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Style Magazine

Poor Red’s Bar-B-Q

6221 Pleasant Valley Road  |  El Dorado  |  530-622-2901  |  Poorreds.com

Poor Red’s Bar-B-Q has been serving delicious food and cocktails since 1948. Hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life and from every corner of the planet have bellied-up to the bar in this iconic Gold Country roadhouse. Famous celebrities like Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack, Chuck Norris, and Tom Selleck have been known to frequent the establishment over the years. If only the walls could talk.

After an ownership change and an extensive remodel, Poor Red’s re-opened in April of 2016 to the delight of locals and travelers alike. The new owners understand what Poor Red’s means to the community so they kept the unique atmosphere of the bar and old-dining room.  The renovation started with replacing all of the electric wiring, plumbing, bathrooms, refrigeration, and furnishings while keeping the original Poor Reds alive. Walk through the front door at Poor Red’s and you will be transported to a different time.

Poor Red’s has experienced quite a renaissance evidenced by the Reader’s Choice awards numbering 8 this year with awards from #1 Best Bar and #1 Best Bartender (Stacy Calhoun), to placing for Outdoor Dining, BBQ, Chef, Steakhouse, and Salad Place. 

Chef Dean Hiatt is busy in the kitchen preparing Red’s amazing steaks, chicken and ribs. Having grown up in the county, he is focused on sourcing his food locally and has developed strong relationships with local farmers.  Chef Dean refined his culinary skills in some of the best restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip and some of the most celebrated restaurants in California.

The restaurant has been expanded to a second dining room and a dining patio which includes an outside bar. Poor Red’s Bar-B-Q has been around now for seventy years and with these much-needed renovations, it should be going for another seventy.