r&r

We are dedicated in our determination to find a decent BBQ place in Utah.  Friday night we tried a new joint, R & R Barbecue (307 West 600 South, SLC) and were pleased to rank it up at the top of the BBQ restaurants we've attempted out here.  I believe they started as a catering/competition operation - they will cater parties of fifty or more in Salt Lake, Utah and Weber Counties, plus Park City - but this is their first storefront.  It's located out of the city center just a bit but right off an exit from I-15, so that's convenient for those of us coming from the south.

I forgot to photograph the food before we

inhaled it - but here's the restaurant at least

The space is clean and high-ceilinged, with menus and BBQ manifestos painted on the dark walls.  There were a few tables seated when we got there a little before 8 p.m.; by the time we left, the inside tables were nearly filled and a couple of people were sitting at one of the outside picnic tables.

The menu is straightforward, with sandwiches (pulled pork, chopped brisket and sliced brisket), combo plates (pulled pork, sliced or chopped brisket, pork spare ribs, a quarter chicken), burgers and wings.  The sides include the standards (red beans and rice, smoked baked beans, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw) and the up-sells (hush puppies, fried okra, fries).  I ordered the chopped brisket sandwich with a side of the okra while H went with a 2-meat combo, chopped brisket and pulled pork, with mac and cheese.  The chopped brisket was delicious, really very good, moist and flavorful and not at all fatty.  H reported that the pork was a little fatty in spots - that could be easily remedied with a little attention during the pulling process.  The mac and cheese was thick and creamy and the fried okra was simply fantastic although a little on the skimpy side for an extra $3.50.  They sell bottled beers from both Wasatch and Uinta breweries so we each had a Full Suspension.  The homemade sauces were a little sweet for our taste but were not served on the meat (which is what I like - I dislike BBQ drowning in sauce); we liked the spicy one the best but it was not all that hot.  We ate everything on our plates and chatted a little with the owner who was making the rounds, checking in on the diners as he kept the tables tidy.

Suggestions we would make include serving cornbread instead of dinner rolls as an accompaniment (although Utahns sure do like their dinner rolls), slightly increasing the size of the sides, adding smoked sausage to the menu and playing blues music over the restaurant speakers.  Other than those quite minor quibbles, however, R & R Barbecue is as good as we've found for Utah BBQ.  It ain't like going to Memphis, but it'll scratch the SLC BBQ itch for sure.