The Best Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Restaurant in Sandy Utah: How Tin Roof Grill Became a Cheesecake Legend

The phone started ringing at Tin Roof Grill before Guy Fieri's bleached blonde hair even left the screen. It was April 25, 2014, and owner Michael Seader was watching his restaurant's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode air on Food Network, probably expecting a decent bump in business. What he didn't expect was absolute chaos. "We had 80 orders of the particular cheesecake that we featured on Triple D," Seader told reporters shortly after, "and it was gone by 4 o'clock in the afternoon." On a normal Saturday night, they'd sell maybe 10 to 15 slices. The phones lit up with delivery orders within minutes of the show hitting the air, and Seader realized immediately—he should have prepped more. Way more.

That raspberry charlotte cheesecake—with its pound cake crust and creamy filling studded with fresh berries—became an instant legend in Sandy, Utah. But here's the thing about Tin Roof Grill that keeps people coming back long after the Triple D fame could've faded: this isn't a restaurant riding on a celebrity chef's coattails. This is a scratch-made operation run by partners who've been deep in Utah's restaurant scene for years, and they're making damn good food in a strip mall that, let's be honest, you might drive right past if you didn't know better.

From Pizza Pasta Roots to Sandy's Local Grill

Michael Seader didn't just stumble into the restaurant business. Before Tin Roof Grill opened its doors at 9284 S 700 E in Sandy, Seader and his partners had already built reputations with Salt Lake Pizza & Pasta and Fiddler's Elbow. When they decided to create something new together—combining their pizza expertise, their comfort food instincts, and adding a third front-of-the-house partner into the mix—they landed on something you don't see much in Utah: a New American bistro with small plates, tapas-style dining, and a "something for everyone" philosophy that actually works.

The approach is unconventional. Walk into Tin Roof Grill and you'll find crab cakes sitting next to pad Thai on the menu, buffalo chicken wings alongside fettuccine Alfredo, pot stickers and croquettes and a garlic cheddar burger all coexisting in this wonderfully eclectic space. One reviewer called it "confused." Another said it's "like a restaurant whose owner couldn't decide on what types of foods to include." But you know what? When you're sitting on that outdoor patio on a Wednesday night in summer with live music playing against the backdrop of the Wasatch Mountains, digging into those famous croquettes and sipping a $3.50 mimosa (all day long, by the way), the menu suddenly makes perfect sense. It's a neighborhood spot where families can bring picky eaters, where date night works just as well as a post-Real Salt Lake game meal, where you can get breakfast spaghetti at 2 PM if that's what you're craving.

The Dishes That Made Guy Fieri Look Up From His Plate

When the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives crew rolled into Sandy, Fieri zeroed in on three signature dishes that told the whole Tin Roof story. First up: those croquettes. Stuffed with gooey cheddar cheese and succulent bits of smoked Canadian bacon, these aren't your standard appetizers. They rotate flavors daily—buffalo chicken, green chili, classic potato—and the kitchen fries them until they're crispy on the outside while staying creamy inside. One Tripadvisor reviewer summed it up perfectly: "The croquettes were absolutely awesome - don't miss trying these appetizers."

Then there's the white bean and steak pizza that confuses people until they taste it. It's flatbread, technically, topped with white bean puree and tender slices of flat-iron steak, finished with fresh basil, diced red onion, and tomato. No red sauce. No traditional cheese blend. Just this rich, smoky combination that Fieri called inventive and unforgettable. Some reviewers wish they'd be more generous with the bean purée—"as if they suspect people in Sandy don't really want pizza with bean purée instead of pizza sauce," one critic noted—but the people who get it, really get it.

And then there's the cheesecake that changed everything. Tin Roof Grill doesn't just make one or two flavors. They make over 15, all from scratch, all rotating through the case depending on the day and season. The raspberry charlotte cheesecake features a pound-cake crust and a creamy filling studded with fresh berries, but you'll also find caramel pecan, cookies and cream, blueberry sour cream, Nutella toffee, salted caramel, and dark chocolate raspberry. One customer described sharing a slice of the caramel pecan: "One slice was enough to share with some to take home." They won Best in State for their cheesecakes, and once you try one, you understand why people make the drive from Salt Lake City just for dessert.

The fish and chips deserve mention too—haddock with a light, crispy batter that lets the fish shine through. One visitor described it perfectly: "huge fillet with a light crispy batter that crunched when cut into, fish was flaky and light and good." And if you're feeling adventurous, the bacon shrimp mac and cheese is the kind of indulgent comfort food that makes you forget about your diet for at least one meal.

Sandy's Secret Weapon for Concert Nights and Game Days

Here's something locals know that visitors are just figuring out: Tin Roof Grill sits in the perfect spot for anyone heading to a Sandy Amphitheater concert or a Real Salt Lake game at Rio Tinto Stadium. It's close enough that you can grab dinner before the show without stressing about traffic, far enough that you're not dealing with venue crowds. Wednesday nights from late May through early October, they host live music on the patio starting at 6 PM—local bands like Two Old Guys, Ian McIver, Nathan Spencer—and the whole vibe shifts into this laid-back Utah summer evening thing that's hard to beat.

The restaurant isn't huge. It's intimate, actually, with colorful art on the walls and a seat-yourself policy that works great when they're not slammed. There's a full bar with local brews from Epic Brewery, craft cocktails, and those all-day mimosas that make brunch feel like a celebration. Early bird specials draw the dinner crowd, and breakfast is served until 3 PM on weekends, which means you can roll in after a morning hike in Little Cottonwood Canyon and still get eggs Benedict.

Is every dish perfect every time? No. This is real restaurant life—some reviewers have noted inconsistency depending on what you order, occasional temperature issues with the croquettes, pasta that can trend toward overcooked. One person's chicken pesto sandwich was transcendent with "magic aioli sauce completed on ciabatta bread," while another found their pesto linguine just "fine." But here's what matters: the places that try to do everything perfectly often lose their soul in the process. Tin Roof Grill has soul. It has warmth. It has an owner who personally chats with customers and a staff that locals mention by name in reviews.

Planning Your Visit to Tin Roof Grill

You'll find Tin Roof Grill at 9284 S 700 E in Sandy, tucked into a spot that might not look like much from the outside but transforms once you walk through the door. As one regular put it: "Looks like a shithole from the outside, gourmet food and awesome atmosphere on the inside." They're open Monday through Thursday 10 AM to 9 PM, Friday and Saturday 8 AM to 10 PM, and Sunday 8 AM to 9 PM. Weekend mornings mean brunch service—don't sleep on the breakfast spaghetti if you're feeling adventurous.

Call ahead for reservations if you're bringing a larger group, especially on weekends or Wednesday music nights. Otherwise it's free seating, which can mean a wait when they're busy but also means you can grab a spot at the bar for a quick bite and a beer. Order the croquettes, obviously. Get the white bean and steak pizza if you trust me. Save room for cheesecake—ask what flavors they have that day and just pick one, you won't be disappointed. If you're going simple, the fish and chips and the chicken pesto sandwich are solid moves that rarely miss.

The location works perfectly for pre-concert dining before Sandy Amphitheater shows or post-game meals after catching Real Salt Lake in action. Parking is easy, the atmosphere is welcoming, and they've got a patio for when Utah's weather cooperates, which is more often than you'd think.

Follow them on Instagram at @tinroofgrillut to see what cheesecakes are currently available and to catch updates on live music schedules.

---

This is the kind of restaurant that reminds you why supporting local matters. Michael Seader and his team aren't trying to be fancy. They're not chasing trends or reinventing the wheel. They're making food from scratch, taking care of their neighborhood, and occasionally creating a cheesecake so good that Guy Fieri puts it on national television and it sells out by 4 PM. In Sandy, where corporate chains dominate the landscape, Tin Roof Grill stands out as proof that a locally owned spot with heart, hustle, and really good croquettes can become something special. The mountains provide the backdrop, the music fills the summer air, and somewhere in that kitchen, another batch of raspberry charlotte cheesecake is waiting to make someone's day a little bit better.