Keg South, Hwy 1, Homestead

When it comes to a hard business to run, restaurants are right up there at the top. There are so many different things to juggle that have nothing to do with your ability to cook or how much you enjoy dining out. So we always have a fond spot in our hearts when someone takes that big step and is willing to put their heart and soul into making a place a go of it. Keg South is a local sports bar that we knew about and had intended to visit, but also had in the “Get around to it” category. I had written a piece about them for the weekly paper, but had been there around 11:00 in the morning – too early for a burger and beer. Our actual first time to visit was in fact connected to a radio show.

As anyone who follows this blog knows, my husband is a big NASCAR fan. And the Country and Western station, FM 100.3, Thunder Country, does a live broadcast, “The Octane Hour”, every Thursday at Keg South at 7:00 p.m. While the show is devoted to NASCAR, they also provide generous time to community and non-profit event promotion. I have been involved with several such events during the past year and so have been on the show multiple times. A lot of guests of course just come to do their spot, then head out, but for us, it was the perfect combination – supporting whatever cause it was, a little publicity for me as a writer, an hour of NASCAR talk for my husband, cold beer, excellent wings and burgers. I mean, what’s not to like? Keg South is in fact, a family place as much as it is a sports bar and there is nothing fancy about it. What it does have is good food run by a good guy who has much of his family involved with helping to run the place. The guy took it over from a man who had, quite frankly, let it slide apparently and he’s been re-building ever sense. He’s made it past that tricky first two years and that’s important. So if you’re in the mood for the environment of a sports bar – Keg South is a good one to pick.