Gun Barrel Steak & Game in St. George closes; new restaurant coming in its place

Gun Barrel Steak and Game House exterior, St. George, Utah, Aug. 3, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Gun Barrel Steak & Game House is closing its doors after 13 years of operation in St. George.

The steakhouse, located at 1091 N. Bluff Street #1400, will close permanently Saturday, making way for a new sports bar-themed restaurant.

The interior of Gun Barrel Steak and Game House, St. George, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Gun Barrel Steak and Game House, St. George News

Gun Barrel specialized in traditional steak cuts, as well as game meat, featuring such dishes as buffalo ribs and elk medallions all cooked on an open grill. The restaurant also offered burgers, sandwiches, soup and chicken with a beer and wine menu.

“It has been a wonderful ride and great experience serving the St. George area,” Gun Barrel proprietor Mark Walker told St. George News. “Things are busy as we coordinate all the necessary pieces for our closing.”

Guests will have one last chance to savor the restaurant’s flavors Saturday from 5-9 p.m.

The business has another location in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, that is not closing.

“St. George has been a wonderful community to us and we will miss serving all our locals and visitors,” the company said in a farewell message. “You can always visit us at our original Jackson Hole, Wyoming, location for the same hospitality and legendary dining experience.”

The new restaurant coming in its place is Guru’s Sports Bar and Grill.

The new owner, Ricardo Arreola, said the grill will offer a variety of steaks and a big selection of appetizers, pastas, chicken platters, salads and burgers.

The restaurant will have a full bar with televisions tuned to various sporting events.

Arreola said he expects Guru’s to open near the end of September, and he is planning to hire some former Gun Barrel employees.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

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15 Comments

  • mmsandie August 4, 2018 at 8:56 am

    There will never be a place like gun barrel in this town. This sports bar is nothing ne2.. 5he menu doesn,t appeal to me.. 2 big sports bars closed already,, even being b6 the conventions cénter and near shopping area.. i hope the owner did his homework
    On the need for such a bar.. there is one around the corner called Bout time..in Phoenix plaza.. good luck

  • justsaying August 4, 2018 at 9:17 am

    Gun N Barrel had an original feel to it, I really liked that place. I’m sad to hear the news. Not into sports bars so oh well, looks like we’ve lost a nice place to go on this side of town.

  • Christine August 4, 2018 at 1:25 pm

    I was gonna make the same comment as mmsandie up there. This is not the kind of town that supports Bar & Grills. People want to watch the game, but the percentage of people who actually drink and watch the game is small, and those who do, do it in the secrecy of their home. I’m sick of sports bars and mexican restaurants. We need something actually good, like Cheesecake factory or something that appeals to a wider variety of people.

    • Utahguns August 4, 2018 at 4:12 pm

      I’d put my vote in for a decent seafood restaurant….I mean, “decent” where the fish is a fresh as possible.
      Nothing is worth spending my money on here in STG when it comes to seafood.
      …and “seafood night” at the casinos in Mesquite? ….Forget it, it’s a complete joke….I’ve had MRE’s that were better.

    • Dolly August 4, 2018 at 9:51 pm

      I’ve been hoping for a Cheesecake Factory for years! Not sure if this town could support one, but I’ve love the chance to try!

  • statusquo August 4, 2018 at 2:24 pm

    You will be missed. One of our favorite places to eat in St George – and Jackson ?

  • comments August 4, 2018 at 4:49 pm

    surprising because it seems like they did plenty of business? Agree with the others, I’m not a fan of “sports bars” at all.

  • Striker4 August 4, 2018 at 7:52 pm

    another bar and grill ? geez what a waste of space

    • Real Life August 5, 2018 at 11:54 am

      Speaking of a wasted space.

  • Badshitzoo August 4, 2018 at 7:53 pm

    Anyone that’s lived here for a few years, knows why this place closed. It closed for the same reason the Sizzler Steak & Seafood on the Blvd closed 30 years ago. People here are cheap! The people who’ve lived here all their lives can’t afford to go into a Steakhouse, or Seafood place. The retired crowd have the money, but won’t spend it, and the DSU students are happy with Ramen noodles, as long as they have the latest whatever it is they want. But it sure as hell ani’t Surf or Turf. St. George has exactly the kind of restaurants it deserves “Cheap”. Oh, and I skipped the “Tipping” issue, because between the cheap “broke locals”, and the cheap SLC, and Cali cartel retirees, and the 12,000 students with the best excuse, why talk about tipping at all.

    • 42214 August 4, 2018 at 9:02 pm

      Couldn’t agree with you more. This town’s idea of fine dining is an all you can eat buffet. Lived here 13 years and always have to apologize to guests that we don’t have decent restaurants to go to. When chain restaurants are considered the best in town you’ve got a problem.

      • Mike P August 5, 2018 at 11:20 am

        Funny, 42214. My wife and I were just talking about that last night. It’s a shame that my favorite restaurant in this town is Red Robin and Wingers for Christs sake. And we still can’t figure out why there are 20 Mexican restaurants around here and NOBODY knows how to cook decent Mexican food.

      • An actual Independent August 5, 2018 at 8:50 pm

        Speaking of which….we tried Hu Hot Mongolian BBQ in the Factory Stores today. There’s honestly nothing wrong with it or with the food. But it’s all you can eat, and the place was packed with families with screaming kids, and the morbidly obese. There was another locally owned Mongolian BBQ in the same strip mall until a few months ago. The proprietor had previously told us she was trying to get her family here from Vietnam. Not sure if she finally did. She likely had her lease non renewed when these folks came in. She had the same basic food at better prices, but there were three sizes rather than all you can eat. She did not have the appetizers and deserts this place does. But it was kind of a shame to see a small local business disappear in favor of a national chain serving the same food at almost exactly the same location.

  • Mike P August 5, 2018 at 11:13 am

    I just can’t get behind sitting at the bar watching a game while having to choke on watered-down 3.2 beer. Good luck.

  • mazobec December 10, 2018 at 4:38 pm

    My husband and I drove to St. George to enjoy a nice meal at Gun Barrel Restaurant in October. How disappointed we were to discover that it closed down. My husband had a feeling that it would eventually not survive after cutting its hours to dinnertime only. We decided to check out the new restaurant and peruse the menu. The menu was unappealing and the restaurant had an unpleasant odor. I asked the lady with the foreign accent at the desk what happened to Gun Barrel. She didn’t answer my question and proceeded to try to convince me that the food was the same. Obviously, it was not. My husband and I were completely turned off by the atmosphere and walked out. Unfortunately there aren’t good restaurants in St. George, so we’ll just have to drive to Las Vegas to enjoy a good meal. It’s been 36 years since I last visited Jackson Hole with my parents. I’m looking forward to taking a trip there one day soon to enjoy a good meal at Gun Barrel and admire the beautiful scenery. Maryanne Z.

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