There's only one sit-down restaurant on the 55-mile stretch of highway between Fredonia, Ariz. and Hurricane, Utah, and it ain't a Denny's. The Merry Wives Cafe in Hilldale, Utah is owned by a local polygamist group which runs the restaurant with a sense of humor and an eye towards curiosity-seeking tourists.
The group, who call themselves The Work of Jesus Christ, are an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (who are condemned by mainstream American Mormons). The owners of Merry Wives hope to dispel myths about polygamy - they claim not to engage in underage marriage, welfare fraud or child labor.
Giggling travelers and local mega-families eat bacon cheeseburgers side-by-side at the cafe - the restaurant has even had to shut down when a family of 50 has taken over. Some guests leave phone numbers tucked under salt shakers, in case a wife wants to escape polygamy. Some get up and leave, horrified, when they realize just where they're eating.
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