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Poor Red's Bar-B-Q has recently re-opened, after a year-long closure, with new owners and a new menu! I'd heard about this fine restaurant for quite some time, and when a friend of mine messaged me, and invited me to join her, along with her two sons and her mom - who happens to be a former co-worker, and a long time friend - I jumped at the chance, not only to enjoy some great company, but to enjoy some of the fine cuisine that Poor Red's has to offer.
Photo: Poor Red's Bar-B-Q is located in the small foothill town of El Dorado, near Placerville, in California's Gold country. Originally, the building was a weigh station for a banking company, later became a bar, and became Poor Red's in the 1940's. Legend has it that a man named Poor Red won the bar in a game of dice. After a year of being closed, Poor Red's Bar-B-Q reopened in late 2015, and has become a very popular eating and drinking place under the new owners.
Photo: As you walk into the restaurant, you pass the full-service bar, which is operates on two levels, which makes it quite unique. The murals on the walls are original, but the building has been remodeled, and updated under the new owners.
Photo: The dining area is divided into two distinct areas, each divided by a wall, and the kitchen straddles the rear of each room. You can also dine at the bar, if you choose, or you can dine on the patio, if the weather permits. On this Wednesday afternoon, April 27, 2016, we chose to dine inside, as there was a lot of thundershower activity this afternoon.
Photo: We were seated in the dining room next to the bar, which retains the original granite walls, and some of the original decor. Despite the fact that we arrived close to 2 o'clock, Poor Red's Bar-B-Q was packed, as it's very popular with Placerville area locals. After dining at this fine restaurant, I know why...
Photo: Our friendly server, Ray, brings our drinks, which is a mixed bag: Golden Cadillac, ice tea, a draught beer, and two Cokes. Poor Red's has a reputation for serving fine Golden Cadillac drinks, and over the years, Jackie has enjoyed a few of them, so a "Cadillac" was her drink of choice today. I hadn't tasted a Golden Cadillac for over 30 years, and when Jackie offered me a sip of hers, I remembered how delicious they are.
Photo: My friend Sandy ordered onion rings as an appetizer for the group. Our friendly server told us about the onion rings served at Poor Red's, including the fact they use large, sweet onions grown in the Yakima, WA area, the dark beer used in the batter, and the fact that the batter sticks to the onion ring, and it doesn't fall apart when you bite into them. Yes, these onion rings were amazing!
Photo: Our friendly server, Ray, brings the food to our table. Ray was extremely friendly, cheerful, helpful, with great "people skills," but he was never intrusive.
Photo: Thanks, Ray, for snapping our photo. From left to right, Sandy B., her daughter Jackie L., Jackie's son Kyle, your author, and other son Cole. Sandy and I have been friends for over 20 years, as we met as co-workers, and we're friends after all of these years, along with her daughter Jackie, and Jackie's two sons. The boys and I all ordered burgers, while Sandy and Jackie split a rack of ribs, and Jackie enjoyed a salad. Cole seems especially happy to have his photo taken, as he gives the photographer a "thumbs up."
Photo: Sandy's plate of ribs and fries. I had a taste of the ribs and fries, and they were delicious!
Photo: Today, I felt like a burger, so I ordered "The Poor Red's Burger." The menu describes it as "Half-pound, fresh ground beef, lettuce, tomato, Thousand Island dressing. Baked Brioche burger bun." You can order "add-on's" such as cheese or bacon, but I chose to enjoy the burger, without options, so as to really see what the burger was all about. For a dollar more, I upgraded from fries to onion rings, as I really wanted to give them a try. The burger was fantastic! I didn't even add any condiments, such as mustard, or steak sauce, as I just wanted to taste the burger. With the Thousand Island dressing, this really made for an "old school" burger, which is the way I love a burger. I ordered my meat cooked medium, and it arrived exactly as ordered, which is a compliment to the chef. The included dill pickle spear was a welcome bonus. I was amazed at the onion rings, as they were delicious! Since this was my first visit to Poor Red's, I really wanted to go with the "stock" fries, but after the server had previously told us about Red's method of cooking onion rings, I couldn't resist adding in the extra dollar and go for the onion rings. He was correct, as the onion rings were delicious! No wonder Poor Red's Bar-B-Q is a popular spot with the locals, as the food is delicious, the staff is friendly and the atmosphere is a lot of run. Great barbecue and good times are enjoyed at Poor Red's Bar-B-Q in El Dorado. Poor Red's Bar-B-Q Copyright(c) 2016 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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