Renovation formed stables into now-restaurant, bar

Rose Hill Estate has parked a new eatery in the stables to go with the historic bed and breakfast.

The Stables Restaurant and Bar opened last fall after extensive renovations to make the outbuilding a warm and habitable space for diners, with a full commercial kitchen, patio and pavilion, a beer garden and separate off-street parking. Work on The Stables began in 2005, according to Rose Hill owner Steve Mueller.

"I always tell people that every square inch of it needed some level of attention - changing the terrain outdoors, the floors, the walls, the heating and air, adding the kitchen," he said. "While we were working on the building we did buffets in there, to get people used to thinking of it as a dining space. I looked up online for historic estates with stables restaurants, and there's only the Biltmore and one in the Hudson Valley in New York that I could find. So for visitors, it's a joy to see something that's Old Aiken."

The renovation to the stables is part of the long-term vision for the property Mueller and his co-owner, mother Eva Mueller, had for Rose Hill when they bought the estate in 2002. At the main house, the upstairs is given over to bed and breakfast lodgings, and on the first floor, there are rentable spaces for meetings, receptions and parties. The Muellers always planned to have a separate restaurant on the property.

"The Celebrate Aiken tour two weeks ago was incredible; we had over 1,000 people come through here. I never realized how many people were interested in old things," Mueller said. "At The Stables, every week I meet somebody who tells me they came here for art classes or brought their children here because the Aiken Center for the Arts got its start here."

The Stables Restaurant is open from 5 p.m. until on Tuesdays through Saturdays; reservations are requested, but walk-ins are welcome, especially in warmer weather when the restaurant expands with outdoor seating. The restaurant seats 60 people indoors and up to 125 people outdoors.

Chef Jason Capito provides a menu of American regional cuisine prepared with premium ingredients, featuring steaks, seafood and pork. Entrees range in price from $17 to $25.

"Everything's been so positive," Capito said. "It's just nice to find a group of people who appreciate my cooking."

For more information about The Stables Restaurant or to make a reservation, call Rose Hill Estate at 648-1181.

Contact Suzanne Stone at sstone@aikenstandard.com.