Did we say bison? Jeremiah’s Restaurant adroitly leverages mountain man theme
The Antelope Island Buffalo Burger at Jeremiah's Restaurant on Friday, June 21, 2019, on 12th Street.
Jeremiah's Big Breakfast with pancakes at Jeremiah's Restaurant on Friday, June 21, 2019, on 12th Street.
The Bar-B-Q Pork Nachos at Jeremiah's Restaurant on Friday, June 21, 2019, on 12th Street.
Strawberry Cheese Cake at Jeremiah's Restaurant on Friday, June 21, 2019, on 12th Street.
The Wagon Wheel Cinnamon Roll at Jeremiah's Restaurant on Friday, June 21, 2019, on 12th Street.
The back dining room at Jeremiah's Restaurant on Friday, June 21, 2019, on 12th Street.
The Turkey Avocado sandwich at Jeremiah's Restaurant on Friday, June 21, 2019, on 12th Street.
The main dining room at Jeremiah's Restaurant on Friday, June 21, 2019, on 12th Street.
OGDEN — At Jeremiah’s, you almost expect to see Peter Skene Ogden tearing into a bison steak.
The 19th century trapper and fur trader even has a spot on this booming restaurant’s menu — Peter Skene Ogden’s biscuits and gravy: Buttermilk biscuits smothered in country gravy, served with eggs, sausage links and hashbrowns.
Jeremiah’s, an anchor on west 12th Street since 1979, has stayed true to its mountain man trappings, offering extensive breakfast, lunch and dinner menus loaded with period references.
Selections evoke Western themes such as outlaws, miners and local landmarks. How about the Salmon River Greens Salad? Or the Promontory Point Bacon Cheddar Burger, the Antelope Island Buffalo (actually, bison) Burger or Jim Bridger’s Bison Patty Breakfast?
Oh, don’t forget the Wagon Wheel Cinnamon Roll, “as big as your face,” said Jeremiah’s longtime general manager, Maureen Sletten.
Jeremiah’s began as Moore’s High Country restaurant and later became the High Country Fare. In a 1989 renovation the eatery become Jeremiah’s, and it’s undergone several expansions since.
Recent additions to the site include a large banquet room, a wedding reception center, and 28 garden-view hotel rooms with an indoor pool and exercise facility. They complement the adjoining original High Country Inn Motel, and the grounds are undergoing a $1 million landscaping expansion, Sletten said.
BEN DORGER, Standard-Examiner
Jeremiah’s Restaurant on Friday, June 21, 2019, on 12th Street.
The business was founded by Canadian Hal S. Peterson. His son Mark Peterson is the current general partner.
Sletten said the restaurant’s hallmarks include “everything from scratch,” like no pre-grated cheese; locally baked, preservative-free breads; and locally roasted coffee, ground fresh for each pot.
Jeremiah’s has a veteran staff with very little turnover and it values its market position as “a big restaurant with a family dining price,” according to Sletten.
“It’s not a high cover price for eating out,” she said. “It’s one thing that sets us apart.”
And Jeremiah’s can pack them in, notably on Sundays and holidays.
“A thousand guests for breakfast on Sunday is not uncommon,” she said.
BEN DORGER, Standard-Examiner
Salmon River Greens salad at Jeremiah’s Restaurant on Friday, June 21, 2019, on 12th Street.
Signature menu items start with the Break of Dawn, served only for early risers, 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. For $6.99, the diner gets bacon or sausage with two eggs, hashbrowns and all-you-can-eat biscuits and gravy, pancakes, scones or french toast.
That meal heads a varied breakfast menu, and the restaurant is proud of its Bacon Bloody Mary, designed to go with breakfast selections.
Beyond traditional items, the breakfast menu has interesting surprises such as the Cobb Omelet, with fresh spinach, chicken, bacon, avocado, bleu cheese and onion.
On the Health Nut section of the breakfast menu, look for the Power Breakfast. It includes a bison burger (lower in fat and higher in protein than beef, the menu says), plus three eggs, served with sliced tomatoes and cottage cheese.
Sletten said the mountain man menus still pack in a lot of fresh fruit, salads and other healthy choices.
“You can come with your husband and stay on your diet,” she said.
LOCATION: 1307 W. 1200 South, Ogden
HOURS: 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday
PRICES: $3-$17