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End of an era
Crews tear down original site of Red Steer
red steer pic1
A construction crew demolishes the building that housed The Red Steer an iconic Turlock restaurant from 1969 until a fire closed its doors in 2009. - photo by KRISTINA HACKER / The Journal

The Red Steer, which was once a staple of Turlock’s dining scene and has sat vacant in the three years since it was ravaged by fire, was torn down by construction crews on Monday.

The property was sold to a local chiropractor by the entity that foreclosed on the previous owners. The last listed owners, according to Stanislaus County property tax records, were Shae and Tracy Smith.

Tracy Smith is currently awaiting trial on charges he and his cousin, Jeremy Britt, orchestrated the blaze that destroyed the restaurant on May 28, 2009, in an alleged scheme to cash in on an insurance settlement.

The Red Steer was opened in July 1969 by Ray and Stan Maggard, and specialized in king-sized sandwiches of prime rib, pastrami, turkey, ham, roast beef, and other meats.