A ferry ride. A conversation. A Grafton tradition, carried forward.

Sameh and his family came to Grafton for a meal. They left with the beginning of a new chapter.

Their day began with a ferry ride over from St. Charles... a familiar journey for visitors drawn to this little Illinois river town. While they were dining, the restaurant’s owner stopped to talk. During the conversation, he shared that he was ready to retire. Then came an unexpected offer: an opportunity for Sameh and his family to take over the restaurant and help keep its history alive in Grafton.

That conversation became the beginning of Fin Inn Again.

To understand what makes this opportunity so meaningful, you have to look back - at the restaurant, the families who gathered here, and the rivers that have always brought people to Grafton.

Long before scenic drives and weekend getaways, Grafton grew around the meeting of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Its early history was shaped by ferries, fishing, river commerce, and limestone quarries. In 1833, James Mason received a license to operate a ferry across the rivers. Nearly two centuries later, another river crossing would bring a new family into the town’s story.

The restaurant’s own story began in 1981, when James Seib opened the original Fin Inn. Its tableside aquariums made a meal here something guests remembered long after the plates were cleared. Fish and turtles offered a window into river life, and families returned with children and grandchildren to share the experience.

After the original Fin Inn closed in 2020, the building entered another chapter. In 2025, Sonny Asani introduced Fountain Hills Steak House, also known as Fountain Hill Steak & Seafood. The Asani family renovated the space and brought some of the signature aquariums back into use, welcoming diners to a place that still held many familiar memories.

Now, Sameh and his family are carrying that story forward with a name that acknowledges where it began: Fin Inn Again.

For our family, taking on this restaurant means becoming part of a place that people already hold close. It means respecting the work of those who came before us while bringing our own hospitality, food, and care to the table.

That feels right for Grafton. Here, beneath the limestone bluffs and along the Great River Road, history is part of everyday life. The town has weathered floods, welcomed generations of travelers, and continued finding ways to begin again. Its character lives in the people who stay, rebuild, and give others a reason to return.

We hope to offer one more reason.

Whether you remember visiting the original Fin Inn, joined us during the Fountain Hill years, or are arriving in Grafton for the first time, there is a place for you in what comes next.

Our family’s story here began with a ferry ride and a conversation. We look forward to hearing yours.

Welcome to Fin Inn Again. Let’s make another memory