Now Featuring the Rib-a Saurus!
By Tracy Dietlin
Big Rock Pub, founded in 2016, by owner Ken Hanna, is unlike any other pub/venue in the CV. Boasting approximately 100 guitars and tons of rock memorabilia on the walls, its unique interior invites locals and visitors alike to come in and feel the vibe.
Another thing that keeps people coming back is their delicious food menu with several specialty items.
Now they are offering up quite a meat lover’s meal with the Rib-a Saurus.
Not only can you enjoy a tasty meal at a reasonable price, but you can enjoy live music while doing so, several nights a week. Big Rock predominantly offers up cover bands to play all our favorites, as that’s what most of their locals as well as folks visiting while on vacation prefer to hear to have a good time.
“Weve learned so much over the years of who our guest base is and what they’re looking for in music. We then try to blend that with our desire to work with local musicians,” shared BRP general manager, Stephanie McCormack.
As for who does their booking, McCormack went on to share, “Jeff Mazer who is our sound engineer, IT extraordinaire, booking agent (amongst so many things) and I tag team the schedule. We spend a lot of time together looking at bands, deciding how they’ll fit in with the time of year, our events, community events and their availability to curate a schedule to please our guests.”
The Pub also has beautiful views overlooking the golf course with ample seating out on the patio, which includes Fire pits.
McCormack said that for summer, “The only consistent music we have during the summer is our “house band” Electric Feel who play on Friday nights 6p-9p. They’re a talented duo that plays all the favorites and they also take requests that keep everyone on the dance floor. As far as other nights, we generally go “dark” during the summer however, this year we’ve got a few shows that’ll get everyone excited; Ghost Notes play this Saturday, May 17th, Adrian Crush on Saturday, June 28th, and The Cream of Clapton Band is on Wednesday, July 16th featuring Will Johns (Eric Clapton’s nephew), Steve Ferrone, including Nathan and Noah East. We may slip in a few fun concerts including a local 80’s band. Keep an eye on our socials for more additions!
We also host many private events at Big Rock Pub. It’s best to contact us directly to get all the details.”
They have also held Car Shows there and even bigger events with the big stage in the back. “Our owner is a “visionary” and has been successful turning ideas into reality. He purchased a Stageline SL100 mobile stage 2 years ago to help bridge the community and give them the option of a local vendor at a local’s price for an otherwise very pricey item, generally needed for all community events throughout the valley. We’ve used it many times for our own events including our yearly Rock The Ride Car Show every November in collaboration with the Palm Springs Crusin’ Association with proceeds benefitting the Desert Cancer Foundation; Canadian touring bands 54-40 and Colin James, Coachella Valley Concert for Autism and local AMP showcases. We’re looking forward to adding to that list in the future!”
McCormack said that she’s been fortunate enough to be part of some amazing shows at Big Rock including; “Mickey Thomas, Great White, Travis Meadows, Gabriel Thomas (Johnny Cash’s eldest grandson), Josh Gallagher, Texas Hill, Honey County and The Cream of Clapton Band. There are many more but……how much space do I have?” (laughing)
I asked who would be her dream band or artist to book? “Oh wow, that’s a tough one. My #1 would be Tears for Fears, my all-time favorite band taking me back to my 80’s high school years. Dreaming big, if I were to think about the style of music and what would fill the room on another level, I’d love to see Chris Stapleton jamming completely stripped down. With that said, I think Ken, our owner, would have a different opinion.” (said with a chuckle)
Let’s talk about food. So how did this new dish on our cover this week, the Rib-a Saurus come about? “For a long time, we’ve been thinking about making a signature item that becomes the talk of the town and is a draw initially, but exposes them to all the unique things we have to offer. We have always battled people thinking we’re just a golf course club house but we’re so much more than that. We strive to let everyone know we’re a stand-alone restaurant/music venue that’s open to the public outside of golf course hours. We really took the time this season to put down some ideas that took our amazing chef Tyler Nix to the kitchen to put his magic to work. In the end, we thought this is a universal dish X 1000 with a fun way to market. Our bar manager Skye Cordova is a trained graphic designer and started coming up with the visual ideas along with some super fun slogans and voila, the Rib-A-Saurus was born!”
This BBQ style “flintstone” beef rib is 2lbs pre-cooked and comes with coleslaw, cornbread and onion rings, for only $25.00.
Some of the current items on the menu that make it unique are; the charred brussels sprouts, smoked chicken wings (served 3-ways; buffalo, grilled or garlic parmesan), dirty martini dip, smoked brisket sammie, cow pile (deconstructed smash burger over tater tots), and of course the best fish n chips in the valley!
As for any other new food items, “We’re always throwing ideas around with trying to keep on trend while also stepping outside the box. Not an easy task but we have a lot of fun playing with food. Since it’s summer, we just transitioned to a smaller menu to help with execution so nothing else new at this time. However, we are known to randomly add something that’ll catch our guest’s eyes! To keep updated, follow us on our socials.”
Big Rock Pub
79940 Westward Ho Dr.
Indio, CA 92201
760-200-8988
Follow on FB and Instagram
