Located on a mountain ridge high above the village of Allegany, New York the Ho-Sta-Geh restaurant enjoys beautiful scenery year-round. The view extends for 26 miles, making any season a great time to stop by. From the breathtaking foliage of autumn to stunning sunsets and fluttering hummingbirds of summer, the atmosphere, like our food, never disappoints.
The history of the Ho-Sta-Geh is as rich as its surrounding landscape. In the early 1900s, the original building was constructed as a summer home for prominent Olean physician Dr. Jacob Morris and his family. At the time, the only means of transportation to and from Olean were by railroad or horse and buggy. Years later, the railway roadbed was turned into the present highway Route 16, which runs directly below the restaurant.
In January 1933, the property was purchased by Frederick S. Parkhurst, Jr. who was the Olean city engineer. Parkhurst opened the house as a restaurant and called it Ho-Sta-Geh, a name derived from the Native American “Up on the Rocks,” a phrase once used by local Native Americans to describe the surrounding area. The restaurant served food and legal beverages and offered customers a pleasant place to spend an evening, especially with its natural stone fireplaces.
Since Parkhurst, the property has changed hands several times. In October 1979, Anthony Zampogna and his son Mike purchased the restaurant from previous owner Neal Robinson. Ten years later, in 1989, Mike and his wife Betsy took over, running the business for 15 years. In April 2004, Mike and Betsy handed the reigns down to their daughter and son-in-law, Michelle and Ed Waddell. As a 25-year-old family business, the Ho-Sta-Geh Restaurant can’t help but make you feel at home.
- From Ho-Sta-Geh History