BBQ Restaurants

This just in to my mailbox... (Even if it is a bit of old news, it's great news! Congratulations Andrew and Paul)

RUB BBQ Set to Spice Up Las Vegas This Fall With First Location Outside of New York City

RUB to Preview Cuisine at All-Star Charity Tournament on July 5 During the World Series of Poker® at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino®

LAS VEGAS (July 2, 2007) New York City's highly-acclaimed RUB BBQ will add some extra heat to Las Vegas early this fall with its new location inside the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. This will be the restaurant's second and only venue outside of the New York original.

The 9,000-square-foot RUB BBQ at the Rio will feature championship level barbecue created by Paul Kirk, aka The Kansas City Baron of Barbecue and The Ambassador of Barbecue. The original RUB BBQ in New York opened to much praise and immediate popularity in 2005 and has remained ahead of the growing trend in barbecue restaurants cropping up in major cities across the country.

We're excited to introduce the RUB BBQ concept to Las Vegas and to the West Coast, as the demand for high-quality barbecue continues to grow throughout the country, said Andrew Fischel, owner and creator of RUB BBQ. When we looked at where we would open our next location outside of New York, Las Vegas was a no-brainer. With the sheer amount of visitors the city sees every day, combined with the lack of traditional barbecue on or near The Strip, the Rio was clearly the perfect home for us.

The menu at RUB BBQ will satisfy any level of a barbecue connoisseur's taste buds, with standard dishes such as Barbequed Ribs prepared St. Louis-style, Barbequed Sausage and Pastrami prepared the old-fashioned way, slow-cooked over wood in pits for 14 hours. Specialty menu items include Burnt Ends, smoked twice until crispy and lightly sauced; Szechwan Smoked Duck; and a The Taste of the Baron that includes a tasting of beef, pork, ham, pastrami, turkey, chicken, sausage and is topped off with a quarter rack of ribs. All selections are prepared fresh daily so once they’re gone, they're gone.

Located on the second level of the Masquerade Village inside the Rio, RUB BBQ will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week and will feature live bands on the weekends, from a variety of musical genres.

It is with great pleasure that we welcome the deliciously famous RUB BBQ to the variety of restaurant favorites at the Rio, said Marilyn Winn, president of the Rio All-Suite Hotel Casino. "We truly believe RUB will offer our guests the best in BBQ cuisine with an unforgettable atmosphere."

In addition to frequent appearances by Chef Paul Kirk, Chef Walter "Skip" Steele will be the resident "pitmaster" at the new Las Vegas location. Steele comes to Las Vegas from St. Louis where he co-owned the popular Super Smokers BBQ restaurant chain. Steele has spent years perfecting his barbecue craft and has scores of accolades to show for it including numerous awards from the Illinois State Championship and the Award of Excellence from the National Barbecue Association. Steele has also competed and placed in the famous Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Contest for more than 10 years.

Introducing its cuisine to Las Vegas for the very first time, RUB BBQ will cater the celebrity/VIP room for the World Series of Poker's Ante Up for Africa All-Star Benefit taking place at the Rio on July 5. Ante Up For Africa is being held to raise awareness and funds for the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. The event is slated to include some of the biggest names in poker and entertainment including Don Cheadle, Annie Duke, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and many more. The Ante Up For Africa poker tournament kicks off at 4pm. In addition to catering the All-Star Benefit, RUB BBQ will also tempt the palates of media by filling the press room with its signature dishes.

"What better place to introduce our award-winning barbecue to Las Vegas than at the Rio during the World Series of Poker? It just doesn't get any better than this", Fischel said.

RUB BBQ was designed by Nevada-based Cypress Architecture and Design. The 230-seat restaurant, which includes a 30-seat bar area, will be a modern take on the industrial loft look allowing guests to enjoy their barbecue favorites (as well as some mouth-watering RUB originals) in an open, high-energy atmosphere. Wall accents of deep, fiery reds will contrast with the weathered metals and will be set near aged brick and warm rustic wood floors and ceiling beams. Combined these elements will create a sophisticated, yet relaxed environment to experience a taste of Americana.

An exact opening date for RUB BBQ will be announced later this summer.