Greece is the word at University Broiler & Grill
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- Al Saadati poses with a plate of chicken and steak kabobs, lemon rice, spiced potatoes, Greek salad and a gyro at University Broiler & Grill.
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- Chicken and steak souvlaki (kabobs), with lemon rice, spiced potatoes and Greek salad at University Broiler & Grill.
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- Gyro sandwich with Greek salad at University Broiler & Grill.
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- The Mediterranean plate appetizer at University Broiler & Grill features, clockwise from left, dolmathes, hummus, falafel, pita bread and spanakopita.
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- Baklava dessert at University Broiler & Grill.
At University Broiler & Grill, Al Saadati has been serving his own spin on Greek food since September 1998.
Every day, the restaurant serves 400-500 of its signature souvlaki for dining-in, takeout or catered events. These skewered kabobs of chicken, steak, lamb or pork are marinated, grilled, and served on a bed of lemon rice.
Gyro sandwiches with a choice of lamb or chicken are another favorite, as well as the skinless, lemon-spiced, flame-broiled chicken. Removing the skin removes a lot of fat and calories, Saadati noted.
“Our food is unique and it’s healthy,” he said. “We make everything from scratch every day. We don’t use any frozen stuff, or animal fats or coconut oil.”
Saadati, who is Persian, came to the United States as a college student in 1977, graduating from Weber State University in electronic engineering in 1981. He worked in restaurants during his student years but didn’t plan on it being his career.
That changed in 1998, when he and his wife, Farah, opened a small restaurant of about 10 tables at 4342 Harrison Blvd., sharing the building with a Pier 49 Pizza restaurant.
“I always wanted to be my own boss,” he said. “I love people, and I love working with the public and building relationships. Working in the restaurant industry, you meet lots of people and make lots of friends.”
By the time the pizza restaurant closed, University Broiler had built enough business to take over the whole building, which it still occupies today. The fishing rope accents on the booths are a holdover from the Pier 49 decor, but go equally well with the University Broiler’s scenic murals of the Greek seaside.
“I knew this type of food and recipes, and I didn’t see any of this kind anywhere in Ogden at the time,” Saadati said. “Of course, it took awhile for people to get to know us. But if people come in once and try it, that’s it — we have a regular customer.”
He chose the “University” name to due to the restaurant’s location near to Weber State University. He’s got a wall of posters and photos of Weber State athletic teams who have eaten at the University Broiler over the years. One standout is an autographed poster of NBA star Damian Lillard, a regular customer when he was a Weber State student. Saadati said Lillard has come back and eaten there when he visits Ogden and WSU.
The restaurant caters many Weber State events and team dinners, he said.
“We also do catering for McKay-Dee Hospital, and lots of weddings and birthdays and other events,” he said.
Over half of the restaurants’ business has always been takeout, he said. That increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the dining room was closed from March 2020 to June 2021. “I appreciated all the people who supported us. We made it through,” Saadati said.
During lunch, customers order at the counter, so they can get their orders quickly. Dinner is sit-down service, with servers taking orders tableside.
The restaurant offers a $10.99 lunch special with many choices, including kabobs (also known as souvlaki), gyros, pita wraps and the skinless chicken. They can be served with Greek salad — tomato, lettuce, cucumber, feta and olives, tossed in the creamy, garlicky house salad dressing. Lemon rice, french fries or spiced potatoes are other side dish choices. The spiced potato chunks are flavored with lemon and spices, and tossed in the house salad dressing.
The dressing — University Broiler’s own recipe — is so popular that it’s sold by the bottle to customers.
The Mediterranean plate is a favorite appetizer — a sampler of hummus, dolmathes, spanakopita, falafel and pita bread, which are all vegetarian.
“I don’t put any new items on the menu, because when people come, they usually order the same thing,” Saadati said. “I used to have a lamb shank, but after COVID, I discontinued it.”
The restaurant also offers non-Greek items, such as burgers and barbecue beef ribs.
Since the food is cooked to order, “People need to have patience. We are not fast food. It takes 15-20 minutes for the chicken or steak to cook.”
The restaurant is the Best Greek winner in the Standard-Examiner’s annual Reader’s Choice awards. But Saadati’s success is earned by working 12- to 14-hour days, Monday through Saturday.
“The restaurant business is tough, and if you are not there, you are not going to be successful,” he said. “You need to make sure the food is always the same quality and consistent.”
IF YOU GO
University Broiler & Grill
Location: 4342 Harrison Blvd.
Contact: http://ubggreek.com
Price range: $10-17
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.