10 Best Restaurants in Salt Lake City
You’re probably not the only one who doesn’t immediately associate Salt Lake City with a vibrant culinary industry. This city in a mountain valley is renowned for its stories of pioneers who practiced polygamy and for having “the greatest snow on earth.”Best Restaurants in Salt Lake City
However, more and more people are realizing these days that Salt Lake City’s restaurant scene is actually a pretty exciting place to be, especially since the city has experienced tremendous economic growth. Everything from doughy pizza to upscale Italian restaurants and from traditional American diners to Mexican bistros may be found here. Here are the top eateries in Salt Lake City, so be ready to have your mind blown. Best Restaurants in Salt Lake City
1. Wildwood
Nestled within the quaint The Avenues area, this undiscovered treasure provides one of Salt Lake City’s greatest dining experiences. Wildwood is a homestyle restaurant that specializes in seasonal food such as kebabs with cucumber mint raita and harissa, pork belly with Utah cherries, and sweet corn chicken hash with vodka mascarpone cream sauce. The food is excellent, and the servings are substantial, regardless of what’s currently on rotation. Best Restaurants in Salt Lake City
2. Emigration Brewing
The terrace at Emigration Brewing is one of the best spots to be on a sweltering summer evening. Enjoy brunch, lunch, supper, and the perfect cocktail for each by a meandering river in Emigration Canyon; the food alone will make the short drive from downtown worthwhile. Dinners for anniversaries, business lunches, and laid-back brunchers after hikes all appear to be equally welcome here
3. Pizza Nono
Head to the 9th and 9th areas for some of SLC’s best wood-fired pizza in quaint surroundings. Try the prized À la Vodka or the jalapeño and honey-covered beehive pie if it’s on the menu that day. To wash down your slices, this local pizzeria offers a modest yet impressive bottle list of wines.
4. White Horse Spirits & Kitchen
White Horse (21+) is on this list for a variety of reasons. Food: Amazing. Drinks? Perfect. ambiance? hip-level and raised. Assistance? Unmatched. The cherry on top is that White Horse is one of the few eateries in Salt Lake City that accepts meal orders past midnight. Arugula salad and confit duck wings are must-haves. If you want to try the legendary White Gazpacho, go there early because it tends to sell out.
5. Takashi
Considered one of the greatest spots in the city for Japanese food, Takashi is a chic setting for business lunches during the day and a popular dating spot at night. Nigiri, sashimi, and rolls are among the indulgent earth, turf, and surf dishes that are served by the chef. Since reservations are not accepted, you may have to wait to get a seat, but don’t worry—you can have some snacks and beverages at Post Office Place, the sibling bar, right next door. Best Restaurants in Salt Lake City
6. The Copper Onion
This downtown SLC culinary staple, billed as an American restaurant, is American in the fullest sense of the word: a melting pot of ethnic influences. The menu has a wide variety of foods, including Mexican (Elote), Spanish (Patatas Bravas), Italian (Cacio e Pepe with housemade fettuccine), and clearly American (the Copper Burger). Chef/owner Ryan Lowder is from Utah and has experience cooking all around the world, from New York to Barcelona. He thankfully went back to his origins, and as a result, we’re all a bit more worldly.
7. The Dodo
This Sugarhouse staple offers a lot of reasons to come, but Ramon is the major one. Since the Dodo first opened more than thirty years ago, this gifted pastry chef has been creating pies and other sweet treats. The Dodo is also famed for their piled turkey sandwiches if you must have something savory before indulging in a slice of banana cream cheesecake or the house specialty Toll House pie.
8. Pretty Bird
We’re Team Pretty Bird, and Salt Lake, like other US communities, has recently found itself in the middle of the fried chicken sandwich controversy. Enjoy extra crispy breaded chicken topped with pickles, Pretty Bird sauce, and a mountain of cabbage slaw at two (soon to be three) locations of this Nashville-style hot chicken restaurant by Viet Pham.
9. Pago
While many restaurants in SLC have jumped on the farm-to-table bandwagon, Pago sticks to its local sourcing principles. This restaurant’s cuisine changes seasonally and shows a sincere dedication to local suppliers such as Wasatch Meats, Clifford Family Farm, and Beehive Cheese. Pago even has its own micro-farm,’ which provides food to sister restaurant Finca and the kitchen directly.
10. Lola
Another hidden treasure in the 9th and 9th areas is Lola, a light-filled Mexican cafe that expertly balances informal and sophisticated dining. You should get an order of guacamole and the day’s special agua fresca to go with your taco order, which should include the shrimp tacos with fresh goji berries.