©2020 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Susan Elise Campbell
The Horseshoe Inn Bar & Grill at 9 Gridley St. in Saratoga Springs, near Saratoga Race Course, has long been a favorite place to be after track for drinks, meals, and entertainment outside.
Owner Daniel Drellos said recent changes, along with some plans in the works, will make the outdoor service larger and easier to get around—critical in the era of social distancing.
“We have always had a good following,” said Drellos, whose two business partners, Brandon Drellos and Charlie Hoertkorn, also co-own Caroline Street Pub with him. Even with the racetrack closed to spectators, “it can get congested at happy hour in the summer.”
The team has secured approval for plans to expand the entire bar area and to increase the size of the bar itself to 70 or 80 feet long “so that people can get around it and to it,” he said. “We will put in a new tent and new outdoor coolers and change the look of the bar.”
When the partners purchased the Horseshoe, it had always been closed down after track season. Drellos said the goal is to be a destination off-season as well.
“We are committed to a year-round crowd,” he said. “There is plenty of parking, especially in the winter, and we have made many improvements to the kitchen.”
“The crew needed these equipment upgrades to do their jobs better, and we now have a better menu, too,” he said. “The Horseshoe’s cooks, wait staff and bartenders are excellent.”
The partners purchased the business four years ago and the property in December of 2019. Recently they acquired an adjoining lot on Bowman Street with a cement block structure.
Changes and improvements to the Horseshoe have been made over time, not dramatically but in quieter stages, said Drellos. These include freshening paint, replacing windows in front, and adding new siding and a rock facade.
“People like subtle changes, not major ones,” he said. “Our patrons are a loyal crowd and hopefully the regulars will feel comfortable coming in all the time, not just the summer months.”
The Horseshoe is open Wednesday through Sunday. Visit www.thehorseshoeinn.com for details.