Mississippi River Trip: Mexican Hat, UT and Page, AZ

The shore of Lake Powell is a great drive, offering a mixed view of canyon lands and desert desolation, with lots of places to stop for pictures, or just for a break.  We only have ice or cooling for the cooler immediately after shopping, and after three days at Canyonlands and two at Lake Powell we were down to the dregs in terms of food,  so we decided to stop for lunch after gassing up in Mexican Hat.  The local Shell station owner had a sister with a restaurant called the Old Bridge Grill, so Larisa and I took her recommendation and decided that lunch was in order.

The Old Bridge Grill rests beside a hotel along the shores of the San Juan River in the tiny town of Mexican Hat, UT.  The Grill is decorated with a mixed bag of Native American Art and old west antiques, random handwritten signs (No, you can’t just use the restroom!!!) plus the standard collection of old beer bottles around the bar.  Worn down but clean was my first impression, though I didn’t hold high hopes for the food given the location (a hundred miles from anywhere) and the menu (typewritten with no description other than what the dish was, e.g. TROUT, HAMBURGER, SOUP).  The most interesting thing on the menu was the warning that alcohol would not be served unless a full meal was ordered and eaten.  I guess having a restaurant lying on a road between Native American reservations requires a little caution with the alcohol or something.

We grabbed a booth  that gave us a view of the river (If you have mud on your boots sit in the bar, it doesn’t have carpet!!!)  Despite the weak looking menu we were hungry and ordered way too much food.  Our server was a Native American kid of maybe 18, more likely 16.  After ensuring that the TROUT - GOODwas grilled, not fried, Larisa ordered that along with a SALAD-GREEN; a daring on her part to order fish, I thought.  I went safe and got a QUESADILLA-CHEESE for us to split and a DOUBLE BURGER, FRIESalong with a TEA-ICED.

The SALAD-GREENand QUESADILLA-CHEESE came out first.  The salad was fresh, and not just green.  It had carrots, tomatoes, a good mix of greens in it.  In addition the salad came with a dressing tree that had three homemade salad dressings, ranch, Thousand Island, and Blue Cheese.  Homemade people.  The quesadilla was on a homemade tortilla with cheese that tasted like it just came out of the aging bin.  Our server also brought some fresh made salsa that contained a mixture of chunked fresh tomatoes, marinated tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cilantro. 

I began regretting ordering something so pedestrian as a burger, and my regrets were heightened when I saw Larisa’s fish.  She says it was fresh, perfectly grilled, and sweet tasting.  Her meal included a choice of vegetables (not noted on the menu, but offered by the server).  She got fries like I did, and they were fantastic also.  Fresh cut and cooked to perfection.  My burger was great, and the bun was fresh made as well.  As we ate Larisa chatted up the cook, who assured us that everything on the menu was made there in the shop, including the beans for the chili that were made from dry beans and prepared over two days.  I wanted a cup of chili after hearing that, but didn’t have room!

If you’re ever in the middle of nowhere, but near the Old Bridge Grill, treat yourself to a fantastic meal there.

Our route took us off of the main road and onto a scenic drive just after we finished lunch and Larisa got her first taste of the Painted Desert area and the wonderful scenic drives available in Arizona.  We arrived in Page AZ, the site of the Glen Canyon Dam near the end of the day.

 The Glen Canyon Recreation Area has a beachside campground for 10 bucks a night, but we didn’t have the vehicle for it.  After trying to scout ways down to the beach we gave up and settled on an inexpensive commercial campground for the night.  We were put next to couple who were camping their way to Idaho along with their two small kids.  They were wonderful people who cooked too many hot dogs and offered me some.  After eating though I felt sluggish – too much meat (did I just really write that?) in one day.  I slept like the dead, knowing that the next day Larisa would get her first look at the Grand Canyon.