Restaurant Guide Main Index
- Date indicates the most recent update of the restaurants listed
- Bold indicates my recommendations; others come from what I consider to be good sources (see bottom of page for further explanation)
Boulder
Burr Trail Grill–10 N. Hwy 12 (Organic) Open daily except Mon evening. Organic food–everything is grown in their garden (but they do have meat dishes). Thai style burger is popular. Seems to be more casual than Hell’s Backbone (this is mainly a sandwich place). (4-19-17)
Hell’s Backbone–20 N. Hwy 12 (Southwest) Open daily (closed from 2:30 to 5:00 pm). Local & sustainable. Expensive, but people say you are paying for chefs who know what they are doing and prepare dishes the right way. (4-19-17)
Brigham City
Hua Guan–903 S. Main St. (Chinese) Closed Sun. Authentic food, and even the Americanized dishes are made somewhat authentic so that they have a Chinese flavor. Chicken cilantro soup is an example of authentic dishes. (4-19-17)
Maddox–1900 S. Hwy 89 (Steakhouse) Open Tue-Sat (open until 9:30 pm). Primarily a steak place. Yeast rolls with raspberry butter, chicken, homemade pies are very good. They raise their own beef and brew their own root beer. Very large restaurant (and people apparently drive from SLC to eat here). (4-19-17)
Clearfield
Argentine Corner–442 N. Main St. (Argentinian) Closed Sun. Reviewers indicate it is not exactly like being in Argentina but it is close. Has empenadas and plate dinners. Food is made fresh so you have to wait for it. (3-8-19)
Haru Ramen–1266 S. Legend Hills Dr. (Japanese) Closed Sun. Ramen is said to be very good. Miso ramen is said by some to be the best. (3-8-19)
High Hat Diner–1147 N. Main St. (Mexican) Closed Mon. Breakfast is popular. Mexican food with green chile is popular (breakfast with green chile is popular as well). (3-8-19)
Pho Banh–1286 S. Legend Hills Dr. (Vietnamese) Closed Sun. Reviewers say this is the best Vietnamese in Davis County, which isn’t saying a whole lot, but they say the food is legit. Serves pho, banh mi, and a few other dishes such as rice plates with toppings such as Korean beef or vegan lemongrass tofu. (3-8-19)
Heber
Snake Creek Grill–650 W. 100 S. (American) Open Wed-Sun (dinner only). Corn cakes with sweet pepper cream & shrimp, mac & cheese. (4-19-17)
Kanab
Rocking V–97 W. Center St. (Southwest) Closed Tue & Wed. Food supposedly is as good as in San Francisco or New York. Veggie enchilada is popular (also serves meat dishes). Fish tacos and key lime pie are good. (4-19-17)
Layton
Black Bear Diner–310 E. Gentile St. (Diner) Open daily 6 am to 10 pm. Most reviews are for breakfast. They say the pancakes are some of the best ever (baked items such as chicken pot pie, bear claws, etc. are said to be good). This is part of a chain, but still said to be one of the best breakfasts. (3-8-19)
Little Taste of Britain–768 W 1425 N (British) Open 11 am to 8 pm (closed Sun). Reviewers say the fish and chips are spot on. Pea soup is also recommended. The weird thing is that Hug-Hes Cafe is also supposed to have good fish and chips, and Sill’s Cafe is supposed to have good scones (both of these are also in Layton). The scones, though, appear to be a Utah version that resembles a sopapilla, and bears little relation to the English ones. In any case, though, there does seem to be some good British food in this town. (3-8-19)
99 Thai Fusion–768 W 1425 N (Thai) Open daily (opens at 1:30 on Sun). Reviews are good. Curry is recommended (they also have some less common dishes such as papaya salad). (3-8-19)
Logan
Bluebird–19 N. Main St. (American) Closed Sun. I’m not sure if people really go here for the food or for the quirkiness and novelty of it. It is a restaurant owned by Asian people who serve American food, but they have some Asian dishes such as sweet and sour chicken. One of the most popular American items (and supposedly extremely good) is the strawberry chicken (grilled chicken with a strawberry glaze). Also the desserts are very popular (especially the mud pie). Has a candy store inside the restaurant, and many people come just for this. (2-15-19)
Tandoori Oven–720 E. 1000 N. (Indian) Closed Sun. Indian restaurant inside a gas station–people say the food is solid. They especially like that the spice level is straightforward–it you ask for spicy they will make it spicy. (2-15-19)
Thai House–51 W. 200 S. (Thai) Closed Sun (and closed from 3:30 to 4:30 pm). Thai food that impresses people from other cities, and which gets very good reviews. (2-15-19)
Midvale
Makisu–7777 S. State St. (Japanese) Open daily except Sun lunch. Mostly a sushi restaurant, but has a number of traditional dishes (ramen, yakisoba, etc). It does not appear to be world class Japanese food, but serves good and healthy food. (2-15-19)
Moab
Arches Thai–60 N. 100 W. (Thai) Closed Tue. Authentic and very good Thai, but prices are about double what they would be at most Thai restaurants. Curry is recommended (but all dishes appear to be good). (4-19-17)
Miguel’s Baja Grill–51 N. Main St. (Mexican). Open daily (dinner only). Fish tacos were good (in fact, some of the best I have had). However, the beans, rice, and salsa were somewhat bland. (4-19-17)
Singha Thai–92 E. Center St. (Thai). More Americanized than Bangkok House, but customers can ask for food “Thai style” and order some off-the-menu dishes that are very authentic. Note: Bangkok Thai is still open but Arches Thai now has better reviews. (4-19-17)
Note: Desert Bistro is consistently cited as the best restaurant in town. When I was in Moab I went to the restaurant and saw that it was definitely a “fine dining” experience that was out of my budget range for that particular night.
Monticello
Peace Tree Juice Cafe–516 N. Main St. (Juice Bar) Open daily 7 am to 10 pm. Breakfast, lunch, smoothies. Specialties are panini and salads. (4-19-17)
Ogden
Aroy D Thai–1167 W. 12th St. (Thai) Closed Sun & Mon. Mostly good reviews. It seems to be the best Thai food in northern Utah (north of SLC). (2-10-19)
Hanamaru–357 E. 37th St. (Japanese) Closed Sun-Tue (and closed from 2:30 to 5:30 pm). Udon, katsu curry, ramen, shabu shabu, sushi. Mostly everyday Japanese food done very well at good prices. Note: was closed during Jan & Feb 2019 (perhaps the chef goes to Japan periodically?) (2-10-19)
Rosa’s Cafe–2660 Washington Blvd. (Mexican) Breakfast & lunch Tue-Sun; dinner Fri & Sat. Enchiladas, burritos, etc. are covered with chile verde and/or chile colorado (some indicate that the chile verde is better). One reviewer says this is El Paso style, and he knows because he is from El Paso. (2-10-19)
Orem
Bangkok Grill–934 N. State St. (Thai) Closed Sun. A restaurant for “picky eaters” (such as ones who have been to Thailand). Curries and noodle dishes are recommended (some curries are spicier than others, so you might want to order based on what spiciness you want). (4-19-17)
Chef Gao–820 E. 800 N. (Chinese) Open daily except Sun lunch. Has authentic Sichuan style food. This started as a branch of the now apparently closed Chef Gao in Midvale (which had a reputation of having the most authentic and best Chinese food in Utah). I am not sure if this restaurant is quite that good, but reviews are excellent and it does offer authentic food. (2-15-19)
Great China–1632 S. State St. (Chinese) Closed Sun. Mostly American style dishes, but it has pan fried noodles (and is a place Chinese people can go and find something they consider to be authentic). Reviews did not give very many details, though. If you get Americanized food they say it is cheaper than the other places. (4-19-17)
Jasmine Thai Lao–430 W. 800 N. (Lao) Closed Sun. Reviewers have mixed reactions to the Thai food, but like the Lao dishes (such as laap). Reviewers stated that the pad thai is the best in the valley (but maybe Bangkok Grill, which opened in 2017, is better now). (4-19-17)
Park City
Adolph’s–1500 Kearns Blvd. (Swiss) Open daily (dinner only). This is a European style restaurant with Swiss specialties. Multi course dinner, but many times the other courses are as good or better than the main one. Expensive, but may be worth it for your special occasion dinner. Check the reviews, though, because some are disappointed with the food. (2-10-19)
Baja Cantina–1284 Lowell Ave. (Mexican) Open Daily. Santa Fe chicken enchiladas, flautas, tacos are good. Some describe the food as bland (this was my experience in Moab–another Utah tourist destination). However, there seems to be enough to make it worth a trip if you are in PC. (2-10-19)
Bangkok Thai–605 Main St. (Thai) Dinner only (open daily). A good choice to get good food at a reasonable price in PC (not an easy thing to accomplish). Most say the food is good but the service is bad. It helps to get a reservation (this will make the service better for you). (2-10-19)
Fletcher’s–562 Main St. (New American) Open daily (dinner only). Good choice for your upscale, special occasion experience. Steak, chicken, mussels, ribs, lamb shank, and probably several other entrees are all very good. Everyone raved about the biscuits and jam (served with all meals). I’m listing this restaurant because people say it is worth the price. (2-10-19)
Kuchu Shabu–1612 W. Ute Blvd. (Japanese) Open Daily. Has shabu shabu, poke, hot pot, pho, etc. People complain about high prices and small portions, but have a high opinion about the food. (2-10-19)
Szechwan–1612 Ute Blvd. (Chinese) Open Daily. This is a place that is inexpensive (by PC standards), has good service (waiters are not snooty), and you don’t need reservations. It also has good food, but it’s mostly Americanized. The lunch specials are about $10 (with American style dishes). There are some “authentic” dishes on the dinner menu (twice cook pork, etc.) but they are more expensive. This does not sound great, but it sounds good for PC. (2-10-19)
Price
Farlaino’s Cafe–87 W. Main St. (American) Open 7 am to 7 pm (closed Sun). It is not totally American–it has some Italian dishes including Italian sausage that people say is great for lunch or breakfast (Groovin Gourmet on Chowhound recommends the Italian sausage sandwich for lunch). Pancakes are recommended for breakfast or burgers for lunch. (2-10-19)
Provo
Bombay House–463 N. University Ave. (Indian) Dinner only (closed Sun). Probably the best Indian restaurant in a several-state area. Less spicy than most Indian restaurants, but you can get it spicier if you ask. Not a buffet–dishes are individually cooked. (Additional locations in SLC). (2-10-19)
Communal–102 N. University Ave. (New American) Closed Sun & Mon (and closed from 2:30 pm to 5 pm). Seasonal and locally sourced food. Tends to be upscale and expensive, but portions are big (and they encourage people to share). People say the butterscotch pudding is not to be missed. Do not come here if you like high fat and sodium content (I think because of this some reviewers say the food is bland). However, because of the prices I would say take care in what you order. (2-10-19)
Green Panda–3220 N. University Ave. (Chinese) Closed Sun. Owned by Taiwanese people, but much of the menu is American style (skip this and get the Taiwanese food). A large number of vegetarian dishes (popular with Taiwanese people). Good dumplings and pot stickers (they call this the dim sum menu). I think the authentic dishes are limited but good (according to reviews). (2-10-19)
Hruska’s Kolaches–434 W. Center St. (Bakery) Open 6:30 am until they run out of kolaches–usually about 11:30 am (closed Sun). Breakfast kolaches are popular (sausage, egg, etc.). Fruit kolaches are also very good. (2-10-19)
Koko Lunchbox–1175 N. Canyon Rd. (Korean) Open 11:30 am to 8:30 pm (closed Sun). Authentic Korean–because of this it has better reviews than many other Asian restaurants in the Provo area (in fact I think it has the best reviews on Yelp). Some say it is as good as the food trucks in other cities, but here you can eat it in a restaurant setting. (2-10-19)
Molly’s–753 W. Columbia Ln. (American) Lunch Tue-Fri, dinner Fri only. It is said to be home style food, and food you would find at a cafeteria but served restaurant style. Some reviewers recommend ordering something simple (more complicated dishes like meat loaf lack spicing). (2-10-19)
Saint George
Durango–245 Red Cliffs Dr. (Mexican) Closed Sun. Reviewers say it is better than Cafe Rio. Has green enchiladas, so I think it is worth a try. (4-19-17)
Honolulu Grill–706 E. 700 S. (Hawaiian) Closed Sun. Good value, and good Hawaiian style food. Katsu chicken, kalua pork, macaroni salad are good. (4-19-17)
Viva Chicken–1183 E. 100 S. (Peruvian) Closed Sun. Has a large menu with probably anything you would want (including plantains and arroz chaufa). Chicken dishes are all recommended, but especially the rotisserie chicken. (4-19-17)
Salt Lake City
All Chay–1264 W. 500 N. (Vietnamese) Closed Mon (and closed from 2 pm to 5 pm). Vegetarian Vietnamese food that is so good it is the number one restaurant on Yelp in SLC. All the flavors are authentically Asian. (5-9-17)
Bruges Waffles & Frites–336 W. 300 S. (Belgian) Open daily except Sun. night. Popular for breakfast (serves several types of Belgian waffles). Sandwiches, frites, and desserts are popular. Also in Provo and Draper. (5-9-17)
Cafe Anh Hong–1465 S. State St. (Chinese) Open daily (open until 9:30 pm). Many say this is the best authentic Chinese in SLC. Has dim sum. (5-9-17)
Dim Sum House–1158 S. State St. (Chinese) Open daily 10:30 am to 11:00 pm). Dim sum served all day. Serves congee and some menu items. Everything is authentic. (5-9-17)
Feldman’s Deli–2005 E. 2700 S. (Deli) Lunch Tue-Sat; dinner Thu-Sat. Jewish deli with very good reviews. Reuben is apparently the most popular item, but this restaurant also offers a number of items that are difficult to find just about anywhere in the West. (5-9-17)
Golden Dragon–1716 S. State St. (Chinese) Open daily (open until 9:30 pm). Dim sum and authentic menu items, but the emphasis seems to be on the latter. (5-9-17)
Ikigai–67 W. 100 S. St. (Japanese) Lunch Tue-Fri; dinner Tue-Sat. Izakaya style Japanese food. Some of it is Asian fusion, but seems to have some authentic dishes also (and reviewers say all are delicious). (5-9-17)
Kobe–3947 Wasatch Blvd. (Japanese) Open daily except Sun lunch (closed from 2 to 5 pm Mon-Fri). Known for it ramen (many say it compares with Tosh’s and it’s easier to get a table). Also has other menu items. (5-9-17)
Market Street Grill–48 W. Market St. (American) Open daily (open until 9 pm). I was impressed by their fish specials, consisting of fresh fish flown in daily. (5-9-17)
Nauvoo Cafe–15 E. South Temple St. (American) Closed Sun. Owned by the LDS Church and open to the public. Home style cooking served cafeteria style. Some say this is better than Lion House on the same block, but both have similar food. No coffee or tea is served, but they have decaf Coke. Turkey pot pie is the most recommended dish here (pot pie is also the most popular dish at Lion House, but the big thing at Lion House is the rolls). Some food may be bland and/or salty (like a typical cafeteria). (5-9-17)
Oh Mai–3425 S. State St. (Vietnamese) Closed Sun. Specializes in pho and banh mi, but has a varied menu. Offers vegetarian pho, and uses no MSG in the food. I think it looks interesting, and probably compares favorable to restaurants in larger cities. (5-9-17)
Red Iguana–736 W. North Temple St. (Mexican) Open daily (open until 10 pm most evenings). Has 7 types of mole. (5-9-17)
Settebello–260 S. 200 W. (Pizza) Open Daily. “Almost” authentic Neapolitan pizza (but they say it’s about the best you are going to find in Utah or a lot of other places). (5-9-17)
Thai Garden–868 E. 900 S. (Thai) Open Daily except Sun lunch. Groovin’ Gourmet says it’s better than Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas–red curry with pumpkin is recommended. Spice level is not authentic. (5-9-17)
The Med–420 E. 3300 S. (Persian) Open Daily. Persian & Turkish cuisine. There are several comments saying the food is not authentic, but Persian food is so good I think it might still be worth a try. (5-9-17)
Tortas Y Jugos El Morelense–2470 S. Redwood Rd. (Mexican) Closed Mon; lunch only on Sun. Recommended place for authentic Mexican street food. (5-9-17)
Tosh’s Ramen–1465 S. State St. (Japanese) Closed Sun & Mon. Many say it is the best ramen in SLC, but is inconsistent (one visit could be great and another not so much). Take your pick between this and Kobe (also Tonkatsu is good). (5-9-17)
South Salt Lake
Afghan Kitchen–3142 Main St. (Afghan) Closed Mon. Traditional Afghan food, which is a combination of Middle Eastern and Indian (based on some of the dishes that are available). (5-9-17)
Spanish Fork
Los 2 Potrillos–146 S. Main St. (Mexican). Authentic south of the border style food. Specializes in fish tacos (owner is from So. Cal. and has connections to get fresh fish). Also has enchiladas suizas and other menu items. (2-10-19)
Springville
Art City Trolley–256 N. Main St. (American) Closed Sun. This restaurant has somewhat of a cult following–you sit in a real trolley car and eat diner food (but people say it is very good). Apparently there is a dining room next door if the trolley is overcrowded (which it frequently seems to be). People recommend hamburgers, mac & cheese, quesadilla, Philly sandwich. (2-10-19)
Sundance
Tree Room–8841 N. Alpine Loop (American) Open Tue-Sat (dinner only). Robert Redford’s 5 star restaurant. Fine dining and expensive, and it seems to be a place that everyone enjoys. (4-19-17)
Torrey
Cafe Diablo–599 W. Main St. (Southwest) Open daily until 10 pm (some sources say it closes in winter). Pork ribs with chipotle glaze, pecan crusted chicken, home made ice cream (chocolate bomb). Maybe out of the price range for this list, though. (4-19-17)
Capitol Reef Inn–360 W. Main St. (American) Open daily 7 am to 9 pm. Seems to be more New American than traditional American (lemon-hickory chicken is one of the specialties). Probably a good choice for people who want good food at good prices and can pass up the “big name” restaurant in town. (4-19-17)
Vernal
Antica Forma–251 E. Main St. (Pizza) Closed Sun. Gourmet pizza made with fresh mozzarella and interesting toppings. (2-10-19)
West Jordan
BFF Turon–8860 S. Redwood Rd. (Filipino) Closed Sun. Like most ethnic restaurants in Utah, the real comparison to make is with restaurants in other states. Reviewers say this restaurant stands the test very well. Turon is their specialty, but there is a large list of dishes with excellent reviews. (2-15-19)
West Valley City
Red Maple Chinese–2882 W. 4700 S. (Chinese) Open Daily. One of the best dim sum restaurants in SLC, if not the best (reviewers say it tastes fresh). Also has a Chinese menu of other dishes. (5-9-17)
Notes About This List:
This is a “master list” of restaurants that I have seen on the Internet or other sources and would like to try, or that I think would be of interest to others. I do not mean for this to be an exhaustive list of every good place to eat, but it should represent a good sample of the most interesting or unique restaurants, along with a few that best represent an area’s regional cuisine. My own recommendations are in Bold.
I am not looking to include:
- Fine dining (unless they are unique because of regional specialties)
- Low end restaurants that are popular with locals but may not be of much interest to travelers or people in general (everyone will have to use their judgment on this one)
Extra consideration for the following:
- The food is organic, fresh, healthy, or farm to table
- The restaurant serves a relatively hard to find type of ethnic food and reviews are good
In addition to the regular guidelines I try to include:
- The best Asian restaurants in the area even if they are not totally authentic
- Particularly good Mexican restaurants (this usually means the food is from a particular state in Mexico or it is one of the best examples of a U.S. regional style)
Please feel free to leave your own comments or suggestions.
Sources:
Chowhound (Utah)
City-Data (SLC Restaurants)
City-Data (What/Where to Eat on Utah Road Trip)
Trip Advisor (Park City)
Urbanspoon.com (former web site which I used for preliminary research)
Yelp (Utah)
Zomato (Salt Lake City)
