Snake -- It's What's For Dinner?!

There's an old saying in journalism: If a dog bites a man, there's no story there. But if a man bites a dog, that's newsworthy.

So in Utah, someone getting bitten by a snake is relatively common. But what about a person eating a snake?

I grew up in Texas and "rattlesnake shish-kabob" was something I saw on many a barbecue joint's menu. I even tried rattlesnake (seriously, tastes like chicken) and got to wondering if anyone serves snake in Utah.

As you know, snakes are common here in the Beehive State. If you've lived here for any length of time at all, you've likely encountered rat snakes, gopher snakes, king snakes, and even rattlesnakes.

I even had a cousin in Lehi who kept boa constrictors in a terrarium in his bedroom.

So how about BBQed snakes?

Arguably the most famous snake destination was Cafe Diablo in Torrey, right next to Capitol Reef National Park.

They served "Rattlesnake Cakes," a sort of crab cake that diners report was fairly tasteless, but came with a rattlesnake sauce that made the dish exquisite.

Sadly, Cafe Diablo closed its doors four years ago and its replacement, "Hunt and Gather" has not embraced rattlesnake as part of its new menu (although they do have rainbow trout and smoked duck).

OK, so where else can you actually eat snake in Utah?

The Sego Restaurant in Kanab was rumored to have rattlesnake, and apparently back in 2021, they did. But snake is no longer on the current menu at Sego (although you can get swordfish!), so I looked elsewhere.

Fort Zion in Virgin (petting zoo/tourist trap/restaurant) has something called "Rattlesnake Burger" on its menu. I am definitely intrigued.

Snake has occasionally popped up as the "Chef's Special" at the Rodizio Grill in Salt Lake City and a place called Prohibition in Murray, Utah, was rumored to have snake on the menu.

Alas, inquiries into the rumor showed it to be false, although Prohibition does have something called the Beast Burger -- which is 25 percent elk, 25 percent bison, 25 percent Wagyu beef and 25 percent wild boar. Not surprisingly, it's not cheap -- 28 bucks -- though it does include onion rings.

The website New Scientist swears snake meat is the future of the meat industry, claiming "When it comes to the efficiency of converting food into meat, snakes come out on top," says Daniel Natusch at consulting firm EPIC Biodiversity. “No other livestock species studied to date possesses the same credentials or rates of production as pythons.”

If trying snake is at the top of your list, your best bet might be to order some rattlesnake sausages from the website Exoticmeatmarket.com, where you can grab some rattlesnake sausage or bratwursts for $29.99 a pound.

Cook 'em up and bite them before they bite you.