Built around a smoker
Giff's Barbecue wasn't born in a boardroom. It was built around a smoker, a love for damn good barbecue, and the belief that the best places aren't just restaurants — they're places where people feel at home.
From the Army to the smoker
After a career serving in the United States Army Reserve, owner and pitmaster Darren “Giff” Gifford traded military life for a different kind of smoke. Barbecue.
Don't overcomplicate good food
Smoke the meat low and slow. Make the sides the way you'd make them for your own family. Give people a good-sized plate. Treat customers like friends. And create the kind of place where somebody can walk through the door for the first time and somehow feel like they've been coming there for years.
Welcome to Little Hollywood
Kanab has been known as Little Hollywood for generations, because of the countless Westerns and television shows filmed among the red rocks of Southern Utah. Giff's sits right in the middle of that history — so you're not walking into another cookie-cutter restaurant. You're eating barbecue surrounded by old Western character, movie history and a little bit of the Wild West.
Black, gold and barbecue
And somehow we managed to mix all of that with Pittsburgh. Spend about thirty seconds inside Giff's and you'll figure out we're Steelers fans. Okay — maybe fifteen. On game day the black and gold takes over, the TVs are on, the Terrible Towels come out, and strangers have a funny way of becoming friends by the end of the game.
More than a restaurant
The thing we're proudest of isn't hanging on the walls and it isn't sitting in the smoker. It's the people who walk through our doors — the locals who come through every week, travellers finding us for the first time, tour groups from around the world, families grabbing dinner, and football fans who somehow heard there was a Steelers bar hiding among the red rocks.
Blitzburgh West
A certified Steelers bar, in Southern Utah.
Giff's is a certified Steelers bar and the home of Blitzburgh West, an official Steeler Nation fan club — from Steel City to K-Town.
It is also the only place in Kanab most people would call a sports bar. On game day the black and gold takes over, and whether you're a lifelong Steelers fan, rooting for another team, or couldn't care less about football, you're welcome here. We might give you a hard time about your team, though. That's part of it.
- Certified Steelers bar
- Steeler Nation fan club
- Blitzburgh West
- Kanab's sports bar
We back the home teams too.
Giff's supports Kanab High School events and championships — the walls carry as much local football as they do Pittsburgh. Locally owned, veteran owned, and glad to be here.
No shortcuts. Nothing fancy.
We serve the barbecue we like to eat ourselves — smoked brisket, pulled pork, ribs, chicken, homemade sides, and plenty of cold drinks to wash it all down. No shortcuts, nothing fancy. Just good barbecue.
Our location is part of what makes Giff's unlike just about any barbecue joint you'll ever visit. Today Giff's sits right in the middle of that Western history, and somehow we managed to mix all of that with Pittsburgh.
Giff's is locally owned, veteran owned, and proud to be part of the Kanab community. That's exactly what we wanted Giff's to become. A place without a lot of pretension. A place where you can relax. A place where the barbecue is smoking, the drinks are cold, and there's always room for one more at the table.
So whether you're coming through Kanab on your way to Zion, Bryce Canyon or the Grand Canyon, or you're one of our neighbours from right here in Southern Utah — come hungry, stay awhile, and don't be surprised if we give you a hard time before you leave.
Backyard BBQ. Cold drinks. Real people.
When it's gone, it's gone.
One cook a day. Come early if you want brisket — and call ahead if you're feeding a crowd.