Our Story

The saga of this family restaurant began in the 1940s when the Vincent Zerphey family built Vin-Mar (for Vincent and Mary) Restaurant with a dance floor in the basement and living quarters upstairs. To obtain a liquor license, 10 hotel rooms were added upstairs and the family of seven moved to the basement.

In 1953, John J. & Betty A. Hebda purchased the establishment and named it the “Hillcrest”. The upstairs was remodeled for the family apartment. The original/front entrance led to the bar. On the other side of the bar there was the dining room and dance floor.

In 1962, John and Georgia Touloumes purchased the establishment and kept the dance floor on the main level to the Hillcrest Supper Club. They also added a separate entrance to the lobby, new dining room seating 150 banquet guests and more parking. Specializing in seafood, they also served Chinese and Italian food as well as the American favorite, steak.

In 1992, the Smolinski family acquired Hillcrest Supper Club and changed it to L.C.Jordan’s, named after their three children. David and Amy Longenecker bought L.C. Jordan’s in 1996. In 2005, they converted the banquet room to a Sports Center, with pool tables, darts, shuffleboard and video games. They divided the dining room for a quieter non-smoking room and a larger Sports Zone. Menu items included munchies, soups and seafood and steak.

In 2007, Anthony Morgan and Mike Cottle took ownership and renamed the restaurant Black Gryphon, which represents the Morgan family crest. They based Black Gryphon on the Welsh foundation of using locally fresh produce and product. The game room was converted back into a dining room, which allowed it to be used for private events, as well as general seating for the restaurant. Special events, such as live music, wine dinners, special events and art auctions, were later added. Black Gryphon currently supports the local community and lives by the motto:

“BE STRANGE…EAT FRESH!”

We would like to thank The Seibert Library & Resource Center and Mary Karnes, currently the Assistant Librarian and Local Historian, and John Hebda for compiling part of the history.