The Best Speakeasy in St George Utah: How Two Friends Created Book Club Bistro Behind a Bookcase

Walk into the Social District Boutique on Red Cliffs Drive in St. George, and you might browse through racks of carefully curated clothing without ever knowing what's hiding twenty feet away. But push on that seemingly ordinary bookshelf near the back, and you'll step through into another world entirely—one where Old Fashioneds pour from flasks hidden inside hollowed-out books, where jazz drifts through dim lighting, and where every dish tells the story of somebody's journey home.

This is Book Club Bistro, and it's unlike anything else in Southern Utah's dining scene.

"Behind a bookcase lies a hidden gem in St. George, UT...the Book Club Bistro! The food and service did NOT disappoint. Everything we had was delicious!" raves one recent visitor on OpenTable. And they're not alone. Since opening in February 2025, this speakeasy-style bistro has become the worst-kept secret in St. George—the kind of place where everyone feels like a regular, even on their first visit.

How a Christmas Conversation Became St George's Hidden Restaurant

The story of Book Club Bistro St George didn't start with a business plan. It started with Kristee Proctor noticing that the small wine bar in the back of Social District Boutique had gone dark.

Proctor, who loves to cook but had no restaurant experience, initially thought she'd help the boutique owner find someone to rent the kitchen. Then she had a different thought: "Why not try to run a restaurant there myself?"

She turned to Payten Crawford, who was managing a Cedar City sports bar at the time. "When Payten came down and started looking at it, she said, 'When I quit my job next week, we are going to have to make some changes,'" Proctor recalled. "I told her, 'If you are serious, then we are going to do this.'"

After extensive remodeling and mapping out every detail of their concept, the duo launched with a gala featuring singer-songwriter Levi Lowrey, who co-wrote Zac Brown Band's "Colder Weather." The name? Proctor used to joke with her husband, telling him she was "going to the book club" when she was actually going for cocktails. The perfect cover story became the perfect restaurant name.

Today, Crawford oversees the bar while Proctor runs the kitchen. "We are trying to bring people to a place and an experience that is not typical St. George," Proctor explains. "We want to give them an experience they won't find anywhere else."

The Craft Cocktail Experience That Makes St George's Speakeasy Stand Out

At most restaurants, you order a drink and it arrives. At Book Club Bistro, the cocktails are theater.

The signature Old Fashioned doesn't come in a glass—at least not at first. It's served inside a hollow book that you open to find a flask with the mix, which you pour into your glass yourself. The Book Club Martini arrives on a gold tray with a perfume bottle filled with olive brine so you can mist your own drink. Order the Hot Honey Manhattan, and watch as the flash paper affixed to the glass ignites and burns, infusing the cocktail with rosemary honey.

Then there's the Hemingway Shot—Bulleit whiskey served in a shotgun shell, a darkly literary nod that the menu acknowledges with characteristic honesty: "It's a little dark..."

"If you are into classic drinks, I'd recommend the Old Fashioned, it has a fun presentation," suggests one reviewer who's clearly become a regular.

Crawford, who crafts all 23 cocktails on the menu, ensures that non-drinkers get the same level of creativity. The mocktails are just as inventive and beautifully presented as their alcoholic counterparts—because at Book Club Bistro, the experience matters more than what's in the glass.

The bar area itself is presided over by Felix Sinatra, a gold-colored stag wearing spectacles and smoking a pipe. The mascot was named through a customer contest and even has his own cocktail—a potent mix of Empress gin, Limoncello, St. Germain, grapefruit juice and ginger ale.

The Food: Where Home Cooking Meets World Travel

Here's what makes the food at this unique restaurant in St George Utah different: every single item is made from scratch, and every recipe has a story.

All the items on the menu come from recipes Proctor amassed while living in various culinary hotspots across the country. "People love my cooking," Proctor said. "My husband, Mike, used to say, 'When you open a restaurant one day, this should be on your menu.' So some of our menu items come from his suggestions."

Start with the deviled eggs—not your grandmother's church picnic version. These are elevated, playful, and according to multiple customers, surprisingly memorable as an opening act.

But the real showstopper? "My husband and I kicked things off with the deviled eggs and the meatballs with bacon jam—honestly, the best meatballs I've ever had!" writes one Yelp reviewer. Those meatballs with bacon jam have developed a cult following, the kind of dish that makes people cancel other dinner plans.

The crab cakes tell their own story. The dish pays homage to the delicious crab cakes Proctor used to prepare when she lived in Maryland. One woman servers have dubbed the "crab lady" recently came to the bistro on five successive days for the crab cakes. Served with corn relish, they're the taste of the East Coast transplanted to the Utah desert.

For mains, the miso salmon on coconut rice has become one of the restaurant's most popular items—a dish that showcases Proctor's global influences while maintaining the comfort food sensibility that defines the menu. The brisket smashed potato and pasta alla vodka both earn regular mentions in reviews, with customers noting the generous portions and bold, satisfying flavors.

Even the chicken kabob adds a touch of surprise, served hanging over a bed of orzo for a presentation that's as fun as it is flavorful.

For dessert, try the affogato elevated with a shot of amaretto, or take a chance on the mysteriously named "Mystery Novel"—which one customer described as "surprising and seriously good."

The Speakeasy Atmosphere: Why Reservations Are Essential

Step through that bookcase and the transformation is immediate. The lighting drops to a warm, intimate glow. Jazz plays at exactly the right volume—present but never intrusive. Chandeliers cast soft light over a space that seats maybe twenty people on a busy night.

"Once they come through that bookcase they're in a different place," Crawford said. "They're in a different time zone. They can just relax and sit back and enjoy the experience. Eat good food, drink good drinks and have a social environment where they can just escape everyday life."

The prohibition-era aesthetic isn't over the top. There's an AI-generated painting called "Book Heads" on one wall—people with open books for heads, created when Proctor asked AI to visualize her speakeasy concept. Books line the shelves, including cocktail recipe collections with titles like "Tequila Mockingbird" and "Gone with the Gin."

"This is easily one of the best restaurants in St. George--perfect for a date night. The space is cozy and intimate, so I definitely recommend making a reservation," advises one reviewer who clearly learned this lesson the hard way.

And they mean it about the reservations. The intimate dining experience means walk-ins are a gamble, especially on weekends. This isn't a place you just happen upon—it's a destination you plan for.

Book Club Bistro's Role in St George's Evolving Food Scene

Southern Utah isn't exactly known for its speakeasies. The region's dining scene has traditionally leaned toward steakhouses, family restaurants, and the occasional upscale spot catering to Zion National Park tourists.

Book Club Bistro represents something different—a dining experience that would feel at home in Salt Lake City's cocktail scene but brings that sophistication to St. George with genuine warmth and none of the pretension.

The restaurant even hosts an actual book club on the last Tuesday of each month, where diners gather to discuss a selected title while enjoying the full menu. Recent selections have included "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak—and yes, they play the audiobook in the bathroom, because why not lean all the way into the literary theme?

"Everything is just plated so beautifully," Crawford said. "People see it and they're not expecting it." That element of surprise—from finding the entrance to the theatrical cocktail presentations to discovering that yes, the food is actually that good—defines the Book Club Bistro experience.

"This is a literal hidden gem! It is a perfect date night or girls night out spot! The owners are amazing and the service is top notch!" notes another regular customer.

Planning Your Visit to Book Club Bistro

Location: 250 Red Cliffs Drive, Suite 26A, St. George, UT 84790
(Inside Social District Boutique—look for the bookcase)

Hours:

• Tuesday-Saturday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
• Sunday: 10:30 AM - 2:00 PM (Brunch)
• Monday: Closed

Reservations: Essential, especially for dinner. Call (435) 288-3323 or book through OpenTable.

What to Order:
First-timers should start with the deviled eggs and those legendary meatballs with bacon jam. For mains, the miso salmon and crab cakes get the most love from regulars. And absolutely order at least one theatrical cocktail—the Old Fashioned in a book is the signature for a reason.

Parking: Private lot available at the Shoppes at Zion complex.

Insider Tips:

• Make reservations well in advance for weekend dinners
• Tuesday through Thursday lunches are less crowded
• Ask your server about the monthly book club dinner if you're a reader
• The Sunday brunch service offers a more relaxed vibe
• Don't be shy about asking about gluten-free options—they have them

Find them:
Instagram: @book.club.bistro
Facebook: Book Club Bistro

Why This Hidden Restaurant Matters

In a region where chain restaurants still dominate and "upscale" often means adding a steak to the menu, Book Club Bistro St George proves that Southern Utah is ready for something more imaginative. It's a place where the theater of dining—from the moment you push through that bookcase—matters as much as what's on the plate.

"Love, love, love this place. Best lunch spot ever! Drinks were amazing, food was outstanding and the atmosphere was truly amazing," sums up one review.

This is the kind of restaurant that changes how people think about their hometown's food scene. It's where locals bring out-of-town visitors to prove that yes, St. George has more than tourist traps near Zion. It's where anniversary dinners happen, where friends gather for girls' nights, where craft cocktails meet scratch cooking in a space small enough that everyone really does start to feel like a regular.

The password? Just tell them you're at Book Club.

And when you push through that bookcase for the first time, when you watch your Old Fashioned being poured from a flask hidden in a hollowed-out book, when you taste those meatballs with bacon jam that have people coming back five days in a row—you'll understand why this hidden speakeasy in St George Utah has become one of the worst-kept secrets in Southern Utah.

The best secrets always do get out eventually. Especially when they're this good.