Silver Spur offers Texas-style BBQ in a home atmosphere

Frank Hornick thinks of the Silver Spur Texas Smokehouse BBQ as home, which is good, since he co-owns the Elm Grove restaurant with Joseph Zupan and Sondra Bartolotta and spends a lot of time there. And for Hornick, if the Silver Spur is home, then his customers are his family.

"I've had couples get engaged here," he explained. "People have babies and come back and bring those children here to eat. This is a home atmosphere."

Opened in Elm Grove in 2009, the Silver Spur has a bit of a storied past. The restaurant was first opened on Greenfield Avenue in Brookfield in 1991. It was very successful there until a fire in 2008 destroyed the building. After being closed for a year, it reopened in Elm Grove in the former home of the Elm Grove Inn on Watertown Plank Road.

Although the Silver Spur offers a variety of menu items, they are known primarily for their Texas-style barbecue. The meats are smoked, on premises, with oak and hickory, and served with barbecue sauce on the side.

Explained Hornick: "There's a saying that if you're covering your barbecue with sauce, you're hiding something. Our meat is good enough on its own."

The Texas-Style BBQ is offered in a variety of options, including ribs, platters and combinations ($9.95 to $22.95.) Other signature dishes include Nacho Mama's Chicken Salad ($9.25), a fresh catch every day, an excellent Fish Fry on Friday ($11.95 to $16.95) and Prime Rib on Saturday ($17.95 to $21.95.) All of the sauces and dressings are made from scratch right there at the restaurant.

Lately, the Silver Spur's biggest challenge has been getting customers to the front door, thanks to the road construction on Watertown Plank Road. But the good news is that the road is now open in both directions once again.

In short, Hornick has a pretty simple description of Silver Spur: "We're a small restaurant. Our staff is friendly. It's just decent, good food."

The Basics

NAME: Silver Spur Texas Smokehouse BBQ

ADDRESS: 13275 Watertown Plank Road, Elm Grove

PHONE: (262) 821-1511

WEBSITE: silverspurbbq.com

FARE: Texas-style barbecue

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday

PRICE RANGE: $8 to $22 (approximate)

RESERVATIONS: accepted

HANDICAP ACCESS: yes, after construction is completely finished.

LOOKING TO 'GRAB A BITE'?

"Grab a Bite" is an informal look at the food scene in the Wauwatosa, Brookfield and Elm Grove area by freelance writer Karen Waldkirch. Whether you're looking for a place for a date night or a casual spot for lunch, Waldkirch will be out and about scouting eateries for you. If you have a suggestion for a column, e-mail her at kmwaldkirch@yahoo.com.