Texas Red's Pit Barbecue and Chili Parlor is somewhat of an oddity among ski resort and Park City restaurants - it's still there.
Because fluctuating snow depths readily influence a sensitive business such as the restaurant game, Park City has seen more than its share of restaurants come and go.But Texas Red's continues to pack them in, drawing loyal customers from around the Wasatch Front who hunger for a smoky plate of barbecued ribs. It also attracts hordes of hungry skiers from across the country who want a reasonably priced meal after a tiring and perhaps costly day on the slopes.
On our recent weekend dinner during the Christmas holidays, throngs of diners overflowed into the street waiting for a table, reflecting the diverse populations that converge on Park City during peak times. We overheard accents that ranged from pure Brooklynese to Castilian Spanish, all eager to chow down on some Texas barbecue in Utah. In our shrinking global village, it all made perfect sense.
Even before our food arrived, we knew that this was a restaurant that took barbecue seriously, as well as the Southwest roots of its proprietor, Texas Red. Rodeo posters, the Texas flag, paintings of cowboys, Western game trophies (including a stuffed and no doubt beloved Jackalope), even a wooden carved armadillo, adorn the informal and bustling interior.
Other and perhaps more important clues, such as the bottle of pickled tobasco peppers on the table and the smoky aroma of mesquite that permeated the air, enhanced our perception and anticipation of our meal.
The menu, festooned with the obligatory cartoons about Easterners' ignorance about Western food and caricatures of good ole' boys explaining about favorite rib joints, offers a hearty list of barbecue sandwiches, smoked sausage, ribs, brisket of beef, chicken, chicken fried steak, Cajun-spiced catfish, and chilis, including an all-meat "two alarm" and chile verde.
Each of the dinners is served with coleslaw, a small cauldron of smoked beans, corn on the cob and Texas toast, on a large sturdy paper plate. A complimentary bowl of corn chips and fresh tomato salsa (nicely piquant) is also included. Menu items range from $2.95 for the chili to $11.95 for a 16-oz. T-bone.
Other choices include a Coney Island ($4.95), grilled sausage topped with chili, grated cheese and onions; a Texas Tater ($2.95), baked potato stuffed with chili, grated cheese and onions; and a taco salad ($4.95).
For starters, we noshed on a tasty platter of jalapeno hush puppies ($2), neither too greasy nor overly hot. A bowl of chili verde, more red than green because of the tomatoes, (which our waitress explained was "award winning") was indeed very good. Some of the seasonings could have helped the bland though smoky beans that came with the dinner.
For entrees we tried two of the combination plates ($9.95) with choices that included four pork ribs, generous slices of brisket of beef, a stack of sliced pork and a quarter of chicken. All of the meats were meltingly tender, laced with mesquite and saturated with a rich, robust (not overly sweet), flavorful barbecue sauce. A chicken breast sandwich ($4.95) was also nicely prepared.
In a community like Park City that seeks both the simple and complex pleasures of life, it is ironic that a waterbed store, run by a fellow from Texas, should go out of business. What locals and visitors alike are now grateful for is that Texas Red knew how to barbecue.
Rating: ***1/2
Texas Red's Pit Barbecue and Chili Parlor, 440 S. Main St., Park City. 649-REDS. Open every day from 11:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. Major credit cards accepted and local checks with guarantee card. Children's menu available. Delivery during winter months and catering during the summer.