Chris’s Cafe: Cars And Comfort Classics

Since Chris’s Cafe opened in Clearfield five years ago, it has grown a steady breakfast-and-lunch crowd. Last month when I interviewed owner Chris Frazier for a Standard-Examiner article, I enjoyed browsing the “garage” decor. I brought my “gear-head” husband back later on for lunch, to soak up the ambiance.

If you visit, go ahead and sit down and place your order. Then while you’re waiting for your meal, you can check out the old license plates, vintage gas pumps, antique truck, motorcycle parts, signs, posters and so on. And sit down on the bench that’s made with an old Ford tailgate.

Frazier has a passion for cars, trucks and motorcycles. And so do many of his friends and acquaintances who donated a lot of the items on display.

“Most of these things were given to me,” he said.

There’s a story behind all of them, and if you get a chance to talk to Chris (who is often out on the floor greeting guests and serving coffee), he will share a tale or two.

A vintage flag with just 48 stars hangs on the back wall. It was made sometime before Alaska and Hawaii became states in 1959.

Frazier has kept it since 1963, when he was a young kid with his grandma at a produce stand in Florida. The owner was taking down the flag, and Frazier told his grandma he wanted it. The stand owner overheard, and gave the flag to him. 

He also has a “Fallen Soldier” table, dedicated to American soldiers with a donation jar to fund medals to veterans who served during the Cold War. Frazier never served in the military, having graduated high school after the Vietnam War ended. But he respects and appreciates American soldiers.

 “I’m an entrepreneur, and I recognized that I’ve been able to be in business for myself, and do and say what I want because someone guaranteed those freedoms for me. I feel they deserve respect every day.”

Davis County old-timers might feel some nostalgia for the Clover Club potato chip can, harking back to the days of Kaysville’s Clover Club potato chip factory. (It closed in 2000 after 62 years in business.)

  A group of Vietnam veteran “regulars” usually come for breakfast the first Saturday of the month. “They welcome anyone new to their group,” he said.

   But the 113-seat restaurant  isn’t simply a “guys” hangout. When considering the type of atmosphere he wanted, he took note of places where his wife, Christy Frazier, feels comfortable, and planned accordingly.

  “I’ve got a group of ladies who come in and spend two hours laughing and having a great lunch and a great time,” he said. “And they’re comfortable here, so I’ve accomplished one of my goals.”

But, you can’t eat decor and ambiance. What about the food?

The eggs Benedict is a customer favorite — a split English muffin covered with two poached eggs, ham, and hollandaise sauce. He often twists the concept for daily specials, such as the Cowboy Benedict with a toasted biscuit, sausage patty, poached egg and country gravy. Or the Loaded Benedict of sauteed veggies topped hollandaise and sliced avocado.

The Chile Verde Benedict, is topped with house-made chile verde. “We go through six to eight gallons of chile verde a week,” Frazier said.

The Bread Pudding French toast was an unexpected hit. Initially, bread pudding was offered as a dessert on the menu, but it wasn’t selling. One morning, Frazier cut a slice of the leftover bread pudding, battered and cooked it as French toast. He gave some to his servers, who thought it was good enough to sell to customers. And, now it’s a signature item.

The bread pudding starts with pieces of brioche or leftover cinnamon rolls baked in a mixture of cream, eggs, a little apple cinnamon whiskey, cinnamon and nutmeg; then cooled overnight. The next day, thick slices are battered into French toast and topped with whipped cream.

The banana pancakes — are another signature item — are his wife Christy’s recipe.

For lunch, there’s a choice of burgers, sandwiches and salads. The Mushroom and Swiss Burger is a 1/3-pound patty (as are all the burgers) piled with sauteed mushrooms and onions. The lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle come on the side so you can build it how you want.

I ordered the onion rings as a side ($1.99 more) and they were crispy on the outside, tender inside, just how I like ’em.

Breakfast is served right up to closing time at 2 p.m.

When Frazier first opened, he realized that his location (across the street from Job Corps and the Freeport Center) probably wouldn’t get much dinner traffic. But, the first few months, he stayed open at nights to test his theory.

“And it was just as I thought — no traffic.” So, he closes at 2 p.m., and is able to run the restaurant with just one work shift.

Although Chris’s Cafe has only been open five years, Frazier has been in the food service industry nearly all his life. He started washing dishes at age 13 at his father’s Piccadilly Fish & Chips on Washington Blvd. in Ogden. He moved up to fry cook, and then an assistant manager by the time he graduated from Ogden High School.

  Over the years, he worked as a food delivery driver, meat cutter, grocery store meat department manager, line cook, and production manager in a USDA facility. Along the way, he earned a bachelor’s degree in business.

  In 2001, he opened his own foodservice brokerage where he represented over 35 product lines to restaurants. This gave him the opportunity to work with restaurateurs and help them become successful. 

   He retired from the brokerage at age 60, but Christy Frazier, a school teacher, wanted to teach five more years. So he opened Chris’s Cafe as a five-year project to keep busy.

“So now I find myself in a position that I can implement what I’ve been teaching all my life,” said Frazier. “It’s all about a quality product, a clean environment, and friendly service. If I take care of my customers, they will come back and see me again and again.”  

The five years are almost up. When asked what will happen to Chris’s Cafe now, Frazier simply replied, “I don’t know.”

Time will tell.

  Location: 56 E. 1700 South, Clearfield

  Contact: 801-292-1500 or https://chriscafe.net/

  Hours: Monday-Saturday, 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sunday 7 a.m.-2 p.m. 

  Prices: Breakfast combos, sandwiches and omelets, $8-$13