Cask n' Cleaver Riverside Undergoing Face Lift

Cask 'n Cleaver is nearing the end of renovations to its Riverside, CA restaurant. The newly remodeled restaurant has expanded its bar, removed interior walls and replaced paint, wood paneling and tile.

Riverside, CA (PRWEB) October 15, 2006 -- One of the most familiar establishments in Riverside is undergone a facelift. For almost 38 years, the Cask & Cleaver Steakhouse, 1333 University Ave., has beckoned guests with good food, good wine and lots of hospitality.

“That’s not going to change,” said owner Chuck Keagle. “But if you have seen it before, you will not recognize the place now.”

The Inland Empire that Chuck and his wife Linda knew when they opened their two original Cask ‘n Cleaver restaurants was a lot different than it is today.

Vineyards and lemon groves near the small town known as Cucamonga surrounded their first restaurant when it opened in 1967. That Cask ‘n Cleaver previously had been a ranch house, and to this day it maintains most of its original rustic charm.

It made sense to open a restaurant focusing on great wine near vineyards and as its popularity grew the new restaurant owners realized many of their customers were coming all the way from Riverside, which even in the late 1960s was not a short drive.

“We wanted to do something for our customers in Riverside,” Keagle said. “So we opened another Cask ‘n Cleaver on University Ave. in February 1969.”

As with the original location, the theme reflected its wine country roots.

“Now, the restaurant is simply showing its age, Keagle said. “The remodeling was really necessary. We owe this upgrade to the restaurant and to the people of Riverside. It brings the Riverside Cask into the 21st Century.”

Cask & Cleaver has kept its restaurant open during the facelift. Nothing was left unchanged in the remodel. The exterior got a fresh look with new siding, a fresh coat paint, stone exterior trim and new landscaping.

The interior, likewise, is completely redone. From the restrooms to the entryway, new paint, new , new tile and new wood paneling is everywhere. Even the hostess desk, which is fashioned from an old wine cask, got new stain and a new finish coat.

Many of the interior walls were removed or changed to “open up” the dining and bar areas. The paint is in rich and warm colors which conveys a feeling of being inside a vintner’s private tasting room. New wine storage display cabinets throughout the restaurant add to the theme.

The newly designed bar is built in a “U” shape to help create a conversation friendly atmosphere. The complete menu will also be served in the bar.

“We have tried to keep the flavors of the old while bringing in a more contemporary feeling,” Scott said.

The Cask & Cleaver has had many good years in Riverside. The expanding university has been good for the neighborhood and the Cask.

“This kind of success is unusual for restaurants”, said Keagle “Normally, a restaurant’s life expectancy is about 7 to 10 years, but we have had 38 wonderful years here and we look forward to many more!”

From the beginning when four college friends pooled their meager financial resources together to start the first two Cask ‘n Cleavers, times have been good. Besides Riverside and Rancho Cucamonga, today there are Cask ‘n Cleavers in Corona, Victorville, Fallbrook, San Dimas, Visalia and Orange.

In 2002 the Keagles acquired the historic Sycamore Inn located in Rancho Cucamonga, a white tablecloth prime steakhouse, which has provided hospitality to dining guests since 1848.

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