Thunderbird Restaurant
Junction US 89 & Hwy 9, Mt Carmel, UT, 84755
Thunderbird Restaurant Menu
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Address :
Junction US 89 & Hwy 9
Mt Carmel, UT, 84755 - Phone (435) 648-2262
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Charlotte C.
I originally stopped just to takes picture of the Ho-made sign. Decided to go in for dinner and the pie. The dinner was okay, but the apple pie was fabulous. The hot buttered rum sauce was great on the pie and the ice cream. Nice roadside stop. Fast and friendly service.
(4)Jim G.
Great little place to stop on the road to bryce from zion. How can you not stop at a place that boasts their "ho made" pies. Food was good we had burger, patty melt and the meatloaf special. All of it very good. Service was a little slow, but come on what else do you have to do in this kneck of the woods just chiiiiiil.
(4)Kris D.
Food was great. Ho-made apple pie ala mode with rum sauce was to die for!! We got to meet the owners and had a great conversation with them. The history of the restaurant and sign are wonderful stories for years to come! I even got a Ho-made Pie shirt. I will be back!
(5)Happy P.
If you are anywhere near Zion National Park, you simply must stop by the Thunderbird Restaurant and try their famous "ho-made" pies! Most of the food is typical diner fare, so don't come looking for a fancy meal. But if you're in the mood for a diner breakfast, a truly great cup of coffee and a slice of the best homemade pie you will probably ever eat in your life, this is the spot. We stayed at the adjoining Best Western hotel for several nights during a recent trip to Zion National Park and joked that we wanted to try and make it through the whole pie list. My favorite hands down was the Thunderberry Pie, which is a mix of blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and I forget which other berries...just, all of them. If you're a berry fan, you'll be in heaven. The homemade crust is also divine. My husbands favorites were the Coconut Cream Pie and the Chocolate Cream Pie. The decor is kitschy and fun...they definitely have a sense of humor about the original neon "home of the famous ho-made pies" sign, which dates back to the 1930s. The staff here is very friendly, prompt, and personable. Super classy group of folks. We will definitely be back!
(5)Courtney K.
Obviously, their "ho-made pies" sign is part of the draw. We usually don't have dessert at restaurants, so to insure that we could have some pie here, the husband and I split a chicken salad sandwich. The sandwich was very good. But really, it was all about dessert. I had the hot apple pie with a warm caramel bourbon sauce that can in a little cup on the side. Wow, it was delicious. Husband decided to get some cheesecake, which he enjoyed. Our waiter was SUPER friendly and genuine. He made the experience even more enjoyable.
(4)Alexander P.
Service was very fast. Had my thunderbolt turkey melt right after we ordered (and it was good). The microbrew and awesome apple pie was a nice addition and couldn't be more pleased with our server Taylor. Great spot to go to when passing through!
(4)Flaming H.
Without doubt, the Thunderbird Restaurant catches you with it's amazing neon fueled retro look that is hardly to miss at Mt Carmel Junction. The Inside looks more like a typical hotel restaurant, according to the attached Best Western. As a party of five we decided for a variety of warm sandwiches. Honestly, none of them was worth the money. Loveless, small portions and of minor taste. For the price of 9$ you'll get a proper meat and lettuce loaded sandwich in a NY deli. Here you get a skinny clubsandwich. The BBQ sandwich was dry meat and Bbq sauce. Disappointing. I have posted some photos for you. All sandwiches were ruined by chemical tasting convenience food potato salad or cole slaw. One star for the outside look, one for the swift service.
(2)Weston W.
For what it is it's great - Do: Come here and order any of the burgers or other dinner fare. Don't: Come here expecting a great steak house... it's a dinner people, not Morton's. Stopped in here with a crew of 7 and thoroughly enjoyed our food and service. I personally scarfed down my Jalapeno burger like it was going out of style then consumed most of the super hot fries. It's always nice to get fries hot. Prices were very fair for where this place is and I felt like we got our moneys worth. Left the place happy, full, and ready for the next leg of our journey. One last thing: On the intriguing Ho-made pie sign... the mystery continues as to where the Ho's were. ??
(4)Emily L.
Actual conversation: Me: "Thunderbird Restaurant. Would you give that one or two stars?" Boyfriend: "Uh................ I'm leaning toward one." Me: "Yeah, I feel bad, but I can't think of anything redeeming." Boyfriend: [trying to think of something positive] "It wasn't dirty or anything... that's good." So, I was really let down by Thunderbird Restaurant. I loved the neon sign and the kitschy stuffed bear at the entrance and the fact that I could get a beer called Polygamy Porter. And I was really looking forward to trying a piece of the "ho-made pie." I think it was called "ho-made" because they were trying to save space/letters when writing "homemade." Of course, because I am easily amused (by myself, no less), I kept pronouncing it "ho-made" rather than "homemade." :) Anyway, we showed up at the hostess stand and were seated quickly, but then we sat in our booth for 15 minutes before the server even acknowledged us. We tried to amuse ourselves with the little booklet of bad jokes that was tucked in with the salt and pepper shakers of each booth, and I even went outside and took a bunch of pictures of the hummingbird feeder and the neon sign The server seemed to be very attentive to three other tables, bringing them food, hanging around and bantering back and forth, running checks very quickly. Meanwhile, we weren't even given water or the chance to order our beverages. Finally, he came over to our table and said, "Do you know what you want to drink?" Seriously?! How about a "sorry for the wait" or even a hello?? We gritted our teeth and said we were ready to order everything. We both got burgers and fries, figuring they would be pretty safe. He took our orders wordlessly and stalked off. Great people skills, guy. After what seemed like an eternity, we were presented with our burgers and fries. The burgers turned out to be thick, dry, and grayed hockey pucks that were burnt all around. No amount of mustard could mask this. I've definitely had better at backyard cookouts and even at company picnics where hundreds or thousands of burger patties were being cooked and were not burned to a crisp. The fries were frozen steak fries. They were edible... but I've had better frozen steak fries in school cafeterias. My favorite parts of the meal were the lettuce and tomato (which were nice and fresh) and the Heinz ketchup (tried and true and incapable of being ruined by a restaurant!). Because of the outrageous wait, MIA server, and terrible burger and fries, I did not have any ho-made pie. I just wanted to leave the damn restaurant. I ended up going to the gas station next door and bought a peanut butter cookie. That tasted better, and the gas station attendant was really nice. Thanks, gas station!
(1)David K.
The Reuben sandwich on marble rye bread was excellent. In addition get the Thunderberry Pie a-la-mode. Ate here twice. This place also gets Asian Tour Buses so it was quite busy and service was a little slow. But hey we are on vacation and was hungry after the morning hike at Zion hiking the Virgin River to the Narrows. Good diner food, good location at the Junction of 89 and Scenic Hwy 9. Surprised to see a small golf course.
(4)Greg L.
Fried chicken, corn dogs, cold beer. It is Americana wrapped in good old fashioned service. A good place for a family to have a good affordable meal. A surprisingly good wine selection.
(4)Jen G.
After a long day of being at the Demolition Derby down the road in Orderville, the group of guys I was with, along with my kiddos and myself, were FAMISHED. We had passed by this place on the way to the derby and I almost cried when I saw the sign that said 'ho-made pies', because I knew we weren't able to stop for a heavenly slice. Imagine my delight when we stopped on the way home! The special was a meatloaf, which, by coincidence, I had been craving all day. The waitress made her rounds and one by one, all of the big burly guys I was with, ordered the same thing-the meatloaf! I was on the verge of water works out of my eyes again as I feebly asked the waitress that I'd like the meatloaf too....if there was any left. She said that there sure was, and there I was, back in my foodie heaven again. A quick trip to the salad/soup bar left my tastebuds ready to try the real treat-the meatloaf I had been craving. But surprise! There was another treat before the meatloaf came. Mini loaves of warm bread! I snatched up a piece before any of those big burly guys threatened to leave none left for me. The meatloaf was so good. It had a sweet 'ketchup' sauce on the top. Steamed veggies topped off the meatloaf and mashed 'taters. My stomach was satisfied. But my curiosity was not. Neither was the curiosity of fellow team mate/big burly man, who bellowed, "So where is this HO who is in charge of making the pies?". The waitresses experiences this type of banter all the time I suspect, because she sweetly joked back. The chocolate cream pie was GOOD. In fact, I feel like I need to drive the 4.5 hours right now, just for another slice.
(4)Lil M.
Breakfast was good but nothing extravagant. I had the stuffed biscuits that were tasty but the hubs was the true winner with the country fried steak. Very attentive service once they sat us. Coffee was terrible though.
(4)Beth N.
Stopped for lunch. Waited a little bit to be seated but server was friendly. Kids had typical grilled cheese for one and pasta for the other. She raved about her pasta. Husband had French dip, no cheese, but was alright. I had the club sandwich and it was delicious. Orders were up less than five minutes after we ordered!! Hate the "ho-made" pie theme but lunch was good, quick, clean, affordable.
(4)Dina T.
We had the hot turkey sandwich, a burger and a Reuben sandwich. The burger and hot turkey were good but I wouldn't say excetional; however the Reuben was was very good. All the breads are homemade and nice thick pieces which really makes the sandwiches tasty. The service is excellent. Overall, this is a great little place to stop and we would definitely come back again when passing through. Don't forget to check out the trading post across the street at the gas station...they have awesome and unique gifts and souvenirs!
(4)Sarah Ann M.
Fun atmosphere. Our server was very helpful. Lots of things are "ho-made". Delicious warm bread served right away. Thunderberry pie was delicious. Don't expect much in regards to the salad bar...ice berg lettuce...but i'm pretty sure the ranch dressing was home made and the soups were amazing. Food was hot and good. Great food for the area where there isn't a lot of good choices.
(4)Marcus W.
The food isn't bad, but it isn't great. We had the night special which was fajitas tonight. It comes with the meat and veggies already in the tortillas with a cup of beans and rice. It was satisfying but I probably wouldn't get it again. We knew we needed to try pies so our table ordered a few. We tried the thunderberry (good, very sweet), the apple (very good, probably the best), and the strawberry rhubarb (mostly just strawberry flavor, just ok). It's not like there are a lot of dining choices around so I recommend you stop and get some pie. The service is great. There are always foreign speakers (tourists) around to meet. And the hummingbirds flit around by the windows. Edit on the service: Although the service is generally friendly, it's not exactly what you would expect at a larger restaurant. The waiter from our first night refused to split our check. We asked several times and he basically refused to help out. I generally tip very well so it was his loss (literally) when he wouldn't split the check. Then on Saturday morning, we went down for breakfast and were told it would be a 10 minute wait. There were several large parties that walked in right before us so it was understandable that the kitchen couldn't keep up. But the 10 minutes stretched to 20 when the hostess came back to tell us that it would be another 10-15 minutes. By this time we felt invested with our time so we waited in line for another 20 minutes. They sat us and we waited another 15 minutes just to get water, another 10 minutes to order, and another 10 minutes before the food came. Wow! I suppose when there aren't a lot of food options in the area that they can treat customers like that, but it doesn't encourage us to eat there again or recommend that anyone else eat there either.
(4)Tina Y.
This place is disgusting. The only redeeming factor, they were the only place open for miles and miles. We left Byrce Canyon, thinking we'll find something closer to where we were staying. Bad Idea! Eat a the places right outside Byrce, otherwise be prepared to starve or stop here. The Ho-made pies were not all that great, I don't see what the big deal is. I have had really good pies at places that don't even advertise their pies. Our party of 6 had a variety of dishes, none of which were impressed by the food. We ordered dishes that were deemed safe, since this place is in the middle of no where, we just needed something to hold us through the night. The only reason why this restaurant was still open was that it is attached the the Best Western, which is one of the closest places you can stay to Zion. Servers were friendly at least.
(2)Julie F.
The waitress from Rocking V in Kanab told us about the place. Lots of fun history especially about the sign outside...the Ho-made pies. Great staff, food was good and served with a smile. :-)
(5)Cherrie C.
Cute place. Love the slogan. Food was ok. Had the free hot breakfast from the Best Western Thunderbird Lodge. It was a moderate size. They sliced the bacon thick, which is the way that I like it, but they didn't make it crispy. The ham was on the dry side. The toast (homemade bread) was fantastic. We took a couple of pieces of their "ho-made" pies with us and they were pretty good (particularly the apple pie with butter rum sauce).
(3)Doug K.
I had the chance to dine at the home of the Ho-Made pies on two occasions, as I was also staying overnight at the adjacent 9-hole golf course, gift shop and Best Western hotel (owned by the same family), plus there aren't many dining options to be found in Mt. Carmel. Therefore, the restaurant tends to be pretty busy with people staying in town overnight or passing through between Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon or Zion National Parks. First I had dinner at the restaurant, which is filled with local memorabilia and old signs from the road. I had salad and a pasta dish, which was very tasty, but not quite as good as what I've come to expect from living in New York over the years. They also serve steak and chicken, amongst other menu items. I also washed down the food with a Polygamy Porter from the Wasatch Brewery. Who could pass up the chance to drink a beer called Polygamy? I couldn't. I didn't have a chance to try one of their famous Ho-Made pies, but I did try their strawberry shortcake. I also had breakfast here (the hotel did not have a continental breakfast). After examining the menu options, which included pancakes, eggs and more, I decided to order a small skillet meal, which included scrambled eggs, sausage gravy and peppers. It was very filling and satisfying. In all, the Thunderbird Restaurant is good restaurant and worth stopping at. As for calling the pies ho-made instead of homemade, I read a small snippet while waiting for my food, and the reasoning behind that was when the neon sign was made many moons ago, they didn't have room to fit the word homemade, so the owners at the time decided to use ho-made instead.
(5)Lum P.
Waiter ignored us. We tried to make eye contact with him to get his attention but he just turned his head the other way whenever he walked by us, pretending we didn't exist. We didn't look or smell like bums. We were potential customers ready to shell out money for food. This went on for 15 minutes before we realized the tall, old, white-haired waiter guy would not take our order, let alone say hello. We quietly watched him serve the other tables with grace and warmth... except ours. Perhaps he didn't like multi-racial couples. Or maybe he was disgusted by my acne - I did have some zits on my chin that day. We left hungry. The only thing good about this restaurant was the sign outside: Thunderbird, Home of the Ho-Made Pies. It even had a ho on it! The apple pie looked good too but you won't get a piece of it without customer service... unless you're the right color, political or sexual orientation, age, creed or whatever criteria that bigoted waiter held. Maybe he had a special kind of asperger's syndrome that goes away around white people.
(1)Jordan C.
Great stop on your way to or from Zion. Great portions and great prices. Just the tacky little gift shop every vacation needs!
(5)Eric L.
Microbrews and Ho-made pie. Apple pie ala mode with hot buttered rum sauce and an ice cold brew from one of Utah's breweries. Life really doesn't get much better than this.
(3)Sarah C.
Yay! I'm a fan of the Thunderbird restaurant in Mount Carmel, just outside of Zion. We were on a roadtrip from Southern California to Salt Lake City yesterday, and had just stopped at Zion for a few hours when we realized we were famished for lunch! It is on a corner with only a few options. There's Thunderbird, another diner-type place and a Subway. From the outside, Tbird looked the coolest, so that was our pick. How can you resist "Ho-made pie"? In the large corner parking lot, we picked a spot under a tree for shade. After a photo op with their funny sign, we went into the restaurant and were seated quickly. The restaurant is attached to a motel and a small shop. It was pretty kitschy, but fun. Our waitress, Tracey, brought over a carafe of ice water and took our order. She said she was trying to get ours in quickly as a large party had just been sat and she didn't want us to have to wait! How nice is that! And we did not wait! No sooner had I picked up a booklet on the table of all kinds of anecdotes and advice from the 30's, handwritten and bound with a red cover than our lunch showed up! Wow! Boyfriend got the Thunderbird sandwich, which was turkey, cheese and tomato on ho-made bread. He picked potato salad as his side and he was very pleased with his lunch. I chose a cold veggie sandwich that had avocado. Sides choices were cole slaw, french fries and potato salad, and I went with the fries. They were thick cut, steak fries and they were good! Overall, we were pretty happy and left full! We walked back out into the parking lot to get a move on and we are startled to find one of the car windows broken! We had a couple of suitcases and a snowboard back there as we were finishing up a move to Utah, so our first thought was that someone had broken in to steal our things. Once we got to the car, though, and saw that everything was still there, we were perplexed- why had the window been broken, but nothing was taken? Arlene, the very kind owner/manager of the Thunderbird, offered to review the surveillance tapes to see what had happened. It turned out a riding lawn mower had thrown a rock up and shattered the window! Kind of ironic since we'd originally parked somewhere else, but moved the car to be under the tree for shade. She offered immediately to pay for the damages. Her son went home and brought back a shop vac, and then proceeded to vacuum every shard of glass out of the car, and then carefully swept up the parking lot. He also carefully cut a piece of cardboard and spent about 30 minutes taping it in securely so we could continue our 5 hour drive home. He did a really excellent job because even driving 70 down the 15, we never had a problem with it. It was a mistake, but the way they handled it was great. The payment of the window repair has already been taken care of and I would definitely eat at Thunderbird again. I'd just park somewhere else!
(4)Andrew K.
A fun little touristy place near Zion. We kept passing the sign that advertised Ho-Made pies so finally were sucked in. Place was clean and well kept, but SLOW. I can only comment on the pies, as we just had iced teas and pies...but the chocolate, apple w/butter rum sauce, coconut creme, and thunderberry pies (there were 4 of us) were all very good and a fun treat after a day of hiking. Probably one stop was good enough for us, but was nice.
(3)Vicki N.
Stopped here for dinner on a recent trip leaving Zion. TERRIBLE! Just terrible food! I'm not a major food critic but every single thing on my plate was tasteless--the roast beef was tough and had a weird aftertaste, the baked potato was ok but the bacon bits were burned and the mixed veggies were watery and overcooked. Even the loaf of bread had no taste. Now here is the kicker, the waitress charged us for the uneaten food. I took 1 bite of the meat and potato and called her to come and get the plate and she still charged us?!?!!? She did offer something else but my husbands food was just as bad as mine was so I turned that offer down. She did give us a $3 "locals comp"......$3 didn't even cover my pain and suffering from looking at that disgusting food. If we are ever in the area again, we'll try the Subway across the street.
(1)John K.
It seems quaint and charming, but our dining experience was memorably bad. Ordered pasta dish with meat, it came with no meat, when we complained the response was "yes, this is the 3rd time we've heard this, we'll do something about it now". I've never experienced a bait-and-switch in a restaurant before. The "something" was the offer of a free cup of coffee - after more complaint they said the best they could do is comp about 1/2 the cost the the meatless, undercooked pasta. When we asked a staff person what the soup of the day was, she looked in the warmer and said "this one looks like chowder". She couldn't identify the other one. We wished we had just gone to the Subway across the street - but then we wouldn't have this family memory to cherish!
(1)Francis R.
A great little place to have lunch/dinner. The food is great and the staff is nice. Had breakfast here after leaving bryce and on our way to zion. I ordered their Country Fried Steak which was delicious. The steak was perfectly cooked and the gravy was something else, probably the best I've had. The eggs and hash was fresh. The only downside is that their coffee is not very fresh nor good, tasted like chalk...bleh. Overall, had a great meal, the decoration inside is something else.
(3)Greg B.
Nice clean comfortable place. Had breakfast which was good (not great, but good). Bathrooms spotless! My kids had breakfast and pie. They are tough food critics and insisted I rate this place a 5. But I thought my eggs were good, not great so just a 4. Unlike some of the other reviews we had good service but we were there mid morning and it wasn't too busy.
(4)Melinda F.
Best freaking pie ever, I will drive across 2 states to get this pie! Thunderberry is amazing!!!!! and the food was awesome too, try the chili ;)
(5)Alex T.
stopped here on our way to Bryce. Funny sign. When the sign was made they didn't have enough room for "home made", so they shortened it to "ho-made". At that time the word "ho" had no slang meaning. we got a slice of apple pie with a very large scoop of vanilla ice cream. Tasty! I will have to say the service was a bit off. We were seated, once they noticed us. not many people in there. Then our waiter was talking at a near by table for a good five minutes before he came over to take our order. There conversation had nothing to do with the restaurant. Good Pie, Poor Service.
(3)Sarah B.
Great place to stop if you're leaving Zions National Park going east. My veggie burger was surprisingly good, and the chocolate cream pie was delicious. My boyfriend's meat dish was a little less good. Let's be honest though, there's not a lot of competition in the area, and I really think you kind of HAVE to stop here if you're roadtripping out of Zions. Look at that sign!
(4)Ken P.
If the food here was a politician, it'd be Mitt Romney; bland and inoffensive. Coupled with disorganized, stressed waitressing, it was saved only by great slice of pie.
(3)Diana L.
Very friendly, attentive staff. But dear lord, their pies are bad. Mushy, overcooked filling stuffed inside a pie crust with a rancid after-taste. No bueno.
(3)Laura R.
Coming from the home of the diner, I didn't find anything all that special about Thunderbird. I was especially disappointed with their pies (considering the billboard and sign outside the restaurant are very proud of their selection). An altogether serviceable diner in the middle of Utah. During a road trip you gotta take what you can get sometimes.
(3)Jennifer W.
this is indeed the only option in Mt Carmel Junction. the food is so so and after one time dinner in here, we've decided to drive a bit further to springdale where options are abundant! If you don't want to drive across the Zion National Park all the time, there's one place in Glendale (15 min away) that I would recommend: buffalo bistro. or go to Subway across the street.
(2)Robert B.
This was possibly the worst meal my wife and I ever had in our thousands of miles of travel for books we write about the art scene in various states of the Union. The chili was like last week's library paste, the prime rib was completely tasteless and overcooked, and the lettuce in the salad bar was dried out and brown at the edges. Thank heaven we had some energy bars in the car. This was not a welcome stop, after driving some 400 miles that day on our way to Flagstaff from Salt Lake City. My advice is to keep going to nearby Kanab, which has several appealing places for the weary traveler.
(1)David C.
The food was mediocre. We had chicken caesar salad; the chicken was dry and badly spiced; the lettuce was not romaine as stated in the menu. The other item was beef stroganoff; the meat was low grade and the sauce tasted as it came from a can; there were no mushrooms; the potatoes were very spicy and greasy; the vegetables were way overcooked. despite the low quality, the prices were not cheap.
(2)Chris V.
If you looking for a reasonably priced, home-style meal you'll enjoy the Thunderbird. Long time family owned, the service was top notch and our waitress was particularly welcoming and friendly. Moist and tasty fried chicken led the way along with a fresh, but limited salad bar. We all enjoyed the Corn Chowder soup that was part of the salad bar. Home made pies topped our dinner experience. I would definitely eat here again.
(4)Max G.
Wonderful homemade pie (they call it ho made pie)! We've enjoyed the pies at this restaurant on 3 occasions. I particularly like their coconut cream and apple pies. If you are in the area, the Thunderbird is definitely worth a stop.
(4)Ali P.
For being in a remote part of the state, Thunderbirds offers pretty decent food and the service is really friendly. And unlike most other establishments in the area between Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks, their prices are actually quite reasonable! I had a chicken salad sandwich and their "ho-made" coleslaw, both of which were very fresh and delicious. After seeing their ads for "ho-made" everything, I had to ask what the story was. Apparently when they ordered the sign for the restaurant, there wasn't enough room for all the letters in "home," so they spelled out "ho-made" as such, and everything else seemed to follow. The restaurant and its staff have a lot of character, and if you're in the area between Bryce Canyon and Zion along US-89, it's definitely worth a stop!
(4)Bony K.
Great place for traditional American food at quite reasonable prices for dinner and alcoholic beverages. The dinner entrees we had were all good since they came with self-served soup+salad bar. Perhaps one of the best country fried steak plates I've had because of it's crispiness without the oiliness in presentation. My only gripe was the AC which was blowing enough to make you want to wear a jacket or another layer of clothing. Service was great, our waiter brought out another round of beers without them asking for it!
(4)Paul B.
After a day in Zion which included a three hour trail ride on horse(mule for me)back, cold beer and food beckoned. We pulled into the parking lot of the place across the street (forgot the name) based on a AAA listing. The motel looked shabby and the restaurant decidedly un-welcoming, so we U-turned to T-bird. How can you NOT eat at a place featuring HO-MADE pies? I figured it was a re-entry program for female inmates of the Utah Correctional Facility. Anyway, our server was a very sweet young man who did his job well with all our questions about the menu. This is strictly a 1960's vintage place, just like the old Howard Johnsons restaurants that blanketed the East Coast highways in my youth. So the ambiance was familiar, slightly dated, and yet charming. The food? Well I would say that if this place had any serious competition it would not survive. The vaunted salad bar featured brown edged iceberg lettuce and the tomatoes, cukes, and such lacked imagination. Luckily sliced beets were on hand to lend the only upscale note available. It would have been helpful to have the salad dressings labelled. I was leaning toward the chicken fried steak but on the advice of our server chose the grilled chicken with BBQ sauce instead. "Ho-hum!" Just ok, nothing special. My girlfriend had a 6 oz steak that was also nothing to write home about. Yes, the beer was cold, cheap at $3 per, and the best thing about the place. Seems like most restaurants in Utah make pies (a very welcome discovery). The T-bird's were just okay. Guess those HOs need more training. If you are hungry or thirsty, the T-bird fills the void, but only just that. For a truly unique experience, go a few miles up Rt 89 to Glendale and try the Buffalo Bistro next to the Smith Hotel B and B.
(2)Liana O.
They served THE BEST chicken friend steak with white gravy I have ever had! They started us off with homemade bread-you could smell the yeast. It was warm so the butter melted nicely on it. The minestrone soup was homemade and delicious. The salad vegis fresh and crispy. The pie-OH MY. I must admit it is better than my own homemade pies. The berry pie was AMAZING. I am definitely going back to this restaurant. Oh, and the service was very friendly and attentive. 2 thumbs up!
(4)merlin g.
This is an authentic old school diner that does it right. Awesome vibe, awesome food. The pie and coffee are worth the trip. The Thunderbird rocks people!
(4)Michelle E.
It's in a good location, but the food is just pretty bad and over-priced. Didn't get to try the "ho-made" pie, though.
(2)Randy B.
I ordered six pieces of pie and the bill came to $28.50. Making matters worse was that fact that the slices were miniscule. I don't fault a business for making money but when they try to rob me I have a serious problem. I came here because I thought it was humble family owned place with a kitchy sign promoting, "Ho Made Pies". Making matters worse the waitress at the register kept telling me while I was waiting for my take-out order how disappointed she was that my party was not eating in the restaurant since she did not have a party all day - she mentioned this about five times. When I got to Vegas I saw that I could have a substantially bigger slice of pie from the legendary Payard's for the same price. Nothing like a restaurant trying to take its customers to the cleaners because they feel they are capable of getting away with it. Stay away from this place - it's a tourist trap offering lousy food at high prices.
(1)Jen N.
We had an unsettling experience at this restaurant- I would highly recommend eating somewhere else. I have worked in the restaurant business for years and have never seen such terrible customer service. My brother has life threatening allergies and chose to eat at a nearby subway where he felt more comfortable. The manager apparently spoke with my brother and two other siblings when they reentered the restaurant where 3 of us were eating. She then sent the waitress over to tell us the children couldn't eat subway there, at which point they put away their subs. Immediately following, someone else presented us with a check, making it clear we were to leave. The situation was escalated unnecessarily and could have been handled with a simple sentence directed at the adults at the table. The entire staff made us all feel so uncomfortable that my younger sister was crying. I have never seen a simple situation handled so unprofessionally. Please take your business elsewhere, to a place that has some concept of hospitality or professionalism.
(1)Mel G.
True, this is the only food option for miles and miles around. But, it was just not that good... my boyfriend and I ordered the 6 oz. NY strip and it was just.. simply not that tasty. But, again, there is no other option. :) The main thing the place has going for it is that the dining room itself is pretty charming and has a great environment. The gift store next store is also fun to take a look in.
(3)Newman N.
The Cheese burger at thunderbird resaurant is pretty good, along with the atmosphere of the restaurant itself. The pies are phenomenal. Some of the best pies I've ever tasted.
(3)Jennifer M.
It's a diner, you get diner food! Stick with the basics & you'll be fine. We did not have any of the famous pie as were trying to stay away from that stuff while on vacation. Service was good & we were satisfied. There's not much else around here, honestly! I loved all their hummingbird feeders & the SWARMS of hummingbirds who were clearly enjoying every minute of the feast!
(3)Elaine J.
The pie is to die for. We had the Coconut Cream and Strawberry Rhubarb and they were the best A+++++++++. You could taste the butter in the flaky crust. The owners and staff were so nice. I felt ,like we were from Mt Carmel. We had the hot turkey sandwich and turkey dinner and they were like Mom use to make.
(5)Melissa G.
The food at this pit stop was great! It is the first food sighting outside of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes NP so we were HUNGRY when we stopped in but we couldn't even finish the breakfast. The home-made toast with cinnamon and sugar was to die for and I got a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich on a biscuit....what came was outrageous! Two eggs, two sausage patties smothered in cheese on the most enormous biscuit then smothered in gravy....I was astonished that they expected one person to eat this (and I am a BIG eater!). Awesome homestyle country breakfast in the middle of nowhere!
(5)Eli G.
Home of the Ho-Made Pies. 'nuff said. We haven't actually eaten there, though we bought a pie. It was reasonable. A bit heavy on the starch. - Are the berries local, m'am? - Local? LOCAL?! Nothing grows here.
(3)Vanessa W.
Decent food in an area that is very scarce on restaurants. Homestyle eats with tons of gravy. Pie is especially good though and worth a stop, or if you're too full like we were, get it to go. Definitely a local hang out.
(4)joe o.
i went to this place on 3/4/2011 walked in at 7pm waitress did not say they where closing at 7.30pm ordered a beer and glass of wine,she right away says do you plan on having the salad bar the cooks are looking at me they want to go home,got my salad ordered my food came out raw i asked for med rare,wanted to order another drink and the waitress named lisa said i cant because we are closed and i cant stay. then she said i dont mean to sound like a bitch,sorry.if you are ever in the area do not waste your time and money to eat at this place. you will be disapionted. joe ps i would give it no stars this place s___s
(1)Carolyn P.
Just about same as Denny's. Only ate the bread.
(1)noodlebean d.
Fun, cute place with food that's just okay but great atmosphere and history. Worth a stop -- and you won't have many choices, so just go for it. Unfortunately, the ho-made pies are somewhat disappointing, but the rest of the food we had was pretty good. Yay!
(4)Jessica M.
Great diner close to Zion and other national parks and wilderness areas. Good place to come in off the road or come in for your first hot meal in days after camping. We had delicious breakfast skillets and coffee. Extremely friendly staff as well. Great stop! The bathroom in the restaurant/hotel lobby was being worked on so they sent me across to the gas station. I thought "oh great I really don't want to go in the gas station bathroom." Well guess what it was the cleanest nicest little gas station bathroom I have ever been in. It was so nice they even had a little card collector (like you'd see at a wedding) for all the notes of appreciation travelers had left about the bathroom! Well done!
(4)Paige H.
Neat history, great place to stop between Zion and Bryce ... Especially with 3 kids and a pet in tow. We only ordered pie. Apple pie was average, but the kids loved the chocolate pie. Nice grass area beside the parking lot for puppy to explore while we ate our pies in their to go containers.
(4)Deborah L.
The best thing about the Thunderbird is the sign. The place was virtually empty, but we had to wait twenty minutes for a table for two. We deduced that this was a marketing ploy used in order to get customers to shop in the attached gift store. The meal prices are inflated. We paid $15.95 for baked chicken (breast and wing) that actually tasted and looked boiled. The mashed potatoes were strange, and the veggies were mushy. For the price, you would think that you would get good portions, but you don't. Sooooo, since you are still hungry, you order pie. Be prepared for it to be mediocre. Basically, everything is tasteless. Lastly, the service is lacking. Wait, wait, wait. You could die of hunger. Maybe that is why there is a buzzard in the lobby.
(1)Nancy C.
We waited and waited and waited. There were plenty of empty tables. I think they were just short staffed. We had the special prime rib it came with mash potatoes and corn. The corn was refrigerator cold. We had to ask for a drink refill. Then they over charged us for the special. They did fix the bill. They have a great advantage. There are only three places to eat in Mount Carmel. Not a place I would recommend.
(2)Sarah R.
Rolled in a little before closing time, and they welcomed us right away. Service was fast and friendly. Drinks - Beer was cold and water glasses & soda didn't go unfilled. Food - cheeseburgers and fries - hearty and warm (just what we needed after a long day of driving). We were full from our dinner so we had to get our pie to go. Pie - coconut cream pie; this was a BIG piece. It took us two days to eat it! Ambiance: nothing special. A little rustic but you're at a restaurant by a hotel on your way to a Nat'l park - what do you expect?
(3)Michelle P.
I day hiked the E Fork of the Virgin River from Mt Carmel to Checkboard Mesa and after returning to my car at 8:15 pm I figured I'd be rummaging through my hiking food for dinner. When I went to retrieve my bike from Mt Carmel ~8:45pm I was shocked to find Thunderbird still open for another hour+. While my salad wasn't spectacular (I never have very high expectations for UT cuisine) the customer service was great, and their strawberry rhubarb pie was perfectly tart. I had breakfast there the next morning as well. +1 star for staying open late. I was told that they stay open until 11pm during the summer.
(4)Kathy J.
So you're here, in a town with two restaurants, trying to decide which one to have dinner at, right? This one is slightly cleaner than, although pretty darn similar to, the place across the street. the only other difference is that this place serves alcohol. If you decide to come here, get the chili. It's homemade, delicious, perfect. The service is nice and the restaurant is clean. Couldn't ask for more.
(5)Vijetha K.
Amazing food, real good service, a total package of value for money. . Being vegetarians we four were really sceptical at the beginning . Now I can definitely say that we are so glad we came here for our dinner.
(5)Shannon Y.
The Thunderbird Restaurant is just loaded with regional history in Southern Utah. We happened upon this place in what is know as the "Mount Carmel Junction", where Hwy 9 and 89 meet between the East entrance of Zion NP and Bryce Canyon NP. The drive on this rode is definitely an amazing experience in itself. If you haven't been, go ahead and add it to your bucket list. Enough of that... now let's get to the food. The interior as well as the food have a very home like feel and many of the staff seem very friendly. The menu was very simple with many home cooked favorites like pork chops, liver and onions, chicken fried steak, traditional pasta dishes, fried chicken, steaks and burgers. Do not forget what put Thunderbird on the map, was their "Ho-Made Pies". The family ordered several dishes and pie of course. *Chicken Fried Steak - was perfectly breaded, crispy, tender and slathered in a traditional pepper gravy. I thought it was delicious and a very good portion especially including the steamed veggies a baked potato with all the fixin's. *Roast Beef Dinner - Thinly sliced roast beef with gravy and also served with veggies and potato's. The beef was cooked tender and the gravy had lots of home cooked flavor. *Special of the day was a Shrimp pasta dish - I was surprised at how well the shrimp was cooked and seasoned extremely well. The shrimp were also huge and tasted reasonably fresh despite being hundreds of miles from a coast or civilization for that matter. The one downfall on this dish is the noodles were like an extra thick spaghetti which gave the noodles a chewiness. *Fettuccine Alfredo - Traditional creamy cheesy goodness. All of these dinner entree's were served with there salad bar. Everything on the bar was fresh. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the ingredients such as the bright red grape tomato's, bright green 4 way salad, and "ho-made crunchy croutons." Ho Made bread is also delivered to the table with every dinner entree. Hot fresh and delicious is the only way to describe this white mini loaf. The food and the environment at the Thunderbird are fantastic. A very unique place your grandmother would love to dine at. If I were to improve one thing here it would definitely be the service. The hostess was not doing here job I felt and I think she should have been the cashier as well. It took incredibly too long every step of the experience from being sat all the way to paying. I would visit The Thunderbird again because of the historic dining establishment that it is. However it would be beneficial to them if they focus on improving the service the guests receive to keep them travelling the extra mile to see them again. Oh yeah, I almost forgot about their delicious "Ho-Made Pie". There is an interesting story that goes along with how it got the name but I am not about to spoil that for you. You will have to go and experience that for yourself. Apple Pie with hot butter rum sauce was amaze balls. The crust was so light and flaky and buttery, absolutely DELICIOUS! Get it with ice cream. I did not....regretfully but I bet that's the way to go. Also The Thunderberry was also equally tasty. They had many other dessert choices but I simply was stuffed from this meal. Please fill me in on what you tried.
(3)Rae's Girl D.
Do not stop keep driving we had breakfast and wish we had saved the money ! Ordered a skillet breakfast for $11 and eggs were over cooked only filed up half the skillet plate with food and we had to send back. Even the water taste nasty!
(1)mei s.
This restaurant has billboards along 89 advertising their pies. "Ho-made" pies to be exact. We were curious. Little did we realize this restaurant was attached to the best western we were staying at. They have your usual American fare. The service was very friendly. We ordered the fried chicken platter with mash. It was tasty and crispy. The fettuccine Alfredo which was also very good. And the spicy chicken wings. Very spicy but tasty too. So when you promote your "ho-made" pies, you gotta try it, right? We ordered the coconut cream and the thunderberry. Not bad, but I wouldn't say it was the best we ever had. Nice place overall.
(3)Joseph D.
I do recommend We stumbled on to this place heading in to Zion NP via the East side. I totally spaced making plans for our The Narrows hike but it worked out because we stopped at this little historical gem and grubbed deliciously while having really sweet servers. My 8 year old is some what picky but she fished her bacon, eggs and half the double stacked pancakes. I, on the other hand, grubbed hard on the (ugh, what was it called( stuffed briskets & gravy. Stuffed with bacon, sausage & two eggs my way, then drawn in gravy. *See pick somewhere in pictures, lol.
(5)Christina C.
Don't be fooled by the cool-looking sign at the corner of the road before turning towards Zion. Yes, it may be the best option on the block, but save your stomach and money for many and better options in Springdale / Zion village. It's only a 30 minute drive away. The entire menu here is standardly mediocre. I had corn chowder in a bread bowl - low quality bread and soup tasted like canned soup. This place is decent for filling a hungry stomach that doesn't care about taste and health. I can't really recommend anything here. The pies were just aight. The only compliment I can find is that the service and staff wasn't an issue for us at all.
(2)Martin B.
This restaurant has a lot of history. Been there almost as long as the Zion Park tunnel about 20 miles to the west. Family owned and operated. Home of the 'Ho Made Pie'. Not what you think and I'll let that story be something to discover. We had the coconut cream and the strawberry rhubarb pies for dessert. Fabulous crust, taste and texture!, and so worth the stop and wait (service was a little slow but could be because it was Memorial Day)! The chili and burger were average, otherwise would've easily earned 5 stars.
(4)Kevin C.
For what it is, deserves a solid 4 stars. Stopped in for lunch between Kanab and Zion. Had a burger, was above average and priced very reasonably. Cool decor. Friendly service. What's not to like? Didn't try the "ho-made pie", but was certainly intrigued by the concept. Maybe next time.
(4)Robert G.
The place certainly has a cool kitschy factor that I enjoyed, especially with the neon sign of the pin up girl. Other than that, it's pretty much a tourist spot with very mediocre food. They have veggie burgers, however, it was pretty dry. At least they have beer on draft!
(2)Corey N.
Fresh simple food that was tasty. Mini white bread loaf at start was fresh, soft and great taste. Had herb chicken Brest/wing with baked potato and mixed vegetables. Vegetables needed a little seasoning but fresh and not mushy which is important to me. Chicken was excellent as was the potato. 15 minute wait when place appears to be half empty was not understandable. The staff was polite and service quick.
(3)Brian C.
It's great when you can come in off of a hot, dusty road to nowhere, and be treated like a long-awaited friend. The food was good, the beer was cold, and the pie was especially excellent! It's not the poshest joint- it needs a remodel badly- but the best bits, the welcoming and generous staff, are notably in place. Recommended.
(4)Brent P.
We drove from Zion only to arrive at 2pm and find the restaurant closed until 2:30 because they were expecting 3 busses. Went to the restaurant across the street and found it full of Japanese tourist yet they found a table for us! Watched out the website to see no bus arrive. To bad.
(1)Christie M.
We are from out of town and am so sad we wasted our time here. The waitress was AWESOME but they had 7 tables out of 56 filled and we waited over an 1 1/2 hours after ordering for our food. Not to mention the hostess was rude! The cafe across the street is WAY better, if you're trying to decide between the two.
(1)Kyle S.
My girlfriend and I were passing through on our way to Arches Natl. and stopped in for a quick bite. It took at least 10 minutes to get drinks- and we had to ask a hostess for them. Beyond that, our hostess returned to tell us that our waitress said "It's gonna be a minute." And then hostess said, "So, what do you guys want?" Both of us work in the food-service industry and both of us like to think we are beyond patient and understanding when it comes to dining, but our service here to begin with was beyond unacceptable. My gf's food came out without a side, we spoke with our waitress twice- once to ask for the side and a manager and second when she dropped off the bill. The manager was, weirdly, serving tables at the same time she was the "on the clock manager" and she proceeded to tell us that her policy, handed down from the owner, was to have servers *not* give customers their names and, beyond that, had no explanation and a one-worded apology to give two completely dissatisfied and disrespected customers before returning to serving her tables. There are so many things wrong with this experience; the only thing that was not terrible was the food, and it was only typical-quality diner-style food.
(1)Jeanette W.
The food was average. But the service was phenomenal! We had Llyod. He was one of the best waiters I have ever had. We showed up about 30 minutes before they closed. They had just cleaned everything. My friend proceeded to knock over her soda on their clean floor. He was so nice about the situation. He didn't get upset, just joked with us and stayed positive. I would go back mainly for the way we were treated! He even made sure we had a hotel to stay for the night and gave us restaurant recommendations for the next day. Such a nice man!
(4)Kellie V.
When we saw the sign for "Ho-made pie", we dove right in. Split the mushroom swiss burger and a bowl of chili. The chili was delicious-just what I remember great chili when traveling the back roads of Utah should taste like. The burger was delcious as well. The hubby ordered Ho-made Thunderberry Pie alamode. My one bite was excellent. It took a bit for our order to be taken, but the rest of the service experience was very good.
(5)Matthew O.
The T-bird is pretty good for a place that mostly caters to tourists. I've eaten there a few times and have always left fairly happy. Their hamburgers are pretty good, as are the turkey sandwiches.
(3)Barack O.
Where else are going to eat if you find yourself in this area? Food does the job, wide variety of comfort foods, open late- skip the pie (seriously...i know it's on the sign...it's $5 a slice and not worth it) and the salad bar.
(3)Claudia Z.
Home of the Ho-made pies! This place has a very heart warming back story, which will tell you exactly why they have Ho-made pies. Other than pies, the food was awesome too!
(4)Rob C.
Stumbled onto this place while on the road to Zion NP. It's a diner, nothing fancy, with a gift shop and a fun history. The "ho-made" pies are just fantastic, we got a "thunderberry pie" to go, it's not too sweet and has a very light crust...delicious. Coconut cream pie was very tasty. The onion rings are an A+, some of the best you'll find anywhere. Good burger and fries. Outstanding diner table service. If you want something more upscale, keep on driving to Springdale. If you want very good diner food in a fun atmosphere, this is the place. Don't miss it.
(5)Joseph C.
This a great dinner! The service. ... THE SERVICE is amazing the FOOD spectacular had the special steamed rice and chicken with greens
(5)Elle P.
Ok, we did not have much choice of restaurants around that area and decided to try this place. We have not been disappointed. The food was really tasty. We were a group of nine and pretty much have tried everything on their menu over our two visits to this restaurant. A special shout out to the pies. Service is fine. The only downside is that the prices seemed a bit high.
(4)Terry C.
I have driven by this Restaurant many times when driving through Zion Park, and finally decided to stop and try some of their famous Ho-made pies and coffee. We tried their apple pie with Rum sauce and Rhubarb pies, both were delicious. The service was great, and we will plan to make this a regular stop.
(3)Bob R.
Huge portion of light french toast :) So big I had to cancel my order for a slice of ho-made strawberry-rhubarb pie :-( Professional staff. They know what they're doing; not gum chewing college kids
(4)Carol A.
Awesome food and great, friendly staff! Cool restaurant!
(5)Lindsey G.
Right outside of zion national park so it's a little more spendy than is typical of a burger joint. However, our cheeseburger and Philly cheesesteak were good and our waiter added even more fries to each of our plates because he heard us wondering if we should order a side of fries for our child. The pie was the best pie I've ever eaten. I normally leave the crust but this crust was perfectly light and flaky. We had the strawberry rhubarb and chocolate cream pies and would recommend both. I'll be craving these pies for sure! Service was slow but very friendly waiter. The history behind the place is written on the back of the dessert menu and is super interesting. They give kids twisty stix to play with while waiting which is fun for them and they have hummingbird feeders out the window with lots of hummingbirds that are fun to watch while waiting. There is also an old little paper book with interesting quotes and jokes to pass the waiting time. Definitely a fun little stop after a long day at Zion's.
(4)Jason S.
There is not much in the area to compare it to or even as another option, but we had a great experience especially for nearing 11pm. Good food, quick, almost too friendly service, and a good amount of menu options. Wife and I split the mushroom swiss burger and an onion burst, friend had chicken breast something, pasta maybe. I'll be back next time around.
(4)Steven A.
A hidden treasure from Zion national park. The prices are much better than in Springdale. The breakfast was hearty and perfect to start the day lots of trail hiking. Dinner was just as good. Service at times a slow. Getting a host to sit you took some time even when the restaurant half full. Remember to save room for the ho-made pie, great story (history card on table).
(4)John C.
Food was great! Home made fresh, the homemade pie was a bonus at the end of the meal. Service wasn't the best but it was because they were super busy. Will for sure go back when I am in the area.
(4)Angelo B.
Service is slow here... be prepared to wait awhile. When the food finally arrived it was good. If you are use to the fast paced city life this place may drive you nuts.
(3)Alan R.
There are not many choices to eat in Mt. Carmel, but this restaurant is worthy of a visit. Classic American food with a varied menu. Save room for the Ho-Made Apple Pie with warmed Carmel sauce and vanilla ice cream. There is a story why they call their Homemade pies HO-MADE, but you need to read the story about this resturant that started in 1931. The history of Ho-Made pies is available at your table.
(4)May S.
When you head out to Zion and Bryce Canyon during the winter, food options are sparse. We stopped at this restaurant because of the prime location (Mt Carmel junction of highways 9 and 89) and the bright neon lights and a sign that said "ho-made pies!" We were hungry, had no place else to go, and we were blinded by the lights and the signage. And my oh my, pie, not just any pie, but "ho-made" pie does sound delectably good! SERVICE: It was soooo slow! The restaurant was large in size as in they had a lot of seating, but there were only 4 other tables in the restaurant that were filled and they were spread out in various areas in the restaurant. They had said they were understaffed but a hostess and two waiters covering 4 tables should not have taken this long. Maybe I was super hungry and tired from our journey from SF to our ultimate destination in Kanab, UT. But, it doesn't explain the 15 minute wait for just water, 20 minutes for the waiter to take our order, 30+ minutes for the food to arrive, and another 15 for the check. Maybe if they grouped people in one area things would be more efficient. FOOD: I ordered the blackened chicken Alfredo pasta along with the boyfriend. I wish he would learn to stop ordering the same thing I order so we have a second option in case the dish was a failure. And the blackened chicken Alfredo, as good as it sounded on the menu, was underwhelming. The blackened chicken was very dry, and not blackened too well, the Alfredo pasta was bland, didn't have much flavor, the sauce lumped with the pasta, and felt a little cold like it's been sitting out for too long. But, the buttered toast was A-OK. PIES: We came here mostly for the ho-made pies! It's a ho-made pie because back in the day, they didn't want to spend money on the extra "me" lettering in "home-made pies." So we decided to order one pie to eat at the restaurant, the apple pie with butter rum sauce with a scoop of ice cream, and take the two other pies to go and eat at the hotel in Kanab, UT. Somehow, one of the two of our take-out pie order got screwed up. The thunderberry pie, which we did order, was good, but not as good as the apple pie, and our chocolate cream pie ended up turning out to be a banana cream pie, which was okay. BEER: We tried the local brew, Polygamy Porter, which was also, just okay. The redeeming quality is that there is quite the souvenir shop on premises which if you wanted to go and look around while you wait for the waiter.
(3)