I was pleasantly surprised at how refined the environment was. The first thing I noticed was how beautiful everything looked. This is no hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Everything screams class and elegance. I love all the decor and lighting and flooring. It reminds me of a old-world feel, creating a very interesting and energized environment. I love that open floor plan of the restaurant where you can see thru the kitchen as well. Its a trip to see the chefs at work. Awesome bar and selection of alcoholic drinks. Ogden finally has a cool full bar! Service was excellent. There are many choices for all sorts of picky eaters. The server helped us out a lot in choosing what we love off the menu and was very professional. We wanted to sit outside on the patio but it was too hot that day. Food was delicious! You can definitely taste the freshness. Its not like other Mexican restaurants where its frozen/prepackaged. i love that i am not just eating cheese. I have had lots of Mexican food where the major flavor comes from greasy cheese. All the food has real, fresh flavors. Overall, it was just a pleasant environment to be in. We need more places like these EVERYWHERE! Especially in Ogden. Prices are just right for us. You DO get what you pay for. We love this place and will definitely come back week after week! A MUST TRY!

After frequenting Sonora Grill for the sixth time, I decided it was time I expressed some gratitude for my new food infatuation.

Ogden’s newest fine dining at very affordable prices is located just off Washington and 24th street – next to the new movie theater in the Junction. My first visit was after hearing about the restaurant repeatedly from several of my friends and neighbors. The atmosphere is refined, yet casual, with an open floor plan, friendly servers, and beautiful decor.

The food…where to begin. My favorite is a simple Mexican delicacy – tacos al pastor. This is pork marinated in spices and herbs and slow roasted on a rotisserie. Topped off with pineapple and garnished with chopped cilantro and onions – simply amazing! Among other favorites are the carne asada steak, agua fresca (various fresh fruit drinks), ceviche (fresh seafood and vegetables in a citrus marinade), and the most amazing flan in the world (including Mexico). Portions are more than ample and the prices are spot on – tacos al pastor served with rice and beans run $11.95.

The restaurant is perfect for work lunches, parties, and banquets – they even cater. I’ve taken several clients there from out of town to show off the best Ogden has to offer. Our company has even already booked our Christmas party in Sonora Grill’s banquet room complete with audiovisual capabilities. The bar is another beautiful part of the restaurant with generous seating areas and the most amazing mojitos and margaritas Utah has to offer.

HUNGRY!!!???

We were pleasantly surprised by the decor. Very classy and comfortable. Much nicer than we expected to find in Ogden.

The one thing that everyone should know about this restaurant is that they serve ceviche! High quality ceviche is hard to come by around these parts.

I had the Chicken Pibil. Loved it. I could have handled it a little spicier, but it had great flavor. My wife had the Turkey Tostada Salad. She had just eaten a similar chop salad from the Cheesecake Factory a few days earlier and said the Tostada Salad was way better.

Well, my friend told me he had read something about the guacamole at Sonora Grill and I thought I better tell you my version. I actually go to this restaurant for the fresh guacamole. I don’t really know how you couldn’t like it. It’s fresh and simple…just like guacamole should be. And because they make it for you at your table you CAN go to the grocery store and buy all the ingredients and make it at home yourself. I don’t know if I can ever go back to puree style guacamole again.

Good job, Sonora Grill. Don’t listen to the naysayers…not everyone in Ogden knows good food when they see it. And I can’t believe someone complained about the inside of your restaurant…there’s nothing else nearly as nice and classy. You can see pictures of the restaurant’s interior on their website, thesonoragrill.com. Check them out and judge for yourself.

Oh my goodness, I cannot say enough good things about this place! My neighbor’s son was a waiter there over the summer while he was home from BYU. He loved working there and said the owner went out of his way to make sure everyone was happy. And he sure did for me! I have celiac disease and have a hard time eating at restaurants. Most don’t offer anything that is gluten free, but since The Sonora Grill makes everything fresh (no pre-made sauces or frozen anything!) I had so many different options. The owner even made me a fresh batch of corn tortilla chips in oil that hadn’t been in contact with the flour tortillas. I couldn’t believe it!

The Sonora Grill is a classy place. I’m so glad I don’t have to go to Salt Lake anymore to go out to eat! This is my new favorite restaurant and my husband laughs at all the excuses I come up with to go out to eat now!

I’ve been to The Sonora Grill quite a few times and have had only good experiences. My servers have been cheerful and pleasant and clean. I noticed there weren’t any with crazy earrings or radical hair colors. Kind of nice when you want to eat somewhere nice. That being said, I have received sub-par service everywhere…Las Vegas, Chicago, New York, and even Ogden. What set this restaurant apart to me was that the owner was walking around and talking to all of the customers. He was a sincerely nice guy and is doing a good thing for Ogden. I’m sure he would go out of his way to correct any problems. I always go out of my way to support independent restaurants. I’d pick The Sonora Grill over Iggy’s any day of the week.

The Sonora Grill has quickly become a personal favorite of mine to take my business clients to for lunch or dinner. Since their opening, I have taken a total of 4 clients to the Sonora Grill on 4 separate times. Each time I did, they delivered a unique and personalized service. The experience I want to share here is the one that prompted me to take some time and post this review. I had a business associate come to Ogden from overseas. Knowing that he has a preferred taste for Mexican cuisine I was, of course, excited to share this new restaurant with him. When the waitress appeared I ordered the aqua fresca, a pineapple flavored lemonade, and my client ordered a drink called “tamarindo”. Never heard of it before and I guess it wasn’t on the menu, so he instead ordered a Pepsi. A few minutes later the waitress appeared with my aqua fresca and the Pepsi that my client ordered. She then said the chef was sorry that tamarindo was not on the menu and that if my client wouldn’t mind waiting a few minutes he would personally mix the drink for him. My client readily agreed and about 10 minutes later the waitress appeared with a pitcher of tamarindo and needless to say, he was shocked the chef would do such a custom order just for him. This was the most amazing thing I have ever had happen in a restaurant. I mean, really…What restaurant makes a custom drink for a patron just to simply make him happy. The only restaurant I know of that would do this is the Sonora Grill. From here on out everything was just a special. For the appetizer, I ordered ceviche, a citrus-marinated seafood salad that is made with fresh calamari, shrimp and scallops. With a bowl of “still hot from the fryer chips” my client greedily ate this appetizer. For the meal, I ordered the doraditos , a type of deep fried tamale with a side of beans and rice and the other order for my client was the Carne asada Tacos. The doraditos are my favorite. It is the subtle differences about Sonora Grill that makes their food so good. This goes to show why it is not hard to find, owner, Steven Ballard braggingly, pointing them out. Steven has noted to me that the doraditos have a slow-cooked, marinated chicken center with a light and tasty corn breading on the outside from which they top with an eloquent amount of sour cream and scrumptious authentic, grated Mexican cheese. At the end of our meal, my client was enjoying his entrée so much that he couldn’t leave without trying the flan. I am not sure what the flan tastes like at Sonora Grill but he sure seemed to like it a lot. So much that he even offered to share with me a small taste, but feeling a bit awkward by the situation, I declined. I just insisted I was full. In a quick rundown, I love the Sonora Grill. It is great food with an upscale feel. However, one thing to consider when eating at the Sonora Grill is this is a “made to order restaurant”. In other words you won’t find day-old, frozen, chilled or prepared entrees waiting to come out of the fridge the minute the customer places the order. We don’t have many of these restaurants in Utah, so be patient and be prepared to take a little extra time for this special restaurant. If you are looking for something quick and boring this is definitely not the place. So don’t be impatient, because I know that when you come to The Sonora Grill, if you’ll look for the subtle differences, you will come to love and appreciate the time and thought they put into their cuisine like I have.

I was excited to eat at The Sonora Grill after reading this great review: http://yourheartout.com/?p=2672

My husband and I hopped on the FrontRunner and went up to Ogden to check it out ourselves. We were quite impressed with the restaurant and everything else that is going on in Downtown Ogden. Honestly, who would have thought they could pull off such an amazing change. (I used to be a little concerned in the parking garage after shopping with my Grandma in the old Ogden Mall.)

I loved the green salsa, he loved the red salsa. We shared the Doraditos, which left me almost full. I should have skipped my entree (even though it was delicious…I just ended up bringing most of it home) and gone straight for the dessert (amazing flan). I think I’d like to go back for some more dessert sampling. The banana split taken to the table next to us was huge!

I recently moved here to ogden from Nashville TN and i would have to say i would have never of found a restraunt that was up to this standard there… Bravo ogden for having such an amazing restraunt. I know that when i have my friends come and visit me for the ski season that i will make sure to bring them there!! But to mention there was a slight slip up with my order i asked for no guacamole and when my amazing (and very large) taco salad came with guacamole i pointed it out and with in 30 secs my server had taken it back to the kitchen and came back with a brand new one… Not to mention not only was the server very appologetic but the owner himself ’Steve Ballard" came over and apologized… Where i ask you do you ever get an owner the comes to a table to apologize about something as small as guacamole?!?! As for the atmosphire can we just say AMAZING!!! There has to have been a lot of carefull and very tactful thought that went into the decour… I was even told that almost all of the decour itself came straight from Mexico, try going to taco bell and look at authentic Mexican decour… I seriously can not say enough good things about this restraunt, the management, and the service… Again bravo ogden and thank you Sonora Grill for a great dinning experience!!!

This restaurant is awesome! I have eaten here time and time again and will continue to tell my friends about what a great restaurant the Sonora Grill is.

I was just checking out the reviews on menuism when I noticed that some people gave this restaurant a horrible review. I was shocked!! Every time I’ve been to Sonora Grill my experience has been great. The food has been amazing. The atmosphere is top notch. I can’t say enough about this independently owned restaurant that Ogden so desperately needs! So I read the bad reviews and noticed that every single one of them was complaining about the service. Not necessarily the restaurant.

I noticed one person complain about their small tacos but what they failed to mention is that there are 4 tacos on the plate!! Seriously the portion sizes are huge. My wife and I split meals there easily and we both go home full. The reviewer called the taco a 2 bite taco? Well if your mouth is that big you need to get your big fat butt over to Chuck o Rama for all you can eat… then you could add on a couple more chins.

Iggy’s? Iggy’s food is disgusting, it’s cheap and disgusting (Sysco foods, I can seriously tell when a restaurant uses Sysco as their food provider… it all tastes the same and it’s all gross, no matter how good the chef is. You can’t create a quality product from poor quality materials)…. Don’t get me wrong, Iggy’s is fun to go watch a game… which I love to do…. But I’ve never gone there to just eat. It’s like the Wal-mart of casual dining.

Anyway, Sonora Grill is great and I want to see it do great, it’s one of the best things to happen to Ogden and I want it to stay open….. I guess that’s why I’m writing this review., The few bad reviews there are on the Sonora Grill was because of bad service which I think totally skews the customers perception of the quality of food, atmosphere and overall ambiance this beautiful restaurant provides. I feel bad that a few patrons had bad service and sometimes that does happen at even the best restaurants but I wouldn’t take it out on the chef!

Go to Sonora Grill tonight! You won’t regret it!
Favorite meal: Carne Asada Plate!! I little pricey but worth every penny. The 1st time in you have to get the table guacamole and for dessert the Torre de Benulous! AMAZING!

I have been to Sonora Grill a few times for lunch and have alwyas been more than happy with the quality of the food and the service. I honestly don’t know how someone on here can complain about the portion sizes. The carne asada tacos are on the small side but they do give you four of them plus plenty of fresh chips and salsa adn rice and beans. I have never left this restuarant hungry.
The chile verde here isn’t the most “authentic” but it has great chunks of tender pork and the carne asada in the tacos is always tender and moist. They also have a third spicier salsa that you have to request. It is much better than the standard two that they automatically provide but for some reason, they only provide it by request.
This really is a great local restaurant and Ogden should be proud to have something other than the other run of the mill large chains like Chili’s and Applebee’s. It is also nice to see the owner greeting guests and having very active involvement in customer satisfaction.

Sonora Grill is one of the hidden treasures of Ogden. My husband struggles with Mexican but after eating from Sonora’s ceviche menu he was hooked. I love their salads, tostadas, and the chicken quesadilla are always good. Their strength is in their sauces. Each one is unique. The fresh guacamole (made table side) is THE BEST guac I’ve had and I adore their desserts.

The service is wonderful. The owner, Steve, makes an effort to come by and say hello to every customer he can. We go there about once a month and he always remembers us and our drink preferences. Aside from the great food, the personalized service is what keeps us coming back. If you’re in Ogden I would highly recommend swinging by Sonora for an exceptional meal!

Sonora Grill really seems out of place – but fortunate for us. Amazing, open atmosphere with some of the finest detail finishing I’ve ever seen in a restaurant. A large restaurant with a very personal touch – chances are you’ll meet the owner at your table during your meal.

The food…you can’t go wrong really. They have dynamic menu that changes somewhat every three months. My favorite is the tacos – tacos al pastor. Sweet pork, grilled pineapple, handmade tortillas. Great drinks and some deserts to die for. You will love it!

I’ve never walked out of a restaurant until now. We had some friends in from out of town and thought we would try Sonora Grill because it was new. We were first surprised to see that the atmosphere inside was different than the entrance. The entrance was cozy and inviting, but the main seating area was very open with simple tables that left you feeling exposed. After looking at the menu, there were several appealing items, but overall the cost was slightly more than what was expected. At $22.95 for a sirloin, it better be good. Timbermine or Maddox would probably be a better option. Once we placed our orders, the waitress brought out a couple types of salsa and some tortillas. Both salsas were average at best with the tomatillo salsa tasting like straight lime juice and the chili variety leaving a strange aftertaste. Then a gentleman came by the table to make fresh guacamole for us. He was very knowledgeable and the ingredients included Haas avocados, white onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and kosher salt. If you are going to go out of your way to make fresh guacamole and make it your signature, I’d expect something a little more exotic with excellent flavor. As you can see by the ingredients, it wasn’t anything special and could be made by anyone with a trip to the supermarket. In fact, it was very bland and no one at the table finished more than a sample. As for the entrées, we never got them. The waitress forgot to place the order and after an hour and a half, we left hungry and disappointed. The manager gave us $20 off a future visit, but even that isn’t enough to make up for our ruined evening. By the time we picked up our son from the babysitter it was after 9:00pm and we simply went home. In the future, I would forgo visiting the Sonora Grill and head over to Iggy’s next door. I’ve never been disappointed there.

Most people enjoy dining. It’s not just the food, it’s the experience of eating in a nice location, enjoying the company of friends and getting excellent service. Wish we had gone to Taco Bell.
Alright, Why did I say that? The food was okay. The prices were a little high for lunch so we expected great service and a fun dining experience. Here’s what went wrong: My friend asked the waiter about a plate, my wife injected a comment like, is it spicey? The waiter said, “excuse me ma’am, if you’ll let me finish, I’ll tell you” it was in that “shut up and let me talk, lady” tone.
We discussed leaving after this but decided to ride this out as he may be new or maybe we misunderstood him. The waiter was very direct with us as if he didn’t want to waste any time with our table. When asked for a refill and some salt, he walked away as if he didn’t hear us, leaving us staring at each other. It’s difficult to explain his attitude but it was along those lines of “Go Fu*& yourself” The bill came and I suggested no tip. My friend said he’d tip but at 3% . So he did that. The waiter returned to the table and tossed the 3% tip back down saying, it’s okay, he didn’t want the tip as it wasn’t enough.
So the food was average.
The price above average.
The service was rude. I was wondering what was in the food I ate afterwards as it seemed this guy just didn’t like us. We did complain to the manager but in the end, why go back? No respect, no appreciation for our patronage. This is the first time this has happened to me or my wife. I’ve had drunken waiters and nervous waiters but this one was a first and I hope the last.

If you haven’t yet heard of Taco Tuesday at Sonora Grill – you should go and check it out for yourself. Amazing carne asada, tacos al pastor, and fish tacos – all amazing, all for $1.50 all day long every Tuesdays. Mix that with a margarita, or two, or three and it’s an amazing night at Sonora Grill. Enjoy!

“The Sonora Grill”

I went to The Sonora Grill on a recommendation and I have to say I was rather disappointed. The restaurant is found in a fantastic location of downtown Ogden near historic 24th Street. The entrance of the restaurant is nice and airy with clay pots and has the feel of old world Mexico. That is where it ends. The dining area is a much different story. It has kind of a warehouse look with a slight hacienda feel. It is dark are very noisy. They did have some music playing in the background and I am not sure if it was Mexican as it was impossible to hear above the din. Our waiter was very nice and attentive. He was there right away, took our drink orders and brought chips and salsa. The chips were huge and tasty but the salsa left a lot to be desired. The red salsa tasted more like marinara sauce than salsa and the green salsa had absolutely no taste what so ever. After ordering we were fortunate to watch the manager (who had been doing other things around the restaurant like cleaning tables and doing setup) make the homemade guacamole the restaurant is known for. It was really nothing special except that the manager, after doing all of the other stuff, mixing it up with no gloves on his hands, and no apron. It was rather gross and I would not have eaten any of it. Our order of fajita’s came soon after that. How can you screw up fajita’s right? The initial presentation was not good. There on the plate was a heap of green peppers covered in mozzarella cheese (this is Mexican right?) next to that was a scoop of guacamole, then sour cream and some kind of runny tomato mush. It was so runny that the juice from the tomato stuff was mixing into my sour cream and making a weird orange color on my plate. Upon removing all of the green pepper mozzarella to reveal the beef for my fajita, it was barely cooked. It was so raw that it also had taken part in making that weird orange color on my plate. I built my fajita using this mixture of tomato mush, raw beef, sour cream and took a bite. There was almost no flavor what so ever. The beef, even in its rather raw state was still tough to chew. It was very disappointing. The tomato mush looked like stewed tomato right out of the can, juice and all. I tried it separately and found it totally devoid of any flavor. The manager stopped by our table and we had to ask exactly what that stuff was. He proudly stated that they had taken a trip to Mexico and found the recipe there. Tomato, garlic, salt and pepper were the ingredients. Huh? On a positive note, I think that the staff were all fantastic and very attentive. I believe that the Sonora Grill has the potential to be a great restaurant! This restaurant is still a fairly new and they are trying to get things just right. There is no problem with a higher priced menu as long as the food is appropriate. I wouldn’t recommend the Fajita’s.

This place has persuaded me not to venture into a new restaurant in Ogden. 25th St. for me thank you. We and our friends thought this restaurant was going to be a neat new experience but were sorely disapointed. We thought the restaurant was empty but still had to wait 20 minutes to be seated. Once sat the chips and salsa were impressive but that was about all that was impressive. Our waitress was quick to get drinks but our appetizer didn’t show up for 20 minutes or so, which was only a queso dip. Three baskets of chips later and zero refills we couldn’t help but notice all the servers chatting to each other, including our server and still no food. We put on our best hungry face but still no food. Somewhere around an hour and fifteen minutes later(no joke) 3 out of our 4 meals showed up. How could these tiny appetizer sized entrees take so long to cook. We were all afraid we ordered off the kids menu. Good thing I had my monocle or else I would’ve missed my 2-bite tacos. Which were cold by the way. Seriously, I’ve eaten bigger tacos on sample day at Costco. After given more than enough time to eat our over priced miniature meals, our waitress disappeared with our checks and cards, giving us plenty of time to notice all the other patrons in the same predicament as us. We had a tough time figuring a half a percent on 40 dollars to tip. I’ve waited tables and I’m usually very compassionate to servers and tip big but this is the first time I’ve ever tipped one dollar. We were also offered desert but didn’t want to wait another 45 minutes. I don’t think I can say enough negative things about this place. We left with empty stomachs, empty wallets, no apologies for service, and very disappointed. If I could give this review a half a star I would because the chips and salsa were alright. Too bad taco stands aren’t open late. Don’t waste your time, eat at other locally owned restaurants on 25th St.