The Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex has welcomed an impressively designed new steakhouse to its guest offering. Situated within its newly built Pete Dye Clubhouse building, the Boilerhouse Prime steakhouse is a haven of refined sophistication, with dark wood paneling, subdued lighting, and plush leather seating to create an atmosphere that whispers of timeless charm.
Set within the lush greenery of West Lafayette, Indiana, the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex sits on the edge of the Purdue University campus, and its new clubhouse celebrates the intertwined legacies of the university and its golfing legends and visionaries.
The new Boilerhouse Prime Steakhouse, a shining new addition to the clubhouse venue, has been entered in the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2025, in the ‘In Another Space’ category, with the winners due to be announced later this year.
Brought to life by KTGY, a national, award-winning design firm focused on architecture, branding, interiors and planning. In partnership with developer White Lodging, Boilerhouse Prime Steakhouse’s location, history and decadent aesthetic really set it apart from the rest. Named after iconic Purdue Boilermakers, the steakhouse pays homage to the traditions and pride of the Boilermaker community.
Upon entering, an impressive two-story wine-wall sets the tone of a refined club-inspired ambiance, separating the steakhouse from the more informal clubhouse on the first floor. Organic design details such as the unexpected, curved statement chandelier over the raw and cocktail bars, and curved ceiling elements under a traditional angular roof, reflect the surreal nature and shaping of a golf course.
The interior design encompasses a variety of seating areas, offering guests unique dining experiences. The main dining room has subdued lighting, luxurious velvet drapery and dark wood paneling, with elevated booths, backlit whiskey lockers and a two-sided open fireplace, to create a more intimate and formal setting.
A large curved main bar featuring Italian mosaic tile and tall dark wood panelled walls is the dominant feature in the main space, inviting gatherings for larger groups and more intimate celebrations for smaller groups, with different seating types and configurations adjacent to it. The cocktail and raw bar seats 30 and features white mosaic tile inset flooring. Mimicking the organic shapes of golf courses, it is strategically designed to overlook the entire restaurant, as well as provide sweeping views over the adjacent golf courses. Alice Dye, the PGA’s first lady of golf, and Pete Dye, who designed the famous golf courses that sit outside the restaurant, were key figures of inspiration for the design.
The artwork in the restaurant honours the couple’s legacy, with a statement portrait hanging on the two-story wine wall in the main vestibule. Historic pictures of other Purdue golf personalities, cubbies for memorabilia, Purdue branded plaid fabric, a golf scorecard mosaic, and artificial turf art pieces further amplify the theme and storytelling in a contemporary way.
The restaurant also boasts two individually designed private dining areas, perfect for special events and conferences. One is closed off and features navy blue wall paneling and wall coverings, with internally lit whiskey lockers, as well as full AV capabilities suitable for small business gatherings.
Located off the main bar, the second private dining room maximizes the room’s sweeping views with large windows, to help connect guests with the historic course beyond. A two-tone velvet drapery wall adds a sense of luxury to the space, with ceiling hung large scale framed photos of the Purdue campus giving the room a sense of place.
