Great bar, best barbeque, mountains of memorabilia, and much more

Restaurants as theatre are ho-hum: open kitchens, wood-fire ovens, chefs and wait staffs performing elaborate choreography. If you’re looking for something different, how about a restaurant as museum-antique emporium-amusement park, all rolled into one gigantic good time. Plus, good food, great drinks, and plenty of it!

This is just what Al Ehringer, co-owner of Red’s Old 395 Grill had in mind in 1999 when he and partners opened this one-of-a-kind establishment – something very different for Carson City.

Ehringer is a collector extraordinaire. The décor at Red’s is literally over-the-top. Much of the contents from a Hollywood warehouse hangs from the ceiling, is perched on ledges, or covers the walls and floors. It would take a museum curator to catalog the mountains of memorabilia, but let’s just say—if you can imagine it, you’ll probably find it at Red’s.

I heard about Red’s and was told by friends I must go there. Being a California cuisine, fresh-from-the-farm foodie, I’ll admit I had my doubts about the menu – all that meat: barbequed ribs, brisket, steaks, bacon burgers. What’s a light eater to do? I called for reinforcements.

Two Carson City locals and Red’s regulars agreed to be my menu guides, along with the genial staff, General Manager Todd Bachman, Assistant Manager Ryan Lynskey, and a terrific young server with the name tag “Big Joe,” which he wasn’t.

Like everything else at Red’s, if you can imagine it, you’ll probably find it (within reason) on the extensive menu: Ribs, steaks, burgers, all kinds of salads, personal-size pizzas, crab cakes, chicken, vegetarian fajitas, shrimp scampi, mussels, salmon, trout and tilapia. I went against type and ordered smoked beef brisket with barbeque sauce. But, you almost have to.

Chef Jose Rivera, who trained with Michel Richard at Citrus in Beverly Hills, makes a signature barbeque sauce called Howlin’ Coyote. This lip-smackin’ sauce permeates all the barbeque dishes, even the burgers. If you become addicted, you can buy bottles of the stuff for $6.99.

While I indulged in the first big chunks of meat to cross my lips in ages – smiling all the while – my dining companions munched on wood-fired salmon and a giant bacon burger. The salmon was fresh and flaky and garlic mashed potatoes were scrumptious – real potatoes with lumps and lots of garlic. The burger, ordered very well done (a sacrilege for good Angus beef!) was, against all odds, moist and juicy. The secret? An infusion of that great barbeque sauce, said Big Joe.

Prairie fire baked beans were delicious. Crispy, tender popcorn shrimp, crisp curly fries, and even crispier onion strings were so good I forgot all about my resolution to cut out fried foods. You really can’t do that and enjoy yourself at Red’s.

Regular portions are huge. “The Colossal Que for Two is enough for five,” said Big Joe, although the really hunger can ‘super-size’ it for an additional cost. If you’re watching the waistline, petite portions are available on some items. Or, ask the server for a la carte. The kitchen is flexible and you can pretty much have things your way.

You also can have any drink you might imagine. A sign over the bar says “Greatest Bar on Earth.” I’m no expert, but it probably is. When you offer 101 beers (52 on tap), 69 tequilas, a martini menu, a premium well, and a short but top-label wine list, you have a right to brag.

Boutique beer connoisseurs and fans of high-end tequila are in hog-heaven here. I know my way around a good wine list (and Red’s has one) but I admit to novice status when it comes to other drinks. The staff at Red’s is not. They know every beer, tequila, and spirit on the menus and are glad to make recommendations according to your taste and pocket book.

Red’s prices across-the-board are more than reasonable, so you needn’t worry too much about the bottom line on the check unless you order shots of $50 tequila or $120 cognac. You can get a double shot of any drink, even premium labels, for just $1 more.

Lots of promotions and other fun stuff keep regulars coming back. Some examples: Happy Hour, 3-6 p.m. daily, $1.99 appetizers and select drinks; Red’s Stimulus Bucks, $5 coupons good for food, beverage or merchandise on the next visit; Email Loyalty Club, monthly drawings for Happy Hour parties or dinner for two; Fellowship of the 101, drink all 101 beers and have your name engraved on a bronze tablet in the bar, plus a free T-shirt; The Mug Club, your own personal mug kept at the bar; Karaoke night; Hermit Crab races; live music on the patio; jugglers and magicians to entertain kids and the rest of us on Fri and Sat nights. You get the idea. It’s a fun place.

The only downside to my first Red’s experience was dessert. And, who needs it anyway after all that food? The lightest offering was warm peach cobbler. The menu said “made with the freshest ingredients available,” but the peaches were canned. If you can’t get fresh peaches in summer, then when can you?

Those who love sweet, gooey desserts will be happy with super sundaes, chocolate fudge cake, and a truly decadent concoction called Xangos – cheesecake rolled in pastry, deep-fried, and served with caramel sauce. Holy calories!

Nevada’s capitol has a capital asset in Red’s. It’s a must stop for any visitor to Carson City.

Location: 1055 South Carson St., Carson City, NV
Phone: 775-887-0395 Hours: 11 a.m. daily to 10 p.m. Sun – Thurs, 11 p.m. Sat & Sun. Bar open for the last patron.
Price ranges: appetizers - $4 - $10; entrées - $13 - $24; barbeque: $14 - $36; lunch, served anytime, $7 - $9; salads and pizzas, $5 - $11 desserts, $7 - $8
Learn more: www.reds395.com