Lamb's Grill Cafe is the grand dame of Utah restaurants, beloved for her old-time atmosphere, straight-forward food and welcoming personality.
And today-- as she celebrates her 90th anniversary -- the longest running restaurant in the state looks and acts nothing like an aging senior citizen.
During a recent weekday lunch, nearly every booth and linen-covered table was filled with diners enjoying bowls of hot soup, toasted club sandwiches and the ever-popular salmon filet special.
"It has been really quite remarkable how our business has continued to flourish," said owner John Speros.
There will be no grand birthday celebration for the downtown Salt Lake City business. But customers who dine today will get a piece of white cake topped with cherry cobbler -- a tribute to George Washington who shares the restaurant's birthday of Feb. 22. (Lamb's is closed on Sundays)
Speros calculated that over the past nine decades Lamb's has served about 10 million people. No doubt George P. Lamb, the Greek immigrant who founded the Cafe in Logan in 1919, would be impressed. Lamb moved the restaurant to its current location at 169 S. Main, in 1939. Speros' father, Ted, who worked at Kennecott, started out washing dishes part time in the evenings, later becoming the manager. In 1941, he became Lamb's partner.
John Speros took over operations from his father in 1977. Customers say it's Speros' dedication, attention to detail and ability to make everyone feel like a valued friend that is the secret to the restaurant's longevity. A large, reasonably-priced menu that's reliable and consistent also helps.
From the lamb shanks and lentil soup to the venerable rice pudding, "seventy-five percent of the menu was in force in 1919," Speros said.
The historic Herald Building, which Speros owns outright, hasn't changed much either. It has been upgraded and renovated through out the years but the long counter, the wood booths and the antique fixtures have remained.
Speros said luck may also have played a part in Lamb's success. The restaurant barely survived the downtown beautification on Main Street in the mid-to-late 1970s. And if the restaurant had been on different block to the south or west, redevelopment projects likely would have gobbled up the building.
Mike Pazzi and his coworkers at Wells Fargo Bank dine at Lamb's at least once a week and are thankful for this enduring dining jewel.
"It's such a marvelous piece of Salt Lake," Pazzi said. "You want to see it continue."
"Going, going, gone … a last look at Utah's icons," will be on display at Lamb's Grill Cafe, through February. The exhibit, by Salt Lake Tribune staff photographer Al Hartmann, includes 19 photos of street scenes, old neon signs and business long gone. Lamb's Grill is open Mondays through Fridays, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Sundays. Call 801-364-7166 for information.
