Lamb’s Grill Building Is Now A Ramblin’ Roads

Lamb’s Grill was one of Utah’s oldest restaurants — 98 years old when it closed for good in 2017. In it’s heyday, Lamb’s was an institution, and a premier dining spot for Salt Lake’s movers-and-shakers.

  Left empty for awhile, the building at 169 S. Main now has a new life as Ramblin’ Roads. Known for hearty all-day breakfast and comfort food classics, Ramblin’ Roads is a long-time Bountiful restaurant that has expanded to locations in Ogden, South Ogden, Layton, Midvale and Salt Lake within the past six years.

  The latest two sites opened by owners Martha Celia and daughter Christine Celia are both in downtown Salt Lake City.

  Besides the former Lamb’s, the second spot is at the Holiday Inn Express at 206 S. West Temple.

  When I did a recent Standard-Examiner interview about the Celias’ rapid expansion, Christine Celia joked, “We think we’re Starbucks.”

  With the former Lamb’s Grill site, “I fell in love with the history,” she told me. “With this one, I wrapped my arms around it because it’s just my style. This is the era when I think I should have been born. A time of flapper dresses, mobsters, jazz and blues.”

  That’s why, instead of the usual country-kitchen décor at the other Ramblin’ Roads restaurants, Christine chose a more historic feel.

    But Celia had to re-create that ambiance, since the original red booths, tables, mahogany paneling, black glass countertop, and bar stools were sold to TRUreligion restaurant in Orem when Lamb’s closed. So Celia installed a similar long countertop and old-school booths, and added antiques from her home collection, including travel trunks, typewriter, a early-era TV set, and a Nat King Cole vinyl record album featuring his hit song, “Ramblin’ Rose.” (Which people often mistake for the restaurant’s name.)

   About Lamb’s history: Lamb’s was founded in 1919 in Logan, by Greek immigrant George Lamb (shortened from Lambropoulos).  When I did a Deseret News story on Lamb’s 85th anniversary, I was told the story of how his mother in Greece entrusted a farmhand with $100 in gold to take her son to America, to have more opportunities. But when they docked in New York, the farmhand took off with the money, leaving the youth on his own.

   Somehow, Lambropoulos found his way to Logan, working his way into the restaurant business. In 1939, he moved Lamb’s from Logan to the Herald Building in Salt Lake City.

(Since Lamb’s closed, which restaurants are contenders as the oldest Utah restaurant?)

Ted Speros joined Lamb’s in 1941. Speros had a full-time job at Kennecott and moonlighted at a downtown coffee shop. While he was ill, Lamb asked Speros to run his restaurant for a week, and the two ended up becoming partners. When Lamb retired in 1973, Speros bought him out.

   Ted’s son, John Speros grew up working at the restaurant, getting his first paycheck at age 10. He never planned on it being his career, he told me in an interview back in 2004.  While working on his PhD in pharmacology, he developed an allergy to the research animals and ended up returning to Lamb’s. When Ted retired in 1977, John took over from his father. 

  By the 1950s, Lamb’s had a reputation as the place where political, business and even religious leaders power-lunched. Legendary customers included Salt Lake Tribune publisher John Fitzpatrick, Chamber of Commerce leader Gus Backman and David O. McKay, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

  “In the 1950s, all the deals were done at Lamb’s,” John Speros said.

  But, times and tastes can change. Utah’s blossoming restaurant scene brought more dining choices.

Francis Liong and his wife, Joan Barlow, took over from Speros in 2011. The restaurant struggled financially, and finally closed in 2017. Members of the Speros family still own the building and have leased it to Ramblin’ Roads, Celia said.

About Ramblin’ Roads: Martha Celia spent many years managing a Village Inn before founding a deli, and then her own full-service restaurant in 1990. The restaurant first opened in North Salt Lake, and later moved to its present spot at 544 W. 400 North in Bountiful.

  In a “name our restaurant” contest, a truck driver came up with the winning title of Ramblin Roads.

  “My mom opened it, and I worked at it my entire life,” said Christine Celia.  Then in 2020,  Martha’s husband, Randy Celia, noticed an empty restaurant building at 1720 West 12th St. in Ogden, and suggested opening another restaurant.

  Christine voted no. It was the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, a risky time for restaurants. And the building needed a major overhaul. But she’s glad she was out-voted by her parents, because the Ogden location has done well.

  Surprisingly, while the pandemic was hard on many restaurants, it actually spurred Ramblin’ Roads’ expansion.

    “Restaurants were going out of business, and we were able to get into buildings that the owners just wanted rented and maintained,” Christine Celia said.

   And, the public had been cooped up during the pandemic and wanted to go out.

   “People wanted to get out of their homes, and to have a meal, even if they had to sit six feet apart,” she said. “We were what people were crying for. It was a lucky time.”

    Although breakfast is usually the attraction at the other Ramblin’ Roads, mornings have had a slower start at the Lamb’s location, Christine said. But lunch traffic is excellent, with so many the downtown workers. And with the Eccles Theater a few doors away, she expects to have more people coming in for dinner before shows. 

   “In this location, I’m going to push for the larger parties,” she said, noting there’s space for private events.

  Th restaurant has the same Ramblin’ Roads menu as the other locations. It even includes liver and onions, a dish that was popular during Lamb’s glory days.

Signature Ramblin’ Roads dishes include:

-The California Benedict, a fresh twist on eggs Benedict, sliced avocado, diced tomato, and bacon instead of the usual ham. 

-The chili verde-smothered breakfast burrito, filled with scrambled eggs, red peppers, onions, bacon, ham, and potatoes, and smothered in chile verde and cheese.

-The Utah-style scone, a Frisbee-sized, deep-fried disc of dough. The scone is also a base for Navajo tacos, topped with red bean chili, cheddar, lettuce, diced tomato, with sour cream and salsa on the side.

-The Malibu sandwich — a breaded chicken breast, topped with ham and melted Swiss cheese.

The Monte Cristo, a triple decker sandwich of ham, turkey and Swiss, is dipped in egg batter and grilled, then dusted with powdered sugar.

Several different burgers, including the massive Harley Burger. The Pastrami Burger is piled high with sliced pastrami and topped with melted Swiss cheese.

  “After 30 years, we have a menu that our customers have made, because it’s what they’ve kept ordering,” said Christine Celia. “Although we’re known for breakfast, our dinners are excellent, and we’d like to see people try something they don’t normally try.”

 

 

 Many of the Celia’s family members work in their restaurants. Christine said she hopes that her grandkids will pursue careers they’re passionate about, whether it’s in the family restaurant business or not.

  “This was a lot of hard work, it’s something you definitely have to have a passion for,” she said. “You will never be rich. But you gain a network of friendships from lifelong customers and employees. If I’m having a problem, I can call somebody right now who will help me, whether it’s changing my tire or whatever I need.”