1 of 2
Photo by Ron Burkett.
The interior of Crazy Horse restaurant is designed to look like a horse stable.
2 of 2
For nearly 50 years, the Evans family has been providing quality meat in Birmingham and around the state from the creation of Southeastern Meats by James T. Evans and then Evans Meats by Butch Evans.
Now, Hunter Evans is expanding the family tradition with Crazy Horse restaurant in Argo.
The restaurant started as a “hobby” of Butch and Karen Evans in 2011 and was turned over to their son Hunter in 2013. What began as a country steakhouse grew in popularity and taste.
“We try to do fine dining with a casual atmosphere,” Hunter Evans said. “Everybody thinks because Argo is a small country town you have to open a small country diner … We have to do something different to bring people in from all over.”
The crowds grew, and so did the menu and hours to include breakfast and dinner five days a week, lunch Tuesday through Friday and a Sunday brunch that features a made-to-order loaded omelet or fried chicken and waffles as go-to dishes.
One of the newest changes is the Gastro Pub nights, to expand dinner options to Tuesday through Thursday in addition to the fine-dining steak-and-seafood menu on weekend nights. The menu includes a favorite dirty rice with vegetable trinity, lightly blackened chicken breast, sliced Conecuh smoked sausage and a lemon beurre blanc sauce. Other options include fresh-catch fish and surf-and-turf tacos. live music, drink specials and poker clubs (Tuesday and Thursday) are available on pub nights.
Evans said the menu from breakfast to dinner is so different it’s all worth trying, including the savory bacon cheesecake.
One thing he says everyone has to try once, and probably the biggest selling item, is the Southern Burger on the lunch menu — an 8-ounce ground-chuck patty topped with smoked Gouda cheese, bacon, a fried green tomato and a house remoulade sauce, served on a sweet yeast roll.
“It’s flavor in a burger you’re not going to get just anywhere,” Evans said.
Three years ago, when Valentine’s Day reservations reached 220, more than double the capacity of the old location, Evans realized it was time for more space. He moved the restaurant to the old Argo fire station and town hall.
Today, the new location provides an industrial brand-type feel. The main dining hall is in the old fire-truck garage bay area and is renovated to look like an upscale horse stable. The former police station and mayor’s office is now the full bar, featuring more than 50 beers, including 22 local beers on tap, about 20 wines and top-shelf liquor. The old town hall meeting room is now the kitchen, where Chef Andre Peagler prepares his dinner menus and Jan Adler preps for breakfast and lunch.
Football fans can once again watch a game from inside the gates of Jack Wood Stadium, which now surround the outside patio. The gates originally were donated to the stadium by Evans’ grandfather, Jim Daniel of Daniel Irons.
The family tradition that began with the meat continues through the service at Crazy Horse. Evans said there are few shifts where patrons will not see his grandparents, especially for breakfast. His mother, Karen, still serves as hostess on Friday nights and makes some of the desserts with his 13-year-old daughter, McCaylan. His wife, Staci, and other children Kenley, Hudson and Deacon can also be found helping out around the restaurant.
For more information, visit crazyhorseargo.com.
