the sonora grill

unexpected flavors!. a friend came up to visit me from salt lake who had never been to ogden, and we decided to check this place out since reading the salt lake magazine review. therestaurantwas huge, and the menu offerings were impressive. we each had great drinks (a margarita and the aguas frescas with vodka) which were a perfect match for their large patio. we started with a trio of the ceviche - rock shrimp, mahi mahi, and ahi tuna. the mahi was decidedly our favorite. it was a tuesday, so since tacos were only $1.50 each, we got six of them and shared. it was plenty of food, and i'll definitely be back!

best utah mexican? no.. sonora grill isn't your average mexican restaurant. the experience and price point is similar to the chevysrestaurantchain but the analogy is inexact. chevys is more about cheap drinks and the party atmosphere while sonora grill is more about tweaking the flavors and more southwest u.s. mexican than straight up mexican. even so, we left with the feeling that the menu descriptions were more promising than the food itself.

this may be the best mexican food in ogden for lack of competition but despite the hype it sure isn't the best mexican food in utah. the best mexican in utah would probably be frida bistro in salt lake (http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/54/1498362/restaurant/central/frida-bistro-salt-lake-city), which is in different league, the same league as cactus in seattle (http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/1/1130/restaurant/madison-park/cactus-seattle).

note: sonora grill is flagged as romantic. at the right time it might be. but often there will be too many families and children offsetting the rather nice interior design.

ok.. i left thisrestaurantfeeling rather indifferent. the food was neither bad nor good. nice atmosphere, but nothing too special. the agua fresca was delicious, but as far as "authentic mexican" food, i'll go to the taco stand down the street.

good mexican in ogden?. i am from ogden. i grew up on the likes of el matador, javier's, fiesta mexican, etc. then i moved to san diego for some time and found out in old town what real mexican food is all about. i've been back home for a while now and had heard a lot about the sonora grill at the junction. i heard things from "it's the best mexican food in ogden hands down" to "it's ok, but way too expensive for what you get."

my friends and i decided to give it a try. my first impression walking in the door was good. it's like an "out of ogden" experience; upbeat, very big with modern mexican decor. the huge chips and colorful salsas were great. a nice selection of margaritas, something you don't find anywhere else in ogden. (that i know of) i had el hefe (the chief).. it lived up to the name. i would recommend a 1 1/2 oz pour as a standard instead of offering it as an upgrade (i mean it is a $9 margarita why not pour what the state now lets you?) anyway it was good.

we ordered the tableside guacamole, because apparently you have to... that's what i was told anyway. it was made right in front of us.. very fresh..very yummy. i will be using the recipe at home. i would go back just for the guac and margaritas.

for dinner i ordered the mahi mahi fish tacos. they were served in soft warm corn tortillas (made on location, you can watch the young lady pressing them from your table) with a pineapple salsa over top. the avocado creme sauce on the side was a nice touch. the fish was tender and the tacos did not lack for flavor. i was impressed.

i have to admit sonora grill nailed what i would look for in old town san diego or anywhere for mexican food; and to think they are right here in ogden. i have def. found my local mexicanrestaurantof choice and highly recommend it, especially in comparison to what else ogden has to offer.

thisrestaurantis awesome! i loved the making of the guacamole tableside. the chile verde was so savory with the pork being tender. for dessert, the flan was exquisite and the cheesecake chalupas were the best. i would recommend this place to everyone!!!!

good food and atmosphere.. ogden has no good mainstream mexican food. if it's not a hole in the wall restaurant, it probably will disappoint - at least that's the mentality i had about going to the sonora grill, and i must say, i was pleasantly surprised! other than being a little pricey, the sonora grill offered flavors and items not found on your typical mexicanrestaurantmenu. the food was very fresh (even the ceviche was tasty for not being next to the ocean) and presented nicely on the plates. the service was typical ogden service, slow and lack-luster (but i think that's more a function of how most people here don't tip well), but the atmosphere was very nice and new. this is by far the bestrestaurantdown at the junction.