Vertical Diner is a vegan restaurant in Central City, Salt Lake City.
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 dishes: Ranch burger, Biscuits and gravy
Must 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.
Address: 234 W 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
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.
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.
