12 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2014 | BND MAGAZINE | BELLEVILLE NEWS-DEMOCRAT
Horseshoe
Restaurant &
Lounge
Galloping gourmets can get messy
BY SUZANNE BOYLE
News-Democrat
COLLINSVILLE – Bernie and
Charlie Clardy are making sure
the Horseshoe Restaurant &
Lounge rides again.
“We have the original bar and
the original sign,” said Charlie,
though “it hasn’t worked since
the 1980s.”
She and her husband bought
the business in January and reo-
pened it Sept. 9.
The iconic horseshoe sign out
front is now illuminated by spot-
lights so folks can find their way
back to an institution that has
been around town since 1947. It
was closed for three years.
The couple — she’s from High-
land and he’s a Bethalto guy —
started looking for a restaurant
they could make their own after a
couple of decades of working for
Pizza Hut.
“We stumbled across this
place,” said Charlie, 42, sitting at
the big, glass-block, U-shaped bar.
“Then, we took it from there.”
But not without major reno-
vating, including a new kitchen,
The Horseshoe sandwich has two
slices of Texas toast, two beef
patties, fries and cheese sauce.
carpeting, bathrooms, plus some
cool metal cutout horseshoes
hung on the restroom doors.
Bernie, 52, liked the history of
the place.
“When we were speaking to
people in Collinsville about open-
ing it up, they were excited,” he
said. “There have been so many
stories. We had a couple who
came in and had been married 57
years and said they met here. ...
Other people said they had first
dates. Somebody said they
worked here in the ’60s.” ZIA NIZAMI/News-Democrat
For those not familiar with what A server takes an order at the Horseshoe Restaurant and Lounge in Collinsville.
a Horseshoe is, the sandwich is
kind of a tasty mess best eaten with salad and garlic bread for $8.95. Add a The Italian
fork and knife: Two slices of Texas trio of meatballs for $2. beef sandwich
toast topped with two quarter- Choose from sirloin, ribeye or filet is marinated
pound, charbroiled burgers (ground — all cut in-house — served with a slow-roasted
fresh daily), with shoestring fries salad, garlic bread and choice of beef and is
on top of that, all of which is cov- potato for $10.95 to $17.95. served with
ered with a homemade white Half- and full-size salads, pizza, Italian au jus,
cheese sauce. ($8.45). wings, about a dozen appetizers, a fries and
The Horseshoe’s popularity has kid’s menu, plus chicken, shrimp and guardinara
spread throughout the bi-state fish dinners with two sides ($7.95 to relish.
area, though its makeup can vary. $9.95) round out the choices.
It is believed to have originated in Surprising big sellers are the
Springfield. Bernie made a pil- chicken liver or gizzard dinners,
grimage there and returned with served with pepper gravy and two Mikayla
what he thinks is the best recipe. sides for $7.95. Kingsley,
In particular, “I wanted to have co-owners
a more authentic sauce,” he said. Charle and
For fans of the St. Louis Cardi- Bernie
nals, he created the Red Bird HORSESHOE Clardy, and
Shoe, which subs a fried chicken RESTAURANT & LOUNGE Kristin
breast tossed in buffalo wing What: Serves lunch and dinner Clardy at
sauce for the burgers ($8.45). with a full bar. Takeouts available. the Horse-
There are 10 other sandwiches, Where: 410 St. Louis Road, Col- shoe Res-
including Cajun Chicken Breast linsville taurant &
Sandwich and fries ($7.95), plus Lounge in
four styles of burgers. Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Mon- Collinsville.
day to Thursday and Sunday; to 1
True to the sign out front, Italian
a.m. Friday and Saturday.
food and steaks are on the menu,
including spaghetti covered in Handicapped accessible: Yes
marinara or meat sauce with a side Information: 618-345-9350