Hog Shop On Best Delis List

RACHEL DICKERSON/MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Nora Gardner of Noel is pictured at The Hog Shop, which was recently named to a list of best delis in Missouri.
RACHEL DICKERSON/MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Nora Gardner of Noel is pictured at The Hog Shop, which was recently named to a list of best delis in Missouri.

The Hog Shop in Noel is on a list of The 10 Best Delis in Missouri on bestthingsmo.com.

Ranking alongside delis in St. Louis and other larger cities, The Hog Shop came in at No. 7 on the list of 10. The review on the website states, "The Hog Shop is pure south Missouri, but it's the site of some of the best sandwiches you can get. It sounds like a barbecue place, but in fact the 'hog' referred to means Harleys, and the whole shop has a Harley-Davidson theme. The sandwiches are freshly made and have generous portions, and the reasonable prices make it a must-stop for locals and travelers alike."

Nora Gardner, owner of The Hog Shop, said she learned about the restaurant's placement on the list when her friends shared it on Facebook.

"It was a surprise," she said. "It was very kinda neat. I was feeling very good. I was very grateful that people voted, I guess. I don't know how that works, really."

The restaurant will have been open 13 years in November.

"Thirteen years. I can't believe that," Nora said.

She loves being part of the community, she said.

"I love it. I love to help people all the time. We love to do it. I think if each person in our community helps, we can make a stronger community," she said.

Working with Nora at The Hog Shop are Dale Mitchell, Evelyn Martinez, Jesse Dominguez, Aleah Rubio, Ana Rubio, Sarah Rubio, Naomi Rubio and Paul Beard.

Nora said of her customers, "As soon as they open the door, they are like a family. They come in like a customer and they leave like a family."

Paul Gardner, Nora's husband, explained some of the history of the shop.

"She bought me a Harley for my 35th birthday. We had the occasion to buy the building on Main Street. Nora said she always wanted a restaurant."

Nora said they named the sandwiches after their friends' motorcycles. The Road King is the bratwurst and the name of Paul's bike. The Fat Boy Club is another friend's favorite sandwich and is named after his bike. It consists of roast beef, turkey and ham. Others include: the Street Glide, a turkey sandwich; the Heritage Classic, a ham sandwich; and the Screamin' Eagle, a pastrami sandwich.

The restaurant's offerings also include breakfast, salads, soups, quesadillas, tamales and spaghetti red. Their three most popular items are the Fat Boy, Frito pie and spaghetti red, Nora said.

General News on 08/17/2017