Dickey’s Barbecue Pit opens two Utah County locations
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit emerged from the humble beginnings of a single Dallas location in 1941 to now stake a claim as the largest barbecue chain in the United States.
The fast-growing national franchise now features two locations in Utah County, with new restaurants in Orem and American Fork.
We visited the American Fork franchise (located in the old Chadders building on the corner of State Street and Pacific Drive) on Saturday evening and the joint was so jammed you’d have thought they were offering free Justin Bieber concert tickets with every purchase. (OK, maybe it wasn’t quite that crowded, but you get the idea.)
Orders are placed cafeteria style at the counter, so we had plenty of time to soak in the decor — which featured vintage posters and a little more than a dozen 4-seat tables covered in blue-and-white picnic-style tablecloths. The thing that most drew our attention to the tables was the fact that they were all full. With a rather large line ahead of us, wondering whether or not we would lock down a spot to eat seemed a valid concern. Somehow, tables seemed to open up just in time, and as near as we could tell, everybody in line eventually found a place to sit.
First task at the counter is ordering entrees and meats, which are all cut right in front of you. The next station focuses on sides and then a third station takes care of your dessert and drink options.
Our party ordered several 2 Meat Plates, which allow the selection, obviously, of two meats and two sides for $10. This offered the opportunity to sample as many different meats and sides as possible.
Now, we love good barbecue as much as the next person, and we did enjoy the signature meaty Pork Ribs and their smoky flavor as well as the Southern Pulled Pork, which we tried as part of a sandwich. But our favorite meat on this visit was the Virginia Style Ham, served without any sauce, which was tender, moist and sweet. Other favorites were the Marinated Chicken Breast, topped with a barbecue sauce, and the Old Recipe Polish Sausage, which was cut in perfect slices and offered a bit of a delayed kick. Interestingly, the Tender Turkey Breast tasted much the same as the ham — which was fine by us, since that was our favorite sampling.
When it came to the sides, our spoon-to-mouth favorite was the Baked Potato Casserole. It featured perfectly beaten mashed potatoes topped with cheese, chives and bacon bits. It disappeared so quicky that we were compelled to order another round in a followup purchase.
The Waffle Iron Fries and the Fried Onion Tanglers were interesting embellishments on your typical fries and onion rings. The tanglers were almost like shaved onion pieces, and came with a slightly spicy kick, and the fries were delicious, although we wish they were accompanied by the Utah tradition of fry sauce.
As for other sides, we preferred the Jalapeño Beans (not too spicy) to the Barbecue Beans; and the Green Beans With Bacon to the Mac & Cheese.
Another interesting dish was the Smokehouse Salad, which featured romaine lettuced topped with beef brisket, grape tomatoes, Fried Onion Tanglers and ranch dressing. Taken as a whole, the salad delivered an intriguing texture and a delicious combination of flavors.
Dickey’s also offers a variety of Bakers, which are large baked potatoes stuffed with various items of your choosing. We couldn’t try one of those as they sold out of them while we were still in line.
Did I mention the free ice cream and dill pickles? At the end of the meal, we contentedly had bowls of ice cream while watching the New York Jets oust the Indianapolis Colts from the NFL playoffs with a last-second field goal on one of the two TVs inside the restaurant. Whether your tastes run from pigskin to pork, Dickey’s has got you covered.
Where: 599 W. Pacific Drive, American Fork. Also at 1385. S. State St., Orem.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week
Prices: Entrees, $7-$11; sandwiches, $3-$7; sides, $1.50; kids meals, $4
Also: Dickey’s offers various family packs as well as a full catering menu.
Info: (801) 492-0400 (American Fork), (801) 434-9600 (Orem), www.dickeys.com