Rural Missouri - November 2010 - (Page 18)

O U T f you happen to drive through the northwest Missouri town of Barnard, you’re probably visiting one of the 257 residents or heading to Barnard Roadhouse Grill for one of their mouthwatering burgers. “My dad is the Wimpy of hamburgers,” says Willie Diggs, chef and manager of the grill, referring to the Popeye character. “He grew up on freshly ground burger and that’s what we use today. People seem to crave them here.” Most people might not think of a little town like Barnard as a place for a good meal, but this grill is changing that way of thinking. “We’re a little out of the way for most people, but the locals love us,” says Willie Diggs. When he was 16, Willie started working at Walnut Hills Country Club in Sedalia as a dishwasher. It wasn’t long before he knew he wanted to make a career out of food. A few years later, he packed up and headed west to work for the popular Italian eatery Buca di Beppo. After nearly a decade, Willie decided it was time to head back home where four generations of his family settled, and worked for restaurants in Kansas City and nearby St. Joseph. “My grandfather, Clarence Diggs, owned stores in a couple of towns near here where he was a butcher,” says Willie. “Dad learned all about the cuts of meat from him, and I learned from Dad.” Willie’s dad, Harvey, and his wife, Margaret, had wanted to invest in a restaurant for several years. When a diner in Barnard opened up, they bought it. Soon Willie was able to return to the two things he enjoyed most — family and cooking. “I’ve apprenticed under some of the top chefs across the United States,” he says. “I’m putting everything I’ve learned into what we’re doing here.” Right now, the only clue the old silver metal storefront is a restaurant is a simple sign painted on a front window. As you step inside, thoughts of an old-fashioned diner come to mind. Framed photos showing the town as it was years ago line the walls and collectibles fill the shelves. While Willie says there’s still quite a bit of remodeling to be done, the diner has been open since January and has gained quite a following. “We have regulars who come in for breakfast and lunch,” says the chef. “The town and surrounding area have been very supportive.” The Barnard Roadhouse Grill opens at 6 a.m., so early birds often stop by for a hearty breakfast. Options include omelets, a good old-fashioned breakfast sandwich with an egg, sau- I by Heather Berry hberry@ruralmissouri.coop Big city flavor out in the boondocks Barnard Roadhouse Grill O F T H E W A Y E A T S sage or bacon and cheese on toast or a large homemade biscuit. Into flapjacks? Order a full stack or short stack. If pancakes aren’t your thing, you can opt for a delicious hot French toast. Just want biscuits and gravy? No problem. You can order one, two or three large homemade biscuits with sausage gravy — and yes, the sausage is made by the Diggs family, too. And if you’ve got a hearty appetite, order the Farmers’ Breakfast, which comes with three eggs, hash browns, two sausage patties, three slices of bacon, biscuits and gravy or toast. While the menu is smaller than many larger restaurant chains offer, Barnard Roadhouse Grill shoots for the highest quality in what is served. According to Willie, they draw a good lunch crowd. Most come in for the hottest selling item — their scrumptious 1/3rd-pound hamburgers. “We don’t buy ground beef from some store,” says Willie. “We take high-quality bottom round, top round and chuck roast and grind it together to make our own ground beef daily. People drive for miles to have a burger and our hand-cut fries.” Burger fans can have their beef several ways — with bacon, buffalo sauce, Longhorn cheese and bacon, mushrooms and Swiss cheese, BBQ style or Cajun style with pepperjack cheese and Cajun spices. Don’t want a burger? Try the Roadhouse Club with its smoked turkey, Black Forest ham and Colby Jack cheese stacked high on wheatberry bread, or the grilled Cuban Club with its garlic aioli, mustard, pickles, roasted pork and Black Forest ham on Cuban bread. Another highly sought-after sandwich is the hand-breaded pork tenderloin that is about 1/4-inch or less thick and measures about 8 inches across. In no way will this tenderloin fit on a bun, but nobody seems to mind nibbling the edges. As the cooler months arrive, so do options such as homemade chili and soups that vary according to the chef’s whim. Selections might range from vegetable, French onion and baked potato, to one of Willie’s favorites, cheeseburger soup. The only evenings the diner is open are Friday and Saturday. While you can order anything on the menu, steaks are the main draw those nights. “All our K.C. strips and rib-eyes are hand-cut as they’re ordered,” says Willie. “We serve 14-, 16- and 18-ounce steaks, cooked to perfection.” Willie says he plans to do food trucks in the larger towns surrounding Barnard, so factory workers can just walk outside and buy a quick, hot lunch the way things were done in larger cities years ago. “Right now, our grill is a best-kept secret,” says Willie, “But people are starting to find their way here.” Willie Diggs, manager and chef at Barnard Roadhouse Grill, displays a handbreaded pork tenderloin and hand-cut fries, always a popular choice with locals. Barnard Roadhouse Grill Specialties: Hand-cut steaks, handbreaded pork tenderloins, fresh-ground hamburgers. Full breakfast menu, including homemade biscuits and gravy, French toast and pancakes. •Barnard Price: Breakfast $2 to $8.50. Appetizers $5.25 to $8.75. Entrées $3.25 to $20.99. Cash, checks and credit cards. Details: Open Monday through Saturday 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Friday and Saturday evenings, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Sundays. Catering available. Non-smoking. Seats 75. Directions: Take Highway 71 north from St. Joseph to Route M. Go 3 miles to Barnard and turn left onto 4th Street. Contact: 660-652-4040; www.barnardroadhouse.wordpress. com/menu/ for a complete menu. 18 RURAL MISSOURI http://www.barnardroadhouse.wordpress.com/menu/ http://www.barnardroadhouse.wordpress.com/menu/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - November 2010

Rural Missouri - November 2010
Contents
Comments
Columns
Mobility's Best Friend
Mail Bag
Rural Issues Explored at AMEC Annual Meeting
Out of the Way Eats
The Missouri Connection
Big Screen Savings
Hearth and Home
News Briefs
Best of Rural Missouri
Lest We Forget
Marketplace
Around Missouri
Neighbors
Just4Kids

Rural Missouri - November 2010