CEDAR CITY — When Syrus Saifizadeh parted ways with his former restaurant, retirement was never on his mind. He was only looking for a change.

“It is what I have done all my life,” he said. “I think the menu is unique, it’s a new business for me — a drive-through business, which I have always wanted to do.”

Open for less than two weeks, Shammy’s Grill on the northern side of Cedar City is offering Angus beef burgers, chicken or salmon sandwiches, salads and fries with a Mediterranean twist.

Saifizadeh said the current menu features five sandwiches that can be served regular or Mediterranean-style, three types of salads, cookies and both Pepsi and Coca-Cola products for customers to enjoy.

“This is to begin with right now,” he said. “We may alter it later on as we get a hang of business.”

For 22 years, Saifizadeh owned and operated The Pastry Pub in Cedar City, since renamed The Pub by new owners in July of 2021. Since its opening in 1999, the restaurant quickly became a crowd favorite among those attending the Utah Shakespeare Festival and town residents.

“It was time for a change,” Saifizadeh said.

In 2018, the owners of Southern Utah convenience store KB Express converted the car wash at their store located at 1944 North Main Street in Cedar City into a drive-through restaurant.

Two years later, The Grill, its former name, was shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.

The building has recently seen life again, with signs advertising “Now Hiring,” new neon on the building and vehicles in the drive-through, as well as a line of customers at the walk-up window.

The Mediterranean chicken salad advertised on the Shammy’s Grill Facebook page offers diners tomato, onion, cucumber, feta cheese, kalamata olives, Parmesan cheese, pumpkin seeds and grilled chicken on a bed of fresh, mixed greens. The dressing is a drizzle of white balsamic and shallot.

Cedar City resident Danielle Sims told Cedar City News that she has been twice since the official opening of Saifizadeh’s newest restaurant.

She enjoys the city’s newest restaurant and says that the food is “not boring.” On one of her visits, she tried the Mediterranean chicken sandwich.

“There was a sauce on it that gave me a hint of the old Pastry Pub days — which is exactly what I was looking for — and the fries have this killer, savory seasoning on them, which I loved,” she said. “The kids working there are super happy and friendly too, which kind of tops it all off. We love Sy and his food.”

On social media, Cedar City realtor Jennie Hendricks gave Shammy’s Grill a 5-star rating.

“I had the salmon burger, with the Mediterranean upgrade — loved it,” she posted on Facebook. “Creamy dill sauce was on point.”

Shammy’s Grill also offers online ordering from their website as well as catering for businesses. To learn more about the Mediterranean flavors at Saifizadeh’s newest venture, view their menu, or order online, click here to visit the Shammy’s Grill website.

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