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.”
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 85th 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 100th 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. Although some accounts state that it opened in 1907, Arave found a June 10, 1903 headline in the Ogden Standard-Examiner that says, “The Oak’s Summer Resort, A pleasant retreat in Ogden Canyon discovered by City officials today.” And The Oaks’ menus now say it was established in 1902.
In its early days, it was known for chicken and trout dinners. The Oaks moved to its current spot in 1933 — higher ground — to avoid flooding from the Ogden River. 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 a patio to offer al fresco 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.
In 2016, Kathy Stephenson of the Salt Lake Tribune researched Utah’s historic restaurants that were still in business.
One that somehow missed her list was Bert’s Cafe, opened in 1929 in Brigham City and contiuously operated by the Albert LeRoy Olsen family. So I added it.
1922 • The Pie Dump, Garland
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
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?