Rock House Restaurant, Logan

The new Hocking Hills Lodge & Conference Center opened its doors in fall 2022, almost six years after the 2016 fire that destroyed its previous incarnation. The former state park lodge had an on-site restaurant but no overnight accommodations, while the new one has 81 guest rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, terraces and two giant lobby fireplaces. It’s an ideal home base for exploring one of Ohio’s most popular state parks. 

The culinary centerpiece of the new lodge is the Rock House Restaurant, an all-day eatery that transitions smoothly from breakfast to lunch to dinner. It is helmed by chef Matt Rapposelli, who has headed up the kitchen at southeast Ohio dining destinations such as Glenlaurel, Lake Hope Lodge and Kindred Spirits at the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls. 

Rapposelli says the restaurant at the previous Hocking Hills lodge was “smoked-meat centric,” while the new restaurant is taking a different approach. Whenever possible, he draws on local ingredients, like beef from Bay Food Market in Lancaster, cheeses by Ohio purveyors and wines from Le Petit Chevalier in nearby Creola. 

Highlights of the breakfast menu include a pork belly eggs Benedict, biscuits and gravy and the Harmony Hollow: home fries topped with sauteed vegetables. Lunch items include mussels, confit chicken wings and sandwiches like the half-pound Lodge Burger or the Forager Burger made with wild mushrooms. Dinner encompasses pastas, a boneless pork chop, a 12-ounce steak and the like, while Rapposelli’s signature catfish is served as a trio of hand-breaded filets with a house-made remoulade. The goal is to appeal to a wide variety of diners. 

“We have three very different categories of customers,” Rapposelli says. “We have the people who are staying here at the lodge, then we have the day-tripper tourists, and then we have the locals.” 

He also plans menus that will fit different tastes and budgets, from families on a summer trip to those looking for a higher-end experience. Rapposelli adds that those who visited the old lodge will be amazed by the new one. 

“It’s so vastly different,” he says. “This is the quintessential contemporary American lodge. It’s really about the views. The dining room is a big open space, with all glass windows overlooking the Old Man’s Cave area.” 

20020 St. Rte. 664, Logan 43138, 740/270-6100, hockinghillsparklodge.com