SALT LAKE CITY — If you’ve lived in Salt Lake long enough, you’ve probably been to Bill and Nada’s.
Opened in 1946 by Bill and Nada McHenry a year after they got married, the much-missed 24-hour cafe that once stood at 479 South, became a staple of the SLC food scene, attracting people from all walks of life-even Governor John Huntsman who regularly ate there.
“It was iconic, because it was open 24 hours, 24 hour service, which is really incredible in general, especially for the 1940s,” said Adrienne White, local historian and founder of House Genealogy who has done significant research on the diner.
IT'S SHOWTIME!
It was especially popular with the late-night crowd, people who didn’t want to go home just yet, who craved some good after hours grub and lively socializing.
“There was a waitress named Ruth and for years she did the graveyard shift,” said Heidie Johnson, former server at Bill and Nada’s. “So she would show up at one and she would clap her hands together and rub them and say ‘It's showtime!’.
Bill and Nada’s closed in 1999 after Bill Mchenry passed away. But the memories live on, in a Facebook group called the Friends of Bill and Nada's, a Reddit thread and even a YouTube playlist dedicated to its glory days as one of Salt Lake City's most iconic hangouts and eateries.
“Bill, he was an old schooler” Johnson said. “When I was working for him, he was 93 at the time, and he had a steak every day at 4 P.M. He wanted a real working man's restaurant, where people could come in, anytime when they were hungry and get a solid meal.”
BRAINS AND EGGS
Part of the restaurant’s charm was its old school decor, which barely changed since its post World War II opening. That familiarity and lack of modern touches was as much of a draw as the food and prices.
“It hadn't changed in 50 years when I worked there,” Johnson added. “It was great. And people would get the same thing. And it was what was expected. And people relied on that. And that was comfortable,” Johnson said.
The food always remained a mix of classic diner staples, and dishes with a twist.
The diner’s most iconic dish was brains and eggs. They also served orange colored pancakes, stuffed veal hearts and fried rabbit.
Patrons enjoyed the paper placemats featuring the US presidents while playing tunes on their table side jukeboxes, with songs selected by Bill himself. There was even the spinning wheel, which, if it landed on a customers table number, would provide a free meal.
HONORING NADA
After operating for 15 successful years, Bill lost his life partner and half the restaurant's namesake.
“So, unfortunately, Nada died at the young age of 38 In 1961,” White said. “ Bill remarried and he continued to run the restaurant until August of 1999.
But the name of the restaurant never changed. And that was on purpose.
“And so I think it was an honor to her life and an honor to the role that she played in starting this cafe and the community along with it,” White added.
Until Bill's last days on Earth, Bill and Nada’s remained the same and became a family for both the customers and employees.
“There are places that people go in our current day and age that are great and they have good food, but Bill and Nada’s was standard,” Johnson said. “It was real. It wasn't pretend, it was authentic.”
