GriDeli’s North Is Thriving in Marriott-Slaterville

GriDeli’s North has a quirky name and a huge, eclectic menu.

First the name. It’s a cross between a “Grill” and a “Deli,” explained owners Mae Miya and Jan Hoch. Also, it’s called GriDeli’s North because it’s in the north end of Weber County, in Marriott-Slaterville. And in the beginning, there was also a GriDeli’s South in South Ogden, which closed a couple years ago.

 And about the menu. When I visited GriDeli’s a couple of months ago for a Standard-Examiner story, I found such wide variety of options that it was hard to pin down and define. It seems there’s something for everyone.

For the burger crowd, there’s he signature Big Nasty Burger — two 1/3-pound beef patties, topped with onion rings, bacon and barbecue sauce.  If that’s too hearty for your appetite, there’s always the Little Nasty Burger — a 1/3-pound patty, topped with bacon, onion rings and barbecue sauce. Some of the staffers wear shirts saying “Home of the Big Nasty.”

This year, the burger won second place in the Standard-Examiner’s Readers Choice Awards. (The winner was the long-standing classic, the Burger Bar.) And, I might add, GriDeli’s also won first place for “best lunch” and “best sandwich” this year. Some pretty nice bragging rights.

  If it’s salad you’re craving, GriDeli has several, including the Get Fit Salad, with a housemade strawberry vinaigrette. It has a base of spring mix greens, topped with grilled chicken, strawberries, walnuts, and feta. It’s the most popular salad on the menu.

Then there are sandwiches. The Philly Steak is a customer favorite, with slices of beef, cheese, onions, green peppers, mushrooms and steak sauce. There are a couple riffs on the Philly concept — a Philly Steak Bomb has added pastrami, and the Firecracker Philly has some spicy heat.the . Other sandwiches include teriyaki chicken, the Flying Buffalo (chicken, Buffalo sauce and ranch), and chicken cordon bleu. And there’s barbecue — pulled pork and beef brisket sandwiches.

Then there are Greek specialties that are often ordered for the many catering events that GriDeli does.

    The chicken souvlaki features cubes of chicken, marinated in red wine vinegar and seasonings. The souvlaki bowl includes both souvlaki chicken and gyro meat, served over lemon rice.

   “All our sauces and dressings are homemade,” said Hoch, “including the Greek tzatziki sauce.”

  Oh, and there are “famous” fish tacos. And fish and fries. Deep fried cheese curds, And not just regular fries, but Buffalo fries, sweet potato fries and even funnel cake fries?

For breakfast, you can get a variety of breakfast burritos, with the Loco being the top-seller according to Juan Raya-Godinez, a manager and part-owner. It’s stuffed with bacon, ham, potato, egg and cheese, and topped with house-made salsa.

Hoch is a retired school administrator, and Miya is a retired high school teacher and athletic director. They don’t have any cooking or food industry experience; they were simply looking for something to do after retirement, and invested in the restaurant.

They credit its success to Yolanda Godinez and her son, Juan Raya-Godinez, who are also part-owners.

“Yolanda has been with us from Day One,” said Miya, who pointed out that the restaurant is owned by three minority, multi-cultural women, “which is awesome.”

  Miya and Hoch also credit the city of Marriott-Slaterville for its loyal customers.

“We have carved out a great niche here, with clientele from blue-collar folks to executives,” said Mae Miya. “That’s due to Yolanda, Juan and our staff.  They often greet people by name when they come in, and ask if they want ‘the usual,’ because they can remember their orders.”

  Given the size of the menu, remembering someone’s “usual” order has got to be a feat in and of itself.

Hoch and Miya also mentioned that in their efforts to keep their customers happy, the website has a “Contact” section. If you leave a comment or complaint, they try to get back to you as soon as possible.

Where: 380 N. 2000 West, Marriott-Slaterville (just off the I-15 exit)

Contact: 801-732-2550 or https://www.gridelisnorth.com/menus/

Hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Price range: $6.99-$9.69