As They Say at Pat's BBQ, It's Howling Good!

Pat's BBQ
155 West Commonwealth Avenue
South Salt Lake City, UT 84115
801-484-5963
(closed Sundays, FYI)

Last Friday night, I found myself at Pat's (Howling Good) BBQ for dinner and a concert. Don't be fooled by the lack of external ambiance. Located on a dead end street in an unassuming part of South Salt Lake City, Pat's is a gem among BBQ establishments. I've lived in North Carolina and been to more than a few pig pickin's in my day, so I know what authentic tastes like.

Pat's proudly displays its awards at the front of the building.

Pat's fare of mouth-watering ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, and chicken are served piping hot to your table. This is the place in Salt Lake City to go for meat. At least, it's one of the best. Vegetarians may be taken aback by the shortage of vegetarian dishes, although we enjoyed the Mustard Greens on our last visit and on this visit, we tried the latest menu addition, the Black Eyed Pea Salad. Popular sides are Meaty Gravy and Rice, Creole Beans and Rice, and Jambalaya. The real delicacy, Burnt Ends, are served Friday nights and they go quickly. They'd run out of Burnt Ends by the time we asked, but the waiter found some in the back just for us. Because “they were dried,” he wouldn't even charge us for them. We were not disappointed at the price or the flavor. A typical entree with sides and a beverage won't set you back more than $20.

The atmosphere is quite down home, with plastic utensils and paper towels on the tables. The abundant paper towels came in handy for wiping my hands after eating chicken and also for taking notes for my blogging activities (I never bring paper). I had no idea how easy it is to write on a paper towel!  Much better than Costco receipts.

Pat's outdoor patio fills up rather quickly on the weekends.

As if the excellent food isn't enough, Pat's has live entertainment, usually blues or bluegrass, on Fridays and Saturdays. The featured band Friday night and the last time I visited was “The Lab Dogs.” My friend Cindy always invites me to the show when the Lab Dogs are playing at Pat's.  When there's not entertainment, you may hear a ZZ Top music video or something similar playing in the background.

I caught up with Cindy and learned she bought a banjo. And coordinating with the meat theme, she'd worn her “bones” bracelet. She related how she wore the bracelet once at a client meeting, and the client's dog kept nipping at her wrist. Apparently, even with all the typical jewelry coating, the dog could still sniff the bone.

What to wear? Pat's is extremely casual and there's no air conditioning, but it was pleasant enough with fans circulating air throughout the inside and patio areas. One little suggestion ... you ladies may want to avoid wearing above the knee skirts to Pat's. It's not that the other patrons would mind seeing your legs; however, the seating is picnic tables with long benches. You will be pulling your knees toward your chin to get into your seat. I changed into a Gap knee-length straight skirt after work because it was so hot outside. And in spite of half a dozen times in and out of my seat, I never really mastered the benches with skirt drill.  {yikes}

Disclosure: cover price FREE