A new food stand has
recently opened down in Bluff, Utah, across Main Street from Bluff Fort. Helgerson’s Red Rock Chicken is owned by
Steve and Tonya who only just moved to San Juan County in August 2015. Why San Juan County? As Tonya tells it, it was time to load up the
family, pick a direction and wherever they ended up, that would become
home. Formerly of Wisconsin, this foray
into food is a family affair; their three children (Amber, Brandon, Dylon) all
help mom and dad out with the stand.
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| Tonya with daughter, Amber. |
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| Steve and Tonya Helgerson. |
Tonya’s grandfather loved
to cook and passed on many recipes to her; she has revamped some, but most
retain grandpa’s flair. Now why a food
stand, not a restaurant? Freedom of
movement, plain and simple. With a food
stand, the Helgerson family can take their delicious food and bring it to
County events. Diners can sit underneath
tents, have the outdoor feel sitting at picnic tables; almost like being at a
family function. Those who are off to
hiking and exploring can grab a boxed lunch of tasty grilled chicken or
hotdogs, sloppy joe sandwich, and awesome side dishes.
 |
| Bluff Fort is just across the road. |
 |
| Steve mans the grills. |
So, how is the food? The leg quarters of Chicken are parboiled
before going on the grill, to help ensure quick, yet proper, cooking. A special seasoning (it’s a secret blend)
goes on which infuses the meat itself, not just the skin. The Sloppy Joes may be your typical sloppy
joe, but who doesn’t love those! The
Macaroni Salad is a mixture of elbow macaroni, chopped celery and hard boiled
eggs, Cheddar cheese chunks and shredded tuna fish. This may sound like too much, but it was
light and refreshing. The Baked Beans
are cooked with slices of bacon over the top; the killer side though is the
Bacon Fried Macaroni. The cooked pasta
is mixed on the grill with bacon, bell peppers (yellow, red, green), chopped
egg and hotdogs. The smoky flavor is
intense, yet goes perfectly with the grilled chicken meal. Portions are generous, so large appetites
will be extremely pleased.
 |
| Bacon Fried Macaroni and Garlic Toast. |
 |
| Baked Beans with Bacon. |
 |
| Grilled Chicken Meal. |
 |
| Sloppy Joe. |
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| Sloppy Joe Mixture waiting to be served. |
 |
| The Works!!! |
Red Rock Chicken does not
have any firm days or hours of operation; the best way to find out when they’re
open is to go to their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010377071659&fref=ts). Currently
the name is Bluff Utah, which shouldn’t be confused with Bluff, Utah’s own
Facebook page. Since the tourist season
is not in full swing yet, keeping an eye on Main Street will help determine set
days and hours. The opening day, the
stand was busy with locals; besides our own positive comments, we heard, “Oh
yeah!, Mmm!, Love the sloppy joes!, Pretty Good!, Thumbs Up!”.
Helgerson’s Red Rock
Chicken; a family run food stand that treats their customers like family.
When you spot those bright
orange tents, you know good food is waiting for you.
Mary Cokenour
Tonya’s grandfather loved
to cook and passed on many recipes to her; she has revamped some, but most
retain grandpa’s flair. Now why a food
stand, not a restaurant? Freedom of
movement, plain and simple. With a food
stand, the Helgerson family can take their delicious food and bring it to
County events. Diners can sit underneath
tents, have the outdoor feel sitting at picnic tables; almost like being at a
family function. Those who are off to
hiking and exploring can grab a boxed lunch of tasty grilled chicken or
hotdogs, sloppy joe sandwich, and awesome side dishes.
