Crown Burgers is a burgers restaurant in Downtown, Salt Lake City.
Crown Burgers on East 200 South, the Katsanevas family's burger institution since 1978, popularized Salt Lake's pastrami burger at its Greek-American counter.
Signature dishes: Crown burger pastrami burger, Gyros
Must order: The Crown burger with pastrami plus fry sauce and a gyro on the side.
Tip: Lunch turns the counter fast; the original downtown location is the canonical seat among the seven Utah branches.
Address: 377 E 200 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Pretty Bird Hot Chicken on Regent Street, chef Viet Pham's Nashville-style downtown fast-casual since 2018, anchors Utah's chef-driven hot chicken movement.
Signature: Hot chicken sandwich, Tenders
Order: Hot chicken sandwich at the heat level of your choice plus a side of slaw.
Tip: Order ahead via the operator's site for pickup; the counter line stretches at lunch. Park City, Sugar House and Midvale branches are siblings.
Zest Kitchen and Bar on South 200 West, the plant-based and 100 percent gluten-free room since 2012, runs vegetarian small plates with a cocktail program.
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; the cocktail program is one of the strongest among the city's plant-based rooms.
Pretty Bird Hot Chicken on Regent Street, chef Viet Pham's Nashville-style downtown fast-casual since 2018, anchors Utah's chef-driven hot chicken movement.
Signature: Hot chicken sandwich, Tenders
Order: Hot chicken sandwich at the heat level of your choice plus a side of slaw.
Tip: Order ahead via the operator's site for pickup; the counter line stretches at lunch. Park City, Sugar House and Midvale branches are siblings.
Pat's Barbecue on Commonwealth Avenue south of downtown, the Texas-style smokehouse founded by pitmaster Pat Barber and serving Salt Lake since 2004, runs Utah's defining brisket 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. The counter sells out of brisket by early evening on weekends; arrive before 18:00 to be sure.
Cucina Wine Bar on 2nd Avenue in the Avenues, Dean Pierose's upscale deli turned New American wine bar, runs gourmet deli by day and small plates from 17:00.
Signature: Seasonal small plates, Wine flights
Order: A wine flight off the curated list plus rotating small plates from the seasonal evening menu.
Tip: Daytime deli 7:00-17:00; dinner from 17:00. The deli sandwiches travel well to picnics at Memory Grove.
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.
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 a cocktail program.
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; the cocktail program is one of the strongest among the city's plant-based rooms.
