Magleby’s
Grill & Oyster Bar
Provo, Utah

Come hungry, leave satisfied  
At Magleby’s Grill and Oyster Bar, all you need to do is bring your friends; Magleby’s will handle the rest.

I took my own advice and recently descended upon Magleby’s with four friends--and the restaurant came through with flying colors: good service, good food, and plenty of both.

Magleby’s relatively new location, in Provo’s Riverwoods, feels inviting the moment you saunter through the double set of doors.

The v-shaped ceiling above the oyster bar, sky blue and illuminated, helps give the restaurant’s main area a sense of space and light.

The lights ‘neath the lustrous oyster bar, shining on decorative, mostly white tile, contribute to this cheery ambience. The floor--dark wood with long, cream-colored stripes--warms things up and adds some extra style, helping ensure that the restaurant is in no danger of contracting that chi-chi, sterile look where you just know the server’s name is going to be “Skippy,” or “Sky,” or “Typhannii.” So do the Gary Price sculptures on display (and for sale).

The five of us took our seats at a round table that can accommodate six. An outer wall and two partial walls nestle these larger tables on three sides, providing some sense of privacy--and you can speak to your dinner companions without having to scream like a tone-deaf cattle drover in the midst of a stampede.

I had already seen Magleby’s put to the test once, a few weeks before, when I came in for dinner with a couple who have three young boys. A wedding party, or more accurately, a wedding horde, had invaded the place, and things were definitely hopping. Through it all, the servers remained unfailingly friendly, and even brought out a small plate with a few French fries on it for each of the boys (SOP for young children, the staff tells me).

On this next visit we were treated to the same level of service--without the wedding horde. I asked Kody Dunn, the manager on duty that evening, what he considers Magleby’s best feature.

“The people I work with,” he replied immediately, “just really honest, hard-working people.”

We began our evening with something to munch on whilst we contemplated our menus: a plate of bite-sized pieces of sourdough bread with a little dish of marinara sauce for dipping--simple, tasty--and complimentary. Next our server brought us tantalizing samples of one of the most mouthwatering reasons so may people come to Magleby’s. The restaurant calls them “breadsticks,” but that doesn’t begin to describe a cheese roll worthy of the same reverence Homer Simpson feels when his gaze falls upon a particularly scrumptious donut. Served hot, a little crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and with just the right amount of cheese flavor, these rolls have been a Magleby’s favorite for many years, and justly so. Rolls such as these cheese-kissed little wonders promise good things to come, and we were not disappointed.

Menu

We opened with the Crab Spinach and Artichoke Dip appetizer ($8.99), an island of chewy, flavorful crab floating on a little lake of artichoke-spinach sauce, served with sourdough bread for dipping. We didn’t go overboard with the appetizers, however. We knew that food aplenty was on the way.

Come to Magleby’s hungry--and even then you are likely to be taking some food home for a nice leftover meal later on. The portions are generous; even the drinks weigh in at somewhere between 28 ounces and a full quart (32 ounces).

For entrees, Scott ordered the Fresh Alaska Halibut ($19.99), dipped in egg, lightly floured, and grilled, then festooned with sliced almonds and parsley flakes. Delicious, Scott said, not at all overcooked--and he pronounced the tarter sauce served on the side, “smooth. creamy, and fluffy.”

Scott’s wife, Dawn, ordered the Blue Plate Special ($9.99), a roast pork loin center cut with Magleby’s own peppercorn sauce, served on an actual blue plate, including a medley of zucchini, red and green peppers, onions, and carrots, and coleslaw on the side. Magleby’s features a different Blue Plate Special every day.

Pam ordered another Magleby’s favorite: Doc’s (no relation) Gourmet Shrimp ($13.99). Manager Kody Dunn explained that the cooks soak the shrimp in buttermilk for 24 hours, then coat them in butter and bread crumbs. The resulting finish is perfect, crispy, not thick or doughy, a compliment rather than a rival.

Pam’s husband, Richard, got the Orange Roughy ($19.99), encrusted with macadamia nuts and a sweet coconut glaze--a fish and a dish that definitely did not go to the ocean way up yonder in vain, he said.

I ordered another of the restaurant’s most popular entrées: Doc’s Endless Roast Beef (“you keep eating & we will keep bringing”) ($12.99). The plate arrived laden with an impressive mountain of thinly sliced roast beef, with a mild horseradish sauce and au jus on the side, plus the garlic mashed potatoes I ordered, and the aforementioned vegetable medley. I am not a small guy, and have an appetite to match, but as I neared the bottom of my first serving of beef, I had trouble imagining getting through a second.

To my surprise, Dunn says many customers come in especially for this dish--and ask for seconds, an impressive feat. Requests for thirds, he admits, are rare.

Instead of salads, Dawn and I chose soup. Dawn got the Italian Sausage Cabbage soup, an unpretentious, reassuring, flavorful offering. I tried the mushroom, more watery than I expected, but flavorful, with onions, celery, carrots, and a surprising bit of tanginess, thanks to a soupcon of citrus juices.

Everyone agreed that the vegetables were cooked just right: al dente, firm rather than mushy, but not too crisp.

At last, the moment for the coup de grace arrived: dessert. Magleby’s desserts are just as generous as the entrées. Scott ordered the extremely popular Four-Layer Tower Cake. This is the virtual aircraft carrier of desserts, 8-10 inches of chocolate cake and chocolate icing, lying on its side and topped with three scoops of vanilla ice cream. Not a dessert for the faint of heart, nor the solitary.

Richard and Pam tried another Magleby’s favorite, the Buttermilk Pie, a white pie that is part cake, part pie, and wholly delicious, topped with a raspberry sauce.

Dawn got the crème brulée, a fine custard, caramelized on top, served with raspberry sauce and a leaf of mint.

Magleby’s dinner menu ranges from $6.99 for the Veggie Sandwich to $24.99 for the Filet Mignon or the 12 oz. New York Peppered Steak. The four-item kids menu ranges from pasta or chicken strips for $3.95 to Halibut for $7.95.

If you have a hankering for oysters, Magleby’s includes the only oyster bar in the valley, featuring Oysters on a Half Shell ($9 for six, $15 for a dozen) and Oysters Rockefeller $19).

Magleby’s features a banquet menu for large groups. The largest banquet hall can accommodate 100-110, and the other two banquet halls can handle 35-45 each.

The restaurant accepts reservations for groups of five or more.

For more information about Magleby’s phone number and location, see the Utah Valley Diner’s Guide entry.