Business of the Week: Travelers Rest, Ossining

There’s a lot of history within the walls of Travelers Rest, a Westchester County landmark that was once a popular stopping-off point for stagecoach travelers making their way to New York City in the late 1880s.

Today, it’s a popular Continental-German restaurant run by Tina and Gary Langner, who have owned the establishment since 1961.

Gary Langner’s father, Gerhardt, purchased the property with only $300 to his name. Langer took over the business when he was 18 years old.

Over the years, the hard-working German immigrant, who worked as an apprentice for the Hotel Atlantic in Hamburg before coming to the United States, rebuilt one room at a time and then added several more.

Today his work can be seen in the wood-paneled walls that are evident throughout the building and in the stonework outside. He was also responsible for the restaurant’s first large addition in 1974.

Adding to the restaurant’s Old World charm are fireplaces in all four dining rooms as well as elaborate lighting fixtures that match the names of the rooms. They include the Atlantic Room, which is the large banquet room; the Lantern Room, which is the main dining room located downstairs and caters primarily to a la carte dining; the Crystal Room and the newly created Tap Room on the Terrace.

The restaurant is noted for its German classic meals, including the delicious Jaegerschnitzel, the sauerbraten served with dumplings and red cabbage, the weiner schnitzel, short ribs of beef and zwiebelrostbraten. Spaetzle and potato pancakes are the restaurant’s classic German sides.

The restaurant also hosts a German Oktoberfest every Friday night in October featuring the above entrees and more.

But its most popular attraction is the one-acre manicured garden, turning the restaurant into a destination spot for outdoor events, Tina Langner said.

“In fact, we’re known throughout Westchester County as a wedding destination,” she said.

The lush gardens are well suited to special events, featuring mature perennials and breathtaking seasonal annuals along with spectacular stone benches, elegant urns, bridges and a gazebo.

While the 10,000-square-foot Travelers Rest has always been known as a place where families could celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, communions, showers and Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, the Langners realized the importance of creating a different type of space where customers could grab a quick bite, enjoy a few drinks and watch TV.

The result is the newly opened Tap Room on the Terrace, which includes an original leather, wood and brass bar and big-screen TV, a small-bites menu with items from $4.95 to $14.95, al fresco dining and a happy hour every day from 5 to 7 p.m. when all drinks are half price.

A three-course dinner menu for $29.95 is available Wednesday through Sunday and a special all-you-can-eat prime rib night has become a popular Friday night tradition for many of the restaurant’s loyal customers.

Other notable features include an immaculate ladies room with sinks in every stall and one of the biggest kitchens of any restaurant in Westchester, said Langner.

The couple is proud of what they’ve accomplished. In recent years they’ve brought son Gary Jr., who serves as bar manager, and daughter Brooke into the fold, with the hope that they might carry on the family business tradition.

“I don’t think there’s anything else I would want to do besides this,” said Langner, who coordinates events for the restaurant. “To me, this is one of Westchester’s hidden treasures — a diamond in the rough, some might say.”

Travelers Rest offers live music on the weekends, as well as monthly disco nights and Sip and Dip parties.

The restaurant is open Wednesday and Thursday from 5 to 9:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 10 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 to 9 p.m.

For more information or to make a reservation or to book an event, call 914-941-7744 or visit http://thetravelersrest.com.