Emily and Joe Akers love their rural Iowa town, except for one thing. “We’re landlocked up here,” Emily says. “Any family vacation we’ve ever been on, we have to drive a distance to see water.”
When Joe bought the family a boat, it was too long and had too much horsepower to be docked at any lake near them. (“I don’t know if he did that on purpose,” Emily says with a laugh.) The couple had friends in Tennessee and had visited the area several times. Eventually they bought a home at the Gallatin Marina on Old Hickory Lake.
“Even the drive from the airport, once we start to see water, calms your entire soul,” she says of Nashville’s rivers and lakes.
It might have been less calming, though, when they learned that the Gallatin Marina didn’t have a spot for their boat.
They found a slip at Cherokee Marina & Campground in Lebanon, just a five-minute boat ride away. It was a lucky find — and not just because they finally had somewhere to dock the boat. Hanging out at Cherokee Marina and talking to regulars, they heard folks reminiscing about Cherokee Steakhouse, a waterfront restaurant that opened in 1958, even before the marina existed. Cherokee Steakhouse was both an institution and a bit of an oddity. While most steakhouses conjure images of velvet booths and well-heeled guests, Cherokee was often frequented by people wearing flip-flops who smelled like sunscreen and bait. For decades, Cherokee was BYOB, so people walked in with small coolers carrying one six-pack of beer. Not the standard steakhouse modus operandi, but it was beloved.
To Emily, Cherokee Steakhouse didn’t sound that unusual. In fact, it sounded a lot like J. Bruner’s, the 43-year-old steakhouse she and Joe bought and now run in Clarinda, Iowa. The more she heard people wax nostalgic about the old Cherokee Steakhouse, the more interested she was.
Cherokee Steakhouse was sold a few years ago, when its owners were ready to retire. Cumberland Canteen, a more traditional waterfront restaurant serving wings and pizza, opened in its place. “It bombed,” Cherokee Marina manager Ryan Williams says. “It was not good.”
With Cumberland Canteen closed and marina management wanting a restaurant to serve boaters, campground residents and locals, Emily and Joe got an opportunity. With two partners, Levi Davidshofer and Kyle Margison, they leased the space and announced that they were reopening Cherokee Steakhouse at Cherokee Marina & Campground in early summer 2026.
“The concepts are so similar by serendipity,” says Emily, comparing Cherokee Steakhouse with J. Bruner’s back in Iowa. “Their vision and our vision are very similar. One of the initial conversations was us just talking to someone out on the dock one day. They said, ‘There used to be this great sirloin for two or three or four.’ I said, ‘We have that up in Iowa!’ That was on the original J. Bruner’s menu. I’ve never seen that on any other menu. So to hear it 10 hours away, you know, at a marina, made me think, ‘This could work.’”
Hand-breaded onion rings, catfish bites and prime rib are dishes that will appear on both the J. Bruner’s menu and the new Cherokee Steakhouse menu. Steaks (from Midwestern cattle) are hand-cut at J. Bruner’s — and they will be at Cherokee, as they have been in the past. Emily says former Cherokee owner Keith Cunningham stopped by to share some of his old sauce recipes. Some new dishes, like an Iowa breaded pork tenderloin (“That’s kinda like our state bird,” the Akerses joke), will be added, plus chicken and waffles at brunch.
Clarinda has a population of a little more than 5,000, so Emily says J. Bruner’s has had to be something for everyone — from people looking for fine dining to those wanting a quick bite. Because of that, she thinks they are well-positioned to uphold Cherokee’s classic dichotomy, serving as a place for families fresh from the campground pool as well as for people looking for a special night out. Pizza, appetizers and burgers will feed the casual crowd. But whether guests sit in the dining room (“the dry side,” she calls it) or the dockside lounge, they will be able to order from either menu.
As soon as Emily posted online in March about the couple’s plans to reopen Cherokee, internet denizens began weighing in on posts in Gallatin and Lebanon community groups, voicing their opinions about what Cherokee Steakhouse 2.0 needed (i.e., steak for two, salad bars, rolls, lazy susans in the middle of the table and reasonable prices). They also told stories about 60th and 70th anniversary parties and wedding receptions at the now-shuttered spot, and about Cherokee sponsoring a local bowling league. Williams too has a poignant memory: The last photograph he has of himself with his late father was taken at Cherokee Steakhouse.
The new Cherokee Steakhouse won’t be a carbon copy of the 1958 model. It’ll have a liquor license, with crafted cocktails, beer and wine. About half of the beers on tap will be local brews. During the pandemic, when business was slow and people wanted to be outdoors, Williams built a large, dog-friendly outdoor patio with seating for 200, an outdoor bar and space for live music.
Decor has been updated to be modern and appropriate for a marina — but not hokey, Emily says. Two pieces of original art, sculptures of a Native American and a blue-kerchief-wearing chef, are back, and she’s hiring local artists including a watercolorist to provide original art. The building has a separate party room, and Emily expects it to be available for private events in the future.
Some of the Akerses’ kids are school-age, so Emily has been in Iowa with them as the school year wrapped up. Joe has been in Lebanon hiring staff, testing recipes and getting the restaurant ready to open in the next few weeks. (They’re waiting on permits and other last-minute logistics.) J. Bruner’s slow season is spring and summer — what Emily anticipates will be Cherokee’s busy season — so some staff may come down to oversee training and help get processes in place.
The previous owners told Joe they once had a day with 700 meals served, so combined with the online enthusiasm, Emily, Joe and team are gearing up for crowds. Between the inside and outside, the restaurant can seat 277 people.
Cherokee Steakhouse will be open year-round, with afternoon and dinner hours Monday to Thursday. Fridays will include lunch, and Saturdays and Sundays will include brunch. Live musicians will play on weekends.
In the old days, families used to sit and feed the ducks while they waited for a table. Just like the old days, the new Cherokee Steakhouse won’t take reservations — at least not at the start — so when the restaurant opens, bring the sunscreen and be ready to wait while taking in Old Hickory Lake views. Duck feeding optional.
