Best of the Quest: The Horseshoe Quest of 2011 Awards

The summer of 2011 started with a simple question, who has the best horseshoe in Springfield? As the debate progressed, we realized that the task of naming a winner was not nearly as simple as we originally thought. The discussion led to the creation of a short list of about a half dozen horseshoe restaurants.   This list then evolved into the Horseshoe Quest of 2011. The Quest was expanded to include 15 restaurants in Central Illinois, but could have easily featured more than that.  Since time was an issue, the list was finalized and the Quest began with Norb Andy’s Tabarian.

The idea for the Horseshoe Quest blog hadn’t fully developed until after our first stop, and we never imagined that we would get more than a few hundred views over the course of the summer. The two of us had discussions with several of our friends as to how to best create a fair and unprejudiced rating system.  We concluded that a 0-100 rating system would be the best way to rate the three main components of the horseshoe.  The two of us would also assign an overall score based on the entire experience, which would encompass everything from uniqueness, to presentation, and even price.  The Quest started off with an incredible horseshoe at Norb Andy’s, and our first stop eventually turned out to be one of the Best of the Quest. 

As the Quest continued, we perfected our rating system and started attracting more readers to the blog.  The rating system was consistent and fair, since all preexisting opinions of the restaurant were checked at the door. The Quest was gaining more notoriety and our goal was to have fun, but we always wanted to remain professional.  Our blog caught a big break when Kathy Rem spotlighted the Horseshoe Quest in the SJ-R.  Our blog exploded in popularity and we would like to thank the thousands of readers (as well as Kathy Rem) who made us the 2^nd highest read article for the entire week. 

The Horseshoe Quest of 2011 was completed only a few months after its start, but the Quest is certainly not finished.  We plan on reviewing more horseshoes in the upcoming months, but with school back in session, the Quest will be taking a brief hiatus.  Again, thank you to the thousands of readers of the blog; it has been an absolute blast and we genuinely hope that all of you enjoyed reading about our Quest. Now, without further ado, let’s get down to the Best of the Quest awards!

Biggest Surprise: Track Shack

Best Traditional Horseshoe: D’Arcy’s Pint

Best Unique Horseshoe: Catie Girl’s / Corner Pub Horseshoe Pizza

Best New Horseshoe: Boulevard Tap & Grill

Best Cheese Sauce: D’Arcy’s Pint / Catie Girl’s

Best Meat: Norb Andy’s

Best Fries: Verda Mae’s

Best Overall Horseshoe: Norb Andy’s

Best Horseshoe Restaurant: D’Arcy’s Pint

The Last Stop: Top Cat’s Chill & Grill

As the Horseshoe Quest of 2011 draws to a close, we were literally able to taste the finish line.  Fifteen horseshoes later and one very memorable summer, we found ourselves ending the Quest at Top Cat’s Chill & Grill.  Top Cat’s is certainly not the classiest establishment we have visited on our Quest, nevertheless, it is one of Springfield‘s favorite horseshoe destinations.  Top Cat’s seems to be a little bit dated, as there aren’t very many  flat-screen TVs lining the walls, and the decor gives it a distinct feel of being stuck in the 1990’s.  However, just because the restaurant isn’t on the cutting edge of technology, it doesn’t really mean much, since we are there to grade the horseshoe. Putting the interior design aside, Top Cat’s definitely makes a very good horseshoe.  

We decided to order the pork tenderloin horseshoe, because it was very highly rated by our waiter.  We were told that many restaurants use frozen pork patties, but Top Cat’s uses fresh pork tenderloins on every shoe. The tenderloins are prepared and served fresh, and we could really taste a difference in the horseshoe. The freshness of the pork tenderloin definitely stood out and it was one of the better meat choices we have encountered on the Quest.  This horseshoe features the fries on top of the cheese sauce; a quality that we believe improves the overall quality of the shoe.  The fries were not too thick or too thin, and they were just about the right size of fry that should be on a horseshoe.   Most importantly, they were able to stay hot and crisp through the meal, a trait that was aided by being on top of the cheese sauce.  The sauce itself was high quality and deserved a high score.  We have encountered better cheese sauces on the Quest, but this sauce would be able to hold its own when compared to some the elite cheese sauces.  

Top Cat’s was a fitting final stop to our official Quest.  Over the summer we enjoyed over 20 horseshoes and we were thrilled to be able to end the Quest on a high note.  This horseshoe is deserving of an A rating, and Top Cat's warrants consideration as one of the better horseshoe restaurants in Springfield.  Top Cat’s is a place where you can always order a horseshoe every time that you visit; and 9 times out of 10, you will enjoy it. The Horseshoe Quest of 2011 officially ended at Top Cat’s Chill & Grill, and we can undoubtedly say that this restaurant is one that you certainly need to visit. 

Cheese: 87

Meat: 88

Fries: 89

Overall Score: 90

Green with Envy: Lime Street Café

Lime Street Café is located on the West side of Springfield in the Clocktower business plaza (right off Durkin Drive).  The restaurant offers a more of an upper scale dining experience, but it has a moderate price range and is definitely suitable for casual attire.  While the all brick exterior of the building is traditional and conservative, the interior design can only be described as unusual.  Guitars and other musical instruments can be seen hanging from the ceiling, and several of the walls are lined with mirrors, creating an optical illusion that the restaurant is actually twice as large.  The dining area is a bit small, but it is large enough to hold an ample dining crowd.  Lime Street Café has a very relaxed atmosphere and it could be a nice place to enjoy a quiet dinner. 

We ordered a chicken horseshoe (no hot sauce this time), and it was pretty good.  The horseshoe was better than some, but it didn’t have any one aspect that could differentiate it from many of the horseshoes on the Quest.  The presentation of the horseshoe was the most interesting part of this meal.  The shoe was served in a skillet shaped dish and it was able to keep the horseshoe from moving around, as well as kept the horseshoe evenly balanced throughout the meal.  The horseshoe was very filling and looked a lot smaller than it actually was. The cheese sauce on this shoe was pretty good overall.  The cheese was more of a mix between the white and yellow styles, and it was very tasty.  The meat was nothing too impressive, but it did not distract us from the overall experience.  The fries were solid and were much thicker than many of the fries on the Quest.  The added potato flavor really complemented the cheese sauce well and added a boost to the horseshoe. 

This stop on our Quest was acceptable, but not spectacular. It was better than several horseshoes in Springfield, but it is not the best in town.  If you ever find yourself at Lime Street Café and you are in the mood for a horseshoe, you will not be disappointed. With that being said, it is not a place that you should drive out of your way to try their horseshoe.  I’m sure there are plenty of other wonderful items on Lime Street Café’s menu and we recommend checking out an alternative to the horseshoe.

Cheese: 84
Meat: 80
Fries: 84
Overall Score: 84

A Hidden Treasure: Verda Mae's

The latest stop on the Quest we journeyed farther than we had ever previously gone, into the unfamiliar territory of Waverly, Illinois. Neither of us had ever been to Waverly before, so we literally had no idea what to expect.  When we arrived at Verda Mae’s, with a little help from a sign on the side of the road, we were greeted with an environment that had the distinct feel of a small town restaurant. 

When ordering the Horseshoes we were hit with more choices than we previously anticipated.  Verda Mae’s offers a Mexican horseshoe that sounded delightfully unique.  In place of the bread, this creation includes a tortilla with meat and fries, and then is topped with green chili salsa, black olives, and sour cream as well as the cheese sauce.  While this sounded like something we would both enjoy, we decided to play it safe and go with their buffalo chicken.  However, we didn’t play it completely safe, because we ordered ours with “fat fries,” in place of their traditional fries.  

The moment of truth finally came, and we were completely blown away.  This horseshoe had everything we could have wanted.  The cheese sauce was a white sauce with a nice balance of flavors.  One thing we both noticed about the cheese when it arrived was that it seemed to be rather thin.  This is something that off the start we thought would be a negative, but turned out to be a big addition to the overall quality of the meal.  The consistency being thin at the start really helped the cheese to not become overly thick as it cooled. This is a common problem in horseshoes and one that Verda Mae’s seems to have found the solution to. 

The meat was very good and the buffalo sauce provided a great bite that both of us enjoyed greatly.  This buffalo chicken was not the best that we have had so far, but it fit perfectly with this horseshoe.  The flavor of the hot sauce really mixed well with the cheese, and the fries really tied the whole plate together. Verda Mae’s offers two types of fries, traditional and fat fries.  We decided to choose fat fries, which are fries that have been battered prior to being fried.   The fries were the best part of this horseshoe, and are easily some of the best fries that we have had on the Quest.  These fries sound like they could be extremely heavy and weigh the horseshoe down, but we did not feel this way at all, and in our opinion they completed this horseshoe perfectly.

Verda Mae’s is definitely one of the better stops on our Quest. There is no doubt that it will be competing for several spots on Best of the Quest.  Even though Waverly, IL is about a 30-minute drive from Springfield, we definitely recommend giving it a try.  Verda Mae’s is by far the best horseshoe we have reviewed outside of the capital city.  The drive is easy enough and the fat fries make the journey worth the extra travel time.  If this restaurant was located in Springfield, we wholeheartedly believe that it would be one of the more popular spots in town.  Verda Mae’s is a hidden treasure that shouldn’t remain that way for much longer. 

Cheese: 93
Meat: 89
Fries: 93
Overall Score: 93

You Totally Redeemed Yourself: The Dublin Pub (Bonus Blog)

For this bonus blog we decided to take a trip back to one of our previous stops that did not live up to expectations.  We headed back to Dublin Pub for a chance at redemption for what has become known as, “the debacle.” The first time we visited Dublin Pub on the Quest, we had high hopes for their horseshoe pizza and it did not live up to expectations. Their horseshoe pizza remains the lowest rated stop on our Quest thus far. Having Dublin Pub at the bottom of the list was something that we were very uncomfortable with, considering Dublin is one of our most frequented locations for a shoe. 

We decided to play it safe and order the buffalo chicken horseshoe with white cheese sauce. We were able to breathe a sigh of relief as the horseshoe arrived at our table, because we could already tell that it was going to be a great horseshoe.  The shoe was freshly prepared and the fries were very hot. The cheese sauce was easily one of the better sauces that we have had on the Quest, and we were very pleased with the overall quality of this horseshoe.  The fries were hot, the cheese sauce was an excellent consistency, and the buffalo chicken was living up to the standards. This is the kind of effort that we expected from Dublin Pub. 

We came in with an open-mind and we were pleased with the quality of the horseshoe that we were given.  Everything about the horseshoe was above average and had no weak link.  The scores will reflect the overall great quality, but no one aspect truly stands out to give it a chance of Best on the Quest.  The Dublin Pub will consistently give you a good horseshoe and is highly recommended for a shoe of any occasion.

Cheese: 91
Meat: 90
Fries: 90
Overall Score: 91

Will the Real Horseshoe Pizza Please Stand Up: The Corner Pub & Grill (Bonus Blog)

The Corner Pub & Grill is an Irish-American themed restaurant located on the West side of Springfield.  The Corner offers a wide variety of both food and drink choices, but one of their most unique creations is the Horseshoe Pizza.  The Corner was one of the first (if not the 1^st) restaurants to combine a pizza with the horseshoe, and the mixture is a true delight for any diehard horseshoe fan.  This horseshoe pizza is an actual hybrid of both a horseshoe and a pizza and is unlike anything else in Springfield. 

The horseshoe pizza starts with a pizza crust and then is topped with all the usual fixings.  The fries, the meat, and even the cheese sauce can all be found on this pizza.  The whole dish is then baked to perfection, creating a horseshoe that can be eaten by hand. Of course, it is still easier to enjoy the horseshoe pizza with utensils, but the option to ditch the fork is out there.  The pizza is thick, due to the heavy number of fries and toppings loaded on top of the crust. This pizza is very reasonably priced, and is definitely enough food to split between 2-3 people.  Under all normal circumstances, we would never recommend taking any horseshoe home to eat as leftovers. However, in the case of a horseshoe pizza, it actually reheats wonderfully.  On numerous occasions, the horseshoe pizza has been taken to-go and then reheated at another time. Every time it has been a success. 

Unfortunately, our scores for the Corner Pub & Grill are currently incomplete.  The official score would easily be in excess of 90, and would earn the seal of approval from both of the contributors.  Nevertheless, this post is designed to be more a follow-up to the horseshoe pizza debacle that we encountered at Dublin Pub.  It was our intention to demonstrate that there is an excellent horseshoe pizza in Springfield, and we recommend this dish to all horseshoe fans. 

New Kid on the Block: Boulevard Tap & Grill (Bonus Blog)

Although this restaurant was not our original list of 15 restaurants, it opened since we started, and we decided to do it as a bonus blog.  This restaurant is located in the Town and Country shopping center, in the former location of Dublin Pub and D’Arcy’s Pint. Boulevard Tap & Grill has done a great job of remodeling and upgrading the interior of the restaurant.  The former banquet room has been completely upgraded into a game room, which provides an open area that offers games as well as the full-service restaurant.  We definitely recommend this game room.

As for the shoe, we had a tale of two horseshoes.  One of our shoes was served with cold fries.  The cheese sauce heated them up somewhat, but they didn’t have any crunch. They seemed to be old fries that just needed to be served.  The other shoe was served with fresh fries, making the experience much more enjoyable.  We decided to try the pot roast horseshoe because it had been highly recommended.  Even though the meat had good flavor, it just didn’t mesh with the other components of the horseshoe.  The best part was the cheese sauce, and we rated it as one of the better that we’ve had. It tasted similar to Mexican queso.

Our out-of-town friend Holly joined us in this quest, and it was her first experience with the Springfield horseshoe tradition.  She wanted to share this venture with the most knowledgeable horseshoe connoisseurs that she knows (and that was only us). Holly ordered the Philly cheese steak shoe, and she loved it.  We both took a bite and determined that it was what we should have ordered.  Since this restaurant is new, we can cut them some slack. However, it does have the potential to be a great horseshoe restaurant because of the excellent cheese sauce.  With the right meat and fresh fries, it would be a total winner.

Cheese: 87
Meat: 85
Fries: 75
Overall Score: 80

A Horseshoe of a Different Color: Catie Girl’s

Catie Girl’s restaurant is located in the heart of downtown Springfield and is known for having an extremely unique menu.  Illinois Times voted it “Most Original Menu” in 2010.  Most people will probably be surprised by the fact that Catie Girl’s offers a horseshoe on their menu, so this made it one of our most anticipated stops on the Quest.  Catie Girl’s has a reputation as one of the most unique, eclectic atmospheres in the city.  On first glance, the menu may appear to be traditional, but once you read the descriptions, you realize that it is anything but.  The chefs put a very unique twist on their menu items.  A great example is the macaroni and cheese, which is made with pepper-jack cheese and pulled pork.  It’s not your grandmother’s mac & cheese.

With such a unique menu, we knew the horseshoe at Catie Girl’s was going to be unlike anything we had ever had before.  The horseshoe was served with jalapeño cornbread as the base of the shoe.  The cornbread was able to add a different taste to the shoe without being overly spicy.  It added to the flavor, but it did not dominate in any way.  The meat on the horseshoe was barbeque pulled pork, which had tons of flavor and a nice kick that went well with the jalapeño cornbread and the pepper-jack cheese sauce.  In terms of the cheese sauce, it was not nearly as spicy as we expected when we learned what it was made of.  The pepper-jack was mild and excellently complemented the overall horseshoe.   Adding to the uniqueness of the horseshoe, the fries were not one style, but three.  These tri-colored fries were made up of sweet potatoes, russet, and Yukon gold.  Although all of the ingredients do not sound like they should go together, they did.

Catie Girl’s has by far the most original horseshoe we have experienced on our Quest.  Sometimes unique is not always best, but in this case, it worked brilliantly. Everybody may not enjoy this horseshoe. If you are new to horseshoes, or are a picky eater, this is not our top recommendation.  However, if you’re in the mood for a unique horseshoe experience, Catie Girl’s is your place.

Cheese: 94
Meat: 93
Fries: 92 
Overall Score: 95

The Redemption Shoe: Lindsay’s Restaurant

Lindsay's Restaurant is one of eateries located in the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel in downtown Springfield. Lindsay’s is named after the famous poet Vachel Lindsay, who was born in Springfield, IL. Lindsay’s is one of the more upper scale restaurants on our Quest, and one of the very few places we were able use a cloth napkin and quality silverware. The overall atmosphere of the restaurant is casual, but a little bit of class can go a long way. Horseshoes are served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so all hotel guests or visitors can enjoy a horseshoe from 6:30 am-10 pm. Our original intention was to review another breakfast shoe at Lindsay’s, but after some discussion, we decided that a regular horseshoe would be a much better addition to the Quest. Our reason can be justified by a quick rehashing of the 2009 World Horseshoe Cook-off controversy.


In August 2009, Springfield, Illinois was host to the 100th Annual National Horseshoe Pitchers Association World Championship, but more importantly, was also the site of the 1st ever World Horseshoe Cook-off. The cook-off featured 9 restaurants from around the area, and pitted each horseshoe against one another to take home the title of world’s best. Lindsay’s horseshoe was named as “best overall horseshoe”, but was later disqualified for not preparing the horseshoe at the judging site. Lindsay’s Restaurant is located one block from the judging area, so they elected to assemble the horseshoe within its own kitchen and bring the completed horseshoe to the competition. The 1st ever World Horseshoe Cook-off ended in controversy and the full story can be read at the SJ-R.


Lindsay’s horseshoe was once crowned the best overall horseshoe in the world, and the Horseshoe Quest of 2011 has allowed them a chance at redemption. Lindsay’s is now competing for the coveted title of “Best on the Quest”. Now, without further ado, let’s get to the review.


Lindsay’s features only three meat choices for the horseshoe: hamburger, turkey, or ham; but with a big smile and a friendly waitress, you might just be able to get some bacon on the shoe as well. The horseshoe was definitely good, but unfortunately for Lindsay’s; it is not the best overall horseshoe on our Quest. On the plus side, the french fries on the horseshoe were fantastic, and are currently tied for the highest score. The fries were natural cut and still had some of the potato skin left on the sides. They were freshly prepared, so the crispiness and temperature definitely boosted the score. The hamburger was good quality and with the addition of bacon, we felt comfortable awarding the meat with a pretty solid rating. The burger was not the best one we have had throughout the Quest, but it was good enough to earn its rating. The cheese sauce was a yellow sauce, but it was able to hold its weight in this horseshoe. The sauce had a nice mild flavor and complemented the fries very well. The sauce by itself may not win any awards on our Quest, but the combination of the cheese sauce and the fries is certainly enjoyable. Lindsay’s makes a pretty good overall horseshoe, but it doesn’t make the “Best on the Quest”. Lindsay’s may not take home a title, but they should feel proud of the horseshoe that they entered. Hopefully that is enough redemption for Lindsay’s Restaurant.

Cheese: 83
Meat: 85
Fries: 90
Overall Score: 84

A Taste of Germany: Hallie’s on the Square

Hallie’s on the Square is located about 30 miles north of Springfield in Lincoln, IL. Hallie’s is known for its disproportionately large schnitzel sandwiches, but they also serve the schnitzel as a horseshoe. This restaurant has built quite a reputation around Lincoln, and has been serving up schnitzel for four generations. We knew that this horseshoe was going to be a lot to handle since the schnitzel generally is about the size of a dinner plate. The restaurant was easy enough to find, and we had no trouble finding a parking spot in downtown Lincoln. We entered the restaurant and we were immediately able to grab a table. As we began to scan through the menu, we noticed an odd policy. Hallie’s allows patrons to bring their own beer, and they will provide the glasses or ice at no additional cost. We have never really come across a BYOB policy at any restaurant in Springfield, so we were definitely surprised by this. Regardless, we made the trip to review the horseshoe, so that is exactly what we will do.

Simply put, this horseshoe was not one of our favorites. The cheese sauce…well let’s come back to the cheese sauce in a moment. Lets start with the best aspect of the horseshoe and then work our way through the other components. The schnitzel was pretty decent and was hands down the best part of the horseshoe. As you can see from the picture below, the schnitzel nearly filled the entire plate. Hallie’s makes a homemade schnitzel hot sauce that complimented the meat pretty well. The sauce could be compared to spicy ketchup, only with some extra spices mixed in. The schnitzel would make a very filling meal by itself, but as a horseshoe, it can be quite a challenge to finish. In most horseshoes the fries and cheese sauce make or break the horseshoe. In this case, they ruined it. The cheese sauce can be compared to the nacho cheese that came out of a machine in our high school cafeteria. It had way too strong of a flavor, and was way to thick to be put on any horseshoe. The cheese was by far the worst part of this horseshoe and completely derailed the shoe. The fries were nothing to talk about either. They were soggy and really had no flavor at all. Because of the terrible cheese sauce, we almost couldn’t taste the fries at all. All the fries seemed to do was add bulk to the horseshoe. If you find yourself at Hallie’s, please don’t order a horseshoe and just order the schnitzel sandwich instead. The horseshoe is a Springfield tradition for a reason. Lincoln, Illinois may have a very good schnitzel, but we will take good horseshoes over excellent schnitzel any day.

Cheese: 59
Meat: 85
Fries: 68
Overall Score: 68

Past Meets Present: Maldaner's Restaurant

Maldaner’s restaurant is located in the heart of downtown Springfield and has been in existence for over 100 years. When the topic of horseshoes comes up in Springfield, nobody will ever mention Maldaner’s as the hot spot for a horseshoe. However, Maldaner's is known for its excellent food; so when we found out that they served horseshoes at lunch it immediately became a must for us to visit. The horseshoe itself was very traditional and did not offer anything out of the ordinary. We went with the Springfield original and ordered hamburger for the meat. The horseshoe was very conventional and never differentiated itself from the other horseshoes in the Quest. No one part really stood out as great, yet no part was poor, it was all-in-all average. If you went to Maldaner’s for your first horseshoe experience, you would find it enjoyable; then again a few weeks later you would not be talking about this outstanding Springfield tradition.

The cheese sauce was decent and was by far the best yellow cheese sauce we have had on our Quest, but the competition in that category has been pretty weak. The sauce wasn’t something that we would ever rave about. It was much like the rest of the shoe, tasty at the time but nothing out of the ordinary. The meat was the best part of this horseshoe, and it was a very good hamburger. It was clearly high quality meat and was grilled fresh and not frozen. The fries were acceptable, but again nothing that will make you want to come back for more.

The quality of this horseshoe was definitely high, but the overall shoe will not take the top spot in any category. It is definitely worth trying, but if you are new to horseshoes, it would be best to make the journey somewhere else. If you do have a Maldaner’s horseshoe you will not be disappointed at the time, but as time goes on it won’t be able to hold its own weight.

Cheese: 83
Meat: 87
Fries: 83
Overall Score: 83

The Gold Standard: D'Arcy's Pint

D’Arcy’s Pint in Springfield is one of the major players in the horseshoe game and we knew it would be a real competitor for the top spot in our Quest. After its start up in 1998, D’Arcy’s rapidly became one of the town’s favorite destinations for horseshoes. As an Irish themed pub and grill, one may not necessarily associate Ireland with horseshoes, but D’Arcy’s Pint gained the reputation as having one of the best shoes in the city. Over the years, D’Arcy’s has expanded to a new location, but even today, you can still expect about a 30 minute wait just to grab a table. You may sometimes ask yourself, “Is the wait really justified, when I can go to five other horseshoe spots right around the corner?” The short answer is: yes. In all the times that we have been to D’Arcy’s, we are hard-pressed to remember a time when we ever had a bad horseshoe, or even bad service. The restaurant has gained a reputation for providing consistently high quality horseshoes with great service to top it off. D’Arcy’s has two bars as well as an outside patio that add to the atmosphere of the place. On a Friday or Saturday evening, you might be able to grab a seat in one of these areas, instead of playing the waiting game with a table. D’Arcy’s has a full menu complete with many tasty Irish and American specialties, but we were here for business and were one step closer to completing the Horseshoe Quest of 2011. Our original goal was to get the “horseshoe of the week” and we had been holding out until the ‘Gyro Horseshoe’ was the featured shoe; but we found ourselves impatient and decided to review the buffalo chicken horseshoe.

The buffalo chicken horseshoe is probably the best selling shoe at D’Arcy’s Pint and there is no doubt as to why it sells so well. First off, the horseshoe at D’Arcy’s in almost the perfect size. There was a great chicken to fries ratio, and the cheese sauce filled the plate masterfully. The cheese sauce was served very warm, a vital trait to any shoe, since as the cheese cools it loses some of its original flavor and can lead to the entire meal being saturated in lukewarm sauce. The white cheese sauce at D’Arcy’s Pint was phenomenal and is now the leading contender for the cheese category. It is almost as if they have mastered the art of creating consistently outstanding cheese sauce, because we have never been let down by the quality of the cheese sauce. The buffalo chicken carried its own weight in the horseshoe as well. The chicken breast was wonderfully breaded and attained a great balance of crispiness and tenderness. There are various other choices for meat, but we wholeheartedly believe that you cannot go wrong with the buffalo chicken horseshoe (if you are not a fan of spicy food, don’t worry because the hot sauce comes on the side). The fries on shoe were served piping hot, as they must have just left the fryer a few moments before arriving to our table. The fries at D’Arcy’s have been used as a grading point for most of the horseshoes up to this point. We are familiar with the quality and taste of their fries, and they once again delivered a high grade. It should also be mentioned that D’Arcy’s uses thick slices of Texas toast on their horseshoes. Some horseshoes try to get by with using regular pieces of toast, but the difference between the two is definitely noteworthy.

Overall, D’Arcy’s Pint received the second highest score to date (behind Norb Andy’s Tabarian) and the reason it did not take over the top spot is that the uniqueness factor was not as high. We can get a buffalo chicken horseshoe at twenty different places around Springfield, but we can only get a ‘Joe Rogers Chilishoe’ at one place in the city. If you are looking for the best buffalo chicken horseshoe, it is probably at D’Arcy’s Pint. There are still a few stops on our quest before we can say that with all certainty, but there is no doubt that this will be hard to top. If you have never tried a horseshoe or are taking somebody to get a horseshoe for the very first time, take them to D’Arcy’s Pint. You won’t regret it.

Cheese: 94
Meat: 92
Fries: 90
Overall Score: 94

The Wildcard: The Track Shack

This leg of the quest brings us roughly to the halfway point of our summer-long adventure. For this stop we decided to go to the Track Shack, which is located in Springfield. This truly was a wildcard for us because we knew absolutely nothing about this restaurant or what we had waiting for us. Our immediate reaction upon seeing the establishment was, “what have we gotten ourselves into?” The place looked like a complete dive, and we both thought this has potential to be one of the worst shoes that we will have on our quest. The results didn’t quite go like we thought they would.
The first thing we noticed about the horseshoe when it came out was that the cheese sauce was the deepest shade of yellow that we had ever seen for a cheese sauce. This was not a promising start, because both of us are very partial to white cheese sauces. The sauce ended up being a weaker part of this shoe, but received a solid grade overall. It had a very strong flavor, which kind of reminded us of a nacho cheese sauce. The fries were very typical bar fries and did not stand out in any way. On the other hand, they did not take away from the show at all. They almost just blended in because of the strong flavor of the cheese and were almost just filler in some way. We gave the fries an average score, which is exactly what they deserved. The meat is where the complete shocker came for this horseshoe, both of us ordered buffalo chicken and it was absolutely fantastic. The chicken was cooked very well and had excellent flavor. The hot sauce had a great taste to it, as well as the perfect amount of hot sauce and spiciness. Both of us felt as if it was the best buffalo chicken that we have had on a horseshoe in years. The buffalo chicken was so good; it almost rivaled Norb Andy’s for the top meat score.
The Track Shack may not be the classiest establishment in Springfield, but they do know how to make one heck of a buffalo chicken. If the Track Shack could only upgrade the cheese sauce, they could be a serious contender for one of the top spots in the quest. The horseshoe was decent overall, but it could have been a little bit better. The Track Shack truly shows that sometimes you can find a great horseshoe in a place that you least suspect it.

Cheese: 80
Meat: 92
Fries: 80
Overall Score: 86

The Early Bird Gets the Shoe: Charlie Parker’s Diner

Charlie Parker’s Diner in Springfield has been featured on various TV programs and has become quite famous in several circles. Charlie Parker’s features a 16” pancake (yes, the size of a large pizza) and also creates breakfast horseshoes. They actually have a challenge that if you can eat four 16” pancakes, you get the meal for fee; but only a handful of people have been able to conquer the cakes. The restaurant is situated in an old Quonset hut (kind of like a half-circle aluminum bunker) dating back to World War II era and the inside of the hut is decorated to look like a 1950’s eatery. For this leg of our quest, we woke up early and tried one of their famous breakfast shoes. The breakfast horseshoe is significantly different than a regular shoe since the breakfast one comes with your choice of egg style; then topped with bacon, sausage, or ham; then topped with hash browns; and finally smothered in sausage gravy. The breakfast horseshoe is an acquired taste, but the flavorful combination of all the breakfast foods is hard to resist, even to a newcomer. As for us, we each ordered slightly different variations of the shoes, with each horseshoe tailored to our specific breakfast tastes. The breakfast horseshoe is a very hearty meal, so make sure that you bring your appetite along for this dish.

When breaking down all the components of a breakfast shoe, it becomes a bit difficult to compare them to the other horseshoes we have encountered on our quest. The breakfast shoe is a completely separate entity, but to remain fair and unbiased, it must be graded on the same scale as every other installment on the quest. We find ourselves having a hard time trying to pick out any negative aspect of the breakfast shoe, but at the same time, it is much harder to critique the breakfast foods as most of them tend to have very little variation and generally taste the same from location to location. However, the gravy on this breakfast horseshoe was fantastic and the hash browns were above our expectations. The meat and eggs were good, but nothing too special. The gravy had a nice peppery flavor that balanced perfectly with the hash browns. The hash browns were crisp, but were not overcooked. To top it all off, we had great service and we were in and out of the restaurant in about 35 minutes. We gave the breakfast shoe a final score of 89 due to the overall lack of complexity of the entrée. The meal was great and there are no obvious flaws in the shoe, but we felt like giving this an A would take away from some of the other horseshoes on the journey. We would like to review one more breakfast horesehoe on our Quest, but it will take take a colossal effort to overtake Charlie Parker’s. If you have never been to Charlie’s, what are you waiting for?

Cheese (Gravy): 90
Meat: 82
Fries (Hash Browns): 86
Overall Score: 89

The Clydesdale Challenge: Boar’s Nest Bar & Grill

For this leg of the quest we decided to take our talents to Athens. The Boar’s Nest Bar & Grill boasts the only horseshoe challenge we have found in the area. The Clydesdale challenge is a 7-pound horseshoe that is designed for one person to eat in less than one hour. The Boar’s Nest does not allow two people to split the Clydesdale (even though we made it clear that we did not want to take part in the challenge), so we had to order the smallest entrée as well. We ordered the buffalo chicken Clydesdale and also a breaded tenderloin ponyshoe. When the Clydesdale came to the table, it was almost too much to take in. Neither of us has even seen a horseshoe this large and it was worth the short trip north just to see this monstrosity. Since we ordered two different shoes, we agreed to average the grades of the meat for the final score. The breaded tenderloin was excellent and we would highly recommend trying the tenderloin if you ever find yourself at the Boar’s Nest. The breaded chicken was average, but neither of us really enjoyed the hot sauce. The sauce was very oily and had some zing to it; however, the overall flavor was pretty bland. The cheese sauce on the shoe was sparse because of its massive size, but the flavor was good. They use a homemade white cheese sauce recipe. The sauce had a very mild flavor, but it wasn’t what stood out most about the shoe. The cheese was by no means great, but it was above average in terms of the horseshoes we have had so far. The fries were very average, and did not make a lasting impression, but it didn't take away from the shoe in any way. The lasting image from this leg of the quest will be the hundreds of french fries all somehow balancing on one plate. The Clydesdale challenge was something that was incredible to see and made it a very worthwhile stop on our quest. The horseshoe was middle of the pack overall, but if you really hungry (or a bit insane) and want to take the challenge, you will not be disappointed.

Cheese: 84
Meat: 87
Fries: 80
Overall Score: 86

Hitting the Road for a Shoe: Fat Willy's

Fat Willy’s is a medium size bar and restaurant located just outside the city limits of Springfield. The place itself is not something that will catch your eye and can be a slight bit confusing to first time patrons. There are three doors that all lead inside to three separate seating areas. The dining areas are definitely nothing special; however they did have immediate seating, so we can’t complain about that. Once we had found a place to sit and received our menus, we decided to go with the Buffalo Chicken Horseshoe for this leg of our quest. The horseshoe quickly caught our attention when it came out as it was loaded with cheese sauce. They used a white cheese sauce and there was a solid amount of fries and an average amount of breaded chicken as well.

In our opinion the cheese sauce was the best part of this horseshoe. It had a really great consistency as well as an appetizing mild flavor. The sauce definitely tied all the flavors of the shoe together; but it was not overpowering. The fries were put on top of the cheese sauce and once again this was a nice way to keep the fries from losing their crispiness from the heavy amounts of sauce. The fries had a nice crunch to them and there were plenty to cover the plate. The buffalo chicken could have had a bit more zing; but it could have also been much worse. The horseshoe was served with basic toast as the bottom layer, so in the future it would be nice to see an upgrade in the bread department. Overall, this experience was positive and we can see another trip back to Fat Willy’s in the future. It should also be noted that the cost for this horseshoe was very fair. The horseshoe was only $7.75 after tax and when compared against its size and flavor this horseshoe was a great deal. Is Fat Willy’s the best horseshoe on the quest? Well, the answer is no. However, if you ever find yourself in Chatham, IL and suddenly have a craving for a horseshoe, this restaurant will definitely cure the hunger.

Cheese:86
Meat:80
Fries:82
Overall Score: 82

A Horseshoe Place for a Pizza: Dublin Pub

Dublin Pub is one of our favorite places in Springfield to grab a regular horseshoe. We have been very loyal customers of Dublin for the good portion of the last five years. Dublin Pub recently upgraded to a larger size building and has also slightly retooled the menu. One of the newest additions to the menu is a Horseshoe Pizza. The horseshoe pizza has been around in Springfield for a few years now, but its not very well known around the town. (The Corner Pub has a fantastic version of the horseshoe pizza and it is very highly recommended) Once we discovered that Dublin had purchased a new pizza oven we couldn’t wait to try the new horseshoe pizza. We ordered both the Philly Cheese Steak and Buffalo Chicken horseshoe pizzas. Our expectations were through the roof as we anxiously awaited the arrival of the two delicacies. To our dismay, the pizzas were a complete disappointment from the start. We do need to explain that after having the Corner Pub’s version of the horseshoe pizza, the bar had been set very high.

The pizzas came with very few toppings and were absolutely nothing special. The Philly Cheese Steak horseshoe pizza had twelve fries on the entire pizza, and the Buffalo Chicken pizza wasn’t too much better. The cheese on the pizza had hardly any taste at all. Dublin Pub generally has a very flavorful cheese sauce on the actual horseshoes, but the cheese on the pizza was downright unacceptable in comparison. The meat on both of the pizzas was fair, however it was not nearly enough to save this meal. After we had our fill of the sub-par meal we were both very saddened. Dublin Pub is one of our personal favorite restaurants, and we were now forced to write a bad review about a restaurant that we had high hopes for. In the future we would like to come back and get an actual horseshoe from Dublin, but as of now the review for Dublin‘s horseshoe pizza is dismal.

Cheese:67
Meat:75
Fries:85
Overall Score: 66

A Pizza Place for a Shoe: Bernie & Betty's

Bernie & Betty’s is known around Springfield as one of the preferred pizza restaurants in the city. The building itself does not look like much, but it has a very nice feel once you journey inside. The dining area is relatively large with an ample amount of seating so wait times should normally be relatively short. It definitely has a feel of a traditional pizza place, but that obviously is not what we were there for.

We ordered their “poor boy” horseshoe as recommendation of our waitress, as she claimed it was one of their most popular. The horseshoe itself was quite small compared to other popular places around Springfield. The meat tasted like traditional Italian beef, and was quite good and loaded with flavor. It had a very unique taste on a horseshoe and we enjoyed the flavor it brought to the meal. The best piece of this horseshoe had to be the fries. Once again, the fries were served on top of the cheese sauce and they brilliantly retained their crispiness throughout the meal. The fries were the key ingredient and complimented the flavor of the Italian beef very well. The cheese sauce was only average at best. It seemed overly thick, and the flavor left a lot to be desired. The thickness and consistency of the cheese sauce immediately brought thoughts of melted Velveeta. The cheese sauce should be considered sub par, and undeniably needs improvement.
After we finished our horseshoes both of us were still hungry. Since the petite horseshoes (that would be labeled as ponyshoes at many other locations) were not enough; we made the decision that we had to order a small pizza. The pizza was sensational and it overshadowed the horseshoe and made us second-guess our decision to order a horseshoe in the first place. If you ever find yourself at Bernie & Betty’s try to resist your temptations and just order a pizza instead.

Cheese:72
Meat:82
Fries:87
Overall Score: 79

The 1st Stop: Norb Andy's Tabarin

The first stop on our quest for the perfect horseshoe was at Norb Andy’s Tabarin on Capital Street in Springfield.  The establishment is small, but with a traditional pub feel.  We were quickly seated and promptly ordered our horseshoes.  We chose the “Joe Rogers Chilishoe” and it was outstanding.  The horseshoe itself may not appear to be to exceptionally large. However, it was more than enough food for one person.  One of the more interesting aspects of the shoe was that the fries were on top of the cheese sauce, which gave them an edge in crispiness.  The cheese sauce itself is a recipe of the Leland Hotel that claims to be the first horseshoe ever made.  It is fitting that we chose this to be our first stop in the quest.  The sauce is made from sharp cheddar cheese and Guinness beer (so only the bold can enjoy it).  The cheese sauce, however, was the weakest part of the shoe.  The sauce really was overshadowed by the other abundant flavors in the dish.  The meat was fantastic and really stole the show.  The meat was two hamburger patties that were topped with ground beef from Joe Roger’s Chili (a world famous Springfield hotspot) and the spices from the chili meat really added a unique twist on the traditional horseshoe.  Joe Rogers Chili is known to be some of the hottest chili you can eat, so you should choose your spice level carefully as the “hot” will be very fiery.  The final component of the horseshoe was the fries. The fries were the top layer in the shoe and there were plenty of fries to satisfy any potato lover.  Since the fries were not doused in the cheese sauce, they were crispy throughout the entire experience.  This crispiness really added another element to this shoe that is often lost because of the traditional way of putting the cheese on top of the fries.  The fries were fairly thin cut so they did not add an overwhelming flavor of potato and really complemented and allowed the meat to be the star. 

This Horseshoe definitely set the bar high on the quest for the best horseshoe in central Illinois.  The flavors were truly unique, which really adds an intrigue factor to the overall experience.  Add in that you may be trying the original recipe for the horseshoe cheese sauce, and that makes Norb Andy’s a must visit for any horseshoe aficionado.  

Cheese Sauce: 89

Meat: 94

Fries: 89

Overall Rating: 95