Pat's BBQ: How a Roadside Smoker Became Salt Lake City's Original BBQ Institution

Barbecue is supposed to be a Southern thing. Somebody forgot to tell Pat Barber. For more than twenty years, on a dead-end industrial street near Salt Lake City's 2100 South, Barber has been doing the low-and-slow thing the right way, long enough that Pat's BBQ has a real claim to a title most Utah smokehouses can only dream about: the original. "Utah's Original Award Winning BBQ," the sign says, and for once the marketing is just history. When the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives came hunting for great barbecue out West, they didn't go to Texas. They came here, and Guy Fieri stood in Pat's kitchen watching Barber prep brisket, build burnt ends, and slather on dry rub before the meat went into the pit.

That's the thing about Pat's BBQ — it was doing this before Utah's current smokehouse boom existed. In a state where good barbecue now turns up in strip malls and food trucks from Logan to St. George, Pat's is one of the founding fathers, the spot that proved Salt Lake City could smoke meat worth driving for.

From a Roadside Pit to a Salt Lake City Institution: Pat Barber's Story

Every barbecue legend starts with one person and a fire, and Pat's is no exception. Founder Patrick Barber started smoking meats in the early 2000s, first serving barbecue out of a small roadside setup before he ever had doors to open. He's been at it, by his own count and the local press's, for decades — and Pat's BBQ has been a fixture in Salt Lake City since 2004. That's an eternity in restaurant years, and it's the kind of longevity that only comes from genuine obsession.

Barber is a Salt Lake character in the best sense. He wears, as his own bio puts it, "many hats, including market gardener, realtor, and the BBQ master and live music promoter who built Pat's BBQ." That last part matters: Pat's isn't just a place to eat, it's a place to be, with a live-music stage, a full bar, and the easygoing energy of somewhere that's hosted a couple decades of Salt Lake nights. The current home on Commonwealth Avenue is the result of years of consolidating the operation down to one location so the cooks and pitmasters could focus on doing it right in a single kitchen.

The philosophy hasn't changed in all that time. "At Pat's BBQ, we do things the right way — low and slow," the team writes. "For over 20 years, we've been smoking quality meats for hours to bring out bold, honest flavor in every bite." In 2023, that approach got formal recognition when Pat's was named Best BBQ and Best Catering Company — a nod to a smokehouse that's been quietly feeding the city, and catering its weddings and backyard parties, since before half its competitors existed.

What to Order at Pat's BBQ

Start with the burnt ends, because they're the move. These are the caramelized, smoky cubes cut from the fatty point of the brisket — the part Fieri watched Barber build on national TV — and Pat's describes them exactly the way you want to hear: "crispy, caramelized smoky bites — you won't want to share." They're the dish that put this place on the map, and they're the first thing a first-timer should put on a tray.

The brisket is the backbone. Slow-smoked for hours, it's the heart of any serious BBQ joint, and at Pat's it's the foundation everything else is built on. One TripAdvisor visitor laid out a textbook order: "We had brisket and ribs, both of which were meaty and good (not fatty), BBQ sauces also very good here. Tried many sides, enjoying all." That's the blueprint right there — brisket, the St. Louis ribs (seasoned, tender, finished with the house signature sauce), and a run at the sides.

And the sides are not an afterthought, which is the mark of a kitchen that cares. A local food writer who ran the spread came away specific about them: "the french fries were very good. Breaded, crispy, and warm. Same goes for the baked beans, which were rich and flavorful." Add the mac and cheese — creamy and built to be the ultimate BBQ sidekick — and you've got a plate. Round out the meat order with pulled pork (melt-in-your-mouth, with the right amount of bark) or the smoked wings served with your choice of sauce. The Yelp listing sums up the lineup well: "award-winning ribs, pulled pork, chicken, burnt ends, and other southern comfort foods."

A word of honest counsel, because barbecue is a living thing and this is a high-volume, long-running kitchen: opinions on Pat's run the full range, and the consensus from the regulars is to go for the burnt ends, the ribs, and the sides, and to eat it fresh. This is a place with a serious legacy and a devoted following; order the things it's famous for and you're tapping into twenty years of why people keep coming back.

A Cornerstone of Utah's Barbecue Scene

It's hard to overstate what Pat's meant to Salt Lake City's food identity. Long before barbecue became one of the most exciting categories in Utah dining, Pat Barber was making the case — on an industrial side street and then on national television — that the West could smoke meat with anybody. The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives feature wasn't just a fun local milestone; it was validation that Salt Lake City had a barbecue destination worth flying in for, and it helped put Utah on a map it had no business being on.

Two decades later, the smokehouse boom Pat's helped seed is everywhere, and Pat's still does the things that built it: low-and-slow smoke, hearty home-style sides, a full bar, and live music on the stage. It's a community spot as much as a restaurant — the kind of place that caters the wedding, hosts the band, and feeds the family reunion. In a Utah food scene that gets newer and shinier every year, there's real value in the original still standing, still smoking, still throwing the doors open for a night of ribs and music.

Planning Your Visit to Pat's BBQ

You'll find Pat's BBQ at 155 W Commonwealth Avenue, Salt Lake City, UT 84115 — call (801) 484-5963. It's a dine-in or takeout smokehouse with a full bar, a family-friendly room, and a live-music stage, and it's a go-to for catering anything from a backyard party to a wedding. Hours generally run Monday through Saturday, roughly 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed Sunday — but because hours and the live-music calendar shift, it's worth a quick check before you go. @patsbbq_official

First-timers: lead with the burnt ends, get the brisket and the St. Louis ribs, and don't sleep on the fries, baked beans, and mac and cheese. Grab a local beer, time it to a show if you can, and settle in. Follow @patsbbqslc on Instagram for specials, "BBQ in a box," and the music lineup.

The Bottom Line

Pat's BBQ is a "this is why we live here" kind of Salt Lake landmark — the original award-winning smokehouse that put Utah barbecue on the national radar and has kept the pits going for more than twenty years. Pat Barber's story (a roadside smoker, a Triple-D feature, two decades of low-and-slow) is the backbone of this city's BBQ scene, and the burnt ends are still the reason to make the drive. Come for the smoke, stay for the music, and order the things this place got famous for.