Sharon's Cafe
2263 E. Murray-Holladay Road, Holladay ; 801-278-9552
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map)
Great Holladay cafe that serves homestyle breakfast and lunch with a loyal following.
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Cuisine: Cafe, American
Price: $
Hours: M-S, 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Su, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Liquor: None
Reservations: Not accepted/necessary
Accepts:    
Recommended Dishes: Huevos rancheros, french toast and burgers.
October 22, 2004
It's hard not to become a regular at homey Sharon's Cafe
By Nancy Hobbs
On a "normal" day at Sharon's Cafe, owner Sharon Prescott is at work early, filling the coffee mugs of her reliable early risers and getting the diner in order for another busy day. From 6 a.m. until 3 in the afternoon every day, she and her efficient crew are scrambling to serve up eggs and burgers to a frequently full house.
Today at Sharon's, however, is no ordinary day. Business will shut down just after noon so the casual dining room can be transformed into a wedding chapel.
Prescott is the bride. The groom is Chris Ahearn, an employee in the Utah Attorney General's Office.
A Halloween-themed reception will follow, catered by -- who else? -- Sharon's. The owner's loyal customers, whom she credits for her success over the past 14 months, are invited guests, and ghoulish costumes are welcome.
After all, she said with a laugh, she will be changing into something more apropos to the holiday theme after the ceremony.
Before the sun rises Sunday morning, Sharon's will be back to business as usual. The kitchen will be flipping hot cakes, frying up Utah-style scones, and baking biscuits on which to build the popular biscuits and gravy breakfast, priced at a reasonable $3.50.
The most popular offering is Sharon's Special, with slices of tender, marinated pork tenderloin paired with two eggs, fresh tomato and feta cheese. Sirloin steak, pork chops or Italian sausage also are served with eggs for the "anytime" breakfast, with prices ranging from $4.75 to $6.50, the highest price on the menu.
In addition to breakfast all day, the grill is open for lunch as early as anyone could want. And there are a fair number of regulars who come in off the graveyard shift, at 7 or 8 in the morning, says Prescott, and want one of the diner's half-pound burgers.
That's the small one.
Heartier appetites -- and high school athletes are about the only ones hearty enough -- gorge on Sharon's 1-pound Giant Burger.
"I think I'm the only one in town who sells those now," says Prescott, who figures she sells about 30 Giants a week at 5 bucks each. Add fries to that, and you still beat the $6 burger others boast about.
As I've mentioned in this space before, huevos rancheros are a personal gauge I use to compare eateries serving breakfast, and so it was among our orders on a recent Sunday at noon when Sharon's was filled with people of all ages and stripes.
It won points for a traditional preparation: a tortilla covered with refried beans, a couple of eggs any way you choose on top of that, and salsa as the crowning layer. Simple, but also easy to mess up, it seems. Sharon's didn't. The eggs were cooked to order, and the salsa had a nice, fresh flavor. The tortilla on the bottom worked well for cleaning up every last crumb.
A lot of people were ordering the thick-sliced golden brown French toast for breakfast; others were going the sandwich route, from French dip to clubhouse. All looked delicious, and certainly substantial.
We tried a couple of the "small" burger options: a half-pound bacon cheeseburger and an equally large garlic Swiss burger. The latter, which was especially juicy and flavorful, was served on a sesame roll, rather than the traditional bun. It was a nice deviation, and with the addition of Swiss cheese, tomatoes and lettuce, was far above average.
The décor at Sharon's isn't fancy. Booths line the windows, stools line the counter and ordinary tables fill the spaces between. A collection of football helmets fills the window sills and, due to the season, spiders and witches hang from the ceilings and walls.
But the diner's comfortable atmosphere comes more from the staff, who are friendly, accommodating and familiar with many patrons. It's clear that this is almost a home away from home for some, which is why they are likely to be kicking up their heels at Sharon's this afternoon, bidding best wishes and celebrating their good friend's new marriage.
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