ABOUT US

The Sonora Grill

We are a locally owned and operated restaurant, committed to exceeding our customers expectations by serving amazing food and applying the principles of specialized hospitality.

Allow us to share our passion for food and service with you.  Sonora Grill is casual enough for everyday dining, but nice enough for anniversaries, birthdays, proposal dinners, weddings and retirement parties.  Impress out of town guests by showing them the best that Northern Utah has to offer.

Steve Ballard
Owner/Operator
steve@thesonoragrill.com

Steve Ballard created and opened Sonora Grill in March 2008. The concept was developed to showcase some of the more authentic aspects of Mexican food in a unique and interesting atmosphere. Some people have referred to Sonora Grill as “upscale Mexican”, but we like to think of it as “modern authentic Mexican”. We have tried to capture the Old World Mexican ingredients, cooking styles of Northern Mexcio and then give them a modern American twist.

Executive Chef Chris Mortensen, brought with him an impressive resume of experience from restaurants in Seattle, Portland, San Fransicso, and Las Vegas.  Chef Chris has since moved back to Las Vegas to pursue other opportunities.  He never was a fan of the cold.

Courtney Larsen
Corporate Chef
courtney@thesonoragrill.com

Courtney Larsen, a native of Logan, Utah, joined the Sonora Grill team in the Fall of 2009.  Chef Courtney started his culinary career at the Juniper Inn in Hyde Park, Utah.  He started out washing dishes and quickly worked his way up to fry cook, prep cook, line cook, and eventually was promoted to head chef at only sixteen years of age.

Since that time, Courtney has worked in over twenty restaurants, in every capacity, all across the country.  For years, he worked seasonal resort jobs, skiing in the winter and biking in the summer. This career path has allowed him to gain a great deal of knowledge and experience in a relatively short time.  Courtney loves learning and taking on new challenges; the Mexican cuisine of Sonora Grill has offered him both.

Josh Priest
General Manager
josh@thesonoragrill.com

Josh brings an energetic and infectious positive attitude to our restaurant.  He is passionate about customer service and our made from scratch food.  Josh is in charge of day-to-day operations, which include booking large parties and special reservations.  He is also the author of “Zen and the Art of Sonora Server Sidework”. Although Josh has since left the company, his many legacies will continue to enrich the dinning experience of our guests.