Carnivore’s Guide to Ogden

We’ve been watching our colleagues in other destinations develop “gluten-free guides” and “vegan voyages” for potential visitors, but we’re “notoriously independent” Ogden, Utah.

Prairie Schooner Restaurant & Steakhouse We’ve always tended to zig when everyone else zags. So…without further ado, here is the definitive Carnivore’s Guide to O-Town.

In its heyday, the stockyards just west of downtown Ogden were rivaled only by those in Kansas City and Chicago. While KC and the Windy City’s stockyards supplied the heavily populated eastern portion of the country with its chops, steaks, roasts and ribs, Ogden was where intermountain ranchers brought their livestock to the rail yards to head to markets from Los Angeles to Seattle. The stockyards have since transitioned into the headquarters for cycling giant, Enve Composites and other outdoor recreation companies, but that doesn’t mean Ogden’s appetite for a great cut of meat has diminished.

Visitors to Ogden regularly walk into our office and ask for recommendations for “a good steak house.” Our response is typically, “Do you want a good steak house, or a great steak?” You see, there’s a difference.

There are several fantastic options for “good steak houses” around town. Circling the perimeter of Ogden’s gritty, independent downtown area, you’ll find all the standard chain “meat-eries” such as Lone Star Steakhouse, Texas Roadhouse, etc. and even a Utah original, Ruby River. However, since you can find those places within 10 miles of any airport in America, we won’t dwell on them.

Ogden’s “River District” is home to two of the more unique steak joints you’re likely to come across: Timbermine, with its timber architecture and vintage mining decor, and Prairie Schooner, where you’ll dine in the privacy of covered wagons circled around a prairie-scape complete with campfire, sagebrush and even a taxidermied coyote…all indoors. Both offer a wide variety of cuts, perfectly cooked to order, and neither will disappoint.

Just down Historic 25th Street, Hearth on 25th boasts signature cocktails, craft beers and fine wines alongside market-priced, espresso rubbed steaks. Even the local brewpub, Roosters Brewing Co., offers fantastic steak options like Southwestern chipotle steak and Tuscan beef medallions.

Of course, several local establishments offer flatiron steaks or special “steak nights,” and you really can’t go wrong with any of them.

So…those are some of your options for “good steakhouses,” each with its own unique ambience and spin on red meat. You’ll fill your belly and get some good Instagram photos of cowboy boots, old lanterns, wood-fired ovens, alpenglow on the mountains, and funky neon signs.

However…if what you’re looking for is a truly great steak, and not content for your social media feeds, we’re going to point you to Andy’s Lounge. It’s not “roadhouse themed.” It’s a roadhouse. If you don’t know the difference, might we suggest exploring a few of those “Gluten-Free Guides” and “Vegan Voyages” mentioned at the top.

Andy’s sits at the far north end of town on Washington Blvd., right on the border between Ogden and Harrisville by the Wal-mart, Chili’s and some cell phone retailers in a nearby strip mall… We know…not exactly the kind of stuff that makes the cover of a brochure or visitor guide.

You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the small parking lot filled to capacity with all of the overflow cars and pick-up trucks stretched down Washington Blvd. You may be there on a pool league night. Deal with it.

Don’t ask for a wine list or a beer menu. Simply order a pitcher of domestic draft beer…you might have three choices. Don’t tell them how you want your steak cooked. You’re getting it medium rare. Don’t ask for steak sauce. You might just get thrown out. Just sit back and enjoy the best damned ribeye you’ve ever had in your life.

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