15 restaurants in Salt Lake City, editor-picked for monday dinner. Open on monday — the day most kitchens go dark. All restaurants in Salt Lake City.
Red Iguana ★ 5.0
north-temple · 736 W North Temple St, Salt Lake City, UT 84116
Hours: Sun-Thu 11:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-22:00
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.
Tip: Wait can run over an hour; cross to Red Iguana 2 at 866 W South Temple or order takeout via the operator's site.
Takashi ★ 4.9
downtown · 18 W Market St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Hours: Mon-Fri 11:30-14:00, 17:30-22:00; Sat 17:00-22:00; closed Sun
Takashi on Market Street, chef-owner Takashi Gibo's downtown sushi room since 2004, runs Salt Lake's defining omakase at the bar plus a full Japanese menu.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive before 17:30 on a weekday or after 21:00 to skip the wait. Closed Sundays.
Pago ★ 4.7
ninth-and-ninth · 878 S 900 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84105
Hours: Daily 17:00-21:00
Pago on 900 East, Scott Evans' 45-seat farm-to-table flagship in 9th and 9th since 2009, codified Salt Lake's seasonal local-ingredient tier.
Tip: Reservations on the operator's site open weeks out; the small room turns fast on weeknights.
Caputo's Market and Deli ★ 4.7
downtown · 314 W 300 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Hours: Mon-Sat 9:00-19:00; Sun 10:00-17:00
Caputo's Market and Deli on West 300 South, Tony Caputo's Italian deli and market since 1997, runs the largest craft chocolate selection in the country.
Tip: Counter sandwiches travel well; the cheese, cured meats and tinned fish stretch through holidays. Multiple metro branches.
Red Iguana 2 ★ 4.7
north-temple · 866 W South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84116
Hours: Sun-Thu 11:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-22:00
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.
Tip: Use Red Iguana 2 to skip the original's hour-plus wait at peak; same kitchen, same family, full bar.
The Copper Onion ★ 4.6
downtown · 111 E Broadway, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Hours: Mon-Fri 11:30-15:00, 17:00-22:00; Sat-Sun 10:30-15:00, 17:00-22:00
The Copper Onion on East Broadway, chef-owner Ryan Lowder's New American room since 2010, anchors downtown's gastropub tier with seasonal scratch cooking.
Tip: Reserve via OpenTable; weeknight dinners run quieter than weekends. Sister room Copper Common next door for cocktails.
Finca ★ 4.6
fifteenth-and-fifteenth · 1513 S 1500 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84105
Hours: Daily 17:00-21:00
Finca on 1500 East at 15th and 15th, Scott Evans' Spanish tapas room reopened in its new home, runs scratch tapas and a Spanish wine list on the ivy patio.
Tip: The ivy-covered patio is the seat to ask for in summer. Reserve well ahead; the room is small.
Pat's Barbecue ★ 4.6
granary-district · 155 W Commonwealth Ave, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
Hours: Mon-Sat 10:30-21:00; closed Sun
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.
Tip: Closed Sundays. The counter sells out of brisket by early evening on weekends; arrive before 18:00 to be sure.
Crown Burgers ★ 4.5
downtown · 377 E 200 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00-21:00; closed Sun
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.
Tip: Lunch turns the counter fast; the original downtown location is the canonical seat among the seven Utah branches.
Pretty Bird Hot Chicken ★ 4.5
downtown · 146 S Regent St, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Hours: Mon-Tue 11:00-21:00; Wed-Sat 11:00-22:00; Sun 11:00-16:00
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.
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.
Cucina Wine Bar ★ 4.5
avenues · 1026 E 2nd Ave, Salt Lake City, UT 84103
Hours: Mon-Fri 7:00-21:00; Sat 8:00-21:00; Sun 8:00-16:00
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.
Tip: Daytime deli 7:00-17:00; dinner from 17:00. The deli sandwiches travel well to picnics at Memory Grove.
Casot ★ 4.5
fifteenth-and-fifteenth · 1508 S 1500 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84105
Hours: Sun 14:00-20:00; Mon-Thu 17:00-23:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-24:00
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.
Tip: Reserve via Tock; quieter than Finca, opens in evening. The two rooms share staff and walk between is encouraged.
East Liberty Tap House ★ 4.4
ninth-and-ninth · 850 E 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84105
Hours: Mon-Tue 12:00-22:00; Wed-Fri 12:00-24:00; Sat 11:00-24:00; Sun 11:00-22:00
East Liberty Tap House on 900 South, Scott Evans' Pago Group neighborhood tavern since 2014, runs an updated bar menu with curated Utah craft beer.
Tip: Patio in summer; Sunday and Saturday brunch starts at 11:00. Reserve via the operator's site.
Zest Kitchen and Bar ★ 4.3
downtown · 275 S 200 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Hours: Mon 16:30-21:00; Tue-Thu 11:00-21:00; Fri 11:00-22:00; Sat 10:00-22:00; Sun 10:00-20:00
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.
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.
Emigration Cafe ★ 4.3
ninth-and-ninth · 1709 E 1300 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00-21:00; Sat 10:00-21:00; Sun 10:00-14:00
Emigration Cafe on 1300 South, Scott Evans' Pago Group all-day cafe in Yalecrest, runs breakfast, sandwiches and salads through the afternoon hours.
Tip: Morning rush peaks 08:00-10:00; weekend brunch is the busiest window. Closes mid-afternoon.