Club 48 has been owned by lifelong Murrayite Cory Billings for 20 years, but his dad started the club in 1989.

“We’ve been here a long time, and we have people who’ve been coming here since the day we opened,” Billings said. “When they come in, I know where they’re going to sit, what they’re going to drink and what they’ll have to eat.”

Amy, a bartender who has been at Club 48 for nearly a decade, agrees. “We get a lot of regulars, like ‘Cheers,’” she laughed. “It’s kind of come as you are.”

Club 48 is known for their Wednesday steak night, where you can get a steak, baked potato, salad and garlic bread for $10, and customers love to come in for a greasy-spoon breakfast and football on Sunday.

The place has two pool tables and they host an inhouse pool tournament on Tuesdays and various outside leagues on other evenings, plus there’s a dart tournament on Saturdays. A large banquet room is a good spot for private parties, meetings, gatherings for special events like New Years and the Super Bowl, and over the years, even a wedding or two.

“What I like about [Club 48] is that it’s kind of a dive bar and a country bar, in the best way. You have cowboys and older people who don’t want to go where the loud music and wild crowd is, and it feels like family. I’ve met some of my best friends here,” Matt Berardy, Murray resident and a regular, said. “Plus, the drinks are a little cheaper, so it’s a little easier on the pocketbook. And the Sunday breakfast? You can’t beat it.”

Ice Haus, right next door, has its own vibe.

The club was started in 2015 by Murray residents Dave and Shelly Morris. Kenny Sutton, now the general manager, helped renovate the building and open the bar. A few years ago, the club was sold to the group that also owns Piper Down in SLC, and several properties in Ogden, but many things have stayed the same.

“We’ve always had a German-themed menu, huge soft pretzels and brats,” Sutton said. “And also, a vegan menu since the original owners were vegan. Especially when we first opened, vegan bar food was unusual and it brings in people. We also have a great selection of booze. You can try some really nice mixed drinks and whiskeys for less than the downtown Salt Lake bars.”

Ice Haus is also a neighborhood bar, and like Club 48, many patrons walk over for a drink and a meal.

“We like to think we are a place for everyone. Different people come in for different events,” Cassie Rothman, assistant general manager and bartender, said. “We have bingo, live bands on the weekend, karaoke on Thursday and Monday evenings, trivia on Mondays. And, of course, people always come in to watch the games.” 

One draw in the summer is the dog-friendly/permitted patio. “It’s another reason for people to walk to the bar,” Sutton said. λ