And Today’s Special Is…
The hand-drawn specials at Chef Bryan Lee Weaver’s Redheaded Stranger keep regulars coming back for more.
photos: will blunt
Bryan Lee Weaver’s team at Redheaded Stranger takes having fun very seriously. The American Southwest-inspired taco joint has a menu of staples like the green chile cheeseburger and chopped brisket taco with Dr. Pepper hot sauce. But it’s their daily specials, hand-drawn by front of house staff and forever memorialized on their “special wall,” that keeps guests on their toes. And while this program is a playful way for staff to get creative, it also brings in regulars and newcomers alike when they see one of their favorite specials on the restaurant’s Instagram. Proven successful specials like the Smoked Brisket Burger, portrayed by a lone bull donning a fur-lined leather coat longingly dragging a joint, will come off the wall to advertise its revival. “Any time guests see it, we’ll have a busier day,” says Weaver. “Sometimes when I post specials, there's a rush of our regular guests that are like, ‘Oh man, I can't wait to have that one again.’”
Short Rib Tacos
A shipment of short ribs inspired Weaver and his team to smoke these dino bones and create a salsa roja from chile de árbol, garlic, and crushed tomatoes. The recurring special is finished with red hatch chiles, sour cream, and fried and crispy pickled-onion straws.
French Toast Stix
When a case of regular Martin’s potato bread was delivered instead of hamburger buns, Weaver’s team sprung into action and showcased this dunkable, powdered-sugar-coated breakfast classic.
Redheaded Elvis
If life gives you peanuts, make peanut butter! A shipment of way too many peanuts and a broken blender during banana milkshake season led the Redheaded Stranger team to Elvis’s classic sandwich, with hot-sauce-spiked African runner peanut butter, bananas, bacon, and bacon jam.
