Buffalo Bistro: Dining on the Wild Side

At first glance, Buffalo Bistro looks more like a two-story house than a restaurant. That is partly true. The owner's residence takes up the whole upper floor or more. Then, the sign on the covered wagon in the front yard catches the hungry traveler's attention: "Buffalo Bistro - Come to the Wild Side!"

Many fine restaurants have a hostess outside to welcome guests. Buffalo Bistro's hostess is laughably memorable. Standing at the gate, a cowgirl mannequin leans toward an oddly misspelled sign that warns, "Don't Go in There Theire Crazy." To the side is a sign that says "Have a Ball."

Going up the gravel walkway, an old scruffy dog greets visitors. The bistro's mascot freely roams the entire property including inside behind the bar and beverage service area. Unlike other restaurants, as long as guests' dogs are good with other dogs, indoor and outdoor diners can let their dogs join them tableside to enjoy a bowl of water brought by a bistro server.

Buffalo, Wild Boar, and More

Servers wearing t-shirts printed with, "It's terrible...but people keep coming back," feeding guests' sense of humor in this tasty adventure. First time visitors wonder if they've made the right choice. But worries are quickly halted when greeted with a welcoming smile, and offered various beverages of choice, including locally made microbrews and homemade iced tea. Unique appetizers like rabbit-rattlesnake sausage, rocky mountain oysters, and others made from scratch tempt diners.

The lunch menu has some standard favorites like hamburgers, but also offers burgers made from buffalo and also elk meat. Grilled chicken sandwich, veggie burger and Ron's own homemade chili round-out the lunch menu. Lunch with a drink for each person costs between $8.00 and $15.00.

The dinner menu offers a full plate of rocky mountain oysters, prepared tender and tasty, as they should be. Too often, restaurants that serve them over cook the oysters, making them tough to chew and tasteless. "What are rocky mountain oysters," you say? Rocky mountain oysters are bull testicles. Yes, the sign at the entry gate that says, "Have a Ball," really means it! They are my favorite dinner item at Buffalo Bistro.

Other great dinner items include barbeque ribs of buffalo and wild boar, steaks of buffalo and beef, Cornish game hen, wild salmon, rabbit, and vegetarian pasta of the day. All the dinner menu meats are from animals having had a free-range life. Dinners come with grilled vegetable, baked potato and salad. Their homemade fruit cobbler looks like it tastes great, but I've never saved room to try it for lunch or dinner. Dinner can be a bit pricey, with a drink for each person costing up to $30.00, but where else will you find a menu with rattlesnake, rocky mountain oysters, buffalo, rabbit, wild boar, and elk? Sometimes you just have to splurge.

Rating Review and Contact Details

Using the rating scale of 1 (don't bother) to 5 (don't miss it); Buffalo Bistro rates a solid 5 in all areas: service, cleanliness, atmosphere, food quality, presentation and taste. Because the menu pricing is a good range adapted for the budget-minded at less than $12 if ordering before 6pm, or for a special night out, spending as much as $30 per person, the menu prices also earn a 5 rating.

It is a welcome surprise along the U-89 highway route to or from the national parks like Bryce Canyon, Zion, and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Across the street is a bed and breakfast. Less than an hour east is the town of Kanab, Utah, with several lodging options, and Grand Canyon National Park's north rim and Jacob's Lake is shortly beyond Kanab.

The sign outside says, "Open 4pm 'Til I Pass Out. Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday." It is closed for winter season. If you are ready to dine on the wild side, call for reservations and more information at 435-648-2778.

Sources

Buffalo Bistro eating adventures of Lynn Pritchett
Zion National Park - Escalante National Monument
Buffalo Bistro, Visit East Zion
Buffalo Bistro Homepage