Maddox Ranch House

Maddox Ranch House got started the day Irv Maddox opened a seven-stool counter on Main Street in Brigham City, Utah during World War II. A welder friend fashioned a stove plate for an old coal oil burner, a used refrigerator was secured and Maddox was off and running. He asked Wilma Kotter to become his hostess. She did, and eventually became Mrs. Maddox.

One of Brigham City’s most famous destinations is not really located in Brigham at all. Maddox Steak House is located just south of Brigham on Highway 89/91. Ask any stranger what he knows of Brigham City and odds are high he’ll mention Maddox and their legacy for fine dining and commitment to customer service. Their reputation is known throughout the nation and international Maddox Ranch House got started the day Irvin (commonly known as “Irv.”) Maddox opened a seven- stool counter on Main Street in Brigham City, Utah during World War II, with financing supplied by Lorenso “Ren” Smith, father of Dee Smith, who established Smith’s Food & Drug.’ Fleet of stores. A welder friend fashioned a stove plate for an old coal oil burner, a used refrigerator was secured and Maddox was off and running. He asked Wilma Kotter to become his hostess. She did, and eventually became Mrs. Maddox. A few years later, Irv, Wilma, and Gale Maddox opened a beautiful restaurant called the Double “J” on Harrison Boulevard in Ogden, Utah. Living in Brigham City and commuting daily to work in Ogden, they began to eye a piece of property in Perry, Utah.

Because some folks thought the idea of a restaurant out in the “middle of nowhere” was crazy, they constructed a very small log cabin type of building built on skids so that it could be towed away if things didn’t work out. That was August of 1949 and it still sits on its original location.

Maddox Ranch House has been called “Utah’s Original Steakhouse,” and “One of the most popular eating p[aces in Utah.” And it truly has a taste and a style all its own. Maddox has a special place in the hearts of many Utahans.

Maddox is now operated by its third generation of the Maddox family. Irv and Wilma’s son Steve ran the business until 2013, when he died of ALS. His son, Irv II now runs the operation, along with his brother John. Irv’s and John’s sons are also actively involved in the family business. Though family-owned and operated, Irv attributes much of the success to having loyal, trusted, hard-working employees. Randy Braegger was the Restaurant Manager for many years and Dixie Reeves ran the kitchen, both working over 50 years.

Irv II is quick to note that while many have heralded his grandfather’s genius and vision, much of its success is directly attributable to his legendary wife, Wilma. Her impact was incalculable. She ran the business front-end and restaurant logistics for over 50 years, while Irv’s domain was the kitchen and stockyards. Her skills and charm were so widely known that when she died, her obituary made network television news in Salt Lake City.

When asked the secret of Maddox’s success, Irv quickly replied, “We always remember that we’re only as good as the last meal we served.” What’s the best item on their menu? It’s nearly impossible to decide. No matter what your favorite item on the Maddox menu is, you can be assured your beef, chicken, turkey, potatoes and gravy will be done just right, each time.

There are three totally different menus in the Maddox operation: Dining, Drive In and Take out, with all supplied by one central kitchen, They also enjoy a reputation for providing unsurpassed quality in catering events.

The drive- in opened in 1969 on the building’s northside, using a unique delivery system. Orders filled, then placed on trays where they were delivered to servers on a chain-driven overhead conveyor system. Steve’s wife, Judy,

hand-painted its accompanying signs. The conveyor is no longer in service, but the drive in still operates on a manual ticket system, where each order is placed by voice.

The operation expanded haphazardly through the years, with additions incorporated as space allowed. Irv says that his father was legendary for tearing apart the kitchen on a busy day to incorporate a new recipe or procedure. A major renovation occurred when UDOT installed curb and gutters on Highway 89/91. The whole entryway was redone, and an enormous tunnel was created West of their dining room, cooled by an enormous AC unit. But, through it all, the Maddox commitment to excellence continued. Though a short-term inconvenience, the highway renovation was a blessing, eliminating many of the hazards to entering and exiting their busy parking areas.

Their upstairs in now filled with semi-private eating areas, which are perfect for intimate dining. But it was once Irv & Wilma’s family home; its former living quarters, once bedrooms, living room & kitchen are now unique partitions. Steve always shared stories of himself sitting on staircase for hours, as a boy, fascinated, as he watched his parents operate below.

Irv II doesn’t even know the exact size of the facility, explaining that’s just not the Maddox way. But he does know every carpet stain, leaky faucet, or problem area in the facility, and is quick to point out their building currently has over 42 compressors with the many refrigerators, freezers, and air handlers regulating temperatures.

The kitchen is enormous, with its daily crew of 45, usually doubled to 90 preparing food for each phase of their operation. Their special walk-in cooler holds salad components, chilled at just the right temperature, holding countless heads of lettuce, each of which has been thoroughly washed three times.

Maddox’s operations expanded widely during the years Steve was at the helm. He developed systematic approaches to every task. But, like his father, his real focus was more on the back-end and idea spinning. Irv II remembers helping his grandfather with the feeding operation until about the age of 12. For many years the restaurant boasted that its all-natural beef were grown and fed just outside in their adjacent stockyards and pasture, aged and cut for a retail meat counter and restaurant operations.

But sadly in 1986, the scale of operations grew to where the feedlot could no longer supply their needs, so it was shut down and trusted outside vendors now supply the beef. It is important to note that the prime cuts on a side of beef are limited, with one carcass supplying only about 8 cuts of sirloin and even fewer filets, so huge numbers of animals are required to supply their daily meat requirements.

But, that does not mean Maddox has compromised their quality of meat. Only USDA Choice & Prime cuts are purchased. They are then aged in an enormous walk-in cooler, commonly referred to as “the vault,” where meat is cured for 20 to 25 days. Prime cuts age twice as long. Irv II still contracts with local ranchers to produce The World’s Finest Beef.

The massive scale of their operation is staggering. Presently, they bake at least 800 dozen rolls daily. That means a new batch of rolls, using 50 pounds of flour is made every 90 minutes. During busy times, they bake over 1100 dozen fresh-made rolls every day- that’s a total of 13,200 individual rolls per day, in addition to the mountains of potatoes, carrots, lettuce and meat- with every component being hand-prepared the “Maddox way.”

For many years, famous Maddox rolls were served with the main course, but now hot rolls and cornbread are always served as the party is seated. When that procedure was introduced, their roll volume skyrocketed, but increased levels of customer satisfaction justified the increase in costs. They even home-brew their own draft root beer and make ice cream from their own recipe, with each detail followed religiously. And of course, every pie is home-made. Maddox is also known for its pure, great-tasting well water. It is not unusual for customers to walk out the door with containers of water to go. Irv II recalls that his father, Steve often brought five-gallon containers of drinking water home.

On a normal weekday, Maddox serves around 3,500 daily, with that number rising to 5 to 6,000 on busy weekends. Nearly 2,000 are served daily in the drive-in, with another 5 to 800 cars picking up take-out every day. They currently employ a total of 290 employees, with a skeleton crew of at least 50 on each shift.

Maddox utilizes many local suppliers and growing partners. They exclusively use Big J Flour, milled locally in Brigham. Their tomatoes and corn are supplied by Bingham Farms in Honeyville, peaches from Mund Orchards of Willard, and Selman Ranch of Tremonton supplies lamb and beef. Their goal is to keep prices affordable and the quality of food and service outstanding.

So, whether it’s your first trip or one of many, you can always rely on a quality dining experience at Maddox Ranch House.

Source: Staff interview with Irv Maddox