Everything
about Fat City Smoke House creates an expectation for finger-lickin’
good barbeque—the chili pepper decor, the rolls of
paper towels on each table, the down-home atmosphere...even
Roger Travis, who co-owns and operates the restaurant with
Lyn, his wife of 28 years. Roger’s height and burliness
combined with his shiny pate, Fu Manchu and baritone voice
beg the question, “Does he ride Harleys?” What
probably really gave it away on the day I met him was his
shirt, across which was emblazoned the single word, “Biker.”
Nothing about Roger is disappointing—He knows all
there is to know about Hogs; how to ride them and how to
rub ’em down, smoke and baste them so you get the
best damn barbeque in town.
Roger and Lyn have
been in the restaurant business since 1970, primarily in
Wyoming where they originally came from. Thirteen years
ago, tired of the northern winters, they arrived in Moab
and opened Fat City Smoke House specializing in dry rub
Texas-style barbeque. This type of barbeque consists of
rubbing down the meat and smoking it over real wood. All
the cooking at Fat City is done over an open fire of oak
or apple wood, and the proof is in the pork which just melts
in your mouth imparting the smoky flavor of the meat and
sauce.
Fat
City Smoke House is located on 100 West
at the end of Center Street.
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The sauces are
so popular that Roger and Lyn have started bottling them.
Mouthwatering names like Garlic Chipotle Hot Sauce and Honey
Mustard Barbeque adorn the bottles and promise bursts of
intense flavor. Fortunately for out-of-towners, these sauces
will soon be available on their future website. Unfortunately,
the slow cooking over apple wood is not, so stopping by
to enjoy BBQ Beef, Baby Back Ribs or Flame Grilled Steaks
is still worth the trip.
Roger and Lyn decided to open a no-frills barbeque eatery
reminiscent of the old juke joints of the ’30s and
’40s where a customer is assured of good food in good
portions. Roger explains, “We want to be sure people
feel like they’re getting their money’s worth.”
And judging by the word-of-mouth popularity of the place,
people must be walking away more than satisfied, or as one
Depression-era saying would describe it, “They’re
in Fat City now.” The Travises wanted to evoke that
feeling of satisfaction when they named their restaurant
and thought the expression tied in neatly with the Fat Tire
aspect of biking in Moab.
They also realized that small-town living meant that attracting
repeat business would be easier with a down-to-earth type
of eatery. Roger had experience in all sorts of restaurants
from managing the North Park Country Club and Golf Course
to owning Poor Roger’s Beer and Bones, both in Wyoming.
They decided to stick to a grass-roots restaurant, which
Roger describes with a smile and a wink as “funner”
and let the barbeque bring in the customers.
Bars and Barbeque go hand in hand like Bonnie and Clyde.
Each is enticing enough on its own, but together they’re
dynamite. So it made sense that Fat City decided to move
into the same building as The Cantina Rio Sports Bar. The
better location, which can be seen from Main Street, and
the larger building persuaded Roger and Lyn to move from
their previous place two doors down. Now diners at the restaurant
can enjoy full-bar service. A glass partition between the
two establishments keeps smoke from seeping into the restaurant
and keeps Fat City feeling like an eatery. The food and
drink, however, can permeate the wall and be enjoyed in
either establishment. Another lure to the Cantina/Smoke
House is live rock-n-roll and blues on the weekends.
Fat City also has two outdoor terraces. The lattice-enclosed
terrace can accommodate large groups of up to forty people
while the upstairs patio features tables with umbrellas
and a remarkable view of the red rocks in relative tranquility
since the restaurant is a block over from Main Street and
its hubbub.
Fans of Fat City range far and wide since another mainstay
of their business is catering, particularly for film shoots
in the area. The restaurant is fully equipped to cater functions,
including weddings, family reunions and golf tournaments,
of up to 1200 people. Since the success of Fat City rests
primarily on the powerful taste of the food and not on excess
frills, it’s no wonder people enjoy the smoke pit
barbeque in any venue.
Certainly, Roger and Lyn have great reason to feel like
they’re “livin’ in Fat City” now:
a fun, successful family owned and operated restaurant,
an almost three-decade marriage, two beautiful daughters
who have inherited their mother’s love of horses,
and an impressive collection of Harley Davidsons. One might
almost be tempted to say that they’re living in “hog
heaven” or, at least, living “high on the hog.”
But as Oscar Wilde said, “I can resist everything,
except temptation.”
Fat City Smoke House is
located on 100 West (at the end of Center Street) and can
be reached at (435) 259-4302. Meals average $11-$12.
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Recipe
of the Month
Voodoo
Chicken Salsa
Fat
City Smokehouse
makes about 1 quart
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp onion, chopped
8oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp. oil
8oz. can corn kernels
1/4 cup frozen OJ concentrate
1 jalapeno, chopped
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 bananas, chopped
8oz. can pineapple chunks
Mix all ingredients together.
Place salsa over grilled chicken or fish.
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