Top Hat Barbecue Serves Big Southern Plates in Hayden

Along Highway 31 in Hayden, north of Smoke Rise, Top Hat Barbecue offers the sort of unfussy Southern meal that can turn a passing stop into a proper sit-down. The restaurant is informal, family-oriented and comfortably old-fashioned, with booths, plenty of room to talk and a dining room that can handle both a couple at lunch and a full family gathering.

Pulled pork sits at the center of the menu. It carries a noticeable smokiness without going too heavy, and the house sauce gives the meat its familiar barbecue finish. This is a pork-focused barbecue stop rather than a place built around every standard smoked meat on the usual barbecue roster, but there is plenty around it to make a meal feel expansive.

A barbecue sandwich is an easy way into the menu, and it also travels well for takeout. Pulled pork has long been the reason many regulars return, including people who remember eating here when they were young and others who have made a point of coming back after years away.

The broader barbecue selection gives diners more than one way to settle in, but the useful thing about Top Hat is that nobody has to order the same sort of plate. One person can go for pork while somebody else heads in a completely different direction with catfish, a baked potato or a comfort-food entrée.

The item with the biggest name is the Death by Cheeseburger, a one-pound burger made from fresh, hand-patted top-ground beef that is never frozen. It is grilled and seasoned before it reaches the table, making it a serious alternative to the barbecue rather than an afterthought for the person in the group who simply wants a burger.

A pound of beef is not subtle, of course, and that is the point. The burger fits the general character of the place: generous portions, straightforward cooking and no need to leave hungry.

Catfish is another strong branch of the menu, available as fillets or as a whole catfish preparation. It pairs naturally with the restaurant's fried side dishes, particularly fried okra, onion rings and hush puppies.

The hush puppies deserve a little attention of their own. They are one of those small extras that can become the thing people mention later, especially alongside catfish. Onion rings also turn up often as a favored order, giving a plate some crisp, shareable bulk.

Macaroni and cheese provides the softer, richer counterpoint to all that fried food. There are also country-fried steak, grilled chicken and baked potatoes, including a barbecue baked potato for anyone who wants their pork in a more fork-and-knife format.

The vegetable plate is a useful menu lane when barbecue is not the plan for everyone at the table. It broadens the meal beyond meat and makes it easier for a mixed group to assemble a lunch that suits different appetites.

Portions can be substantial. A small catfish fillet meal with fried okra and onion rings has been enough to send leftovers home, which says something about the scale of an order labeled small.

Fried pies offer a fitting finish, or an easy item to carry out with a barbecue sandwich for later. Sweet tea is another frequent favorite, a classic accompaniment for a plate of pork, catfish or country-fried steak.

Top Hat's dining room works particularly well for family meals because it does not force a large party into a cramped corner. Booth seating helps keep the room casual, while the overall setup has accommodated groups that include several adults and children.

The atmosphere has a good-old-days quality without requiring any ceremony. Service is friendly and helpful, and the easy pace suits a meal where people may be comparing sides, passing onion rings or deciding who is taking home the remaining hush puppies.

Hayden is not the sort of place where a roadside meal needs a lot of fanfare. Top Hat Barbecue works because it is a solid, filling stop with enough menu range to reward a detour or break up a longer drive through the area.

Parking has included a free lot and free street parking. Walk-ins have commonly been accommodated without reservations, and typical meal prices have often landed in the $10 to $20 per-person range, though both conditions can vary.

For a little extra roadside browsing, the neighboring Blount Springs Trading Post is known for its tin signs. A barbecue lunch, a fried pie to go and a few minutes spent looking over old-style signs makes a pleasantly specific Hayden outing.