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New steakhouse eyes Aug. 6 opening date

Joe Moylan
Double Barrel Steakhouse owners Pat, right, and Ann Marie Roberts pose inside their new location at 351 S. Ranney St. in Craig. The location, once home to Casa Loya, is scheduled to open Aug. 6.
Jerry Martin

If you go …

Pat and Ann Marie Roberts are tentatively scheduled to open the Double Barrel Steakhouse Aug. 6 at its new location in Craig, 351 S. Ranney St. They plan to maintain their usual hours of 11 a.m. to close Monday through Saturday and will feature rotating nightly specials. A prime rib dinner will continue to be a usual Friday night menu offering.

Quotable

“We’ve got a pretty good reputation here and we’re excited to be back. We live here, so we were making the drive (to Hayden), too. We’re really excited to be serving the community we call home.”

— Pat Roberts, co-owner of the Double Barrel Steakhouse, with his wife, Ann Marie

If you go …

Pat and Ann Marie Roberts are tentatively scheduled to open the Double Barrel Steakhouse Aug. 6 at its new location in Craig, 351 S. Ranney St. They plan to maintain their usual hours of 11 a.m. to close Monday through Saturday and will feature rotating nightly specials. A prime rib dinner will continue to be a usual Friday night menu offering.

Quotable

“We’ve got a pretty good reputation here and we’re excited to be back. We live here, so we were making the drive (to Hayden), too. We’re really excited to be serving the community we call home.”

— Pat Roberts, co-owner of the Double Barrel Steakhouse, with his wife, Ann Marie



Two weeks ago, restaurant patrons learned Casa Loya had closed its doors.

But, it seems the local business community abhors a vacuum.



The closure paved the way for the Double Barrel Steakhouse to move from Hayden to Craig.

Since the announcement, local residents have asked Double Barrel Steakhouse owners Pat and Ann Marie Roberts the same question.

When’s opening night? On Tuesday, Pat, 46, and Ann Marie, 42, attended the Craig City Council meeting seeking approval of a temporary liquor license for their new location at 351 S. Ranney St.

“They only asked us one thing, ‘When are you opening?’” Ann Marie said. “People have been pushing us (to move here) for a long time. That 17-mile drive really just puts you off the grid.”

On Friday, Pat and Ann Marie announced what they have told many already — they’re shooting to open Double Barrel Steakhouse on Aug. 6.

Though the transition from traditional Mexican fair to classic Western steakhouse took little less than two months to organize, the Roberts said their dream of opening a restaurant in Craig is more than two years in the making.

In 2010, when Pat and Ann Marie first kicked around the idea of opening their own restaurant, they shopped for a location in Craig.

But, Sandra Loya wasn’t ready to close Casa Loya, and Pat and Ann Marie couldn’t find another space to suit their needs. They decided to take their dream to Hayden.

Though “off the grid,” the Craig couple quickly built a steady stream of loyal customers from their hometown.

And now, after two and a half years at 825 Jefferson St. in Hayden, Pat and Ann Marie are excited to bring their version of Western cooking closer to their customer base.

“We’ve got a pretty good reputation here and we’re excited to be back,” Pat said. “We live here, so we were making the drive (to Hayden), too. We’re really excited to be serving the community we call home.”

Aside from the change in location, Pat and Ann Marie said little would change regarding the menu and ambiance.

The interior will be painted in shades of rustic brown and the walls will be decorated with game mounts, Western tack and other items featured at the Hayden location.

Cuts like the New York Strip and Ribeye also will continue to decorate the menu alongside customer favorites like reubens, burgers, Philly cheese steak sandwiches, the French Dip and the famous 6-ounce Ribeye steak sandwich, all available at a price that “won’t burst the pocket book,” Ann Marie said.

They also feature a kids-friendly menu with healthy side items.

“Long-term, we want to give Craig a place to enjoy a good steak, at an affordable price and in a nice atmosphere,” Ann Marie said. “It’s going to be causal, but also a place to give people an excuse to dress nice. “We want people to feel comfortable no matter what the occasion. Whether they’re (washing down) their steak with a cold beer or celebrating with a dry martini.”

Though Aug. 6 is the scheduled opening date, barring any unforeseen setbacks, the Roberts said they have not yet decided on an official grand opening.

When they do it will take place on a Friday, a day of the week known for Double Barrel’s traditional prime rib special. And Pat, who has been in the restaurant business since 1980, said he is going to use opening night as an excuse to begin experimenting with steak, chicken, ribs and seafood combinations.

He wants to pair one of his longstanding favorites with shrimp or crab depending on market availability. “I really enjoy cooking steak and seafood,” he said. “It’s only natural to try to bring the two together.”

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