Bighorn of plenty

When I got to Bighorn Bar and Grill, I was expecting a tiny hole in the wall because this was how my friends described it—except they routinely used a more vulgar term. All I could wonder was what I had gotten myself into when I headed up there with my friends Brett and Tim. When we walked in, I was confused and wondered if all of my friends had somehow become my 87-year-old grandmother when it comes to assessing risk. There were some people sitting at the bar who looked like they might show you pictures of their kids or something, but c’mon, that’s not that bad.

Bighorn is small, but set up well with an “L” shaped bar and some high top tables off on the sides. The overall vibe is very mellow and comfortable. We sat at a table with a view of a football game on the TV in the corner. A smiley young waitress soon came over and brought out some menus. OK, still nothing scary here. I was happy to see they had Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale on tap ($4). Brett and Tim went with PBRs ($2). I asked the waitress if the place had been renovated, and she explained that about a year and half ago, major changes were done to convert it from the “slum it once was.” Well, there you go. Glad to see my friends haven’t completely settled down.

We decided to start with some chicken wings ($7.95 for a dozen) and went with medium heat level. This ended up being the perfect amount of spice mixed with tang. There was a lot of sauce on these wings, so be prepared for a mess. The wings were tender and meaty, so we gobbled them up pretty quickly. They also came with a large serving of tasty hand-cut fries that were long, thin and nicely salted.

For entrées, Brett went with the taco special, which was two tacos and a domestic beer for $4.99. The tacos arrived with ground beef, cheese and lots of shredded lettuce. They were a bit greasy, but the beef had a nice flavor, and you can’t beat the price. I also ordered a special and went with the grilled turkey sandwich ($7.95). There was a ton of cheese and turkey on this sandwich, but it needed something else, like avocado or tomatoes. I asked for a few slices of tomatoes, and they were brought out immediately and definitely helped liven up the sandwich. I asked to substitute onion rings ($1) for the fries, and I’m glad I did. The thick slices of onions weren’t over-battered and had a nice crispy shell. Tim went with Scott’s meatloaf sandwich ($7.95), which came with a large slice of meatloaf with American and provolone cheeses on toasted sourdough. The meatloaf had a rich tomato taste, and the grilled onions on top were a nice touch. The sandwich was large and also came with another generous serving of the fries.

Service throughout was friendly and efficient, and my beer never got empty before I was being asked if I wanted another one. I wouldn’t make a special trip, but if you’re in the neighborhood and, like me, heard this place isn’t all that great, come have a beer and check it out. Bighorn Bar and Grill is nothing fancy, but I think it gets the job done offering up a comfortable space, decent food and good prices.