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