When you walk up to a restaurant and they have a coin-operated batmobile out front, you know you are in for a treat. At least, that is how Zack and I felt at Big Red’s Colbert Trading Company.
What we devoured:
~Pizza (Half Chi-Town, Half Sears Tower)
~Classic Chicago Style Hot Dog
~Bacon Dog
~Cheesy Pesto Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms
~Garlic Fries
Our eyes were way bigger than our stomachs, but the entire menu sounded so good we couldn’t decide what to order. We knew we had to start with the stuffed mushrooms, and boy, were they delicious. Their fresh mushrooms were LOADED with cream cheese, pesto, bacon, topped with three different cheeses and garlic, and then baked to a golden perfection.
Next came our pizza. Being a veggie and meat lover, the Sears Tower Pizza had my name written all over it. House-made dough gets topped with house-made tomato sauce, then pepperoni, salami, sausage, bacon, ham, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, olives, and pineapple all get layered on top. I think this was the first time I have ordered a pizza and didn’t have to add a single topping. Zack is a meat man, so the Chi-Town pizza was calling to him. It was packed with pepperoni, sausage, salami, bacon, and ham. The dough was tender and chewy on the inside, and the crust was nice and crispy.
Onto our dogs. I had never had a classic Chicago hot dog before, but now I will never be able to go back. Freshly cut cucumber and tomato line the bun, and it gets topped with diced onions, peppers, a huge pickle spear, mustard, celery salt, and neon green relish. If you, like me, wonder why the relish is neon green, it’s because they used to dye it to make it stand out in advertising, and now it has been adopted as a staple in a true Chicago dog. Zack went with the Bacon Dog, and it did not disappoint. Caramelized onions, cream cheese, bacon, and barbecue sauce come together to make a savory, creamy hot dog. Trust us when we say, you’ve never had anything like this.
You would think at this point we wouldn’t have been able to eat any more food, but we made room for their garlic fries and house-made sauces. Heaps of fresh garlic and parsley sit atop a bed of golden french fries. They let us sample all their sauces, including blue cheese, tartar, ranch, and smoked onion ranch. If you are ordering a salad, they also have house-made balsamic and honey mustard.
The restaurant is owned and run by Leslie and Curtis Bytnar. Curtis is originally from Chicago (so everything is the real deal), but he has cooked all over Spokane. He started his own food truck, Big Red’s, a while back, but he and his wife bought the pizzeria in February of this year and now use the truck as their kitchen. They kept pizza on the menu but upgraded to making everything from scratch. Then over the summer, they added items from the food truck menu, and it has been a huge hit. If you grew up in the ’90s, you will especially appreciate every detail Curtis and Leslie put into decorating this restaurant, from original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figurines to a Michael Keaton Batman poster, to Pee-Wee playing on the TV. You will feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Not only have they turned the establishment into an amazing family-friendly location with all kinds of unique memorabilia, but they have continued preserving a building that was established back in 1885. If you have not had a chance to check this place out, it is a must-go! You will love the decor, people, and most importantly, the food. Zack and I are looking forward to stopping in again, especially next summer, to enjoy their beautiful outdoor area that is almost two acres.
18711 N Yale Rd, Colbert, WA 99005, 509-209-8086, colberttradingcompany.com .
Zack & Brooklyn are a married couple that love showcasing all the fun places to play and eat in the Inland Northwest. They created Taste Budz to promote local businesses and expose people to the great restaurants all around them. Keep up with them to find your next culinary destination!