Bar-M Chuckwagon Dinner Show in Moab, Utah

Our guest post comes from Danni Scully, who has lived near the Four Corners area of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona for the last forty years.  She enjoys writing, painting, and spending time camping with family and friends. Her website is www.outofthedarkness.net

Shots rang out and my eyes were riveted to the scene before me, drawing me to yesteryear was a scene from a John Wayne movie.  The Sheriff was about to apprehend the bad guys and send them to their rightful place in the jailhouse.  Quickly reaching for his gun the bad guy pulled out a rubber chicken, bringing laughter from the crowd of appreciative onlookers.

Turning to the crowd the Sheriff said “come on in folks and we’ll feed ya”.

The dining room was filled with long picnic tables, each with a letter and number designating which table we were assigned to.  Squishing through the gravel on the floor we found our table and looked around.  Various artifacts from days gone passed adorned the walls.  Lanterns, and other old time memorabilia set the mood of the old west.  Eyes traveled to the ceiling where old saddles and tack hung from the rafters.

The “Sheriff” welcomed us to the Bar-M Chuck wagon and explained the finer points of tin plates and how to slide your fingers under the applesauce to keep from burning your hands on the quick trip back to your seat.  Once the dinner bell rang we lined up for the grub.

Aromas of baked beans, chicken, barbecue roast beef, and baked potatoes drew us towards the kitchen.  Cowboy biscuits and a chunk of spice caked, lightly dusted with powdered sugar rounded out the meal of old west fare.

Finding my seat, I determined to take a taste of every item on my plate.  Salt, pepper, honey and barbecue sauce sat in the middle of the table, waiting for their turn to adorn our plates.  Putting a small droplet of the barbecue sauce on a tender chunk of beef, I sampled their wares.  Spicy sweetness filled my mouth as I reached for the bottle of savory sauce to add more to my plate.

I could almost smell the campfire as I quickly cleaned my plate.  Steve was quiet as he did the same.  Returning to the kitchen for seconds he brought me another flaky biscuit and a small piece of chicken.  Swallowing hard, I realized that I had eaten way too much!

Soon the dishes were cleared away and the lights dimmed as Valerie stepped on stage, she is a very pretty lady, who is quite good with the guitar.  Valerie once toured with the group, “Ethel and the Shameless Hussies”.  She was joined by three cowboys with guitars and a pedal steel guitar, as they struck up a tune from the old west.  Her husband, Alan Brown is the Sheriff, the camp cook and does lead harmony and vocals and plays the acoustic guitar and lead guitar. Clay Maxam plays the pedal steel guitar.  David Steward plays lead guitar and bass.  He also has CD’s of his own music.

We sang along to songs from the open range and oldies that many of us knew the words by heart.  My heart smiled as I listened to the yodeling of a cowboy on a cattle drive.  I lay my head on Steve’s shoulder as the cowboy sang of his sweetheart while out on the range.  Laughter filled the room at the antics of the brothers as they did their little dance and shuffled off stage.  All too soon the music ended and goodbyes were said.

The Bar-M Chuckwagon is a dinner and show straight out of the old west, located seven miles north of Moab, Utah, at 7000 Highway 191.  For reservations you can go online.

If you’re looking for good food, fun and good music, don’t miss the Bar-M Chuck wagon on your next visit to Moab, Utah.