Crossways Pub & Restaurant
From its façade to its feel, Crossways is a country pub through and through. The Tudor-style building is named after its location at the intersection of Old Howick Road and Dennis Shepstone Drive in the small town of Hilton.
Hilton is in the KZN mist belt and on some days the mist is so dense that you can’t see two metres beyond your windscreen. It’s against this chilly backdrop that you must imagine how Crossways appeared to travellers in the early 1900s – a warm and inviting reprieve from the inclement weather. Crossways dates back to 1905 when Constance Day purchased a subdivision of the farm Klipkop and built herself a wood-and-iron house on the property. She made a living by offering passers-by board and lodging as they travelled towards the interior by ox wagon or on horseback. You can see the foundations of her home underneath the deck of the present-day pub. In 1936, the building was demolished and the Crossways Hotel was built. It would go on to serve as a popular pit stop for servicemen during World War II, a family home, a boarding house with permanent lodgers, and once again a country pub and hotel, changing hands frequently between 1936 and 1990.
Today, the building is owned by a group of partners, many of whom are Hilton College “old boys”.
“This is a family-friendly pub and restaurant and very close to the hearts of all Hiltonians,” says Chantelle Gilbert, a shareholder in the business who runs the pub’s day-to-day. “With all its history, the iconic building and the amazing community that surrounds it, buying into Crossways was a nobrainer. We still use the old logo with pride.” The Hilton Harriers running club founded their infamous Jog and Grog race at Crossways. This annual event is almost 50 years old: participants run a 20 km circular route from the pub, whereafter it’s tradition to move on to the “grog”(beer quaffing) part of the event.
Having grown up in Hilton, Crossways is part of the fabric of my childhood. It was where we’d go for burger nights, where my dad bought me my first legal beer, where old friends would join us for dinner, or simply where you wound up on a Friday evening.
There’s an adjoining restaurant area where you can order all the same food without the crush of the bar. The pizzas are sensational – try the Bellisimo (R110), which is topped with Danish feta, bacon and smashed avo; or my dad’s favourite, the Siciliana (R110), with olives, capers and anchovies for all you salt lovers.
The general pub fare is also top notch. You don’t want to miss out on the chicken schnitzel (R96).
There’s a newly fixed-up beer garden at the back of the restaurant, and a playroom for the kiddies complete with movies, puzzles, colouring books and friendly staff to keep an eye on them.
As a local, it’s impossible to walk into the pub without knowing half the patrons. And as a newcomer, it’s the best place to go for an introduction to Hilton life.
Where? On the Corner of Dennis Shepstone Drive and Old Howick Road, Hilton.
Contact: 033 343 3267; crosswayspub.co.za