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By Emily Carter

Dammeron Valley has its very own authentic Southern barbeque, which has become quite the fad.

Larry D. Miller and his wife, Doris M. Fisher, came to Dammeron Valley about five years ago and opened up the Dammeron Valley Barbeque restaurant. Doris Fisher provides the public a great selection of home-cooked Southern barbeque as she demonstrates her talents in the culinary art of Southern cooking. She uses her own unique recipes to create the tasty dishes that include sweet and spicy coleslaw, corn bread, baked yams, hash-brown potato casseroles, New Orleans bread pudding and, of course, traditional caramel apple crisp.
Larry and Doris make all the dishes on the menu, always using fresh ingredients. All the meats, desserts and vegetables are cut and smoked there at the restaurant. Many of their meats are smoked for a period of up to 24 hours to make them fall-apart tender. They prefer to keep their small business a family affair, a low-key Ma and Pa restaurant that they will be able to maintain on their own without bringing too many other employees into the picture.
“We are very unique from other Utah barbeque restaurants. This is our passion; it’s not a franchise,” Larry said.

Larry and Doris did not begin their professional lives with owning and managing a restaurant. Both hold degrees in engineering. However, about 27 years ago, as a hobby, they began entering their smoked meats into competitions all over the U.S. Competition cooking is an organized event in which competitors try out their dishes to see who is the master chef.

Larry and Doris led a very successful competition barbeque team and catering business in the Colorado area, called the Denver Dine-O-Might. Together, they competed in the Mountain States BBQ and also at the Colorado State Barbecue cook-off. In 1999, they earned a perfect score and took first place with their Baby Back Ribs. In this specific competition, 60 of the top barbeque teams from across the country competed. Larry has been making smoked meat for over 20 years and was previously a member of the Dixie Dine-O-Might team of Georgia. He was extremely successful in southeastern states, winning in state, national and international cook-offs. They have also won the Tennessee State Championship two years in a row and have earned the title of grand champions at numerous local contests. So the couple decided in 2003 to make their passion, talent and hobby into their own business. 

Larry and Doris have worked hard over the last five years to turn a previous general store into a home-style Southern barbeque joint. A Los Angeles Times travel article named Dammeron Valley Barbecue as one of the two best places to eat in Southern Utah.

With talents such of these and practice with such authentic cooking, Dammaron Valley Barbeque can be classified as one of the tastiest places to eat in Southern Utah.
“The biggest complaint customers have is that they eat too much,” Doris said.

The couple is in the process of transforming their restaurant into a catering business. They wish to possibly relocate and place their business in St. George. They want to cater for weddings, school functions and sporting events. Dixie State College students know the little restaurant as a place to hold dances and activities, many times including whole hog cookouts.

Dammeron Valley Barbeque doesn’t just serve delicious food; they are working very hard to raise money for local charities. They have benefits, dances and cookouts to raise money needed throughout our community. The couple has adopted Angels for Animals as one of their causes. Doris loves animals and has held many events for this particular charity so that homeless, abandoned pets will be well cared for.

The restaurant is a way for locals to experience the home-style taste of the South. Everything in Dammeron Valley Barbecue screams country cooking and country lifestyle.

The restaurant is located at 1090 N. Hwy 18 and can be reached at 435-574-3600.

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