About McGraw's Steak Chop & Fish House

The building that now houses McGraw's has been part of the history of Tippecanoe County for nearly two hundred years. Originally, the property was going to be part of a small town-in-the-making called Cincinnatus. One building was erected, but the rest of Cincinnatus was not. That single building still stands today as McGraw's Steak Chop and Fish House. We are proud to be in a building with such a rich and beautiful history. 

Even though Cincinnatus never blossomed, its one building was excellently situated on the west side of the river between Lafayette and Fort Ouiatenon, and there were several small villages lining the west side of the Wabash. One of these villages was Chauncey, which grew into West Lafayette after Purdue University was established there in 1869.

Purdue brought a vibrant, thriving community which kept the future McGraw’s building useful and updated. The singular riverfront building and its property served various functions—an inn for a few years, a boathouse for a few years more—as the surrounding area grew and prospered throughout the nineteenth century.  In 1948, the building was transformed into a restaurant called Stiney’s.