Est. 1950 · Ephraim, Utah
Sanpete County's oldest diner
Seventy-five years on Main Street and we still grind our beef, cut our fries by hand, and spin every shake to order. No drive-thru. No corporate playbook. Just the food this town grew up on — and the fifty-plus flavors of malts that keep bringing everyone back.
The counter, still the best seat in the house.
A Ephraim institution, not a chain
Some things about Sanpete County have changed since Karl and Jolene Nielsen first flipped the sign to Open in 1950. The highway got wider. The college up the street got bigger. But the smell drifting out of 150 North Main on a cold Thursday afternoon? That hasn't moved an inch.
We're still a family operation. Still mixing our malts by hand, one at a time. Still keeping the Coca-Cola collection on the shelf and the red vinyl booths patched, not replaced — because the regulars who've been sitting in them for three generations would notice. If you're new to Ephraim, or just passing through on your way to Manti, we'll save you a stool.
Come hungry. Leave slower than you planned.
Read the full storyFrom the counter
A handful of the plates and cups that keep coming back. The full menu lives over on the menu page.
Lettuce, pickles, mayonnaise — the sandwich that put us on the map in the first place. Simple, unfussy, and still the one most people order on their very first visit. Add cheese if you know what's good for you.
Fifty-plus flavors. Thick enough to stand a spoon in.
Hand-cut every morning. Golden, salted, gone fast.
Two patties, two slices of American, one very happy customer. The move when you skipped breakfast.
The wall behind the counter
Vanilla and chocolate we take for granted. But peppermint, black raspberry, butter pecan, banana, pineapple, cherry, orange cream, marshmallow, huckleberry — they all have their regulars, and the regulars know exactly what they want before they reach the counter.
Can't decide? Ask. Whoever's behind the register has been making these long enough to know that the right answer for a first-timer is almost never vanilla.
Take the flavor tourWhat the regulars say
"I've been coming here since I was a kid in the seventies. Same burger, same fries, same smell when you walk in the door. Some things you just don't mess with."
— Mark H., Ephraim
"We stop every time we drive through Sanpete. The malts are the real thing, hand-spun, not that soft-serve stuff. My kids ask for it by name."
— Diana R., Salt Lake City
"Called in a takeout order for seven people on a Friday night. Everything was ready, everything was hot, everything was right. That's not nothing."
— Jared T., Manti
A short history
Karl and Jolene Nielsen unlock the front door at 150 North Main for the first time. Burgers are fifteen cents. The Coca-Cola collection starts on day one.
What started as six flavors becomes a rotating board of forty, then fifty. The black raspberry becomes a local legend and never comes off.
The kids grow up, the recipes don't change. The red vinyl booths get patched, not replaced — because the regulars would notice.
Seventy-five years on and it's still a family operation. Still hand-spun. Still the best reason to get off the highway in Sanpete County.
Takeout, done right
No delivery, no third-party apps, no surprise fees. Call the shop or place a takeout order online, pick a time at least thirty minutes out, and your bag will be waiting on the counter when you walk in.
Monday – Saturday
11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Closed Sunday
Before you come in
We don't take table reservations — first come, first seated. If you have a large group, call ahead at (435) 283-4101 and we'll do our best to have space ready for you.
No. We're takeout and dine-in only. It keeps the fries crisp and the malts thick, which is how we prefer them. Place a takeout order and pick it up on the way home.
Yes — we offer gluten-free buns and can point out the safest items on the menu. Head to our gluten-free guide for the full list, or let the person taking your order know.
At least thirty minutes. On Friday and Saturday evenings, an hour is safer. There's no upper limit — you can schedule a pickup up to two days out.
Absolutely. We've hosted everything from Little League celebrations to church-group dinners. Check our birthday parties page for what we can do.
Yes — street parking along North Main and a small lot in back. See the visit page for the full rundown.