more

The food here is excellent and the restaurant used ingredients grown at the Inn garden. Service was spot on treated us like family! The ambiance is cozy and a moment back in a different era. Love this place and town! read more

This review is pretty brutal, but I do intend to return sometime soon, with hopes that my experience was just a bad day or that new kitchen staff is hired. My family went to dinner here for Mother's Day and did not have a good experience. For starters, our reservation was for 5pm and when we got there at 4:45, we were told by the waitress/host that the chef wasn't ready yet and we would need to wait at the bar or outside. A bit strange that they wouldn't be prepared to seat a 5pm reservation 10-15 minutes early. We were seated, ordered appetizers (they were decent), and then our food and this is when I knew we were probably in trouble. The waitress did not ask for a temperature preference on our burgers or pork chops (which it turned out they were out of, even though we were the first time slot for dinner service). Once we asked, she took temperature preferences from each of us for the burgers that most of us ended up getting since 1/4 entrees on the menu was unavailable. I ordered my burger medium rare. It came out charred and as well done as you could possibly imagine, as did every other of the 4 burgers at our table. One of the sides listed on the menu was a vegetable medley, which turned out to be steamed brussels sprouts. Another side was "Spring Risotto". We asked what was in it and the waitress told us there was saffron. There was no saffron, but there was overdone asparagus, gummy rice, and I would not even classify it as risotto. The other side options were mashed potatoes (not very good) and macaroni and cheese. Of the macaroni and cheese, I can only say that I would have preferred a box of Kraft or Velveeta to the flavorless mass of noodles I was served. One of us at the table ordered the duck breast (again, no question about temp) and it was cooked to hell. Not one hint of pink. I tasted it and it was tough and flavorless. When we mentioned this to the waitress, she said that it was probably because it was ordered without the sauce. There is no sauce on earth that could have saved this poor, ruined piece of meat. In addition to all of this, from the time we ordered our entrees to their delivery was over an hour and a half. And this was with only three occupied tables in the restaurant. During this time, our waitress never acknowledged that our food was taking an incredibly long time, and basically avoided us like the plague. We were there a little over 2.5 hours and she probably came up to our table 4-5 times. So in summary, the service was very bad throughout the experience, 90% of the food was truly very bad, and we were there for over 2.5 hours. The only reason I have given two stars is because we spoke to the owner, who manages the restaurant, and he was very apologetic and took a good portion of the food off of our bill. He seemed like a good guy who wanted to do the right thing and I felt for him that the kitchen had let him down. To him, I would recommend getting a new chef or kitchen staff. Whoever was cooking this food and assembling this menu, did not have the slightest clue what they were doing. I hate to say that, but I also want to see this restaurant succeed because it is in such a cool location. read more

Great food in reasonable portions and price. Friendly staff. Funky historic place. Went for Mother's Day brunch. read more

The food was excellent. This is a very good restaurant. I've eaten here 5 times and it never disappoints.

The Story Inn has been one of our favorite spots for nearly 40 years. While only 20 minutes from Nashville, the Story Inn feels a world-away and totally off the grid. The farm to table fare is outstanding and the accommodations are both rustic and elegant. For an interesting experience, check out the tavern. It is a former speak-easy and serves up terrific Fisher Farms burgers with bacon marmalade, has an impressive wine cellar, multiple interesting beers on tap. read more

We dined at the Story Inn for Thanksgiving lunch and were greatly disappointed. We were aware of the cost when we made the reservations, but the food quality and service were not what we expected. We had a hard time finding any turkey on the plate. The food was not hot, and we felt rushed. We ate here for Thanksgiving a few years ago and were looking forward to returning. None of the staff were very friendly, and we felt like we were intruding. read more

I have wanted to visit this spot for so long and we were finally able to stop by to check it out. It really takes you back in time and feels so nostalgic. The history engulfs you and you can't help but feel like you were transported back in time. We enjoyed a beer in the downstairs tavern then went outside to enjoy the gardens. The BBQ hut smelled amazing but we didn't eat. Everyone was so warm and welcoming despite us being tourists. If you're passing through this area you absolutely cannot miss this gem. We can't wait to visit again to have dinner and stay in the bed and breakfast! read more

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Such a fun place, hidden treasure! Always different and special. Great food, honest people, out of the beaten path.

I would not recommend Story Inn after hosting my wedding there in May 2024. It is clear to me now that what happened to us is unfortunately typical for the Story Inn - the owner/venue over charges, over promises, and under delivers. Below is a VERY abbreviated list of items that went wrong: 1. Ceremony location was not ready 20 minutes (not an exaggeration) before the ceremony a. This only got taken care of because my officiant noticed and scrambled to make it happen. (I had also noticed and reminded them of this on Friday. I literally just expected them to wipe down the benches and remove an undesired arch (as agreed upon). b. The reception area was also not set up as discussed. My partner and I had to spend 1.5hrs pulling dirty chairs out of the barn and fixing the setup when we arrived on Friday. 2. Bar setup was a disaster - the issues here, could be a lengthy review on their own a. Received less than1/4 of the pre-paid volume of batched cocktails. Meaning my guests paid for a significantly higher amount of drinks and the venue made a lot of money by not providing what was agreed to. b. Changed out my pre-paid wines for sweet, 'local' options (reminder that we are in Indiana, so local is a frightening term to use for wine). c. Could not take cards at the bar (even though this was explicitly asked about and assured). Instead, started tabs with guests credit card info written down and went to another building to run them. (This is apparently what Rich knew would be the case when I asked but did not think it was worth mentioning.) d. Did not have some of the beers agreed on for Friday evening gathering. e. Put out a tip jar even though I had already been required to pay 20% gratuity on the entire invoice. 3. Very clearly under-staffed and unable to serve food in the manner agreed upon in advance a. Our entire dinner was intended to be passed hors d'oeuvres. Agreed in advance that all items, other than a charcuterie setup, would be passed. I never saw a single item passed. They assure me that 3.2 out of the 9 items were passed. b. The venue event coordinator had to bring out food because she had no one else to do it. This prevented her from doing any event coordinating. 4. Hosted another event at the same time as our wedding 5. Did not receive several items and services that were agreed upon in advance 6. Poor treatment of multiple guests When I reached out to the owner about these issues, he refused to take any accountability. If you have read how he has responded to other negative reviews (I will not be surprised if he responds similarly to this one), that will give you a glimpse into how we were treated. I will not be coming back. read more

Story has been a place we like to come to when we are ready for some R&R. 10 miles off the beaten path. Beautiful flower gardens, great food, good entertainment. The staff was friendly and very accommodating. The rooms are nice and comfy. We will definitely be back. read more

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Great bed and breakfast Fun pub in the basement Big brunch was extra but worth it Fancy dinner seemed overpriced But very cool experience overall read more

Our anniversary with an overnight and dinner was delightful at the Story Inn! The staff was super welcoming and the fine dining meal was superb and so fresh- several menu ingredients coming directly from the garden that we explored earlier that evening. read more

If you are looking for a place off the beaten path that will make you feel like you just went back on time 50 years, this is your place. The town of Story is neat Brown County State park. It confused me at first when we typed it in and it said it was only 7 miles away but it would take us 20 minutes to get there. The road is very very curvy and you must go slow. This will be a beautiful trip to go through some very pretty hilly and wooded areas on a motorcycle or in a convertible. When we reach the location we noticed that there were some horses tied up outback. Apparently there is a trail from the back of Brown County that will take you down to the story in. They have bands outside and food on weekends with an outdoor food area. They just throw some basic things on the grill like burgers and fries. It's a pretty simple menu outside. But you can also have cocktails and sit outside. We went to the downstairs basement bar, the upstairs restaurant was closed at the time. We had a great time just sitting and looking at pictures having a drink and then walking out back through all of the gardens. The flowers were absolutely beautiful and there was art and old signage everywhere you turned. It was kind of like rewinding in time. We had to hand cut fries and wish we would've ordered two orders because they were so awesome. If you are looking for a perfectly pretty, brand new place this is not your place. I noticed in the restroom smelled a little mildewy but it was very clean. It has such character and charm, I didn't mind. read more

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During our Sunday trip to Brown County we stopped at Story, IN for an early lunch. The place was packed, which wasn't a total surprise for a beautiful Sunday in October, but what was surprising was the $25 brunch menu. My companion wasn't $25 hungry but I ordered the Cajun Shrimp and Grits, which was uneatable. Entirely over seasoned with very small portions. The shrimp were big and lovely but drowned in a spicy sauce that made them intolerable. Minuscule grits, potatoes, and one slice of bacon and one sausage. I have eaten here in the past and found the food acceptable but not so today. read more

We went to the Story Inn as part of an event for Valentine's Day. I found the event on Eventbrite. The event was a 5 course meal paired with 5 cocktails from the folks at Hotel Tango. Of course we got a room, I mean 5 cocktails! We stayed in the rumored haunted Blue Lady Room. We did not see the blue lady, darn it . Another couple went along with us on this adventure. The meal was different than the norm but I found some definite highlights. We started with an amuse-bouche that was supposed to wake up your palette that was paired with a rum cocktail. I did not care for either one of these but you can bet I did not let them go to waste! The second course was better and my second favorite of the meal. It was a gorgeous salad paired with a gin cocktail which I also enjoyed. The third course was a smoked carrot soup paired with a vodka cocktail. I had never thought of smoking carrots but by gosh it worked. The 4th and main course was a glazed duck breast paired with a bourbon cocktail. Duck for me on this course was a bit chewy but the cocktail was my favorite cocktail. The 5th course was dessert and although precariously served in an egg shell sitting in a small mason jar was the tastiest little thing. The dessert was a farm egg maple pot de creme with smoked salt and caramel foam. It was served with another excellent bourbon cocktail. Hotel Tango did not disappoint. The dinner lasted a few hours and I would happily do it again. In the morning we went downstairs to have our breakfast which was included with the price if the room. I had the gritty pig which was smoked poblano grits, pork belly, and an egg.....delish! My better half had eggs, bacon, and toast with apple butter and was very satisfied. It was fun as people learned we stayed in the haunted room the ribbing and questions we got while at the inn. We will watch for other events as I would love to see the gardens in bloom as they were outside our 2nd floor balcony. read more

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Great Mother's Day brunch. Good service and terrific food. Worth the "inconvenient" drive.

Very disappointing Father's Day meal. To begin with, we were not aware strictly prix fix brunch menu. Apparently, we had last reservation. Not a welcoming atmosphere and some inexplicable confusion. Server was distracted, rattled, or confused? Behavior a little weird. Food was dried out, portions very skimpy. (We should know better than to reserve a time on a holiday at a favorite restaurant...rarely a good experience. ) Accompanied by out of town friends, and we were embarrassed w/ quality of meal. Hope this visit was a one off. read more

Neat place. Dinner was great with good service. And we are going back on September 12th for dinner!

I thought it was a mirage when we stumbled on this place. We didn't eat but had cocktails and toured the property. This place is now on my bucket list to spend the night. read more

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Sunday brunch is phenomenal. The grits are fantastic. The breakfast platter is great because it lets you try both sweet and savory if you choose. read more

Wow, best meal I've had in Indiana yet - yes, even compared to b-town & Indy! I never would've known about this place if it weren't for my friends. They were more attracted to the haunted Blue Lady room, but we all left in love with the food & ambience. Story Inn doesn't look like much on the outside & at first, I thought it looked like a more minimal Cracker Barrel. As we settled in, we found Story Inn more & more charming. Once we had our amuse bouche (a lovely golden beet tartare), starters, and first pours of wine, we spent some time wandering around the grounds. Stephanie, our server, was so kind to time our entrees accordingly. The "backyard" is so picturesque! I can see why people get married here - the barn is stuff Pinterest boards are made of. I had the Fischers Farms Smoked Pork Chop (dill creme fraiche, apple fennel slaw, fried potato spaetzle) - Compared to the other dishes, the pork chop was really the star here versus having a ton of sides. The pork chop was deservedly the star though. I could taste the subtle smokiness and it was nicely seasoned. My only complaint is that I would LOVE more apple fennel slaw. I could eat that on its own. It had a tangy sweetness that reminded me of pickled cabbage. Yum. Surprisingly extensive wine list with reasonable prices! I'd recommend having a GPS in your car because getting there is fine BUT getting back is when you're in a dead zone that doesn't work for AT&T, Sprint or Verizon. Yikes! Also, I highly advise not driving by yourself at night. Although it's scenic in the daytime, at night.. it's what city gals imagine how a horror movie stars. 120/365 read more

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First, you need to know what you're getting into. Once you calibrate yourself to the rustic, vintage, historical, minimalistic experience it provides, you will enjoy it. Story Inn is located literally in the middle of nowhere. If you want secluded, I can't think of a better spot. Fortunately there are air conditioners in each room since we stayed 2 nights during a horrible heat wave. The bed is lumpy, the shower may have hot water, and there's a small refrigerator in the upstairs common area that serves multiple rooms. However, I didnt see any other guests -or staff for that matter- during our stay. There's no wifi, tv or cell phone service either - remember you're in the middle of nowhere. But you do have the possibility of being entertained by a ghost since this is considered one of the most haunted places in Indiana. I just wish the dining room was open when we visited. It's supposed to be top rated with an executive chef and master sommelier - in the middle of nowhere??? read more

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We pulled up on our motorcycle to get a picture in front of the Story Inn on our first visit. A blonde male with a dog came outside and sarcastically said to us "that's not a parking lot...there's only about 7 signs right there." We said "We aren't parking, we are taking a picture." He was too busy with his friend who was actually PARKED beside us in the no parking zone in a red Dodge Dakota that was parked there for approximately 15 minutes. We were long gone and parked in another area before he ever moved. But yet, we were verbally accosted for taking a picture of our motorcycle in front of the Story Inn. I am shaking from anger at his absolute rudeness towards someone he's never met, and as tourists to this town. I was looking so forward to coming here, and now this town has been soured by him. I will never come back. And I will be sure to tell all of my friends and family just how rude he is. It's sad that the Story Inn and this town has to be tainted by him. read more

Just wanted to let it be known that the gratuity that is being included on Thanksgiving and the package deals offered are not given to the waitstaff. Instead is pocketed by the owner! read more

If you ever feel like you need to get away for the weekend then The Story Inn is the place for you. We visited and spent the night for a wedding recently and we had a great time and are making plans of coming back soon. It is just short drive outside of Nashville, Indiana and seems to be in the middle of nowhere (*Note: there is no reception on the grounds except for the restaurant.) Its very rustic and peaceful. Everything you need for a weekend away if needed. The wedding we attended was held in the wedding barn in the back and was a perfect setting to a Summer wedding in Indiana. We spent the night in the Wheeler Homestead Back Cottage. The two-room cottage includes one queen bed in each private bedroom, living room with a love seat, a mini fridge, coffee-maker, microwave, bathroom with a claw foot tub, and a private deck. I also learned that it was named after the original owner of the general Store, Alra Wheeler. The cottage was cozy and the claw foot tub was my absolute favorite! There is also The Blue Lady room that you can stay in which is supposed to be haunted. I am definitely not brave enough for that room :). The following morning we had the most delicious brunch before we headed home. I ordered the Eggs and toast with bacon, home fries and added pancakes to it. It was fresh and absolutely delicious. Service was great and the staff was friendly and professional. I will definitely recommend this place and will come back! read more

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Historical, authentic and beautiful gem of Indiana. The grill is awesome with perfect burgers and excellent BBQ sauce. Good beer selection and nice folks. If you are in Brown county and want to see the real thing you owe it to yourself to go to Story. read more

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This is a review based on our 1 night stay and brunch experience. Firstly; Story, Indiana is essentially Story Inn. There is a general store/restaurant for checking in, but most of the lodging is in refurbished historical houses (cabins?) within walking distance of the general store. This is very pet friendly (there are specific rooms for guests with pets, so specify when booking if that is a concern). Dogs are allowed to walk on leashes throughout the property and the bar in the basement of the general store. My understanding is that you can also rent stable space if you want to bring your horse(s). We only spent one night (check-in at 4pm). However, since this is in Brown County, there are trails for biking and horseback riding. Motorcyclists will enjoy driving around Brown County, and guests will be about a 20 min drive to both the Nashville touristy sites and Brown County State Park. Your only food choices in Story are the general store restaurant (a little on the pricey side) and the bar in the basement. Otherwise, add in 20+ min to other restaurants. That said... overnight guests get a ticket for one entree (includes drinks + refills) for the restaurants Brunch. Highly recommend the jamcakes! Service was great too! To summarize, this is a great place a little secluded from the tourist bustle of Nashville that offers you and your pets some fun things to see! read more

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My husband and I recently went on a week sans kids to Brown County. We are here twice. Once for brunch on a Sunday and then for the Pre-fix meal on a Thursday. The brunch wasn't really anything to get excited over but the drinks were amazing. Get the Long Island with cranberry. The Pre-fix meal was special. We were the only ones in the restaurant so it felt even more romantic. The restaurant decor was amazing, like being in a really good antique mall. I didn't get to look at everything there were so many cool details. The town's history is even more thrilling, ask the server. Get the wine recommended with each course. Everything was freshly prepared from the gardens. Take a walk around the gardens and the property. read more

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