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