The Tamarisk Restaurant, located in Green River, was established in 1979 by Vicki and Kelly Bayles. In spring of 2014, Nicholas Derrick and Joshua Rowley along with Trevor and Allyson Mecham purchased the restaurant from the Bayles.
Derrick and Rowley had been looking into business opportunities in Salt Lake City when they began to consider doing something in Moab or Green River. Rowley, who was raised in Green River, was already familiar with the Tamarisk Restaurant. He and Derrick reached out to Trevor Mecham, the longtime general manager of the Tamarisk, to join in a partnership with them.
Since the group took over ownership of the Tamarisk, they have completed a complete remodel of the interior and the menu has been updated. This year, they have begun working on the exterior of the building.
The Tamarisk Restaurant was started with the vision of “a restaurant on the banks of the Green River which would allow guests to take in the spectacular views of the Green River and the Book Cliffs in the distance.” This vision has continued with the new owners. With large picture windows, the view of the Green River and the Book Cliffs is still available for customers to enjoy.
The Tamarisk serves a fresh take on American and Mexican diner food, offering burgers, sandwiches, salads, steaks and seafood. Their specialty is their great burgers. With hamburger buns made fresh in house and meat ground fresh daily, they offer several specialty burgers including the bacon and blue, mushroom and swiss, green chili burger and a classic chili burger, to name a few. The Tamarisk also serves in house fudge in a variety of flavors.
This season, the restaurant will be adding a new enterprise: The Green River Adventure Center. This company will be located in the front of the restaurant and will provide tours and equipment rentals. The first tour of the season will be Campfire Stories. This tour will take guests to Swasey’s Beach to enjoy homemade Dutch oven desserts and storytelling around a campfire. Guests will get to hear about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, John Wesley Powell and other tales from the area.
The Tamarisk Restaurant is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Customers can find them online at www.tamariskrestaurant.com. Mention this article and receive 10% off your purchase for the next two weeks.
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- Tamarisk Restaurant front entrance
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- View from windows of Tamarisk: Green River and Book Cliffs
