Prater looking forward to new venue, same great food

Gary Prater has been selling BBQ in Morrison for 31 years. He hopes he'll be doing it from a new restaurant in August.

Construction is entering the final stages for what will be a sparkling and vastly improved Prater's BBQ. Gary had hoped the new restaurant would be finished this month but says opening day has been pushed back till August.

The new restaurant will be roughly three times the size and feature a spacious outdoor dining area with a wraparound porch.

"It will be a good spot for my next 31 years," said Gary, noting he would be over 100 at that point.

The new restaurant has a soaring ceiling and grand dining room. The kitchen will have the latest in appliance technology, including a $40,000 ventilation system.

Prater's has thrived for 31 years thanks to its delicious food – not its restaurant atmosphere. Gary says he will leave the current restaurant standing for a little while after moving into his new place, but the long-term plan is to knock down the aging structure.

"Hopefully we'll have so much business we'll need that area for parking," said Gary.

The new restaurant will have a wall of memories filled with photos from the first 31 years of business. The wall will include photos of some of the famous celebrities and politicians who have visited Prater's BBQ over the years, and it will also include a tribute to his beloved wife Phyllis.

The second annual Phyllis Prater Memorial Steak Cookoff is this Saturday, June 6, at Prater's BBQ, 9576 Manchester Highway. The event will feature thousands of dollars in prizes and visitors can grab a ribeye steak sandwich.

It starts at 9 a.m. with a cooks meeting and ends at 6 p.m. with an awards ceremony.

Prater’s BBQ will soon move to a new location (on the left) after operating out of the beloved spot on Manchester Highway for over three decades.