The Horseshoe Pub & Restaurant - Hudson, MA

The Horseshoe Pub & Restaurant is located at 29 South Street in Hudson, MA. Owned and operated by the Pizzimento family since 1980, the pub has been open for 39 years and is a fixture in the town.  Ample parking is available in their private lot.
 
After entering we explored the bar area that prominently displays the 80 taps for the draft beverages being offered today, and every day!  Nice combinations of low and high top tables along with seating at the bar are available here.  Another dining area features cozy booths that will please those who prefer wine.  Each booth display style names from Burgundy to Zinfandel!  Other tables in this area surround a massive brick fireplace.  There is also an upstairs function room that we would learn has the capacity to host events for up to 100 people. There is also an outdoor seating area enclosed in decorative wrought iron fencing.
     
But beer is king at the Horseshoe Pub and Restaurant!  Many signs and framed wall décor celebrate local and international beers and breweries. We decided on the bar area and were greeted by pub staffer Danielle, who guided us to a window table that gave us a great view of the beer taps.  We reviewed the draft offerings and found over a dozen styles of beers, cider and even Mead! (An ancient alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey.)  Simply put if you like beer, there is something on the menu for you!  A wide selection of bottled macro beers is also available.  For the non-beer drinker a full liquor service and wine selection is available.

Our beer selections today all hailed from three New England States. Mass Whole Lager is from Wormtown Brewery in Worcester, MA.  A session beer at 4% ABV, it’s light and refreshing and brewed with hops and barley grown in Massachusetts.  S.W.A.G Summer Wheat Ale is from Black Hog Brewing Co. in Oxford, CT.  Brewed with grapefruit peel that is evident in the aroma, it comes in at 4.7 ABV.  Hazy gold in color the wheat base is managed well with the citrus component.   #9 is brewed in South Burlington, VT at Magic Hat Brewing Company.  This pale ale is one of the brewery’s It boasts hints of apricot in aroma and mouthfeel with a dry finish. ABV is 5.1%.  Scrag Mountain Pils is a Czech style pilsner brewed by Lawson’s Finest Liquids in Waitsfield, VT.  There is a hint of sweetness that is well balanced by the hops.  Medium bodied and flavorful at 4.8% ABV, it is brewed using local water deep below Mt. Scrag in Waitsfield.

The pub’s menu is vast including multiple selections of appetizers, soups, salads, burgers and sandwiches. A variety of beef, pork chicken, seafood and pasta dishes round out the menu.  Several menu items use beer in the preparation like the Guinness Beef Stew and the salad dressing that uses raspberry lambic in the oils.

Danielle served our lunch orders while we enjoyed our brews. We selected the Shepherd’s Pie. A delicious combination of ground filet mignon, peas, corn and caramelized onions, topped with mashed potatoes and cheese that is skillet baked.  We always like to check out a restaurants style of the Reuben Sandwich. The pub prepares theirs with hand carved corned beef with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing; it is piled high on marbled rye and served with French fries. All the ingredients were well balanced with bread that really held the sandwich together. Thumbs up here!  The tasty French Dip Sandwich also served with French fries and a side order of au jus, features a more then generous portion of tender sliced roasted prime rib topped with a melted mixture of Swiss cheese and Dijon horseradish on a garlic bread roll. 

As we were finishing up our lunches, we chatted with owner Nick Pizzimento about how much we enjoyed his food and beers.  He mentioned that when his father started the restaurant in 1980 he offered basic burgers and sandwiches with three beers on tap. Nick came on board in 1990 helping his father out.  Together they soon added three more draft taps and expanded the menu from the original 10 items. Fast forwarding to today they built a major addition to the building (the way it appears today), continued adding more and more taps, until they reached the current number of 80, and as mentioned above expanded their menu. Nick’s dad is now retired, but still keeps an eye on things! Today Nick and his wife Paula operate the pub. They are active in the community and have supported the Spirit of Hudson Beer Festival for multiple years.  They will host an Oktoberfest at the Pub starting this September. Live acoustic music is featured on Friday nights
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The Horseshoe Pub and Restaurant is open seven days a week and offers an amazing selection of beers and great food.  They make you feel right at home from the moment you pass through the door to the time you leave.  As Nick and Paula like to say, the beer gets you through the door, but the food keeps you there. We could not agree more!
For more information about the pub, visit their website; www.horseshoepub.com or at their Facebook page; Horseshoe Pub & Restaurant  

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