Summer officially begins June 21, but everyone knows barbecue season started Memorial Day weekend. When you want to give your grill a rest, but you still have a hankering for tasty barbecue, head to Red Rock BBQ. At this time of the year, we love to grab an umbrella-covered table on the restaurant’s raised deck and enjoy views of Snoopy Rock, the Crimson Cliffs and the Mogollon Rim. If it’s too hot, don’t sweat it: Many of the tables inside also offer red rock views.
Red Rock BBQ’s menu features specialty salads, entrées, sandwiches, daily specials, microbrews from Grand Canyon Brewing Company and homemade dessert (more on that later). The chipotle-and-chocolate chili caught our attention, but we decided to try that one when the temperatures drop. Instead, we dined on the pulled-pork platter and the boneless beef ribs. The tender pork is rubbed with a special seasoning and then hickory smoked. It’s lightly dressed with the restaurant’s sweet barbecue sauce. Each table is adorned with three house-made sauces: sweet barbecue, black pepper and spicy honey mustard. The pork begged for extra-sweet barbecue, so we slathered it on. The lean, boneless-beef ribs have the beef flavor we love without the mess of bones – a major plus. The ribs are also covered in sweet barbecue sauce, but we couldn’t help but add a little black pepper sauce for some extra spice. All entrées come with your choice of two sides. We recommend the crunchy homemade coleslaw, sweet-potato fries, smoked potato salad and crispy green-chili fries, which are served with a side of ancho-chili ranch dressing for dipping. The entrées also come with two thick slabs of bread, perfect for sopping up extra sauce.
Though the platters are large, save room for one of the desserts like the chocolate-turtle brownie or, our choice, the peanut-butter-and-banana-cream pie. The crust of the huge slice of pie is topped with a thin layer of peanut butter followed by a fluffy banana custard, a heap of whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. This might just be the quintessential summer meal. – Erika Ayn Finch. Photograph by Deb Weinkauff.
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