Thirsting for a road trip?
Here's what I looked for in O-Town pubs. They must:
• Have local Ogden owners who brew their own beer
• Feature a bar with a full liquor license
• Offer lunch and dinner menus—not just snacks
• Have a family-friendly atmosphere
• Have employees who hung on through COVID
• Sell crowlers, growlers and merch
• Offer curbside takeout with assigned times
• Allow patrons to order online
• Be a place to "get your beer nerd on"

Ogden is one of those beautiful mountain towns that Salt Lakers scurry to for easy access to trails, ski resorts (Snowbasin, Powder Mountain and Nordic Valley) and the charm and mysteries of Historic 25th Street.

With Ogden's Union Station, Salomon Center, Eccles Dinosaur Park as well as myriad museums, gardens and nature centers, O-Town is an active, family city—think welcoming, laid-back, fun vibes with a nod of a generous community fan base. You hardly need convincing to take the 45-minute drive north on Interstate 15 or a UTA FrontRunner train ride (free through the end of February!) to Ogden.

But, as with most cities, COVID hit the town hard. It's a small miracle that the town's restaurants and bars survived after being forced to close for two weeks in March 2020, when most food and beverage workers were unable to work. Then, as eateries re-opened, some workers returned to handle takeout and delivery orders.

When, at last, restaurants were able to open for dining-in, they had fewer tables due to social distancing requirements.

So, if Salt Lakers haven't been showing up lately, it's not surprising. We were all busy hunkering down.

But business in Ogden is picking up now, and new players have appeared on the scene. This story shines a light on three gastropubs, aka microbreweries—Ogden River Brewing, Roosters Brewing Co. and UTOG—that make up the beating heart of Ogden's downtown.

Yes, the city boasts many noteworthy restaurants, bars and pubs! But these topped our list for their craft beer selections, delectable food, full bars, welcoming atmosphere and family-friendly offerings.

The owners and managers of these pubs harbor such passion for what they do, yet—with supply-chain and staffing shortages—they continue to adapt and find their footing. And due to the pandemic's fluxes, many hospitality workers have moved on to seek careers elsewhere. Thankfully, not all abandoned ship.

UTOG's Carson Foss noted his employees "stepped up and worked so hard through 2020 when many people chose not to. Without their hard work, we would not have been able to come through so strong. [Most of our] employees have been with us since Day 1, and we consider ourselves the UTOG family."

In fact, these three pubs have come back with a stronger presence than ever, with loyal employees now able to make a living at something most customers take for granted. Few even realize how much these businesses give to the Ogden community.

Whether you drink beer or not, craft brewers naturally brings communities together. Friends, neighbors and customers have rallied to support these pubs in Ogden, and it's easy to see why.

Can you go for just a pint? Sure! Local Ogden Pub Runners are weekly regulars about town completing their runs or stopping along the way at these locations. Can you take your family for a nice dinner or brunch outing—even if you don't drink beer? Of course! How about taking a date and not being bothered by loud children? Absolutely! Sit in the 21+ areas.

The excellent service of knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff will help challenge you to sample new beers from the Independent Brewers board or create a flight for yourself using cues like a ski map (in the case of UTOG) from green to blue to black diamond.

The one thing easily learned in creating this pub crawl-with-food story is that quality beer demands quality food. With this trio, you're sure to find something to make every palate happy.

All three pubs have beautiful wooden bars for sitting and dining solo with friendly faces at the taps to keep you company while not being invasive. All three have ample dining-room options for large or small parties with a wide menu variety, and all three have brewing equipment in plain sight, which is fun when you're talking fermentation stations and IPAs.

If you're craving socialization and something new (that still feels comfortable), get your motor running and head on up to O-Town to explore this vibrant trio of gastropubs, giving Salt Lakers multiple reasons to return to this hopping city.

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Ogden River Brewing: A brew-aholic's dream come true
(20-minute walk from the Ogden FrontRunner station; bus/trolley services and ride-sharing available)

Pat Winslow, a former railroad conductor and longtime homebrewer, started a Kickstarter campaign in 2017 to make his dream of a brewery a reality. The happy result of his efforts, Ogden River Brewing., opened in 2020 and is located along the Ogden River Parkway trail, where it has quickly become a fixture in the Ogden community.

Inspired by the Becker Brewing and Malting Co., which operated about a block from ORB's location in Ogden from 1890 to 1964, Winslow had hoped to honor the legendary family of brewers with his Becker's Best American Pilsner and other food items on the menu. The Becker family descendants, however, have recently lodged their concerns about the brewpub's use of the family name, so it remains to be seen if the theme will hold.

Regardless, Ogden River Brewing is an uplifting space where regulars and tourists alike come for lunch or to just explore the beer selection. With its windowed garage doors and airy upstairs outdoor seating, ORB offers majestic views of the mountains that guard the city's east side.

Outdoor seating is a big draw when it's warm enough to dine al fresco. "Guests will ride their bikes or walk along the parkway and stop in for lunch," Winslow said, "which is what we wanted in a community restaurant and pub."

And yet, winter weather is hardly a deterrent. Arrive early and you'll hear a light buzz of activity that turns into a full roar by 7 p.m., when you'll have to wait for a table.

My partner ordered a flight of beers, and Becker's Best American Pilsner hit all the right notes with its light, citrus finish and low bitterness. The New Zengland is cloudy, with notes of tangerine and a hint of vanilla, overtones of grapefruit—a hazy and unfiltered IPA. The favorite was the Hop Train Pale Ale with its little bubble, medium golden, nice balance of hops and a smooth finish.

With an Extra Special Bitter English-Style Pale Ale (which reminded the author of her time in Leeds as a university student) and a Cali Invasion California Common Style—a classic amber with refined caramel notes, there really was something for every taste.

Paired with the beers was a nice mix on the menu of wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches that rotate by season, fresh salads that can be topped with grilled salmon or chicken, yummy Niman Ranch beef burgers, fish and tots and the favorite ingenious appetizer of "Mormon hush puppies," which are funeral potatoes rolled into a ball and fried, aptly served with fry sauce. Paired with roasted Brussels sprouts, it was much like a fun Thanksgiving starter.

Family-friendly, Ogden River Brewing offers a kids' menu and has plenty of open space. It is boisterous enough that patrons likely won't notice any noise kids make.

Meanwhile, adults at the full bar can enjoy a seasonal cocktail called "Sue's Apple Pie," which is swirled around in a bowl-shaped coupe champagne glass. The cocktail ('tini) had notes of vanilla vodka, cinnamon, apples and brown sugar. The bartenders create delicious and beautiful seasonal craft cocktails for bar clientele in the mood for something more celebratory or those wanting a nice way to finish with a dessert drink.

On the way out, there are choices of growlers or crowlers to take home, merch, as well as the fermenting equipment to view. And yes! There is a beer store offering even more.

Ogden River Brewing
358 Park Blvd., Ogden
801-884-6939
ogdenriverbrewing.com

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UTOG: What's Buzzing in the Beehive
(12-minute walk from the Ogden FrontRunner station; bus/trolley connections and ride-sharing available)

For those looking to dine out in Ogden, walk outside afterward and think, "Wow ... that didn't feel like Ogden—it felt like vacation," UTOG gastropub's Carson Foss has you covered. That feeling is exactly what Foss, who created UTOG in 2019 and opened right before the COVID pandemic started, was going for.

Foss is a retired airline pilot who, as a hobby, traveled the world and visited brewpubs in every state. The Ogden native said he wanted "to brew great beer for distribution and to have an amazing onsite family-friendly brewery with great food in Ogden."

The magic of UTOG's location is that it sits on a spot that oh-so-ingeniously lies just beyond the outfield of the Ogden Raptor's baseball diamond. During the summer, customers can sit on the UTOG patio and watch the ballgame.

Upon arriving, a large, open and well-lit space greets you. The atmosphere is pub comfort, albeit with a more modern/garage-style brick and concrete. The Sunday brunch is a must—just make sure you order a "Table Mimosa" ($25 includes a bottle each of champagne and orange juice).

But as you are in a brewery, beer lovers should try the Son of a Peach, a wheat hefeweizen with peaches that's wonderfully fruity and smooth.

As for the food, brunch hits are the Country Skillet, with vegetables and prime rib topped with eggs; Chef's French Toast; and anything with bacon (as always, bacon is the bomb). Biscuits and gravy, anyone? Of course, with bacon.

UTOG's got some great work coming out of the kitchen. The wings are divine as are the salads, daily soups and sandwiches. And yes, there are vegan options and even Brussels sprouts. "Elevated" pub food is the best description for this experience, and afterward, "satisfied" is the word tablemates shared.

Foss was on his way down the mountain from skiing when we chatted about his launching UTOG in the midst of COVID. "Being forced to close and then reopen really allows a company to know what they can shed and still survive," he said. "It really helped, financially, to organize things and run as lean as we could while still providing great products and a great customer experience."

Foss noted that staffing was not a big issue for them. Employees were given options, and some left, "but most of them stayed and returned, and now our projections are better going into this year than they were before the pandemic hit," he said.

He has succeeded in creating a place that's an escape, a retreat—but one that feels familiar, a nice place to just "be," where you can unwind from work and home responsibilities. It's a place to make a memory and return. Isn't that what makes going out so special? UTOG accomplishes that.

Our server impressively confided that the owner gave employees gift cards to other brewpubs in town at Christmas so they could share the community spirit of giving and also to experience their food and beers. She concurred that, yes, the pandemic was scary for a while—but they came out of it stronger than before, and the staff have formed a bond because of it.

UTOG Brewing Co.
2331 Grant Ave., Ogden
801-689-3476
utogbrewing.com

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Roosters Brewing Co.: Home of Liquid Love
(11-minute walk from the Ogden FrontRunner station; bus/trolley connections and ride-sharing available)

It all began in 1995 on Ogden's Historic 25th Street when Kym and Pete Buttschardt—the matriarch and patriarch of Ogden's gastro brewpubs —opened the city's first modern-day brewery (keep in mind that the modern brewpub trend was just beginning in Utah with Wasatch Beers of Park City launching the state's first microbrewery in 1986). As their website states, Kym and Pete "are the driving force that is the lifestyle known as Roosters!"

Roosters literally anchors 25th Street with its signature neon sign and a style that's welcoming, friendly and generous. They've expanded recently with a location in Layton as well as Roosters B Street Brewery and Taproom in Ogden—a 21+ establishment—and a satellite location at the Salt Lake City International Airport.

When you enter the 25th Street establishment, Roosters has a winding iron and wood staircase that adds to the restaurant's quirky charm, as does the large-format local art. During a recent visit, a man who had resided in Ogden in 1996 and now lives in Phoenix shared that he'd played darts upstairs while a young officer at Hill Air Force Base.

He noted that the bar now looks brand new to him. "This just wasn't here. It's so much bigger, and the menu has expanded," he said. "It's great to see how much Ogden has grown." And if you ask an Ogdenite about the team, you'll get a consistent answer: "Kym and Pete are really, really nice people."

UTOG's Foss agreed. "If I need hops, or anything, they'll help me out. We all work together to support one another," he said, referring to the community of brewers in Ogden. The Buttschardts have worked hard and have given of their time, talent and treasure to create a community-minded place where "liquid love" is on tap.

COVID hit Roosters employees hard, and a manager who has worked their way up the ranks noted, "It was a really scary time, not knowing what was going to happen next.

"But we all got really good at takeout orders, did what we could with limited supplies and worked really hard. They let us do what we needed to do. Some people stayed at home and received benefits while some people worked extra-long hours to keep the business going. We got a lot of support from our customers, and things are almost back like before," the manager said.

"I'd never want to do a mandatory shutdown ever again," Kym Buttschardt said. "But it showed us how strong, resilient and creative our team is. We didn't know what would happen this year, but [business] has turned back on."

Kym noted that Roosters went through a dark time in 2021 when the second wave of COVID hit. "But now," she said, "there's a magic in the air. All the restaurants are packed and busy. I think people just crave being back together and having dinner and drinks."

She said the business is projected to be better than ever this year, even when compared to 2019's pre-pandemic levels. "I'm so grateful for the resiliency of our employees," she said. "We did not do layoffs. We really relied on our team, got creative and took care of our people and the kitchen. We pooled tips, and we did whatever we could to ensure that everyone who needed help received what they needed from us."

One silver lining from the ordeal: "It took 25 years plus two weeks to get an online ordering business system going," Kym Buttschardt said. "And we do a lot of online ordering now. It's complicated, but it's incredibly successful, and it made me that much more appreciative of our hard-working people who provide a beautiful quality of life and service to our community."

A server, Memo, shared, "I just love working here. This was my first job. I left to experience some other work for a while, and now I'm back. I hope to be a manager one day!" His enthusiasm and menu recommendations were more akin to an old friend giving advice than that of a typical server.

New menu items like a Korean spicy chicken sandwich and a Wagyu beef entrée have appeared on the menu—nice complements to the old favorite drafts as well as some new ones. Check out the Strawberry Milkshake when it's on the board. A fruity beer with lactose, Strawberry Milkshake is one that Jacquie King—head brewer at the 25th Street location since 2016—said she finds fun and challenging to create. It's flavorful and hazy, yet delightfully surprising in how refreshing the finish is. And, by the way, King is a chapter leader of Utah's Pink Boots Society, a professional organization for women in brewing.

If you're feeling nostalgic, the Bee's Knee's Honey Wheat Ale is where many folks start. It's a classic wheat ale with a light body, golden color and a sweet finish. And for something full, black and toasty, the Junction City Chocolate Stout pairs well with the turkey enchiladas and the salmon dinner, both perennial favorites of regulars who head to Roosters for lunch and dinner.

The pizzas, pastas (Kym's Capellini is still there), salads and sandwiches are always well thought out. The much-loved "Veg Head" sandwich has been creatively translated into tacos. Don't miss the "naughty fries," served with three dipping sauces. And the brewery's Blood Orange Hard Seltzer? One word: refreshing!

Favorite craft cocktail? A grown-up "Loaded Root Beer," made with Five Wives Heavenly vanilla vodka, butterscotch schnapps and Roosters Homemade Root Beer. Trust us, it pairs great with a burger.

The challenges of COVID made Kym Buttschardt love and appreciate the brewery more than ever. "Now is the most fun time in my business," she said. "There are a lot of new and exciting developments happening (The Coop in Layton is coming soon!) that we can talk about later."

But for now, Kym takes stock and appreciates the fact that they have employees who've been with them for 25 years. "And my goal," she says, "is to be the preferred employer in the Ogden food business."

Roosters Brewing Co.
Multiple locations: Ogden, Layton, SLC International Airport
801-627-6171
roostersbrewingco.com

Rebecca Ory Hernandez is a food writer and personal chef based in Ogden.