Bistros, trattorias and the everyday rooms where Salt Lake City actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Salt Lake City actually eats.
Red Iguana on West North Temple, the Cardenas family's Mexican room since 1985 and Utah's most awarded restaurant, runs the state's defining moles.
Signature: Mole, Combination platter
Order: A combination platter with mole negro and verde plus a pomegranate margarita.
Tip: Hour-plus wait at peak; cross to Red Iguana 2 across South Temple or order takeout via the operator's site.
Crown Burgers on East 200 South, the Katsanevas family's institution since 1978, popularized Salt Lake's pastrami burger at its Greek-American counter.
Signature: Crown pastrami burger, Gyros
Order: The Crown burger with pastrami plus a side of fry sauce and a gyro.
Tip: Original downtown location is the canonical seat among seven Utah branches; lunch counter turns fast.
Pretty Bird Hot Chicken on Regent Street, chef Viet Pham's Nashville-style fast-casual since 2018, anchors Salt Lake's chef-driven hot chicken movement.
Signature: Hot chicken sandwich, Tenders
Order: Hot chicken sandwich at your heat level plus a side of slaw.
Tip: Order ahead via the operator's site for pickup; counter line stretches at lunch. Sister branches in Sugar House, Park City, Midvale.
Pat's Barbecue on Commonwealth Avenue, the Texas-style smokehouse founded by pitmaster Pat Barber and serving Salt Lake since 2004, runs Utah's defining brisket and burnt-end Fridays.
Signature: Brisket, Burnt ends
Order: A brisket plate with burnt ends if it's a Friday plus a side of pit beans.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Counter sells out of brisket by early evening; arrive before 18:00 to be sure.
East Liberty Tap House on 900 South, Scott Evans' Pago Group neighborhood tavern since 2014, runs an updated bar menu with Utah craft beer on tap.
Signature: Burger, Craft beer pours
Order: The house burger and whichever Utah craft beer leads the rotating tap list.
Tip: Patio in summer; Sunday and Saturday brunch starts at 11:00. Reserve via the operator's site.
Settebello on South 200 West, the Salt Lake flagship of the Neapolitan-style chain, runs hand-made dough cooked in a 900-degree wood oven in 60 seconds.
Signature: Margherita pizza, Naples-style Napoletana
Order: A margherita and a quattro stagioni pulled from the 900-degree wood oven.
Tip: Vegan and gluten-free options on the menu; weekend dinner runs the longest waits.
Vertical Diner on 900 South, Salt Lake's longest-running full-service vegan diner since 2007 (current address from 2019), runs plant-based comfort food all day.
Signature: Ranch burger, Biscuits and gravy
Order: The ranch burger or biscuits and gravy with a side of spicy fries.
Tip: All-day breakfast service; the retro-diner room is family-friendly. Beer and wine on the menu.
Red Iguana 2 on West South Temple, the larger sibling of the Cardenas family flagship, runs the same award-winning moles in a bigger room with a full bar.
Signature: Mole, Combination platter
Order: Whichever mole the original flagship is featuring plus a margarita at the bar.
Tip: Use Red Iguana 2 to skip the original's wait at peak; same family, same kitchen.
Finca on 1500 East, Scott Evans' Spanish tapas room reopened in its 15th and 15th home, runs scratch tapas and a Spanish wine list on the ivy-covered patio.
Signature: Tapas, Paella
Order: A spread of tapas plus the paella; pair with sherry by the glass.
Tip: The ivy patio is the seat to ask for in summer. Reserve well ahead; the room is small.
Manoli's on Harvey Milk Boulevard, chef-owner Manoli Katsanevas' Greek small-plates room since 2015, reinterprets Greek mezze with local ingredients.
Signature: Halloumi, Spanakopita
Order: Halloumi with black olive honey, dolmathes and a Greek pour off the by-the-glass list.
Tip: Closed Mondays; weekend brunch 10:00 to 14:30; dinner Tue-Sun from 17:00.
Mark of the Beastro on South State Street, the vegan bistro inside The Beehive music venue, runs plant-based diner classics in a live-music-venue room.
Signature: Vegan burger, Fried pickles
Order: The vegan burger plus fried pickles and a breakfast plate from the all-day menu.
Tip: Closed Mondays; the dining room runs alongside The Beehive's music nights. Brunch reliable on weekends.
Zest Kitchen and Bar on South 200 West, the plant-based and 100 percent gluten-free room since 2012, runs vegetarian small plates with cocktails.
Signature: Plant-based plates, Cocktails
Order: A plant-based main plus a hand-crafted cocktail off the seasonal list.
Tip: Live music and DJ nights run the room late on weekends; one of the city's strongest plant-based cocktail bars.
Apollo Burger on Redwood Road, the Utah burger chain since 1984, serves charbroiled pastrami burgers and Greek-American sides.
Signature: Pastrami burger, Souvlaki
Order: The Pastrami Burger with Apollo sauce plus a side of fries and a milkshake.
Tip: Cheaper alternative to Crown Burgers for the local pastrami-burger ritual; multiple metro branches.
Caputo's Market and Deli on West 300 South, Tony Caputo's Italian deli and market since 1997, runs sandwiches plus the largest craft chocolate selection.
Signature: Old School sandwich, Cheese counter
Order: The Old School sandwich and a craft chocolate bar from the 300+ bar wall.
Tip: Counter sandwiches travel well; cheese, cured meats and tinned fish stretch through holidays.
Emigration Cafe on 1300 South, Scott Evans' Pago Group all-day cafe in Yalecrest, runs breakfast, sandwiches and salads through the afternoon.
Signature: Breakfast plates, Sandwiches
Order: A breakfast plate in the morning or a seasonal sandwich at lunch with an espresso drink.
Tip: Morning rush peaks 08:00-10:00; weekend brunch is the busiest window. Closes mid-afternoon.
Cafe Trio on 900 East at 7th South, Mikel Trapp's contemporary Italian neighborhood room, runs stone-fired pizzas and pastas on a patio.
Signature: Stone-fired pizza, Pasta
Order: A stone-fired pizza off the daily-rotating menu plus a pasta from the regional Italian list.
Tip: Open daily; the award-winning patio is the seat in summer. Sister Cafe Trio Cottonwood is in suburban Holladay.
The Copper Onion on East Broadway, Ryan Lowder's New American room since 2010, anchors downtown's gastropub tier with seasonal scratch cooking.
Signature: Burger, House-made pasta
Order: The Copper Onion burger plus house-made pasta off the rotating menu.
Tip: Reserve via OpenTable; sister room Copper Common next door for after-dinner cocktails.
Casot on 1500 East next to Finca, the Pago Group's wine and craft cocktail bar at 15th and 15th, runs natural wine flights and chef-driven small plates.
Signature: Natural wine flights, Small plates
Order: A natural wine flight off the rotating list plus a Spanish-leaning small plate.
Tip: Reserve via Tock; quieter than Finca, opens in evening. Walk between the two rooms encouraged.