In a cozy restaurant in downtown Huntington, steak and spaghetti have enough star power to draw presidents, boxers, and musicians.

The story began in 1938 when Jim Tweel opened a small restaurant serving cheeseburgers and milkshakes in an old dairy store. By 1962, Tweel merged the eatery with a local spaghetti house and, after a bit of remodeling and menu tweaking, christened the restaurant Jim’s Steak and Spaghetti House.

Even all these years later, retro touches abound, from the green vinyl booths to the servers in crisp uniforms to a menu that has changed very little over the years. The signature spaghetti sauce has been made with the same recipe since the 1930s, and the ribeye steak dinner, haddock sandwich, and classic homemade pies have become favorites among lifelong locals and even a few celebrities. Presidents John F. Kennedy, George H.W.…