The Prairie Schooner Steakhouse: Five Fast Facts
The Prairie Schooner Steakhouse was a huge hit back in the 1980s, when themed restaurants such as Hard Hard Rock Cafe (nationally) and the Old Salt City Jail (locally) were trendy. Over the years, many themed restaurants lost their luster or closed (Remember The Mayan?) But Ogden’s initial theme restaurant surviving and even thriving despite changes in restaurant trends and owners, and most recently, the pandemic shut-down.
Why? According to manager Llewellyn, most theme restaurants werent known for quality food. “But the Prairie Schooner has really good food and service, not just a theme. There’s something to be said for sitting in a wagon next to a campfire, with a delicious steak.”
To paraphrase the Wizard of Oz, “Campfires and wagons and bears — Oh my!”
I did a story for the Standard-Examiner on this Ogden dining landmark. As always, I never have enough space in the story for all the interview information. Here are five fast facts I learned:
!. The Weber-Morgan Health Department has said the billowy fabric covers on the wagons count as a barrier to the coronavirus. When the restaurant’s manager Michelle Llewellyn told me this, I checked with the Weber-Morgan Health Department’s public information office, Lori Buttars, to make sure.
This meant that the restaurant can use all the wagon-tables, rather than having to spread out fewer customers in the dining area.
But the long-time red-checked tablecloths were removed, to make sanitizing the tables easier.
2. The original Prairie Schooner restaurant, founded around 1976 by Neal Rasmussen, was much smaller. It was on Washington Boulevard, but was moved with other downtown businesses to make way for the highly anticipated Ogden City Mall. Although the mall was a big hit when it opened in 1980, it began struggling financially during the 1990s and was demolished in 2002. (Now this area is the outdoor mixed-used area, The Junction.)
Meanwhile, the Prairie Schooner became bigger and better after moving to its current home on 445 Park Blvd in 1978. (Just east of the Ogden sign that spans Washington Boulevard.) The owners created a “lone frontier” theme with mounted wild animals, sagebrush, campfires, and a starry “sky” overhead. The restaurant has changed hands several times since the death of original owner Rasmussen in 1982. His partners, Dean and Karen Hill, went on to found The Timbermine, another premier steakhouse that’s still in business today.
3. Although high-end steaks are the main draw, you ought to go for lunch if you’re on a budget. You’ll get all the Old West ambiance with a less expensive menu that includes salads, sandwiches, and burgers from around $9-13. Also, a lunch-portion salmon or a 6-ounce steak are $12.99. That’s a big drop from the $25-35 steaks during dinner.
4. The half-pound burgers are the restaurant’s best-kept secret, according the manager Michelle Llewellyn. They are made from the steak trimmings, “so you’re getting a half-pound of choice chopped steak. They are absolutely amazing, and they don’t get enough love.”
5. During the Covid restaurant shutdown spring, the current owners, Norm George and Julie Johnson, built a patio on the west side of the building. Since the coronavirus is supposed to be less contagious outdoors, diners flocked to patios last year. Although getting the Covid vaccine will make people a little less concerned, I’m guessing outdoor dining will still be a thing this summer.