Sydney’s in Mantua: The Facts About the “Comfort Food on Steroids”

We discovered Sydney’s this summer while four-wheeling in the scenic Mantua area. I realized it would make a good Standard-Examiner story about its down-home atmosphere and “comfort food on steroids” (as manager Denise Hardy describes it). Even though it’s off the beaten path, and part of a convenience store/campground, it’s become a northern Utah dining destination.

As the camping season winds down, the restaurant is still doing a brisk business, and Hardy has high hopes that the restaurant will keep the business going through the winter months. “I’m excited to see how we will do,” she said.

You’ll find a bit of something for everyone — the Mantua Monster burger, the Flintski chicken sandwich, street tacos, crispy potato spring rolls, chile relleno grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken-fried strip steak, house-made onion rings, and decadent desserts such as carrot cake and cheesecake. On Saturday nights, there’s usually a waiting line for the prime rib special.

Sydney’s gets a lot of locals, but more of the customers are out-of-town, said Hardy.

Sydney’s facts and food:

1. About five years ago Steve Flint bought the campground near the shores of Mantua Reservoir in scenic Sardine Canyon. He and his sister, Denise Hardy, expanded it into the Little Valley Country Store and Campground, a campground with 35 RV spots, six themed “glamping” cabins, a convenience store, and a small grill serving burgers and sandwiches.

  “It wasn’t long before the grill began doing well enough to consider building a restaurant,” said Hardy.

2. As Mantua’s only restaurant, it’s not hard to find the red barn-like building on Main Street. Hardy named it Sydney’s, after her late mother. It’s also Denise’s first name (Sydney Denise). And Denise’s daughter, who works at the restaurant, is named Sydney as well.

  “My mom passed away from cancer and never got to see it,” said Hardy, with catch of emotion in her voice. “Just to see her name on a building would have made her so happy. That’s the biggest joy to me.”

But Denise didn’t forget her dad — she named the Flintski chicken sandwich for him.

3. The ambiance has a vintage country vibe. Inside, you’ll notice high wooden beams strewn with loops of antique barbed wire, old cowboy hats and boots, a saddle that belonged to Hardy’s great-grandfather, and bear hides.

A rock fireplace is flanked by mounts of elk and buffalo heads, and other country-style memorabilia. The décor came from family, customers, and yard sales that Hardy’s special-needs son likes to frequent.

  “It gives people something to look at while they’re sitting and waiting for their food,” Hardy said. “I wouldn’t put anything on here that I don’t think my mom would like.”

4. The from-scratch menu is “comfort food on steroids,” as Denise Hardy puts it. “A lot of the dishes are family recipes,” she said. “And I hired a chef from a Salt Lake City pub (Matt Ricca from Poplar Pub) who brought in some things.”

   For the past six months, chef Ted Mathesius has helmed the kitchen. Cache Valley folks may remember that he was chef of two former Logan landmarks during their glory days — the Copper Mill and Hamilton’s. He later became chef of Adobe Inc.’s corporate dining in Lehi, and most recently was chef of Vivint’s corporate dining.

   Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic forced staffers to work from home, putting an end to corporate dining rooms and Ted’s livelihood. Denise was looking for a chef, and heard about him through word of mouth.

5. The crispy potato spring roll appetizers — mashed potatoes, bacon white cheddar in crispy won ton wrappers — is a dish that Mathesius brought to the menu, said Hardy. “It’s one of the most popular appetizers, as well as our nachos and street tacos.”

  The street tacos are a choice of smoked pork, carne asada or fish served on double white-corn tortillas, with pickled red onions and other taco fixings.

6. The chicken-fried strip steak started out as a special, and became so popular it’s being added to the regular menu, said Hardy. Most chicken-fried steaks use cubed steak. But Sydney’s uses a real New York strip steak that’s breaded, fried, and smothered in savory gravy.

  “It’s served all day — we even serve it for breakfast on Saturdays,” Hardy said. 

7. Just about every restaurant has a specialty burger these days. At Sydney’s it’s the Mantua Monster, made with two 5-ounce ground chuck patties, bacon, onion strings, a mound of thinly sliced pastrami and a choice of melted cheddar, Swiss or pepper jack cheese.

  The smaller, more manageable, Fun Guy burger comes with sauteed mushrooms and melted Swiss, plus the usual burger toppings.

  All the burgers and sandwiches come with a choice of hand-cut fries, onion rings, sweet potato fries, tater tots, or a side salad.

8. A vegetarian choice, the chile relleno grilled cheese sandwich combines a soft scrambled egg, roasted poblano chiles, avocado, pico de gallo, queso fresco and pepper jack cheese on toasted sour dough bread.

9. The Pauly sandwich features sliced roast beef, marinated tomato, marinara, fresh mozzarella, provolone and basil on a parmesan garlic-buttered hoagie bun.

10. Porky’s Revenge showcases slow-smoked pork shoulder, sweet-and-hot barbecue sauce, bell pepper slaw, white cheddar and pickled onions. My husband, Kim, ordered this on our first trip to Sydney’s, and he loved the mix of textures and flavors.

  Customers wanting to take some of that smoked pork home are in luck on Saturdays, when Sydney’s sells smoked meat by the pound. Also on Saturday, the prime rib special, beginning at 4 p.m., has become an anticipated event among regulars. It includes soup, salad, vegetable and roll for $24.95. 

“On the weekends, the line outside is pretty long,” Hardy said.

   “We are starting up our pizza delivery too,” said Hardy. “And in the future, I think we will expand. Unless we expand the kitchen, we can’t service more than we’ve got coming in.”

Oscar’s Meats in Ogden supplies the restaurant’s meats, and the rolls and buns from Salt City Baking Company.

11.  A dessert case shows off a bevy of treats. The thick-frosted carrot cake and oatmeal cake are both family recipes.

On the first trip, we tried the oatmeal cake which was pretty dense and moist, with a coconut frosting similar to a German chocolate cake.  

We also tried a pink marbled cheesecake, inspired by pink-frosted animal crackers.

12. The restaurant offers takeout, as well as delivery in Mantua. “And we cater, too. We have a few holiday parties lined up, and we will have our pies and rolls on sale for Thanksgiving.”

13.Pizza delivery is a future possibility, too, said Hardy. She’s also bottling and selling Sydney’s chili sauce  — a tweaked recipe that originally her great-grandmother’s. It’s now in 12 local stores, she Smith and Edwards and Ace Hardware.

  Meanwhile, the restaurant is gaining a reputation as a dining destination.

  “At a time when a lot of people can’t go on vacations due to Covid, I’d like them to enjoy themselves and feel like they’re getting a little bit of a vacation here at Sydney’s,” said Hardy. ““I appreciate people coming in and spending their discretionary income here to support us.”

Location: 130 N. Main, Mantua

Hours: Tues-Thurs, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Saturday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.; Closed Sunday and Monday.

Contact: (435) 723-1292 or https://sydneys-restaurant.business.site

Prices: Sandwiches, pizzas and entrees, $9-$25.95; Kids meals, $5.95.