Duke's Slickrock Grill — Restaurant in Hanksville

The food was good - my steak was actually cooked rare as requested instead of the medium rare I usually get. The service was awful! We were the second table seated and it wasn't busy. The hostess brought out menus, water and their cornbread. So far so good. Another table was seated a couple minutes later. Waitress comes out, walks by their table 3 times asking if they're' ready to order, and not once stops by our table. We were seated right next to them. I actually tried to wave her down the second time, but she wouldn't even look our way. Then, when taking their order on the 3rd trip, my wife just stares her down figuring maybe she'll get the hint. The hostess walked by and I said we've been ready to order. she tells the waitress who loudly says "I KNOW". Whatever. She comes to take our order after delivering the other order to the back, and immediately starts to walk off after taking the food order. I had to say my drink order loudly as she was starting to walk off, at which point she says OK as she's walking away. It gets worse. The other table has their food brought out. The lady says "I didn't order a steak", so she picks the plate up and takes it back, yells at the cook, then brings the right entrée out with the wrong potato. Then she bring out our orders including my steak with the wrong potato. Yup, the same steak she just served to the other table. I point out the potato error, and she takes my plate and yells at the cook again. Then she comes back out with the baked potato that had been on my plate and gives it to the lady at the other table. Wow. Just wow. From other reviews, this is apparently not the norm for service, but we were at the park for almost a week (central location), had stopped at the restaurant the first night we arrived, and refused to set foot in there again after that. We did visit the few other eating options in town, which actually required getting in the truck to go there as opposed to the 1 minute walk from our camper. Definitely lost business. Also resulted in the lowest tip I've ever given both pre and...

Duke's Slickrock Grill is a fun, eyecatching John Wayne themed restaurant located in Hanksville! It is on the Utah State Route 24 road, about an hour from Capitol Reef National Park. We thought was ideal for us or anyone passing by to stop for food after or before a day's hiking in Capitol Reef NP! We visited Duke's Slickrock Grill back on the 24th of March 2022 when we were going from Capitol Reef NP to Bryce Canyon NP. It was pretty quiet on the day that we were there and it was just us and another couple that were in the place. Staff: Kori was our waitress on the day and she was exteremely friendly! She gave us some info about the restaurant and the town of Hicksville as well as the surrounding area which we really appreciated! Food: The food was ok. We both ordered cowboy stew which was lovely and seperately I ordered the Stagecoach which was the chicken fried steak and my partner ordered the McLintock which was the smoked beef brisket. Both meals were good but not mind blowing. However, the real star of our meal was the cornbread appetizer with honey butter. It was simply fantastic! Drinks: They served plenty of water and I tried a Larger native to the state of Utah which they served in a chilled glass. Which I thought was a nice touch especially on a warm sunny day! Decor: The interior is full of John Wayne memorabilia and western themed items that give it a uniqueness which you can only get in the West! Cleanliness: The restaurant was very clean and inside and out and the tables were all prepped for customers with various condiments and shakers. Restrooms: The restrooms were clean which is always a positive! Overall: We had a great experience Duke's Slickrock Grill and I would definitely stop here again! Solid 4 out of 5 on the Google Review scale or a 7 out of 10 if I could...

Update: I will no longer be taking my business here or anywhere else in Hanksville (and I have spent several hundred here). The BLM has committed to selling off parcels for energy development in the San Rafael desert, just north of Hanksville. This decision is made with the support of more than a few in the area who see the land purely as something to degrade and exploit. My business will go elsewhere. #boycottUtah

I'm leaving my original post below so that the quality of the restaurant is, as I see it, still available. But I think a community is made up of more than just the service they provide you as you pass through, and the community in Hanksville is clearly out-of-step with my principles. I can't in good conscience provide economic support to them any longer. #boycottUtah

ORIGINAL POST:

I've had breakfast here a number of times during my adventures in the area. It's really quite good, and a culinary gem in an area where your usual options are food out of a can (if you're a tourist). The waitstaff is always friendly and the service is usually prompt. A few times I've been here it has been a bit slow, but nothing to be overly concerned about. The food has always been consistently good, too, and the portions generous. Even better, the prices are reasonable, all the more so given its remote(ish) location. I'm a big fan of good breakfasts, and I've been to diners in NYC, San Francisco, Austin, Louisville, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, etc., etc. - I think this one rates near the top. It's not super fancy, it's just good and reliably so. Be warned though, it can get busy, so if you want some BK here...