New Downtown Diner to feature Southern cooking in Kennewick

The former home of O’Henry’s Go-Go has new people leasing the space, and they said they fully intend to pay homage to the beloved downtown restaurant in their plans for a Southern-style restaurant.

Robert VanSlycke, Amber Woods and Rodrick Gladney expect to open the Downtown Diner on March 17, though they acknowledge there’s still a lot of work to do to fully renovate the building.

“I’m excited for people to see how much appreciation we have for this building,” Woods said.

VanSlycke and Woods have more than 20 years combined experience in the restaurant business in the back and front of the house. They most recently worked for Mai House in Kennewick’s Southridge district. Gladney is on the roster of the Tri-Cities Fever indoor arena football team and also will be a key part of the new restaurant’s operations.

Woods hails from Moses Lake, but all three have deep ties to the South, driving their desire to bring Southern food to downtown.

Still, Southern cooking will be just one component of the diner.

Menu items are expected to include smoked brisket, collard greens and grits, as well as burgers and sandwiches.

VanSlycke said they hope to hit the tail end of crawfish season with the scheduled opening date, having some of the small crustaceans shipped from the Gulf of Mexico.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner service is planned, though dinner will offer one entree a night in addition to the full lunch menu.

The Belair family started a business in what would become O’Henry’s Go-Go in the late 1920s.

The historic brick building at 20 S. Auburn St. housed a bakery, ice cream parlor and doughnut shop before becoming a restaurant in 1960. In the 80s, it briefly gained national attention when Belair advertised for go-go dancers older than 60 because some older customers requested dancing girls.

The restaurant has changed hands a few times since Belair sold it 10 years ago.

But while the historic Kennewick High class photos no longer hang there, the new owners said they want to pay tribute to those connections.

They’ve acquired the recipe for the old restaurant’s special sauce and will be naming a signature cocktail after Belair, who died in 2010.

They also hope to offer block parties and live music on the outside patio and lunch specials on Wednesdays, the same day Kennewick students have early release so they can get something to eat as they’re leaving school.

This story was originally published March 1, 2016 at 1:17 PM with the headline "New Downtown Diner to feature Southern cooking in Kennewick."