La Frontera

My wife and I wanted to experiment going out to eat with our brand new, 6 day-old son. We've been to La Frontera many times before, but not in a long while. My experience in the past had always been pleasant and timely. We dined close to home at the Sandy location at 61 West 10600 South.

The Atmosphere 4/5

I've always enjoyed the over-the-top stereotypical Mexican decor of this place. Even though this is a strip mall unit, they've managed to find the room to fit a spacious dining hall dressed up like a wild west corral and saloon. They have recently cheapened the look, however, with poorly displayed laminated printouts of the latest so-called specials. 

The Service 3/5

Neither my wife nor I could hear our server. The music wasn't loud, our baby was silent throughout the meal (yay!), and the server's accent wasn't even that terribly thick. He simply spoke so quietly that, standing right next to me, we could not understand a word he said. We found ourselves directing the conversation from context and visual cues alone. 

The server was prompt and otherwise helpful, but we couldn't help the feeling that the restaurant had begun "nickel and diming" us. I don't recall them ever charging for chips beyond the first "complimentary" bowl or the horchata not having free refills or costing a whopping $2.75 a glass. 

The Food 3/5

As my wife is pointing out in the photo, the sour cream was served in a plastic tube which proved difficult to open as it had no "open here" slit. This made us laugh. The plates were both accompanied by the usual warning of "careful, the plates are hot." I have found this to mean the plates are very, very warm. Today, they were scalding. Literally. I actually burned my arm and my wrist trying to enjoy my meal. My enchiladas were a molten liquid of cheese and flavorless sauce. My wife's chimichangas were filled with fine ground beef with less flavor and worse texture than last night's proverbial casserole left-overs. The final straw was the beans and rice. I've had more spice out of a can. It felt like they'd boiled out any desirable character from the whole plate. 

Conclusion

As I mentioned, I've been to La Frontera many times at many locations, but after my surprisingly unpleasant experience, which had nothing to do with my new-family experiment, I fear they might be on a path for decline.  

Pat's BBQ

So, I'm finally getting around to writing this one. My wife and I visited Pat's a number of weeks ago and I'd been procrastinating.

I first heard about Pat's BBQ on 155 W. Commonwealth Ave in Salt Lake while watching a local episode of the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. You can click here to view the segment. It wasn't until the restaurant was featured on a podcast I listen to, however, that I decided we had to visit.

The Atmosphere 4/5

Pat's is located inside of an old manufacturing warehouse and they've made some interesting decisions on how to use the space. When we walked in the the early evening, it was difficult to tell if anyone was in. We cautiously wandered through the hallway, peering into storerooms and kitchen space trying to determine if we had entered from the correct door. We made it all the way into the back of the building, where the dining hall is located, before seeing a single employee. We were greeted there and shown to our seat. The place is set up with picnic tables and feels very much like a backyard barbecue, complete with live music.

The Service 3/5

We had arrived too early for the music. The band was just setting up as we left. There seemed to be plenty of servers and only a few early diners, so I don't know why the servers all seemed a little rushed. Nonetheless, the server was able to give us a rudimentary introduction to the menu.

Featured predominantly in the center of the menu is the Smoked Meatloaf. It was the item that was highlighted on the TV show, so I decided that I would go for that. My wife ordered the brisket. I was surprised at the time by how lightening fast or food was served, but in hindsight realize that all of the food at a real BBQ is smoked for hours before we arrived and therefore would be instantly available.

The Food 4/5

Smoked Meatloaf was an experience and a half. It was absolutely amazing, but it seemed to have the same minor problem as the brisket. The meat at Pat's is prepared really sweet. Everything had a natural honey flavor. It wasn't really a problem, rather it was simply unexpected. Everything on the plate is made from scratch and the mashed potatoes were some of the best I have had in a very long time. The corn had been creamed in such a homestyle method, I'm not sure I'll prefer them any other way again. 

The Conclusion

Pat's is a local gem and I would suggest it to any and all BBQ lovers out there. Go on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night and enjoy the live band.