Cooperative Living February 2018 - 30

DiningWithDan | Story and Photos by Daniel M. Walker, Contributing Columnist
HORSESHOE RESTAURANT
SOUTH HILL'S
'Remember When'
O
ne of the things I most enjoy about this job is unexpectedly
coming across little gourmet gems. Nothing fancy, just
good eatin'!
That's exactly what happened recently while traveling through
South Hill, Virginia, on historic U.S. Route 1. I drove past the
Horseshoe Restaurant and suggested to my traveling companion we
turn around, go back and have lunch. I'd passed the restaurant
many times, but never stopped. I had, however, noticed that there
were always a lot of cars in the parking lot, often the sign of a good
place to eat.
On entering the restaurant, I got a great big " hello " from Vicki
behind the counter. " Anybody can provide service, but it takes a
special place to make you feel welcome, " said Scott Rogers, owner
of the Horseshoe Restaurant. " I want this to be a classic country
diner with great food and good cheer. "
The restaurant building was originally a blacksmith shop, built
around the turn of the century. It became a diner in the 1930s.
The U-shaped lunch counter was where the blacksmith had
his fire pit and you can still see the original beams that
supported the octagonal roof.
Small towns are often witness to noteworthy historic
events, as I quickly learned. On Dec. 31, 1938, the notorious
outlaw, Roy Kelly, was apprehended by local authorities while
having breakfast at the Horseshoe Restaurant. The good news
for the public is the bank robber and murderer, Kelly, was
identified by a local resident and captured. The bad news for Kelly,
I am told, is that he didn't get to finish his breakfast. Local lore
also has it that the legendary comedy team of Laurel & Hardy
once visited the Horseshoe to partake of its delightful cuisine
and hospitality.
The Horseshoe Restaurant menu has many comfort-food
favorites like fried green tomatoes, maple-bacon dates, deviled eggs
and onion rings. Scott suggested that one of the lunchtime favorites
is a burger topped with homemade pimento cheese, a house
specialty. When I was a lad, I had summer jobs picking tobacco
and cotton not too far from South Hill. Famished at the end of the
day, I often celebrated with this same dish, but this time I
added the onion rings and fried green tomatoes as described
on the menu. What a treat! The crispy coating on the
tomatoes and onions was light and very tasty.
Scott added that both the bison chili and bison burger
are very popular. The bison is sourced from a farm in
Gladys, Virginia. The menu also featured a number of
signature sandwiches with ingredients such as sliced
Granny Smith apples with white cheddar, crisp bacon, which
was drizzled with caramel sauce ... yum, yum.
Door listing
homemade
desserts.
28 | Cooperative Living | February 2018
Scott Rogers, owner of the Horseshoe,
and his cousin Vicki Simmons are the
welcoming committee.
www.co-opliving.com
Lunch-counter area located where the old
blacksmith shop served
area farmers.
Laurel & Hardy, comedy actors
in the 1930s and 1940s, are said to
have been patrons when they
traveled through town. Hal Roach
Studios photo.
http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living February 2018

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