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Miggs

Well-Known Member
Watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Tin Roof Grill in Sandy, Utah any good? The food looked pretty average to me…and I see it’s temporarily closed.
 
I have never eaten there. The reviews on yelp were not all that good and the ones from reviewers I'm familiar with were particularly not good. Jefferey, the former Salt Lake City Yelp community manager, usually leaves positive reviews, 4s and 5s and he finds the positive. His 3 star review of Tin Roof Grill was the most negative review I've ever read from him. There were also mentions of allegations of racial profiling shortly before they closed for good in June of 2021.

In looking at the pictures of the food and the mish mash of culinary styles they offered it didn't look very good to me.
 
The funny Utah one to watch was when Guy went to Burger Bar in Roy. You could tell he was very unimpressed. He doesn't get that it's more nostalgia than great food, because so many of us went there as kids so we take our kids there. The food is good, don't get me wrong, but it's not the normal artisanal hand-crafted stuff they usually go for. It's a good burger and good fries and borderline fantastic shakes and malts virtually unchanged in like 60 years. We love it, but it wasn't a great place for DDD to go.
 
What is anyone's opinion of Maddox Ranch House in Perry Utah? My wife is taking me there for my birthday.
 
What is anyone's opinion of Maddox Ranch House in Perry Utah? My wife is taking me there for my birthday.
I'm a fan. I grew up going to Maddox. Surprisingly upscale for what you see from the outside. It's a quasi-fine-dining/country cafe/last remaining 50's-vibe drive-in burger joint. Fantastic fried chicken, they turkey burger is great, really good steaks, good fish selections. A pretty unique place with a good atmosphere and good-to-excellent food. We'd take my mom and dad there every year for their anniversary, and go there when we are in that part of the state for whatever reason. I recommend it.

Not too mention still family owned and operated and very successful in their niche. Love supporting the local places.
 
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It's a steakhouse. It's luster has worn off for me over the years, but if I was invited to go, I wouldn't say no. I'd say it's solid. There is a chance to miss. Not sure I'd enjoy the hour wait I had last time I was there 5 or 6 years ago.
 
It's a steakhouse. It's luster has worn off for me over the years, but if I was invited to go, I wouldn't say no. I'd say it's solid. There is a chance to miss. Not sure I'd enjoy the hour wait I had last time I was there 5 or 6 years ago.
Yeah we haven't been in a while since we have lived in Cali so it might have gone downhill somewhat, can't say. My family still likes it. I think it's worth a trip still personally.
 
What is anyone's opinion of Maddox Ranch House in Perry Utah? My wife is taking me there for my birthday.
Maddox is ok. Turkey steaks are good, but I prefer Juniper's in Logan. I'd say their steaks aren't awesome. If I was up north I'd prefer Timbermine, but it is more upscale for sure.
 
I'm a fan. I grew up going to Maddox. Surprisingly upscale for what you see from the outside. It's a quasi-fine-dining/country cafe/last remaining 50's-vibe drive-in burger joint. Fantastic fried chicken, they turkey burger is great, really good steaks, good fish selections. A pretty unique place with a good atmosphere and good-to-excellent food. We'd take my mom and dad there every year for their anniversary, and go there when we are in that part of the state for whatever reason. I recommend it.

Not too mention still family owned and operated and very successful in their niche. Love supporting the local places.
I feel like I've got to go at least once since it seems to have become a Utah institution. She was really unsure about making the reservations and wanted it to be a surprise but didn't want us to go there and for me to be like "this is the big surprise" or whatever reaction she thought I might have. Once she finally told me. after giving little hints and vague details, I said that I wanted to go check it out. So we're going and I'll be able to say I've been there.
 
I feel like I've got to go at least once since it seems to have become a Utah institution. She was really unsure about making the reservations and wanted it to be a surprise but didn't want us to go there and for me to be like "this is the big surprise" or whatever reaction she thought I might have. Once she finally told me. after giving little hints and vague details, I said that I wanted to go check it out. So we're going and I'll be able to say I've been there.
Just temper your expectations. It's not Ruth's Chris or whatever. It's a country drive-in and cafe that added some "fine dining" by the local yokel standards. I rate it a solid B to B+ but maybe even a tad better because it does have a "Utah institution" kind of feel to it. The drive-in is fun if your were ever just driving through. Worth a visit for sure.
 
Maddox is ok. Turkey steaks are good, but I prefer Juniper's in Logan. I'd say their steaks aren't awesome. If I was up north I'd prefer Timbermine, but it is more upscale for sure.
Timbermine is our go-to. Definitely in the upper tier of home-grown steak-houses in Utah. And also an institution in the ogden area. Definitely recommended. The atmosphere is fun and old-timey, like you are in the mine, which is right on the edge of being hokey such that it's really cool and fun.
 
1. Mirror Lake Diner in Kamas is one of the best diners I’ve been to in years. It’s delicious comfort food, lots of it, and really good service.
2. Chicks Cafe in Heber is a place I haven’t been to since I was a child. I remember it having good food but also really slow service. Judging by the reviews, it seems like the service has improved. I might check it out on one of my trips up to the Uintas.
3. Dairy Keen in Heber has one of the best burgers I’ve had in Utah and one of the best shakes.
4. Cotton Bottom Inn in Holladay is a bar/burger joint. I haven’t been there in a while but I remember their garlic burgers being really good.
5. Desert Grill in Panguitch outside of Bryce is a really delicious diner. Good service and lots of comfort food.

Side note 1: Crown Burger down from Vivint arena is still one of my favorite burger places in utah. Growing up, Apollo, Crown, Astro, etc were all the same. Even though their menus are the same I’ve noticed a difference in quality with the two Apollos in Lehi and american fork. Their burgers don’t taste nearly as good as crown. Has anyone else noticed this?

Side note 2: anyone else remember Brand X Hamburgers in Springville? I think it was shut down around 2006ish because it was family owned and no one wanted to continue with it. But it had the best damn burger and fries growing up. I think he had some special seasoning with garlic and onion that just gave an unreal flavor.
 
Timbermine is our go-to. Definitely in the upper tier of home-grown steak-houses in Utah. And also an institution in the ogden area. Definitely recommended. The atmosphere is fun and old-timey, like you are in the mine, which is right on the edge of being hokey such that it's really cool and fun.
Where is that?
 
If anyone wants to eat at an extremely unique restaurant go to Road Island Diner in Oakley Utah. You eat inside of what looks like a railroad locomotive car. It was made in 1939 and was displayed on exhibition at the 1939 worlds fair in New York. Then it was towed to fall river massachussets and operated there for a while. Then it was towed to middletown rhode island. Then was transported to Oakley Utah. It is said to be the only pre-war, art-deco streamline (constructed to mimic a rail dining car) diner west of the mississippi river.
Its really cool. When you go inside you feel like you have been transported back in time to the 40's or 50's or something. They have jukeboxes on each table. Their menu is really different too.

Asiago Dip & Beer Bread Crustini​

Chicken Drum Sticks​

Silver Dollar Crab Cakes​

Beet and Grapefruit Salad​

Lamb-A-Dama Ding-Dong Sandwich​

House Made Meat Loaf Sandwich​

House Made Hummus Wrap​

Grilled Balsamic Marinated Portobello Sandwich​

And a bunch of other unique items. Really old fashioned type place with everything made in house. Great deserts. My family goes there about once a year. Food isn't the best or anything but its a really cool experience.
 
1. Mirror Lake Diner in Kamas is one of the best diners I’ve been to in years. It’s delicious comfort food, lots of it, and really good service.
2. Chicks Cafe in Heber is a place I haven’t been to since I was a child. I remember it having good food but also really slow service. Judging by the reviews, it seems like the service has improved. I might check it out on one of my trips up to the Uintas.
3. Dairy Keen in Heber has one of the best burgers I’ve had in Utah and one of the best shakes.
4. Cotton Bottom Inn in Holladay is a bar/burger joint. I haven’t been there in a while but I remember their garlic burgers being really good.
5. Desert Grill in Panguitch outside of Bryce is a really delicious diner. Good service and lots of comfort food.

Side note 1: Crown Burger down from Vivint arena is still one of my favorite burger places in utah. Growing up, Apollo, Crown, Astro, etc were all the same. Even though their menus are the same I’ve noticed a difference in quality with the two Apollos in Lehi and american fork. Their burgers don’t taste nearly as good as crown. Has anyone else noticed this?

Side note 2: anyone else remember Brand X Hamburgers in Springville? I think it was shut down around 2006ish because it was family owned and no one wanted to continue with it. But it had the best damn burger and fries growing up. I think he had some special seasoning with garlic and onion that just gave an unreal flavor.
Cotton Bottom has changed ownership and gone through a major renovation. I've never been there.

Crown Burger is better than Apollo, hands down. Yeah, same menu, very similar almost every way, but Crown is clearly better. The Downtown OG Crown Burger location is also better than their other locations, maybe saving the Sugarhouse location. I'll take Astro over Apollo, but Crown is better than either. I think Apollo was better but they have clearly been acquired by some big organization and have become a corporate fast food joint that doesn't even make their own fry sauce on location. For anyone outside Utah, fry sauce may have originated at Arctic Circle, but it became mandatory with the Crown Burger, which is a Pastrami Burger. You are legally (I'm kidding) required to put fry sauce on your Crown Burger. The copycat places call their pastrami burger the Apollo Burger and the Astro Burger.
 
Cotton Bottom has changed ownership and gone through a major renovation. I've never been there.

Crown Burger is better than Apollo, hands down. Yeah, same menu, very similar almost every way, but Crown is clearly better. The Downtown OG Crown Burger location is also better than their other locations, maybe saving the Sugarhouse location. I'll take Astro over Apollo, but Crown is better than either. I think Apollo was better but they have clearly been acquired by some big organization and have become a corporate fast food joint that doesn't even make their own fry sauce on location. For anyone outside Utah, fry sauce may have originated at Arctic Circle, but it became mandatory with the Crown Burger, which is a Pastrami Burger. You are legally (I'm kidding) required to put fry sauce on your Crown Burger. The copycat places call their pastrami burger the Apollo Burger and the Astro Burger.
Spot on. Easily my favorite burger place in Utah. Great food all around at crown, and it cannot be copied, they can't get it right. It's actually an interesting history of those burger places because they were all started by Greek families that knew each other and more or less copied each other. Then there was a falling out and crown went on to be the best of the bunch.

The best way to see a jazz game is to go to the crown burger downtown, eat there, then park there for free and walk literally a single block to the arena. It's an awesome start to a night with a jazz game at the end and the parking is secure and safe. And hell, you're going to pay for parking and food anyway so why not get way way better food and parking in one.

I like the Layton location. They are very close to the downtown location in quality. Like virtually the same.
 
Cotton Bottom has changed ownership and gone through a major renovation. I've never been there.

Crown Burger is better than Apollo, hands down. Yeah, same menu, very similar almost every way, but Crown is clearly better. The Downtown OG Crown Burger location is also better than their other locations, maybe saving the Sugarhouse location. I'll take Astro over Apollo, but Crown is better than either. I think Apollo was better but they have clearly been acquired by some big organization and have become a corporate fast food joint that doesn't even make their own fry sauce on location. For anyone outside Utah, fry sauce may have originated at Arctic Circle, but it became mandatory with the Crown Burger, which is a Pastrami Burger. You are legally (I'm kidding) required to put fry sauce on your Crown Burger. The copycat places call their pastrami burger the Apollo Burger and the Astro Burger.
1. Crown (I love the downtown location just love it)
2. Astro (very similar in quality to crown). I used to go to the Draper location off 123rd)
3. Maybe burger supreme (Provo) on the diagonal.
4. Apollo (what the **** has happened? Same menu as crown but their food is flavorless). Like you said, some corporate takeover and it sucks.
 
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Cotton Bottom has changed ownership and gone through a major renovation. I've never been there.

Crown Burger is better than Apollo, hands down. Yeah, same menu, very similar almost every way, but Crown is clearly better. The Downtown OG Crown Burger location is also better than their other locations, maybe saving the Sugarhouse location. I'll take Astro over Apollo, but Crown is better than either. I think Apollo was better but they have clearly been acquired by some big organization and have become a corporate fast food joint that doesn't even make their own fry sauce on location. For anyone outside Utah, fry sauce may have originated at Arctic Circle, but it became mandatory with the Crown Burger, which is a Pastrami Burger. You are legally (I'm kidding) required to put fry sauce on your Crown Burger. The copycat places call their pastrami burger the Apollo Burger and the Astro Burger.
I didn’t know cotton got new ownership.

I love crown. The only thing that rivals it for me is a good drive up to Heber and hitting up Granny’s for a good burger, fries, and shake
 
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