Beavers Bend Food Network Champion Chef Tabb Singleton Update 7-3-20:
Chef Tabb Singleton returned to New Orleans for a few years, but is back in McCurtain County. His new concept is Phat Tabb’s BBQ in Idabel.
Idabel is a convenient pit stop for DFW visitors traveling to and from Beavers Bend State Park. Enjoy world-class BBQ on your next trip to Beavers Bend!
The Moon Tower Bar and Grill, led by executive Chef Tabb Singleton, has opened to rave reviews near Beavers Bend State Park and Broken Bow Lake.
Singleton, a native of Southeastern Oklahoma and former executive chef in New Orleans, won the Food Network’s “Chopped” in 2012 and was also crowned champion of “Deep Fried Masters.”
The fame of winning these nationally televised shows skyrocketed his career.
“The process of getting on “Chopped” took about four-months. They (Food Network) had recruiters in the area checking restaurants out…a group came in to eat and I was running the restaurant for Emeril Lagasse, (world famous chef)) that night. They were sitting close to the kitchen. I had to tear into one of the line cooks verbally because he wasn’t doing what he was supposed to be doing, and they got a kick out of it,” Singleton said.
It had been Tabb’s long-time goal to appear on the Food Network. His dream would soon become a reality. Everything was about to change. That line cook’s blunder became a metamorphosis leading to millions realizing Tabb’s tremendous talent in the kitchen.
Chef Tabb Singleton was now a rock-star…the rest is history.
Suddenly, a guy from the tiny town of Idabel, OK was a celebrity and shooting a TV show in New York City. Everywhere he went, he was recognized.
Tabb says the fame of winning both shows led to a hectic life. It catapulted him into the limelight throughout the Crescent City and United States.
“We had a lot of people coming in to take a picture with me at the restaurant in New Orleans. I did a lot of autographs. When you win a national television show, you have everybody coming out of the woodwork,” he said.
I toured Tabb’s beautiful new restaurant recently before his lunch-hour rush. The Moon Tower Bar and Grill has been open for a few months and it’s the talk of the town among locals and tourists. Tabb has dreams of opening restaurants in larger markets, but wants to keep a firm hold on the culinary scene near Broken Bow Lake.
“I love this area, it’s my home…this is the first place I want to get something started,”
Tabb’s tremendous success and fame in New Orleans made it difficult to leave, but he felt it was time to venture off and open his own restaurant. The lure of returning home to the lush forests of McCurtain County became a powerful force. A force he couldn’t resist.
He couldn’t turn down the opportunity to be the biggest fish in a huge tourist pond. Tabb now caters to two-million people visiting luxury cabins in Beavers Bend State Park annually. He’s the biggest game in a town that hosts millions of visitors every year. No one in the area can legitimately say they’re able to compete with him, or compare resumes. He’s the king.
The Moon Tower Bar and Grill features indoor and outdoor dining and has a beautiful amphitheater for live music.
Singleton calls his menu “an open floor plan” and it’s constantly changing. “We do old classics and new stuff.” He was trained under famous chefs in the Bayou and boasted…”I throw in some Cajun!”
Fresh seafood is delivered several times weekly from his gulf coast connections and Chef Tabb is proud of the new flavors he’s creating in Beavers Bend. It ranges from upscale bar food to gourmet delicacies. The Ouachita Mountain region now features world-class dining.
Singleton attributes his success as a chef to “trial and error and the school of hard knocks.”
Here’s his advice for us that enjoy tinkering on the grill and smoker…
“I push people to experiment more than anything. If there’s a rub you see, try it. If you don’t think you have enough salt, add more salt. Don’t be afraid to experiment.”
Chef Tabb Singleton’s latest venture has been a huge hit with our guests at Mountain Vista Cabin. The Moon Tower Bar & Grill should be your first stop for cuisine when visiting Beavers Bend State Park. It’s located off Highway 259N, a couple of miles north of the Steven’s Gap Exit.
There’s no doubt Chef Tabb Singleton will reign as king for many years around Broken Bow Lake. Welcome home Chef!
