Red Iguana is a mexican restaurant in North Temple, Salt Lake City.
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 dishes: Mole negro, Mole verde
Must order: A combination platter with mole negro and mole verde plus a pomegranate margarita.
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.
Address: 736 W North Temple St, Salt Lake City, UT 84116
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.
Signature: Omakase nigiri, Tempura
Order: Omakase at the sushi bar; the menu's signature rolls plus sashimi for the table.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive before 17:30 on a weekday or after 21:00 to skip the wait. Closed Sundays.
HSL on East 200 South, chef-owner Briar Handly's downtown wood-fire-driven New American room, runs seasonal New American cooking from a multi-time James Beard semifinalist chef.
Signature: Wood-fired vegetables, Family-style plates
Order: Whichever wood-fired vegetable preparation the kitchen leads with plus a family-style entree to share.
Tip: Open Tue-Thu 17:00-21:00 and Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00; closed Sunday and Monday. Reserve via the operator's site.
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.
Signature: Seasonal vegetable plates, Wine pairings
Order: Whatever the kitchen is featuring from local farms plus a glass off the by-the-glass wine program.
Tip: Reservations on the operator's site open weeks out; the small room turns fast on weeknights.
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.
Signature: House-made pasta, Burger
Order: The Copper Onion burger plus a house-made pasta dish from the rotating menu.
Tip: Reserve via OpenTable; weeknight dinners run quieter than weekends. Sister room Copper Common next door for cocktails.
Stoneground Italian Kitchen on East 400 South, chef Paulie O'Connor's downtown room since 2000, runs wood-fired pizza and house-made pasta with an Italian wine list.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, House-made pasta
Order: A wood-fired pizza plus a house-made pasta for the table.
Tip: Second-floor entrance; the patio runs in summer. Lunch turns the room faster than dinner.
Manoli's on Harvey Milk Boulevard, chef-owner Manoli Katsanevas' Greek small-plates room since 2015, reinterprets Greek mezze with seasonal local ingredients.
Signature: Halloumi with marcona almonds, Spanakopita
Order: Halloumi with black olive honey, dolmathes, spanakopita and a Greek pour off the list.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Saturday and Sunday brunch 10:00 to 14:30; dinner Tue-Sun from 17:00.
