Bandits’ Grill Opens in Holladay

Shane and Jen are California transplants. Jen’s parents have a house in northern Utah, and when Shane visited to go fly fishing, “I literally became hooked.”

Since he was already managing a restaurant in Southern California, he began looking for a restaurant  in Utah to buy. That turned out to be Texas Red’s on Park City’s Main Street.

The renamed, renovated restaurant, Bandits’ American Grill, started out as mainly a barbecue joint, Shane said. Since then, it has expanded its menu to include steak, prime rib, seafood, salads, sandwiches and burgers. And, in late October, it expanded to a second location, chef Jose Lopez overseeing the kitchen.

With lots of dark polished wood, the 200-seat restaurant has an upscale ambience. In summer, the outdoor patio can seat an additional 40 people. Near the entrance, there’s a separate bar with several big screen TVs.

Shane showed us the wood-burning oven where items like baby back ribs and tri-tip beef are rotisserie-smoked and slow-roasted. He said they usually burn oak, or fruit woods, such as apple.

We sampled some of the starters such as Fried Pickles ($8.99), Spinach Artichoke Dip ($9.79) and Famous Tri-Tip Nachos, $9.99.  My favorite was the  grilled artichoke ($8.99) with its wood-smoked flavor. The nachos, hearty enough to qualify as a meal for two people, ran a close second.

We also got to sample the Quinoa Harvest Salad ($13.99), the BBQ Chopped Salad ($13.99) and the Roasted Beets Salad ($11.99).

Quinoa and kale have both been trendy for a few years now, and the Quinoa Harvest Salad uses both of these, along with pecans, apples, dried cranberries, and goat cheese. Adding to the healthy vibe, it was dressed in a light citrus vinaigrette.

The BBQ Chopped Salad featured sauce-doused  tri-tip beef chunks, chopped greens, grilled corn, tomatoes, white cheddar, slices of rich avocado, pecans and a creamy herb dressing. The Roasted Beets Salad featured chunks of red and golden beets, mixed greens goat cheese, walnuts and a sherry vinaigrette.

For my entree, I tried the Baby Back Ribs & Shrimp Combo ($18.99). The grilled, skewered shrimp was bathed in a lemon garlic sauce.  The meaty ribs had a good smoky-spice flavor. The entrees come with a choice of two sides, and I chose the grilled asparagus ($5.99 if ordered a la carte) and sweet potato fries ($4.99 if ordered a la carte). Both were well-executed, although I didn’t enjoy the asparagus as much — it never seems to taste as good when it’s out of season. I liked the idea of serving the fries in cute metal buckets.

Portions were satisfying, but not humongous.

For dessert, we shared a Fudge Brownie S’more ($6.99). There was also bread pudding ($6.99), but by that time I only had room for a taste of dessert, and the rich brownie was the most tempting.

Due to its location, I can see Bandits’ becoming a favorite after-ski spot.  Jen said already, dinners are doing a good business, but there aren’t as many people for lunch. I think once the word gets out, that won’t be a problem.

If I were working nearby, this wouldn’t be a place where I could afford to lunch on a daily basis. But it would be a great once-in-awhile splurge.