RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT

BRIARPATCH An Owensboro Tradition Lives On

Written by MARLYS MASON Photos by AP IMAGERY

For over 50 years, Briarpatch Restaurant has been a landmark for the community. In August of 2021, Mike Courtney, Grady Harreld and Joel White purchased the restaurant knowing they would have to renovate the interior but also wanting to keep the iconic location and offerings of the restaurant.

Previous owner and operator Pat Buntin and his wife Kathy purchased the restaurant in 1987 from the 10-restaurant Briarpatch franchise. As evidence of how the Owensboro location has stood the test of time, all of the other Briarpatch restaurants have since closed.

When the Buntins were looking to sell, Harreld said that Buntin kept asking Courtney to consider purchasing the restaurant. Courtney began his food industry career working at the Briarpatch as a grill cook and manager for over 12 years before opening the two Ritzy’s locations in Owensboro.

Courtney’s love for this restaurant is what helped with deciding to buy it.

“We remember the restaurant from its old days,” Harreld said. “It is an Owensboro institution, and many have had prom dinners and dates there. People tell me this.”

Known for its steaks and salad bar,

BRIARPATCH IS OPEN FOR LUNCH AND DINNER AND CAN ALSO BE RENTED FOR EVENTS. IT IS LOCATED AT 2760 VEACH ROAD.

the owners have invested in a new line of higher-quality steaks from their vendor, which has resulted in many positive comments.

“We were able to have a steak tasting, and this resulted in the better-quality steaks,” Harreld said.

The salad bar, which sees activity at lunch and dinner, is a known staple, and Harreld said they do not plan to change any of it because “it works.”

“We knew the restaurant needed a lot of work, including cleaning and changing the wallpaper, but we want to keep some the same and even bring back the pub,” Harreld said.

The northside pub used to be a bar that patrons frequented regularly, but in the past couple of decades, it has been underutilized other than to pour drinks.

The bar expansion will also include a patio with a railing and a new sound system, which Harreld believes will be an asset for threeseason enjoyment and can also be used when people are waiting for a table.

The cramped waiting area is being enlarged and includes new benches, flooring and updated lighting. Harreld said that not everything will change – the plaques for those who have eaten large amounts of beef and the fish tank will remain in the waiting area.

The owners hope to stay open during the remodel, because they want their core customers to still be able to come in for their favorite meal. They have already changed the area where customers had to step down to dine, resulting in the entire restaurant being one level. They also plan to change the entry and host stand to offer a more updated area.

Most of the staff from the previous owner has stayed, and this speaks to the quality of the service-oriented restaurant.

Harreld said this is the first phase of the remodel, and they already have plans for phase two, which includes new hood vents over the grill area as a focal point from the lobby.

“We are excited for the pub to open and see how that is received,” Harreld said. OL

100 Years of Holidays

Written by LORA WIMSATT

It’s hard enough to believe that another holiday season has rolled around since last year – and even harder to imagine that our ancestors shared the same experience 100 years ago.

Residents of Owensboro celebrated Thanksgiving Day 1922 with a dance hosted by the American Legion at the Rudd House. The event promised “the most elaborate entertainment of the holiday season,” with “carnival favors and an attractive musical and dance program.”

And really, how could anyone resist a dance with music furnished by the Kentuckians Clarinet-Saxophone Orchestra?

Special guests for the evening were members of the Owensboro and Henderson football teams: Fierce rivals on the field, but coming together for a good cause as proceeds from the event would benefit war veterans.

Yes, there was a lot for which to be thankful 100 years ago, as noted in an advertisement from S.W. Anderson Co. (“Where Courtesy Reigns”). Along with touting an “extraordinary sale” of 200 trimmed hats – in dress, street and sport styles, with prices ranging from 98 cents to $12.45 – the ad gratefully acknowledged this season as “the most prosperous since the war,” noting “Business is good, crops are good, industrial peace seems assured, living is easier and prospects for even better things are bright.”

But trust Washington, D.C. to cast a cloud over otherwise sunny skies. Legislators had threatened to keep the Senate in session on Thanksgiving Day to wage a “finish fight” to pass the Dyer anti-lynching bill … which had been originally proposed in 1918. Looking back through the lens of history, it’s hard to imagine what the arguments against such a bill might have been. For what it’s worth, the bill was ultimately defeated in December 1922. There’s not much to be thankful for there, but in the meantime, we will move along to the Christmas season of 1922.

A headline in the December 17 issue of the Messenger-Inquirer noted a “spirit of fun” that filled the air, especially among downtown shoppers. Merchants extended their hours until 9:30 p.m. to accommodate customers who worked during the daytime – as well as “tailenders” who had simply procrastinated on their shopping.

The same article also mentioned that stores were packed with crowds who added to the burdens of overworked, frazzled clerks, observing that “it seems generally useless to urge people to give consideration to such members of the animal kingdom.” Not sure how referring to clerks as “members of the animal kingdom” inspired respect among readers, but elsewhere in this issue, there are articles focusing on a more charitable aspect of the holiday season.

A large sketch depicts a little girl sitting in a room crowded with toys of all descriptions, putting the finishing touches on a letter to Santa listing all the things she hopes (and expects) to find under her tree on Christmas morning.

That drawing is paired with one of three children staring longingly into the window of a store displaying toys that clearly will not be coming down the chimney at their humble home – along with a gentle observation to the reader that “It isn’t likely you’ll forget any who have plenty … but what about those who have nothing?” Yes, the “big hearts” of our community promised to provide “dinners and gifts for all,” as “Christmas cheer (is) planned for all Owensboro poor” with “none to be left out.”

Among the organizations

demonstrating the true spirit of the season were the Goodfellows Club, which would host a celebration at the Grand Theater on Christmas morning while also providing “decorations for a tree for colored children” at Fourth Street Baptist Church. The Woman’s Christian Association was busily distributing baskets of “material for a substantial Christmas dinner and several other meals,” while the Queen’s Daughters were working on baskets of their own, filled with dressed chickens, Irish potatoes, coffee, sugar, bread, a sack of flour and canned goods.

Residents of the county infirmary and the Mary Kendall Home had been “adopted” by Central Presbyterian and Settle Memorial churches, respectively, while residents of the Confederate Veterans home in Pewee Valley would be remembered with gifts of fruit, candy and tobacco. In the meantime, a long list of Christmas services hosted by churches of all denominations – Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Evangelical, Scientist, Episcopal, Holy Orthodox and others – extended an invitation to everyone to take time to honor the true reason for the season … … which is as true today as it was 100 years ago, or 2,000 years ago, and will be true for as long as time is measured. OL