Ogie’s Café: A Neighborhood Gathering Place for over 40 yrs

Ogie’s Café: A West Valley City Landmark Since 1983

Opened in 1983, Ogie’s Café has become a beloved fixture at the corner of 3500 South and Redwood Road in West Valley City. Over the years, the building has housed a couple of restaurants, but Ogie’s has endured as a local favorite for more than four decades.

Nestled in the heart of the city, the café offers a cozy, wheelchair-accessible space that blends comfort with nostalgia. Known for hearty breakfast and lunch plates, it serves up classics such as its acclaimed breakfast burrito, the famous 12-Pound Hamburger Steak and Eggs, and the Ogie’s Special, made with sausage, ham, bacon, cheese, hashbrowns, and eggs. Patrons regularly praise both the friendly service and the quick turnaround, making Ogie’s a popular destination for locals and visitors alike.

When the café first opened, its breakfast special cost just 99 cents—a far cry from today’s $6.99 breakfast deal advertised on the red-and-yellow sign above the entrance. Ogie’s also grew over time; in its early days, it was much smaller until founders George and Karee Marinos expanded into the neighboring vacuum shop space.

Changes in Utah law also left their mark. In 1995, when smoking was banned in restaurants, customers could no longer light up at their tables—a shift that reflected the times. The café’s customer base has also evolved, as George noted that many of the early regulars have since passed on, though new generations of diners continue to discover it.

The restaurant’s name carries a family story. “Ogie” was a nickname given to George by his older brothers during a trip to Yellowstone in 1963, when he was seven years old. Years later, when he opened his own place, George got the “last laugh” by using that childhood tease as the name of a now well-known and lasting restaurant.

For the Marinos family, Ogie’s has always been a family endeavor. In the early days, George cooked while Karee served, and their daughters, including Cami Marinos, grew up working there as bussers, servers, and eventually managers. Cami recalls that if she or her sisters wanted new shoes or spending money, they had to work for it in the café.

George, who began in the restaurant industry as a dishwasher at age 15, always envisioned Ogie’s as a mom-and-pop “greasy spoon” open just for breakfast and lunch, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. That vision has held steady: the café is still best known for “nice people, good food, and reasonable prices,” as he describes it.

The sense of community at Ogie’s has long extended beyond its walls. George remembers times when regulars rallied to help neighbors in need, such as when a group of customers volunteered to clean up the yard of an elderly woman who faced a city fine. “Everybody here is family,” said Cami, noting that many employees have been with the restaurant for 15 to 20 years. Regular customers, too, are considered part of the extended Ogie’s family.

The atmosphere inside reflects its old-school roots. On any given morning, the smells of coffee and browning potatoes fill the air while servers bustle between tables, refilling mugs and delivering pancakes, omelets, and steak-and-egg plates. Walls decorated with cowboy photos and shelves lined with hot sauce bottles add to the diner charm.

Now more than 40 years old, Ogie’s Café remains a West Valley original—an under-the-radar gem in a city filled with chain restaurants. Quiet, authentic, and family-run, it has stayed true to its purpose since 1983: to be a welcoming neighborhood spot where locals gather, share meals, and feel at home.

The Old Hickory Cafe was also a favorite in the late 50’s-late 70’s