Which is Utah’s Oldest Restaurant?

When the Idle Isle Café turned 100 last month, it was hailed as the “oldest continuously operating restaurant in Utah.” (UPDATE: Since this article was written, the Idle Isle has been closed for a few months, with a pending sale.)

But there may be a few other contenders for the “oldest” title. It depends on whom you ask and how you define “restaurant.” And, who kept better records. Some places opened earlier, but they didn’t start out as restaurants. Or they moved locations, or closed for a time. Meanwhile, Idle Isle has continuously operated in the same location, and kept much of its original decor.

When I was food editor at the Deseret News, this “oldest” discussion came up several times, such as when Lamb’s was celebrating its 85^th birthday.  Lamb’s, founded in 1919 in Logan and then relocated to Salt Lake City, claimed to be Utah’s oldest restaurant. But, so did The Bluebird in Logan. The Bluebird opened earlier, in 1914, but the Lamb’s contingent argued that the Bluebird started out as candy store, not a restaurant. The argument became a moot point when Lamb’s closed in 2017, two years shy of its 100^th birthday. And the Bluebird has been closed for renovation for awhile, maybe a year? So this is how Idle Isle can claim the “oldest continuously operating” title.

  But there are some other contenders:

 Snappy Service.  This lunch counter opened in 1902 at 57 S. State St, Salt Lake City, serving burgers, fries, shakes, a Spam-and-egg sandwich. Owner Morris Daras had worked there from 1957 to 2002, when his lease was up and the building was sold. Longtime customer Larry Miller offered to have Daras move Snappy Service to Miller’s Jordan Commons Megaplex Theater, in exchange for the right to buy the Snappy Service name once Daras retired. Now there are Snappy Service restaurants in the Megaplex Theaters in South Jordan, Centerville, Lehi and Ogden. But when I talked to Daras back in 2008, he pointed out that Snappy Service has always been a lunch counter, not a full-service restaurant. So maybe it’s not really a contender in the “oldest restaurant” debate. And, it’s now part of the Larry Miller business conglomerate, not an independent restaurant. But still, it deserves credit for its longevity.

   The Oaks in Ogden Canyon initially began as a resort as early as 1903, according to Lynn Arave’s historic website, The Mystery of Utah’s History.

In its early days, it was known for chicken and trout dinners. When it was bought by Keith and Belinda Rounkles in 1981, The Oaks only offered a takeout menu, according to an interview I did with Belinda Rounkles a few years ago.

The Rounkles built patios to offer outdoor dining with river/mountain view. But after about 38 years in business, they closed the restaurant in January 2019 and put it up for sale. It re-opened about a year later under the ownership of Chris and Christina Bowler, who told the Standard-Examiner that they were long-time customers who hated to see it close. UPDATE: The Oaks closed again around 2022. Yes, it was older than Idle Isle, but it didn’t start out as a restaurant, and it was closed for a year, and it’s now closed again, so it’s a moot point.

   Hi-Mountain Drug, Kamas.  This restaurant harks back to the days when drug stores had their own eateries on the premises. “Built in 1918 as a confectionary, the store has had very few changes since it first opened its doors,” says its website. “Although the pharmacy is now closed, we are still – and most likely will be for years to come – fondly known as “The Drug Store.” Now it’s simply called Hi-Mountain, and known for its burgers, shakes and fries. Since it started as a confectionery, does it count as an actual restaurant? I’ll let someone else decide.

Bert’s Cafe in Brigham City was founded in 1929 by Albert LeRoy Olsen as a small burger counter on Main Street. It was known as Bert’s Turn Inn Car Service, where drivers could pull up and order from their cars. The first Albert LeRoy Olsen passed it on to his son, Albert LeRoy Olsen II, called LeRoy. And LeRoy passed it on to his son, Albert LeRoy Olsen III, called Bert. In March 2023, Bert lost his battle with Stage IV throat cancer, ending three generations of same-named owners to run Bert’s Cafe. The restaurant is still operating, but it’s up for sale.

In 2016, Kathy Stephenson of the Salt Lake Tribune researched Utah’s historic restaurants that were still in business and listed them.

NOTE: Since I wrote this post in 2021, some of these restaurants may have closed.

1922 • The Pie Dump, Garland (UPDATE: It has been sold and changed to Bears Cafe)

1926 • Mom’s Cafe, Salina

1929 • Little Wonder Cafe, Richfield

1929: Bert’s Cafe, Brigham City

1930 • Ruth’s Diner, Salt Lake City

1932 • Dee’s Family Restaurants, Salt Lake City

1933 • Cowan’s Cafe, Duchesne

1936 • Mollie’s Cafe, Snowville

1940: Thunderbird Restaurant, Mt. Carmel

1940 • Chick’s Cafe, Heber City

1944 Arshel’s Café, Beaver

1945 Gray Cliff Lodge Ogden Canyon (CLOSED IN 2023)

1945 Houston’s Trail’s End, Kanab

1946 Dairy Keen, Heber City

1947 Silver Fork Lodge Big Cottonwood Canyon Road

1947 Kitty Pappas Steakhouse Bountiful (CLOSED IN 2022)

1949 Maddox Ranch House, Perry

1950 Warrens Family Restaurant

1950 Cluff’s Car Hop Café, Fillmore

1950: Arctic Circle – chain with 37 Utah locations

Can you think of any others?