Good food is pretty easy to find in Utah, but these restaurants also offer up plenty of local Utah history.
- The Bluebird Restaurant, Logan
The Bluebird Restaurant/flickr The Bluebird opened in 1923. You can still enjoy your meal at the original lunch counter. 19 N. Main Street, Logan.
- Hires Big H, Salt Lake City
Hires Big H/Facebook Don Hales founded Big H in 1959. Visit today and you’ll find photos of the company’s early days posted in the dining room. 425 S. 700 E., Salt Lake City
- The Original Iceberg Drive Inn
The Original Iceberg Drive Inn/Facebook George Lamar Sorenson built the original Iceberg Drive Inn location in Millcreek in 1959. It was an immediate hit, with 5-cent ice cream cones and sodas. 3906 S. 900 E., Salt Lake City.
- Idle Isle Cafe, Brigham City
Idle Isle Cafe/Facebook Since 1921. If you grew up in Brigham City, you probably remember choosing a treat from their candy counter. 24 S. Main Street, Brigham City.
- Lamb’s Grill
Lamb’s Grill/Facebook Lamb’s is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the state. It’s been in business since 1919, and in its current location on Main Street since 1939. 169 Main Street, Salt Lake City.
- Lion House Pantry, Salt Lake City
Lion House Pantry/Facebook The Lion House was built in 1856 and served as Brigham Young’s residence. The building has been historically maintained ever since. 63 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City
- Little Wonder Cafe, Richfield
Little Wonder Cafe/Facebook Open since 1929, Richfield’s Little Wonder Cafe is full of local history. 101 N. Main Street, Richfield.
- Mom’s Cafe, Salina
Mom’s Cafe/Facebook Mom’s Cafe has been open for 76 years, and it still has its old-fashioned lunch counter. 10 E. Main Street, Salina.
- The Pie Pizzeria - Underground, Salt Lake City
The Pie Pizzeria - Underground/Facebook You’ll find the original Pie Pizzeria right across the street from the University of Utah campus. Its history is written on the walls in the form of graffiti and messages left by customers over the last 2 ½ decades. 1320 E. 200 S., Salt Lake City
- Porter’s Place, Lehi
Porter’s Place/Facebook Porter’s Place is located in a building built in 1915. It’s dedicated to the history of Porter Rockwell, and is full of mementos from Utah’s state history, including the beehive clock from the Hotel Utah. 24 W. Main Street, Lehi
- Ray’s Tavern, Green River
Ray’s Tavern/Facebook Open since 1943. 25 S. Broadway, Green River.
- The Roof Restaurant, Salt Lake City
The Roof Restaurant/Facebook The original Roof Restaurant was located in the Hotel Utah. Now you’ll find it at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. 15 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City.
- Ruth’s Diner
Ruth’s Diner/Facebook Ruth’s has been in business for 86 years. Ruth was a saucy, independent woman who started business in 1930 a rough area of Salt Lake. When her building was demolished, she dragged an old trolley car into Emigration Canyon and set up shop there. Patrons still sit in the trolley car for their meals (and also in other areas of the restaurant, which has since been built onto several times. 4160 E. Emigration Canyon Road, Salt Lake City.
- Shooting Star Saloon, Huntsville
Shooting Star Saloon/Facebook Utah’s oldest operating bar, Shooting Star Saloon also makes delicious burgers. 7350 E. 200 S., Huntsville.
- Thunderbird Restaurant, Mount Carmel Junction
Thunderbird Restaurant/Facebook Thunderbird Restaurant was built in 1940, and its sign has an amusing history. Jack Morrison, the restaurant’s owner, didn’t have room on the sign for the word “homemade”, so he wrote, “Ho-Made” instead. At the time, the word, “Ho” didn’t have the same meaning as it does today. US-89, Mount Carmel Junction.
I know that many other small towns in Utah have diners and cafes that have long histories. However, many don’t have enough of an online presence for me to include here. Do you have one in your hometown?
The Bluebird Restaurant/flickr
The Bluebird opened in 1923. You can still enjoy your meal at the original lunch counter. 19 N. Main Street, Logan.
Hires Big H/Facebook
Don Hales founded Big H in 1959. Visit today and you’ll find photos of the company’s early days posted in the dining room. 425 S. 700 E., Salt Lake City
The Original Iceberg Drive Inn/Facebook
George Lamar Sorenson built the original Iceberg Drive Inn location in Millcreek in 1959. It was an immediate hit, with 5-cent ice cream cones and sodas. 3906 S. 900 E., Salt Lake City.
Idle Isle Cafe/Facebook
Since 1921. If you grew up in Brigham City, you probably remember choosing a treat from their candy counter. 24 S. Main Street, Brigham City.
Lamb’s Grill/Facebook
Lamb’s is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the state. It’s been in business since 1919, and in its current location on Main Street since 1939. 169 Main Street, Salt Lake City.
Lion House Pantry/Facebook
The Lion House was built in 1856 and served as Brigham Young’s residence. The building has been historically maintained ever since. 63 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City
Little Wonder Cafe/Facebook
Open since 1929, Richfield’s Little Wonder Cafe is full of local history. 101 N. Main Street, Richfield.
Mom’s Cafe/Facebook
Mom’s Cafe has been open for 76 years, and it still has its old-fashioned lunch counter. 10 E. Main Street, Salina.
The Pie Pizzeria - Underground/Facebook
You’ll find the original Pie Pizzeria right across the street from the University of Utah campus. Its history is written on the walls in the form of graffiti and messages left by customers over the last 2 ½ decades. 1320 E. 200 S., Salt Lake City
Porter’s Place/Facebook
Porter’s Place is located in a building built in 1915. It’s dedicated to the history of Porter Rockwell, and is full of mementos from Utah’s state history, including the beehive clock from the Hotel Utah. 24 W. Main Street, Lehi
Ray’s Tavern/Facebook
Open since 1943. 25 S. Broadway, Green River.
The Roof Restaurant/Facebook
The original Roof Restaurant was located in the Hotel Utah. Now you’ll find it at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. 15 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City.
Ruth’s Diner/Facebook
Ruth’s has been in business for 86 years. Ruth was a saucy, independent woman who started business in 1930 a rough area of Salt Lake. When her building was demolished, she dragged an old trolley car into Emigration Canyon and set up shop there. Patrons still sit in the trolley car for their meals (and also in other areas of the restaurant, which has since been built onto several times. 4160 E. Emigration Canyon Road, Salt Lake City.
Shooting Star Saloon/Facebook
Utah’s oldest operating bar, Shooting Star Saloon also makes delicious burgers. 7350 E. 200 S., Huntsville.
Thunderbird Restaurant/Facebook
Thunderbird Restaurant was built in 1940, and its sign has an amusing history. Jack Morrison, the restaurant’s owner, didn’t have room on the sign for the word “homemade”, so he wrote, “Ho-Made” instead. At the time, the word, “Ho” didn’t have the same meaning as it does today. US-89, Mount Carmel Junction.
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