Restaurants

Walk into Murphy's Cafe 126 on a Friday afternoon and you'll find Daniel Murphy behind the counter, greeting customers like old friends, checking that every sandwich leaving his kitchen meets his exacting standards. The chandeliers overhead catch the light just right, the smell of perfectly seasoned steak hits you before you even reach the register, and somewhere in the background, someone's probably asking for extra jalapeño fry sauce. Because that's what happens here—people find something they love and they can't help coming back for it. One customer put it this way: "The owner taking time to visit and share was out of this world. I was so impressed with the experience. This has moved to the top of my list of places I like to visit." This is the kind of place where a former mortgage broker decided to bet everything on making the best Philly cheesesteak in Utah. And judging by the lines at lunch and the 1,143 Google reviews, he might've actually pulled it off. From Mortgage Desks to Griddles: Daniel Murphy's Pivot Daniel Murphy didn't wake up one day and decide to open a restaurant on a whim. He'd been cooking on the side for years while working as a mortgage broker, feeding friends and family, perfecting his technique. But there's a difference between cooking for people you love and opening your doors to the public on April 13, 2019. "The most exciting thing is watching the customers face when they eat the food," Murphy told Fox 13 in 2021. That right there tells you everything about why this place exists—not for Instagram glory or expansion dreams (though he had those at first), but for that moment when someone bites into a sandwich that exceeds their expectations. Murphy's approach to cheesesteaks isn't complicated, but it is meticulous. He studied what made authentic Philly cheesesteaks work, sourced high-quality ingredients, and refused to cut corners even when food costs skyrocketed during the pandemic. When 40 pounds of wings jumped from $107 to $146, he didn't switch suppliers or shrink portions—he adjusted and kept going. A self-described cheesesteak snob from out of state confirmed what locals already knew: "Daniel, the owner has done his homework to put together an authentic Philly cheesesteak! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!" Located at 12575 S Rhetski Ln in Riverton, just off 12600 South and Bangerter, Murphy's has become the kind of neighborhood spot where the owner works alongside his staff, where customers try to leave cash tips even when told it's not necessary, and where regulars plan what they're ordering next time before they've finished their current sandwich. The Cheesesteak Experience: What Makes Murphy's Different Here's what you need to understand about Murphy's cheesesteaks—they're not trying to reinvent anything. They're trying to perfect something. Thinly sliced steak (or pulled chicken if that's your preference), sautéed mushrooms, red and green bell peppers, onions, provolone cheese, and that crucial seasoned mayo. Get the basics right, then offer variations that make sense. The Mushroom Pepper Cheesesteak is Murphy's personal favorite, the one he named after himself. Peppered steak or chicken, loads of sautéed mushrooms, tender bell peppers and onions, provolone, seasoned mayo, finished with cracked black pepper. One couple split the 10-inch version and couldn't stop talking about it: "Meat was tender, veggies were delicious, sauce added just enough flavor, and the bread was soft and fresh with just the right amount of crisp on the outside." The Original Philly keeps it traditional, and customers who've been eating cheesesteaks their entire lives confirm it passes the test. As one reviewer noted, "Got the original Philly and it was the best one I've had in years!" Then there's the creative territory—the Jalapeño Cheesesteak with fresh grilled jalapeños (not pickled), the Honey Garlic that one birthday dinner guest called "absolutely delightful," the BBQ Cheesesteak, and even a Whiz Cheesesteak for purists who insist on Cheez Whiz. A food critic's husband, notoriously hard to impress, ordered the Mushroom Pepper with added jalapeños and his wife reported: "It's what a REAL Philly Cheesesteak looks and tastes like. There were large cracked black pepper that made it warm (spicy-wise), but not overwhelming. And the cheese was ooey-gooey." But here's the thing about Murphy's—the vegetables are fresh and high-quality, a choice that costs more but makes a difference you can taste. The meat is properly seasoned without being oversalted. The bread has that perfect ratio of soft interior to crispy exterior. And every sandwich is made fresh to order, which means you might wait a few extra minutes during the lunch rush, but you're never getting something that's been sitting under a heat lamp. One Baltimore transplant, someone who actually knows what authentic East Coast cheesesteaks should taste like, had this to say: "I'm from Baltimore City and I moved out here to SLC 8 years ago and I know what a good Philly Steak taste like! This place is truly that good." The Secret Weapon: Fries and That Jalapeño Sauce If you order just a cheesesteak at Murphy's, you're doing it wrong. The fries here have developed their own following—crispy, airy, not overly potato-heavy. One customer described them as "incredible. They were crispy and kinda airy, not a ton of potato in it." The Sweet Potato Fries get consistently praised for being "out of this world" and arriving "fresh, hot and crispy." The Onion Rings maintain their crunch even through delivery. And the Bacon Cheese Fries? Those alone are worth the trip. Real bacon, actual cheese (not the fake stuff), perfectly crispy fries. But the real game-changer is the jalapeño fry sauce. If you've never had it, you need to understand—this isn't just fry sauce with some heat added. It's balanced, it's got kick without overwhelming, and it elevates every single side dish it touches. Multiple reviews mention it specifically, with one customer noting it "took the fries to the next level!" As another regular put it: "Don't forget to ask for the jalapeño fry sauce. Yum. We will be returning for sure." The Tater Tots are another favorite, and you can even get your cheesesteak served on tots instead of bread if you're feeling adventurous. It's the kind of menu flexibility that shows Murphy understands his customers aren't all looking for the same experience. More Than Cheesesteaks: The Full Murphy's Menu While cheesesteaks built Murphy's reputation, the menu has expanded in ways that make sense for a family-friendly Riverton cafe. The burgers use fresh Angus beef and come with creative variations—the Blue Cheese Burger with bacon and blue cheese dressing, the Honey Garlic Burger, the Jalapeño Bacon Burger with fresh grilled jalapeños. One mushroom burger fan couldn't finish it but "enjoyed every bite" and noted it was "BIG, juicy and delicious." The chicken tacos surprise people who come specifically for cheesesteaks. Multiple reviews mention them as standouts, and one person noted they were ordering them again on their next visit. There's also a breakfast menu that regulars swear by. One three-year customer wrote: "Breakfast is amazing too. Their cook is always on point and of the last 3 years we've been coming here I have never once had a bad meal." The Garlic Parmesan Wings and Cream Cheese Steak have their devoted fans. And for those watching their carb intake, Murphy's offers a "no bread" option—a 6-inch Philly cheesesteak without the bread, served with fries, lots of cheese, peppers, and mushrooms. The Murphy's Cafe Experience: Why People Keep Coming Back There's a moment that keeps happening at Murphy's, and it tells you everything about what this place has become. Customers try to leave cash tips. The staff says no, that's not necessary. The customers insist. As one reviewer wrote: "We're ashamed that we didn't tip when we ordered, and we tried giving them cash. They refused, saying we didn't need to. We were unsuccessful in leaving a cash tip, but be warned! Next time we come back, ya'll are getting a HUGE tip when we pay!!" That exchange doesn't happen at corporate restaurants. It happens at places where the owner is working the line during lunch rush, where the staff is genuinely enthusiastic about the food they're serving, where you're greeted at the door like you matter. Murphy navigated through pandemic labor shortages by installing self-order kiosks (found on YouTube during a particularly desperate search for solutions), hired high school students from nearby Riverton High School, and posted honest updates on Facebook about longer wait times and the occasional wrong order. He didn't pretend everything was perfect—he was transparent about the challenges while refusing to give up. "I am not one to give up," Murphy wrote during the height of pandemic difficulties. "I did not start Murphy's to end it just because things get difficult. We will adjust." The atmosphere reflects that practical, unpretentious approach. The dining area is clean with those surprisingly elegant chandeliers, maybe 6-7 four-seat tables, a soda station, and an impressive coffee bar with espresso and latte options. It's the kind of space that works for a quick lunch, a family dinner, or a birthday celebration. One couple familiar with running restaurants themselves said they were "honestly stingy when it comes to tipping and extremely picky when it comes to eating out," but at Murphy's they were "IMPRESSED" (their capitals, not mine). The owner explained the menu enthusiastically, food arrived within minutes, everything was hot and fresh, and when they mentioned a birthday, the staff immediately looked for ways to make it special. Another customer captured the vibe perfectly: "Mom and pop shop filled to the brim with class and good service. The owner was working the front and treating his customers like family." Planning Your Visit to Murphy's Cafe 126 Location & Hours: 12575 S Rhetski Ln, Unit 103 Riverton, UT 84065 (Just off 12600 South and Bangerter, across from Riverton Hospital) Current Hours: Monday-Wednesday: 11 AM - 3 PM Thursday: 11 AM - 8 PM Friday-Saturday: 11 AM - 9 PM Sunday: 12 PM - 7 PM (Note: Hours have adjusted over time due to staffing, so it's worth checking their website or calling ahead: (801) 367-6162) What to Order: First-timers should get the Mushroom Pepper Cheesesteak (it's the owner's favorite for a reason) or the Original Philly if you want traditional. Add the Bacon Cheese Fries or Sweet Potato Fries with jalapeño fry sauce—this is non-negotiable. If you're particularly hungry or feeding a family, the burgers and chicken tacos are legit options, not menu fillers. Insider Tips: Peak lunch hours can get busy, especially Thursday-Saturday They offer delivery through DoorDash and online ordering through their website No phone orders currently accepted due to limited staff Kid-sized meals available and generously portioned Student specials offered (makes sense with Riverton High School nearby) Parking available on-site Family-friendly atmosphere, wheelchair accessible Pricing: Cheesesteaks run around $10-15 depending on size and toppings. It's not the cheapest lunch in Riverton, but portions are generous and ingredients are high-quality. One reviewer noted a large cheesesteak and fries came to over $25, which is steep, but most customers feel the quality justifies the cost. Instagram: @murphyscafe126 (Follow for daily specials and menu updates) Murphy's also has a second location downtown Salt Lake City at 23 N 900th W if you're in that area, though the Riverton location is the original. The Bottom Line: Utah's Cheesesteak Destination Here's the reality—Riverton isn't exactly known as a culinary destination. It's suburbs, strip malls, families, people commuting to jobs in Salt Lake City. But that's exactly why Murphy's Cafe 126 matters. Daniel Murphy could've played it safe, kept his mortgage broker job, cooked for friends on weekends. Instead, he took a risk on a simple premise: make really good cheesesteaks with quality ingredients, treat customers like family, and don't cut corners even when it gets hard. The result is a place where a Baltimore native confirms the cheesesteaks are authentic, where cheesesteak snobs admit they're impressed, where families celebrate birthdays, where regulars are already planning their next order before they finish their current sandwich. One customer summed it up this way: "You walk in and feel like you're already part of the family. He's always got a smile, always checking that your order is right, and you can tell—this man takes pride in every single sandwich that leaves that kitchen." That's not marketing language. That's what actually happens when you visit Murphy's Cafe 126—you get a damn good cheesesteak from someone who cares whether you enjoy it. In 2026, with everything corporatized and optimized and focus-grouped to death, that alone is worth the drive to Riverton.

Walk into El Chihuahua on a Thursday night and you'll understand why the parking lot's been packed since 1978. The bright, festive dining room buzzes with the kind of energy that only happens when three generations are celebrating someone's birthday at one table, a couple's having their anniversary dinner at another, and a group of friends are laughing over massive fishbowl cocktails topped with tiny rubber duckies. The salsa arrives before you've settled into your seat—tangy, fresh, with just enough heat to make you reach for a second chip before you've finished the first. This is authentic Mexican restaurant territory in Salt Lake City, but not the kind that shouts about it. El Chihuahua doesn't need to. One reviewer put it simply: "My family is Mexican, so trust me when I say this is truly authentic and delicious!" The proof isn't in the marketing—it's in the chile verde that's been made the same way for nearly five decades, and in the ground beef enchiladas that regulars have ordered every week for forty years. From Guadalupe Center to Highland Drive: The Quinonez Family's American Dream Manuel and Dolores Quinonez came to Utah in 1966 with their family and a vision that would reshape Salt Lake City's food scene. Before El Chihuahua existed, they partnered with the Catholic Church and Father Gerald Merrill to open La Morena Cafe at the Guadalupe Center—one of the first Mexican restaurants in Salt Lake City. It was there, in that community space, that they started teaching their children what their forefathers had taught them: the preparation of traditional Mexican food, recipes passed down through generations. But the Quinonez family had bigger plans. In 1978, they opened El Chihuahua Restaurant at 3926 Highland Drive in what's now the Holladay/Millcreek area. The name was deliberate—a nod to their heritage and the bold, authentic flavors they brought from their homeland. Dolores, affectionately known as "Lola" to longtime customers, became the heart of the operation. Patrons remember her greeting them with hugs, finding them at their tables no matter where they sat, and making everyone feel like family. When Dolores passed away in 2013, her obituary captured what made El Chihuahua special: "This modest business is a testament to our parents Manuel and Dolores who, as Mexican immigrants, wanted a better life for their kids." Today, the restaurant continues under the management of Anna and Vick, who've carried on the family's traditions for over three decades. As one customer who's been dining there for 40 years noted, "They have always treated us like family." The Food Experience: What Makes El Chihuahua's Mexican Cuisine Stand Out The menu at this authentic Mexican restaurant in Salt Lake City doesn't chase trends. It sticks to what the Quinonez family does best: home-style Mexican cooking that tastes like someone's grandmother made it—because, in many ways, someone's grandmother did. Chile Verde emerges as the undisputed champion in customer reviews. One diner described it as "full of meat and the best dish to get," while another noted it was so good they ordered a sample bowl just to taste it. The pork is tender, slow-cooked until it falls apart, swimming in a verde sauce that's got actual heat—not the cautious, watered-down version you find at chains. A Tripadvisor reviewer who ordered it for their main course called it "really good, spicy," and meant it as high praise. The cheese enchiladas have their own cult following. "Do yourself a favor and order the cheese enchiladas....you can thank me later," one customer advised. Another who'd been coming for over a decade said the ground beef enchiladas were "to DIE for!" The ranchero sauce gets specific mentions—that's the red sauce, and it's got depth that comes from cooking it the traditional way, not opening a can. Tamales earned the title of "the best I have ever had" from a visitor who tried them as part of a party of six. The pork tamales are wrapped properly, steamed until the masa is light and fluffy, and they come with that same attention to traditional preparation that defines everything here. Grilled Tacos "Hot Grandma's Way" show up on multiple "must-order" lists. They're garnished the old Mexican way—topped with cabbage, tomatoes, onions, cheese, and hot peppers. The shrimp version got called out as "the best food I have had in this restaurant! They were truly tasty and well-cooked!" One customer noted the salsa is "some of the best I have ever tasted," which matters when you're going through multiple baskets before your entrees even arrive. The portions are generous—Utah generous, which means you're probably taking half home. Rice and beans come with most plates, and while they might not be the stars, they're made fresh daily and they're what you need to balance out the heat from the chile verde. The Famous Death Star Cocktails: Why Locals Keep Coming Back Here's where El Chihuahua in Salt Lake City becomes legendary. The Death Star cocktails aren't just drinks—they're experiences served in fishbowl-sized portions with enough alcohol to justify the restaurant's two-drink maximum per customer. These massive cocktails come in roughly 20 flavors and almost as many colors. Mango, blood orange, strawberry lemonade—the variety keeps regulars working their way through the menu for months. One customer admitted, "It could take you a year to work your way through the entire Death Star menu, but it might be a worthy pursuit." The Duckie Death Star takes it further. Same enormous portion, same generous pour, but with a miniature rubber ducky floating among the ice. Customers order them in mango, lemonade, and seasonal flavors. One reviewer noted they "got so full it was hard to finish the duckie," and they weren't talking about the rubber toy. For those who don't drink or who are driving, the restaurant offers Death Stars "LDS-Style"—Little Death Stars made with just the fruit punch base, no alcohol. They're just as festive, just as colorful, and they come with the same ducky if you want one. The Low Rider Margarita shows up in daily drink specials, and regulars know to order it rocks-style so they can actually taste the tequila instead of drowning it in mix. Thursday's special Death Star runs $5, which in 2025 feels like a time warp back to when drinks were priced for people who actually work for a living. The El Chihuahua Experience: A Millcreek Neighborhood Tradition The restaurant occupies a spot in a strip mall at Highland Drive and 39th South—not glamorous, but practical. The parking lot fills up fast on weekends, and locals have learned to either get there early or be prepared to wait. One customer mentioned they "enjoy hiking in from nearby neighborhoods" when the lot's full, which tells you something about how much they want to eat here. Inside, the atmosphere is loud, fun, and unapologetically festive. Colorful decorations, bright dining spaces, and enough room for large groups make it a go-to for birthday parties, family celebrations, and those nights when you just need good Mexican food and a Death Star to reset your week. The service consistently gets praised as friendly and prompt—even for parties of 14, which isn't always the case at busy restaurants. The nightly specials make regular visits affordable: Sunday and Monday offer two plates for $21, Tuesday features any two enchiladas with rice and beans for $10, and so on through the week. The "Sinner's Lunch Special" pairs a single item with rice and beans or salad and a margarita for $8, or with draft beer or soda for $7. This is the kind of place where the waitstaff knows the menu inside and out, where they'll recommend the chile verde without hesitation, and where they'll tell you honestly that the Duckie Death Stars are carbonated because they include a Bud Rita mixed in. Planning Your Visit to El Chihuahua Restaurant Address: 3926 Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84124 (Holladay/Millcreek area) Hours: Monday-Wednesday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Thursday: 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM Friday-Saturday: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM Sunday: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM What to Order: Start with the chile verde—it's what locals recommend. The cheese or ground beef enchiladas are safe bets, and if you're feeling adventurous, try the Grilled Tacos "Hot Grandma's Way." For drinks, pick any Death Star flavor that sounds good; they're all generous. Best Times to Visit: Arrive before 6 PM on weekdays to avoid the rush. Weekends get packed, especially Thursday-Saturday nights. They take reservations for parties of 8 or more. Parking: The strip mall lot fills up quickly during peak hours. Some regulars walk from nearby neighborhoods when it's nice out. Phone: (801) 272-8091 Instagram: @elchihuahuaslc (#DoTheDuckie) Why El Chihuahua Matters to Salt Lake City's Food Scene In a market where Tex-Mex chains dominate and "authentic" gets thrown around loosely, El Chihuahua represents something increasingly rare: a family-owned Mexican restaurant that's stayed true to its recipes for 46 years. The Quinonez family didn't just open a restaurant—they created a community gathering place where multiple generations celebrate life's moments over food that actually tastes like it came from someone's kitchen, not a corporate commissary. The restaurant's longevity speaks to more than just good food. It's about the warmth Dolores brought to every table, the way Anna and Vick have maintained those family traditions, and the fact that customers keep coming back not just for the chile verde or the Death Stars, but because El Chihuahua feels like their place. One customer summed it up perfectly: "Every now and then a restaurant comes along that gets it right. El Chihuahua is one of those rare places. Top notch food and drinks, Great service, And a fair price." In Salt Lake City's evolving Mexican food landscape, that's not just a restaurant review—it's a 46-year-old promise, kept.

The neon signs hit you first when you pull into the parking lot on 1900 West in Roy—bright, Vegas-style lighting that seems a little over-the-top for northern Utah. But that's kind of the point. City Buffet isn't trying to be subtle. Owner GuangSheng Ye opened this place in January 2021 with a simple philosophy: go big, offer variety, and give families a place where everyone can find something they'll eat. In a building that used to house a Rite-Aid pharmacy, Ye created what he claims is the biggest buffet in the Salt Lake City area—450 seats, four hot food stations, and over 200 items spanning Chinese classics, sushi, Mongolian grill, and even pizza for the kids who won't touch anything with soy sauce. "The sushi selection was surprising and good (again buffet realms) fresh and clean," one early customer noted on Yelp, capturing the essence of what City Buffet delivers: not fine dining, but honest variety at a price point that works for families, military personnel from nearby Hill Air Force Base, and anyone who values quantity alongside their quality. From New York Restaurants to Roy's Biggest Buffet GuangSheng Ye didn't exactly take the traditional path to opening a Chinese buffet in Roy, Utah. He spent years working in restaurants across New York and New Jersey—cities where space is premium and menus are focused. Manager Allen XiangQuing Ye (no relation, despite the shared last name) helped open the restaurant and brought his own New York restaurant experience to Weber County. The difference between East Coast dining and Utah? Space. Lots of it. "Compared to Utah, the restaurants in New York were less spacious with fewer menu items," Allen Ye told the Standard-Examiner in 2021. In Utah, he found that people wanted Chinese food with all its different flavors, and despite being landlocked, they loved seafood. The location itself—a massive former pharmacy building—allowed Ye to create something that would've been impossible in Manhattan: a sprawling buffet with multiple dining rooms, dedicated stations for different cuisines, and enough seating to handle the post-church Sunday crowd and military families looking for budget-friendly group dining. The name "City Buffet" was chosen specifically because it was easy to remember. No fancy branding, no pretense—just a straightforward promise of abundance. And four years of scouting the Roy area convinced Ye that this community, situated between Ogden and the Hill Air Force Base corridor, needed exactly this kind of restaurant. The All-You-Can-Eat Experience: What You'll Actually Find Walking into City Buffet is a bit like entering a Vegas mega-buffet that got transplanted to northern Utah. The space is cold—intentionally so, to keep the sushi fresh—but it gives the place an almost warehouse-like feel. You'll get seated quickly, handed gloves (a nice touch for hygiene), asked about drinks, and then you're on your own to navigate the sprawl. Four hot food stations anchor the experience, each holding 16 tubs of different items. General Tso's Chicken sits next to Broccoli Chicken, Sweet & Sour Chicken, and Thai Chicken. There's baked and fried fish, BBQ ribs that one customer praised for having "the flavor I look for in char siu flavored meat," fried rice, bright green beans, clams, wontons, egg rolls, French fries, fried zucchini, pizza, and noodles. It's the kind of selection where you genuinely can't try everything in one visit—not if you want to walk out under your own power. The salad bar offers fresh-cut fruit, mussels, and what one food blogger described as "an adventurous octopus salad" with crab and shrimp. The sushi station is constantly refreshed—not premium nigiri, but solid buffet-grade rolls that earn consistent praise from customers who weren't expecting much. "So many choices, you'll find so many things you like. Sushi, Mongolian BBQ, salad bar, fruits, desserts, soups, and all sorts of meat dishes, including seafood," noted one satisfied diner. The Mongolian grill station lets you build your own stir-fry from raw ingredients—choose your proteins, vegetables, and sauces, then watch the cook work the massive flat-top grill. It's an interactive element that breaks up the self-serve monotony, though fair warning: the food cools down quickly in that chilled dining room, so eat your Mongolian grill while it's still steaming. "The chicken dishes are all very tasty," one customer shared, and that tracks with multiple reviews highlighting poultry as City Buffet's strong suit. The dessert area features ice cream cups, cakes, and the kinds of sweet treats that appeal to kids and adults with a serious sweet tooth. The Value Proposition for Weber County Families Here's the thing about City Buffet: it's not trying to be the best Chinese restaurant in Utah. It's trying to solve a very specific problem—feeding multiple people with different tastes without breaking the bank. At $9.95 for weekday lunch and $13.95 for dinner (with kids eating for around $5-8 depending on age), you're paying less per person than many fast-casual chains. For families with picky eaters, large groups celebrating birthdays, or military personnel from Hill AFB looking for a casual meal, the math works. "Love this location! Nice staff and wonderful food! I was nervous going to a Chinese Buffett just due to past attempts when I was younger but this place hit it out of the dog park! SO MANY OPTIONS to choose from!" one enthusiastic reviewer wrote, capturing the relief of finding a buffet that delivers on its core promise of variety. Allen Ye explained that dinner pricing is slightly higher because they set out more shrimp and steak items after 3:30 p.m.—a detail that matters if you're strategic about your buffet timing. The restaurant also offers takeout charged by the pound, letting you fill a container with your favorites for home consumption. The staff gets consistent praise for attentiveness—keeping drinks filled, clearing plates promptly, and generally staying out of your way while remaining available when needed. It's the kind of service that works for a buffet: efficient without being intrusive. Roy's Connection to Hill Air Force Base and Northern Utah's Buffet Culture City Buffet sits in a sweet spot geographically and culturally. Roy is one of several communities that essentially grew up around Hill Air Force Base—the sixth-largest employer in Utah. Military families, civilian contractors, and veterans populate the area, creating a dining culture that values family-friendly restaurants, generous portions, and price points that work for young families on military salaries. The buffet format has particular appeal in this corridor. When you're feeding a family of four or five with wildly different preferences—one kid only eats chicken nuggets, another wants sushi, mom's trying to eat healthier, dad wants BBQ ribs—the all-you-can-eat model solves the negotiation problem. Everyone wins, or at least everyone finds something. Utah's broader food culture has always embraced variety and value. The state has a long tradition of church potlucks, family reunions with massive spreads, and communal dining. City Buffet taps into that tradition while adding the convenience of not having to cook or coordinate who's bringing what. You just show up, pay your $14, and eat until you're uncomfortable. The location next to Ocean Mart (an Asian grocery store) positions City Buffet within Roy's small but growing Asian dining scene. It's not competing directly with fine-dining Chinese restaurants in Salt Lake City or Ogden's more authentic ethnic eateries—it's serving a different audience with different expectations. Planning Your Visit to City Buffet Address: 5673 S 1900 W, Roy, UT 84067 Phone: (801) 525-8888 Website: roycitybuffet.com Instagram: @roycitybuffet Hours: Monday-Friday: 11:00 AM - 3:30 PM (lunch pricing) Monday-Friday: 3:30 PM - 9:00 PM (dinner pricing) Saturday-Sunday & Holidays: All-day dinner pricing, 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Pricing: Weekday lunch: $9.95 adults / $5.55 children (ages 4-10) Dinner (after 3:30 PM) & weekends: $13.95 adults / $8.55 children Soft drinks: $2.25 No alcohol served Takeout charged by weight What to Order: Based on customer feedback, stick with the chicken dishes (General Tso's, broccoli chicken), the BBQ ribs with char siu flavor, and the surprisingly decent sushi. The Mongolian grill is worth trying if you want something customized. Fresh fruit from the salad bar is consistently solid. Best Times to Visit: Weekday lunch if you want lower pricing and potentially fresher items. Dinner (after 3:30 PM) if you want access to the premium shrimp and steak items that justify the higher cost. Parking: Ample free parking in the strip mall lot. Pro Tips: Dress warm—they keep the restaurant cold to preserve food freshness, which means your hot food will cool down quickly. Eat your Mongolian grill and hot items while they're still steaming. Don't overload your first plate; you can always go back. Why City Buffet Matters to Northern Utah's Food Scene City Buffet fills a specific niche in Weber County's dining landscape—it's the budget-friendly, high-volume option for families and groups who need variety more than they need culinary excellence. In a region dominated by Hill Air Force Base's military community and family-oriented suburbs like Roy, Clearfield, and Riverdale, restaurants like this serve an important function. Is it the best Chinese food in Utah? No. Will it change your perspective on what Asian cuisine can be? Probably not. But will it feed your family of five for under $50, keep the kids happy, and give everyone enough options that nobody leaves hungry or complaining? That's exactly what it's designed to do. GuangSheng Ye looked at the Roy market four years before opening and saw an opportunity: a community that needed more family dining options, proximity to a major military installation, and enough population density to support a massive buffet operation. He built something that feels oversized and a bit garish for northern Utah, but that's kind of perfect for what it is—a place where abundance matters more than refinement. For military families stationed at Hill AFB looking for a weekend meal that won't drain the bank account, for birthday parties that need to accommodate fifteen people with different dietary preferences, for the family road-tripping through Weber County who just needs to feed everyone quickly—City Buffet delivers on the promise in its name. It's straightforward, it's massive, and it's exactly what it says it is: a city-sized buffet in a town that needed one.

There's a new way to experience açaí in Utah, and it's not what you're expecting. Walk toward the back of Latin Market on State Street in Midvale, and you'll find Happy Assai—a Brazilian açaí concept that's doing something different in Salt Lake County's crowded superfood scene. Instead of the traditional açaí bowls that have become ubiquitous at health-focused cafes across the Wasatch Front, Happy Assai serves açaí as scoopable ice cream. Think the creamy, dense texture of gelato or sorbet rather than the smoothie-bowl format most Utahns know. It's a format that's common in Brazil—particularly in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, where açaí is served thick enough to scoop, often topped with granola, fruit, and sometimes indulgent additions like Nutella or condensed milk. But in Utah? Happy Assai appears to be the first. A Different Take on the Amazon Superfruit The Brazilian approach to açaí is fundamentally different from what's become popular in American health food circles. In Brazil, açaí—pronounced "ah-sigh-EE"—has been a staple food in the Amazon region for generations, traditionally consumed as a creamy, frozen puree rather than blended into smoothie bowls. The fruit of the açaí palm has an earthy, slightly tart flavor that Brazilians have long paired with sweeteners like guaraná syrup or topped with granola and banana to create what locals call "açaí na tigela." When Brazilian jiu-jitsu legends Carlos and Hélio Gracie championed açaí among athletes at their Rio gyms in the 1980s, they popularized the thick, scoopable version—frozen açaí pulp that could be eaten with a spoon like ice cream. That's the tradition Happy Assai is bringing to Midvale. The setup is straightforward: Choose your size (9oz, 12oz, or 16oz cup), then customize with more than a dozen toppings. The açaí base contains no added sugar—a detail that matters both for health-conscious customers and for those who want to taste the fruit's natural earthy-berry profile. The vegan-friendly base can be topped with everything from traditional granola and coconut to more indulgent options like Nutella, peanut butter, honey, and Oreo. Inside Latin Market: An Authentic Setting Happy Assai's location inside Latin Market isn't incidental—it's integral to the concept. Latin Market, at 6807 South State Street, has established itself as Salt Lake County's destination for Colombian, Venezuelan, and broader Latin American products. Walking through the aisles, you'll find Pony Malta from Colombia, Venezuelan arepas ingredients, Brazilian guaraná drinks, and specialty items that the valley's growing Latin American community relies on. Finding a Brazilian açaí shop inside this market creates an authenticity that standalone health-focused açaí bowl chains can't replicate. It's açaí in context—surrounded by the other foods and flavors of Latin American food culture rather than positioned primarily as a wellness product for gym-goers. The Latin Market location also makes Happy Assai accessible to a different kind of customer. This isn't a boutique health food shop in a trendy neighborhood; it's inside a grocery store on State Street in Midvale, easily reachable from I-15 and serving Murray, Sandy, West Jordan, and South Salt Lake. You can stop for açaí after picking up groceries, or make it a destination specifically for the scoopable superfruit you can't find anywhere else in the area. What Makes Scoopable Açaí Different If you're familiar with açaí bowls at places like Protein Foundry in Murray or Vitality Bowls in downtown Salt Lake City, the scoopable format will feel different. Traditional açaí bowls in the U.S. are typically blended fresh to order with liquid (often apple juice or coconut water) to create a thick smoothie consistency, then topped and eaten immediately. Scoopable açaí—the Brazilian style—is denser and creamier, frozen to an ice cream-like consistency that holds its shape when scooped. It's less about drinking your açaí through a thick smoothie and more about the experience of eating it like a frozen dessert. The texture is closer to Italian gelato or premium sorbet than to the pourable smoothie bowls many Americans know. This distinction matters. The scoopable format allows for different topping combinations because the base is substantial enough to support heavier add-ons without getting watery. It also changes the eating experience—you're savoring spoonfuls of dense, creamy açaí rather than working through a bowl that's part smoothie, part fruit salad. The Açaí Market in Salt Lake County Happy Assai enters a Salt Lake County market where açaí has already gained traction. Several established players serve açaí bowls across the valley—Rio Açaí in South Jordan and Draper, Liv Pure Açaí with multiple locations, Protein Foundry in Murray, and Vitality Bowls in the city. These spots have built loyal followings among health-conscious Utahns, athletes, and anyone looking for a nutrient-dense meal or snack. But the scoopable ice cream format creates a lane of its own. Where most açaí spots in Utah position themselves primarily as health food—emphasizing protein content, post-workout recovery, and clean eating—Happy Assai's approach allows açaí to be both nutritious and indulgent. The no-added-sugar base keeps it in superfood territory, but toppings like Nutella and Oreo acknowledge that açaí can also just be delicious. This dual identity—healthy superfruit and satisfying dessert—is closer to how açaí functions in Brazilian food culture, where it's enjoyed by everyone from athletes to beachgoers to families looking for a sweet treat. Midvale's Evolving Food Scene Midvale doesn't always get the culinary attention that neighborhoods like Sugar House, 9th & 9th, or downtown Salt Lake City receive, but the city's food landscape has been quietly diversifying. Along State Street and around the Fort Union Boulevard corridor, you'll find everything from Ganesh Indian Restaurant (one of Utah's best) to authentic Chinese Sichuan cooking, Chilean cuisine at Noemi's, and solid Mexican options like Del Barrio Cafe. Latin Market itself has become a micro food destination within Midvale, housing not just grocery shelves but also food vendors serving Colombian and Venezuelan specialties. Happy Assai adds to this collection, giving the market another reason for food-curious Utahns to make the drive. For Midvale residents—the city's population of about 34,000 skews younger with a median age of 32—Happy Assai offers something the neighborhood hasn't had: a dessert or snack option that's both novel and accessible, positioned inside a place they might already be shopping. Planning Your Visit Happy Assai operates inside Latin Market at 6807 South State Street in Midvale. The market is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 9pm, and Sunday from 10am to 7pm. Finding Happy Assai requires heading toward the back of the store—look for the açaí setup past the grocery aisles. Parking is straightforward with a private lot, and the location is accessible from I-15 via the 7200 South exit. For those coming from Murray, Sandy, or West Jordan, it's a quick drive on State Street. If you're new to açaí, start with a 9oz cup to gauge the earthy-tart flavor profile before committing to the larger sizes. Traditional toppings like granola, banana, and coconut let you experience açaí the way it's commonly enjoyed in Brazil. If you want something sweeter, Nutella and honey soften the tartness. If texture matters to you, granola adds essential crunch against the creamy base. Because the business is new, following their Instagram and TikTok (@happyassai) will give you the most current information on availability and any special offerings. Why This Matters to Utah's Food Scene Utah's food landscape has been expanding rapidly over the past decade, moving beyond the pioneer comfort food and Americanized ethnic cuisine that once dominated. Brazilian food, specifically, has been underrepresented in the state—making Happy Assai's arrival notable for anyone tracking the diversification of Utah's culinary options. Açaí's journey from Amazon staple to global superfood has been remarkable, but something gets lost in translation when it's stripped of cultural context and repositioned purely as a wellness product. Happy Assai's location inside Latin Market, its scoopable format that mirrors Brazilian tradition, and its positioning as both healthy and indulgent bring açaí back closer to its roots. For Utah's growing Latin American community—Midvale's population is 17.5% Hispanic—having authentic açaí available inside a market that also carries their other favorite foods from home creates a different kind of value. For everyone else, it's a chance to experience açaí the way millions of Brazilians have been enjoying it for decades: scoopable, creamy, customizable, and completely satisfying. Whether Happy Assai becomes a regular stop for Salt Lake County's açaí enthusiasts or introduces a whole new audience to the Brazilian superfruit remains to be seen. But for now, it's the only place in Utah where you can walk into a Latin market and walk out with scoopable açaí ice cream—and that alone makes it worth the trip to Midvale. Happy Assai Inside Latin Market 6807 S State St, Midvale, UT 84047 Instagram/TikTok: @happyassai

There's a moment when you walk into Pita House & Grill on 3300 South—right when the oven door opens—and the smell of fresh-baked samoon bread hits you like you've stepped through a portal straight into Baghdad. That yogurt-leavened, diamond-shaped flatbread puffing up in the heat? You're not gonna find that anywhere else in Utah. Hell, most people in Salt Lake City have never even heard of samoon bread, let alone tasted it still warm from the oven. "Great hospitality, and great food," one customer wrote on Google. "The bread is a highlight, I don't leave without some fresh pita." This modest mom-and-pop spot in South Salt Lake isn't just another Middle Eastern restaurant filling the city's growing appetite for hummus and kebabs. Pita House & Grill is bringing Iraqi culinary traditions to a state where Lebanese and Iranian restaurants dominate the scene—and they're doing it with the kind of quiet authenticity that doesn't need Instagram or press releases to prove itself. Why Iraqi Food in Utah Matters (And How It's Different) Here's the thing about Iraqi cuisine that most Americans don't realize: it's not the same as Lebanese, it's not Turkish, and it sure as hell isn't just "generic Mediterranean." Iraqi food carries the weight of Mesopotamian history—ancient spice routes, Ottoman influences, Persian techniques—all filtered through generations of home cooking that prioritizes hospitality above everything else. The signature bread tells the whole story. While Lebanese restaurants serve regular pita and Iranian spots might offer lavash, Pita House & Grill bakes Iraqi samoon every single morning. That diamond shape isn't just aesthetic—it's functional. The yogurt in the dough acts as a natural leavener, creating an airier, chewier texture than standard pita. When it puffs up in the oven, the middle gets this incredible hollow pocket perfect for soaking up the juices from grilled meats. Stuart from Gastronomic SLC—a former Salt Lake Tribune food critic who's eaten at basically every restaurant in the valley—called it a dish he'd "never encountered around these parts, or frankly anywhere else for that matter." When a jaded restaurant critic with seventeen years of food writing gets excited about your bread? You're doing something right. The Iraqi Samoon Bread Experience at Pita House & Grill Every morning at Pita House & Grill, the process starts the same way it has for centuries in Iraqi bakeries. Live-culture yogurt, flour, water, yeast. The dough gets shaped into those characteristic diamonds, each one hand-formed with the tapered ends and widened middle that defines authentic samoon bread. Then into a screaming-hot oven where the magic happens—the yogurt creates gas pockets, the bread puffs up, and you get that perfect combination of crunchy exterior and soft, steaming interior. Ask for it by name when you order. Sometimes they'll throw one in as a freebie with your to-go order, which is the kind of low-key generosity that defines this place. The za'atar flatbread is the other bread you can't miss. Picture a dinner plate-sized round that's been "enthusiastically sandblasted" (Stuart's words, not mine) with za'atar—that sesame-and-sumac spice blend that hits you with nutty, citrusy, slightly tart notes all at once. At Pita House, they finish it with a bright salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and invigorating mint leaves. For six bucks, it's both a steal and "exemplary Summer snackin'." Beirut Cafe makes a solid za'atar bread too, but the Iraqi approach at Pita House brings something different to the table—literally. The proportions are more generous, the za'atar application is heavier, and that fresh salad on top transforms it from a side into a complete meal. What to Order: Iraqi Kebabs, Falafel, and the Combo Plate The Iraqi shawarma sandwich is where Pita House really separates itself from the pack. Iraqi shawarma has its own spice profile—different from Turkish doner or Lebanese shawarma. It's got that distinctive Iraqi seasoning blend, and when they wrap it in samoon bread instead of regular pita? Game over. But here's what surprised one DoorDash reviewer: the falafel. "This is the best falafel I've had outside of Egypt," wrote a commenter on Gastronomic SLC. "In fact, I would say it's better than anything I got in Turkey or Egypt. They add grilled eggplant to the sandwich to give it an insanely amazing smokey flavor." That grilled eggplant move is pure genius. The smoky char cuts through the richness of the fried chickpeas, adding a layer of complexity you don't typically get in standard falafel sandwiches. It's the kind of detail that shows these folks aren't just following a recipe—they're thinking about flavor combinations the way someone who grew up with this food would. The combo plate gives you the full experience: a generous portion of basmati rice (which Stuart noted as "happily outshining the beefy topping"), juicy chicken kabob, beef kafta, a charred quarter onion, and roasted tomato. Plus a separate side salad. One customer on DoorDash wrote about getting "a FULL takeout-size container of rice" with their combo plate—the kind of portion that'll feed you for days. "Everything was delicious, and well worth the money given how much food I received," they continued. "Will be ordering again, and can't wait to try their baba ghanouj." The Iraqi kebabs deserve their own paragraph. Ground beef mixed with spices and fat in proportions that create an almost sausage-like texture—pliable, juicy, intensely flavored. When you order them with bread instead of rice, they come wrapped in samoon, soaking up all those glorious meat juices. It's the kind of dish that makes you understand why bread is sacred in Iraqi culture. And then there's the tabbouleh. Multiple reviewers have called it "the best tabbouleh in Salt Lake," which is saying something in a city with several established Lebanese restaurants. South Salt Lake's Hidden Iraqi Gem on the 3300 South Corridor The 3300 South corridor is one of those high-traffic stretches where dozens of ethnic restaurants compete for attention. You've got The Med down the road, Kabob Stop nearby, and a rotating cast of other Middle Eastern spots. Pita House & Grill occupies the space that used to house Alibaba, another Middle Eastern restaurant/market combo—though whether this is a rebrand or entirely new ownership remains delightfully unclear. What is clear: this is a family-run operation with minimal social media presence and zero interest in press releases or hype. The signage is modest. The interior is simple. The Instagram account (@pita.ahouse) has 322 followers and seven posts. This is the opposite of a restaurant trying to go viral. "Good people, good food," one Google reviewer wrote simply. That five-star review recommended the Iraqi shawarma sandwich, Iraqi bread, and lamb skewers. Another customer noted the generous hospitality: "Complimentary tea is delicious, and the sweet staff even offers cheese pita while customers wait for their made-to-order dishes." That phrase—"made-to-order"—is important. In an era of pre-prepped, assembly-line restaurant food, Pita House makes everything fresh when you order it. The bread is baked every morning. The meats are grilled to order. Even on a busy lunch rush, they're not cutting corners. "Delicious with wonderful spices, not over spiced at all," one DoorDash customer wrote. "Very fresh tasting ingredients. Also my dasher forgot half my order and the restaurant called DoorDash to get a new driver to get it delivered. Like 30 minutes later it arrived still hot." That last detail—calling DoorDash themselves to make sure a customer got their complete order delivered hot—tells you everything about how Pita House approaches hospitality. It's not just about the food. It's about taking care of people. Iraqi Hospitality Traditions Meet Utah's Food Scene Iraqi culture treats guests as sacred. There's an old saying: "The guest is the beloved of God." When you show up at someone's home in Iraqi tradition, you're not just getting fed—you're getting the best of everything they have. Tea, sweets, bread fresh from the oven. Conversation. Time. Pita House brings that ethos to a quick-casual South Salt Lake restaurant, which creates this interesting juxtaposition. You're ordering at a counter, picking up your own food, eating at simple tables. But the complimentary tea? The cheese pita while you wait? The way they make sure DoorDash doesn't screw up your order? That's Iraqi hospitality showing up in a strip mall on 3300 South. The restaurant offers vegetarian options that actually make sense—falafel, fuul (slow-cooked fava beans), and za'atar bread—not just token salads thrown on the menu to check a box. The fuul is a traditional Iraqi breakfast staple that most Americans have never encountered. It's comfort food, humble and deeply satisfying, usually eaten with fresh bread and pickles. They make their own lahmajhun too—those thin, crispy Armenian-influenced flatbreads topped with spiced ground meat. In Iraq, lahmajhun became part of the culinary landscape during the Ottoman period, and it's stuck around as street food and home cooking ever since. Planning Your Visit to Pita House & Grill Address: 389 E 3300 S, South Salt Lake, UT 84115 Phone: (801) 513-7362 Hours: Monday-Sunday, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM (some sources list 9:00 AM - 9:30 PM, so call ahead) Instagram: @pita.ahouse Delivery: Available on GrubHub, Uber Eats, and DoorDash What to order first time: Iraqi samoon bread (ask for it specifically) Za'atar flatbread with salad Falafel with grilled eggplant Iraqi shawarma sandwich Combo plate if you're hungry or feeding multiple people Don't skip the complimentary tea Parking: Free parking available (kid-friendly, wheelchair accessible) Price point: Extremely reasonable—most dishes under $13, sandwiches around $8 or less. The portions are generous enough that you'll likely have leftovers. Insider tip: The daily-made pita bread comes five pieces to a bag, which one customer noted was enough "for the next week, easy, the portion was so generous." Best time to visit: Lunch before the rush (11:30 AM) or early dinner. Everything is made fresh to order, so expect a bit of a wait during peak times—but that's when you get the complimentary cheese pita. Iraqi food in Utah is rare. Authentic Iraqi food made by people who actually know what they're doing? That's basically unicorn territory. Pita House & Grill isn't trying to reinvent Middle Eastern cuisine or create fusion dishes or build an empire. They're just baking samoon bread every morning, grilling kebabs over open flame, and treating customers like guests in their home. In a food scene increasingly dominated by marketing budgets and Instagram aesthetics, there's something almost radical about a restaurant that lets the food speak for itself. No press releases. No influencer campaigns. Just "good people, good food" on the 3300 South corridor in South Salt Lake. That diamond-shaped bread, still warm from the oven, tells the whole story.

Walk into any Pinkbox Doughnuts location at 3 a.m. on a Saturday, and you'll understand why this place has become one of the most photographed donut shops in America. The walls drip with oversized pink frosting, three-dimensional sprinkles hang from the ceiling like candy-colored chandeliers, and a neon sign announces what thousands of late-night Vegas visitors have already discovered: "Every day is a good day for a doughnut." It's barely dawn, and the place is packed. Casino workers ending graveyard shifts stand next to tourists who haven't been to bed yet, all staring at glass cases holding 75 different varieties of donuts that look like they were designed by someone who raided a candy store while having the best fever dream of their life. One customer orders the Sup Shorty—a glazed raised donut stuffed with fresh strawberries and cream that's become something of a cult favorite. "How can you not like a glazed raised doughnut stuffed with fresh strawberries and cream?" one regular writes in a review. "Since the first time I tried it, I became instantly obsessed with it." That's the thing about Pinkbox. This isn't your grandfather's donut shop. From Two-Shop Wonder to Vegas Empire: The Stephen Siegel Story Stephen Siegel didn't start out in the donut business. He built his fortune in Las Vegas real estate, buying struggling hotels and transforming them into destination properties. The Gold Spike. The Artisan Hotel. Properties where he learned that in Vegas, experience trumps everything. But Siegel had been a Pinkbox customer since the first location opened in 2012, and when the original founder decided to sell in 2018, Siegel saw something others didn't: a small mom-and-pop donut shop with the potential to become a Vegas icon. "A few years ago, Pinkbox Doughnuts could best be described as a mom-and-pop store without sophisticated branding," Siegel explained in an interview. The donuts were good, but the brand identity? Practically nonexistent. Siegel and his wife Judith Perez Siegel purchased the two-location chain and completely reimagined what a gourmet donut shop could be. They created Pinky, the brand's larger-than-life mascot. They designed Instagram-worthy interiors where every surface begs to be photographed. They expanded the menu from a handful of varieties to more than 100 rotating flavors. And critically, they made several locations 24 hours—a move that transformed Pinkbox from a breakfast destination into an around-the-clock Vegas experience. "I don't think anyone has been in something like this before," Siegel says. "We call it the Willy Wonka of doughnuts. It's like Disneyland inside there. That's part of our brand, as well—not just fun doughnuts, but the whole fun experience." Since Siegel took over, Pinkbox has exploded from two Las Vegas locations to 14 shops across Nevada and Utah, including spots at Allegiant Stadium, the Plaza Hotel and Casino on Fremont Street, and their first out-of-state location in St. George, Utah. They've become the official donut partner of both the Las Vegas Raiders and Vegas Golden Knights. And they've been voted "Best Doughnuts in Las Vegas" by the Las Vegas Review-Journal multiple years running. The 24-Hour Gourmet Donut Experience: Why Pinkbox Owns Late Night in Vegas Here's what makes Pinkbox different from every other fancy donut shop trying to ride the artisan pastry wave: they actually understand Vegas. Multiple locations are open 24 hours, with drive-thrus that stay operational even when the dining room closes. That means shift workers at 6 a.m., gamblers at 3 a.m., and families road-tripping to Utah at midnight all get the same fresh-baked, Instagram-worthy donuts. "The staff is friendly and always welcoming, if not a little tired - they are open 24 hrs and always busy!" writes one customer who visits regularly. Another notes: "Great selection of donuts & being open 24 hours makes it convenient for anyone." This isn't just about convenience. It's about understanding that Vegas runs on a different clock than the rest of America. When you're coming off a long night on the casino floor or wrapping up a graveyard shift at one of the Strip resorts, a mass-produced gas station donut doesn't cut it. You want something that feels like a treat, something that acknowledges you're still awake at an ungodly hour and deserve something special for it. The Boca Park location features a 24-hour drive-thru where you can roll through at any hour and order from their full menu. The Lake Mead location—the original Pinkbox that started this whole empire—stays open until midnight on weekends, with the drive-thru accessible even later. "Pinkbox is open 24 hours but only the drive through is open after 10pm," one reviewer notes, detailing their late-night Vegas donut runs. The Flavors That Made Pinkbox Famous: From OG Classics to Instagram-Worthy Creations Let's talk about what's actually in those cases. Pinkbox organizes their menu into tiers that range from affordable classics to over-the-top specialty creations that cost as much as a decent lunch. The OG Classics start at around $1.35 and include glazed donuts, old-fashioned cake donuts, apple fritters, and maple bars—the kind of reliable favorites that locals pick up by the half-dozen. "We always pick up two of the classic maple bars and a plain ol' twist since they're so delicious and one of the least expensive options," one regular customer writes. Then you get into the Good Fellas category, where things start getting creative. This is where you'll find donuts rolled in Cocoa Pebbles and Fruity Pebbles, creating what they call Coco Loco and Tutti Fruity. These are the donuts that make millennials reach for their phones. But the real action is in the Fancy Pancy lineup—$2-4 donuts that push the boundaries of what constitutes a breakfast pastry. The Sup Shorty, stuffed with fresh strawberries and cream, has such a devoted following that multiple reviewers mention it by name. The Cookie Monster features Biscoff cookie butter and rates a 9.6 out of 10 from one customer who tried six different varieties in a single visit. The maple bacon cronut "does not skimp on bacon," according to another fan. "Tried 6 different types of doughnuts," writes a customer who went all-in on their Pinkbox experience. "Angry Samoa rated 8.8/10, classic coconut taste. Biscoff cookie monster rated 9.6/10, good flavor and not overwhelming. Nutella Doughcro rated 9.5/10, not too much nutella, balanced well. Pink people eater White Cake rated 9.4, tastes like a wedding cake with a strawberry coating." The DoughCros—donuts made with light, flaky croissant dough—bridge the gap between French patisserie and American donut shop excess. Flavors like the Nutella DoughCro and peanut butter variations show up repeatedly in customer favorites. And then there are the truly bizarre options that only make sense in Vegas: the poo emoji donut (yes, really), Pop-Tart donuts, cannoli donuts, and seasonal specialties like key lime pie donuts and sweet potato donuts that show up when the kitchen team gets inspired. "We have NEVER had more delicious donuts!" writes one tourist who stopped at the Plaza location downtown. "We had a chocolate chip fritter, a maple glaze donut (our favorite), a Bavarian filled 'Vegas' donut and a raspberry filled donut. The coffee is great, too and the prices are very reasonable. (4 BIG donuts and 2 large coffees for under $22.)" Pinkbox Goes to Utah: St. George and American Fork Embrace Vegas-Style Donuts In August 2022, Pinkbox made its first move outside Nevada, opening a 2,700-square-foot location in St. George, Utah. The expansion was strategic—St. George sits on Interstate 15 between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, making it a natural stopping point for travelers craving a taste of Vegas excess on their road trip. "Since we're a family-run company, St. George's tight-knit community had just what we were looking for," Judith Siegel explained when announcing the location. "We can't wait for our new friends and neighbors to experience Pinkbox Doughnuts and for all of the smiles we will bring to the St. George community." The St. George opening was a festival-style event featuring a donut-eating contest, appearances by mascot Pinky, and the debut of a Utah-specific donut inspired by lime Jell-O salad—a regional favorite that newcomers find baffling and locals defend passionately. The community named it "Oh My Heck, Grandma!" after an online contest received more than 400 submissions. The line wrapped around the building on opening day. More than 2,500 people showed up to see what all the Vegas hype was about. In January 2025, Pinkbox opened its first northern Utah location in American Fork, with plans for a Sandy location coming in summer 2026. The American Fork grand opening featured the same festival atmosphere—DJ, balloon art, face painting, donut-eating contests, and free limited-edition t-shirts for the first customers. "Utah has an incredible love for sweet treats, and we couldn't be more excited to bring Pinkbox Doughnuts to northern Utah," Stephen Siegel said. "Community involvement is at the heart of our brand, and we're thrilled to jump in through local partnerships and charitable events that truly connect us with the people who live here." The Vegas Advantage: Raiders, Golden Knights, and Fremont Street Pinkbox's Vegas roots give them access to marketing opportunities most regional donut chains could never touch. They're the official donut partner of the Las Vegas Raiders, with a booth inside Allegiant Stadium that exposes the brand to fans from across the country every game day. They have a similar partnership with the Vegas Golden Knights, embedding themselves in the city's professional sports culture. Their location inside the Plaza Hotel and Casino sits right at the edge of the Fremont Street Experience, where tourists stumble in after a night of downtown debauchery looking for something to soak up the drinks. "You'll find PinkBox Doughnuts towards the end of the Fremont Street Experience," writes one reviewer, adding: "My husband has to stop there at least once during his stay in Vegas and bring home a box of his favorite doughnut." The brand has expanded strategically to capture both locals and tourists—locations in Henderson and Summerlin serve residential neighborhoods, while spots near the Strip and in Primm (the Nevada border town where California drivers stop for cheaper gas) grab the tourist traffic. "As of 2025, Pinkbox has grown to 14 locations with several additional locations under construction across Nevada and Utah—with plans to spread the fun (and the doughnuts) across the globe," according to Amazing Brands, the parent company Siegel created to house his food ventures. Planning Your Visit to Pinkbox Doughnuts Best Times to Go: If you want the full selection, hit Pinkbox early—before 10 a.m. on weekdays, before noon on weekends. The most popular flavors sell out by afternoon, though they continue baking fresh batches throughout the day at most locations. Late-night visitors (after 10 p.m.) will find a smaller but still impressive selection, with classics always available. What to Order: First-timers should grab an assortment. Get at least one OG Classic to understand their baseline quality (the maple bar is consistently praised), then branch into the Fancy Pancy territory. The Sup Shorty, Cookie Monster with Biscoff, and maple bacon cronut show up most frequently in positive reviews. Budget: Expect to spend $1.35-4 per donut depending on complexity. Most people walk out spending $15-25 for a half dozen mixed donuts—reasonable by Vegas standards, especially considering the size. A baker's dozen (13 donuts) runs around $16 and is consistently called a great value by reviewers. Locations to Try: Lake Mead Blvd (7531 W Lake Mead Blvd, Las Vegas): The original location where this all started, open 24 hours on weekends Boca Park (800 S. Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas): Features a 24-hour drive-thru Plaza Hotel and Casino (1 N Main St, Las Vegas): Perfect for downtown Fremont Street visitors St. George, Utah (938 E. St. George Blvd): The first out-of-state location, with drive-thru and patio seating American Fork, Utah (610 W Main St): The newest location serving northern Utah Insider Tips: The lines can look intimidating, but they move quickly—most customers report being in and out within five minutes even when the shop is packed. If you're overwhelmed by choices, ask the staff for recommendations; they're consistently praised for being friendly and patient. And yes, it's absolutely worth following their Instagram (@pinkboxdoughnuts) for limited-edition flavor announcements. Why Pinkbox Matters to America's Donut Scene In a dessert category dominated by either legacy chains (Dunkin', Krispy Kreme) or one-off artisan shops, Pinkbox has created something unusual: a scalable brand that maintains quality while leaning hard into experiential retail. They understood that in the Instagram age, donuts aren't just breakfast—they're content. Every over-the-top flavor, every pink-dripped wall, every donut-shaped table exists to make customers want to share their experience. "These doughnuts were fantastic," writes one tourist. "The variety was overwhelming and we got a dozen of 12 different ones. Each one was so good. If you like doughnuts you have to try these!" But unlike many Instagram-bait restaurants where the aesthetics far exceed the actual food quality, Pinkbox consistently delivers on taste. "Do NOT believe anyone claiming that Pinkbox Doughnuts is in the same league as Dunkin' Donuts or Krispy Kreme because it isn't," writes an emphatic reviewer. "Those places are NO MATCH for the many creative and delicious offerings at Pinkbox!" The 24-hour availability, the Vegas-appropriate excess, the commitment to fresh-baked product even at odd hours, the expansion into markets like Utah where they're bringing a taste of Vegas glamour to communities hungry for something beyond the usual chains—it all adds up to a brand that's figured out how to bottle the Vegas experience into a donut box. "We're So Good You'll Lick The Box," their slogan promises. Based on the lines out the door at 3 a.m., thousands of Vegas visitors and locals think they're right. Find Pinkbox Doughnuts on Instagram: @pinkboxdoughnuts

The brioche bun is toasted just right. Inside, basil-marinated ribeye mingles with Thai aromatics in a way that makes you forget every cheesesteak you've ever had. This is the Bangkok Cheesesteak at The Big Mango, and it's the kind of dish that announces itself quietly but leaves an impression. One customer put it plainly: "Welp all other cheesesteaks are dead to me now I guess... From the brioche bun to the insanely flavorful and distinctly aromatic beef, I'm ruined for all other iterations." Welcome to Thai cocktails Salt Lake City style, where Nina and Jeff Turk are doing something most Thai restaurants in Utah haven't attempted: building a craft cocktail program that takes Thai flavors seriously. This isn't just another Thai restaurant serving Pad Thai with a beer list. The Big Mango Bangkok Kitchen & Bar opened in Riverton's Mountain View Village with a clear mission—bring the vibrant, unapologetic flavors of Bangkok's street food scene together with cocktails that actually understand Thai cuisine. From Bangkok Streets to Riverton: Nina Turk's Culinary Journey Nina Turk grew up in Bangkok, where the food culture doesn't separate into neat categories. Street vendors serve khao soi curry alongside craft Thai cocktails inspired by tropical desserts. That seamless integration of food and drink culture is what she and her husband Jeff brought to Utah when they opened The Big Mango in 2025. The name itself tells the story. Just as New York claims "The Big Apple," Bangkok locals call their city "The Big Mango"—a reference to the vibrant, tropical energy that defines Thailand's capital. Nina's recipes come from that world, from the curries her family made to the street food vendors she grew up watching. But she's not replicating Bangkok so much as translating it for Utah, adding global influences and unexpected fusions that make sense once you taste them. The Big Mango operates as a fast-casual spot, but the kitchen runs like fine dining. Nina doesn't cut corners with ingredients, and customers notice. As one review noted: "When we walked in we were greeted by the owners as though we were family, the atmosphere was so inviting and their food was a 20 out of 10!" The Thai Cocktail Bar Utah Didn't Know It Needed Here's where The Big Mango differentiates itself from every other Thai restaurant in Salt Lake City: the cocktail program. Most Thai spots in Utah focus exclusively on food. The Big Mango built a menu around Thai-inspired craft cocktails that work as both standalone drinks and perfect pairings for spicy, complex Thai flavors. Take the Sticky Situation ($15), a cocktail inspired by mango sticky rice—Thailand's most beloved dessert. It combines mango vodka, coconut rum, mango purée, and RumChata into something that tastes exactly like the dessert it's named after. One food critic described it as "a dead ringer for that mango-meets-coconut flavor" and called it outstanding despite the fast-casual setting not exactly screaming high-end drinks. Then there's One Night In Bangkok ($15), a Thai riff on an old-fashioned that brings bourbon into Thai territory with subtle anise notes. It's the kind of drink that makes you reconsider what works with Thai food—turns out bourbon and Thai curries have more in common than you'd think. The cocktail list also includes Thai Basil Bliss, a floral take on a Bee's Knees with Empress Indigo gin, lavender, honey, and fresh lemon. The Pina Pineapple blends pineapple vodka with coconut rum for a tropical escape, while the Mango Marg gives the classic margarita a Thai twist with mango purée. These aren't just novelty drinks. They're thoughtful craft cocktails that understand Thai cuisine's balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. The bartenders at The Big Mango seem to grasp what too many Thai restaurants miss: Thai food demands drinks that can stand up to intense flavors without getting lost in the heat. Menu Highlights: Where Bangkok Meets the World The Big Mango's menu splits into two philosophies: "Classic Bangkok Dishes" for purists and "Big Mango Features" for adventurous eaters. Both sides deliver. Khao Soi Tonkatsu might be the signature dish here. It's Nina's version of Japanese tonkatsu—a thick, fatty cut of pork fried with fresh handmade panko—served over rice with Northern Thai khao soi curry. The curry itself is lighter and sweeter than massaman, arriving with both soft and crunchy noodles for textural contrast. One customer specifically praised it: "I particularly enjoyed the khao soi tonkatsu and my date loved the Thai coconut soup." A City Weekly review noted the curry "reminded me of a less peanutty massaman" and appreciated how the crispy noodles added extra dimension to each bite. Drunken Noodles ($17) earn their reputation as some of the best in Utah. The silky flat rice noodles come stir-fried with vegetables and your choice of chicken, pork, beef, or ribeye. The Big Mango offers four spice levels, culminating in level four: "FAFO" (Find Out, basically). As one reviewer noted: "The Drunken noodles with beef featured high quality beef in a delicious sauce. The Khao Soi was so good, I almost licked the bowl." Bangkok Cheesesteak ($20) takes Thai basil and ribeye beef, loads it onto a hoagie roll, and serves it with Zabb! fries. The fries get hit with zabb seasoning—a smoky, tangy, slightly spicy Thai flavor bomb made with chili, roasted rice powder, herbs, and citrus. Customers are unanimous: this cheesesteak ruins you for every other version. Wing Zab! ($9 half order, $16 full) are Bangkok-style fried chicken wings with that same zabb seasoning. They're dry-fried until crispy, made to order, and arrive piping hot. One reviewer called them "the biggest surprise on the snack menu" and warned: "make sure you've got plenty of drinks on hand." Massaman Curry draws consistent praise. One customer raved: "This is my new favorite Thai place. Wow wow wow. Such delicious Massaman curry. Pork and shrimp dumplings. Wonton soup. Zaab fries. All of it was top notch." Moo Yang ($12)—marinated BBQ pork skewers served with sticky rice—captures Bangkok street food culture perfectly. A DoorDash customer called it "absolutely delicious! Cooked perfectly, a nice char on it but still nice and tender and juicy. 10 out of 10 tasty AF!" Why Utah's Thai Scene Needed The Big Mango Salt Lake City has solid Thai restaurants. Places like Sawadee, Chanon Thai Café, and White Lotus have earned their followings by delivering authentic Thai flavors. But most focus purely on food, treating drinks as an afterthought—iced Thai tea, maybe a beer list, done. The Big Mango recognized an opportunity: Utah's craft cocktail scene and Thai cuisine hadn't really met yet. The state has plenty of cocktail bars and plenty of Thai restaurants, but almost no overlap between the two worlds. Jeff and Nina Turk built that bridge. By positioning The Big Mango as a Thai cocktail bar rather than just another Thai restaurant, they created defensible territory in Utah's competitive Thai landscape. It's the difference between competing for "best Thai food in Salt Lake City" and owning "Thai cocktails Salt Lake City" outright. The approach works because Thai cuisine and craft cocktails actually share similar principles. Both rely on balancing complex flavors. Both benefit from fresh, quality ingredients. Both reward attention to detail and technique. The Big Mango just took these shared values seriously. The Riverton Advantage: Hidden Gem in Mountain View Village The Big Mango sits in Riverton's Mountain View Village shopping district, an area that's been expanding aggressively in recent years. The location puts it outside Salt Lake City proper but positions it perfectly for South Valley residents in Riverton, Herriman, South Jordan, and Daybreak communities. As one City Weekly review observed, Mountain View Village has "flashy dining options whose shimmering veneers and Instagram-ready backdrops appeal to the Daybreak and Daybreak-adjacent crowds." The Big Mango doesn't compete with that aesthetic. The interior maintains a "cozy fast-casual vibe" that lets the food and cocktails do the talking. This works in their favor. The Big Mango becomes what the review called "a hidden gem whose menu and cocktails can definitely hang with some of the area's heavier hitters." They're not trying to be the loudest restaurant in the shopping center. They're quietly serving some of the most interesting Thai food in Utah while building a cocktail program that rivals downtown Salt Lake City bars. Location also makes them accessible to a different customer base than downtown Thai restaurants. They're catching families looking for weeknight dinners, date night couples wanting something beyond the usual chain restaurants, and South Valley residents who don't want to drive 30 minutes to Salt Lake proper for quality Thai food. Planning Your Visit to The Big Mango Address: 4182 W 13400 S, Suite 500, Riverton, UT 84096 Hours: Monday-Friday: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM Saturday: 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM Sunday: 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM What to Order: First-timers should start with the Khao Soi Tonkatsu and pair it with a Sticky Situation cocktail. If you want to test their Thai classics, the Drunken Noodles deliver, and the Massaman Curry earns consistent praise. Don't skip the Wing Zab! or Moo Yang for appetizers. For the adventurous, the Bangkok Cheesesteak is essential—just know it might ruin regular cheesesteaks for you. And if you're visiting with someone who doesn't drink alcohol, they have extensive gluten-free options and a staff that's attentive to dietary restrictions. As one customer noted: "We contacted their Instagram page to ask if they had gluten free options and got a prompt response with a detailed list of things they can accommodate!" Pro Tips: The spice scale is real. "FAFO" means exactly what you think it means. Cocktails are legitimately craft-quality despite the casual setting. Owner Jeff is often present and happy to recommend dishes. Parking is easy in the Mountain View Village shopping center. The Bigger Picture: Thai Food in Utah The Big Mango represents something larger happening in Utah's food scene. The state's Thai restaurant landscape has long been one of its gastronomic strengths, but most establishments followed a similar playbook: authentic regional Thai dishes, casual dining, minimal beverage programs beyond Thai tea and sodas. The Big Mango breaks that pattern by treating cocktails as seriously as curry pastes. They're betting that Utah diners want more than just good Thai food—they want the full Bangkok experience where food and drink culture intertwine naturally. It's working. Customers specifically mention both the food quality and the cocktail program in reviews. The Bangkok Cheesesteak and Sticky Situation cocktail get as much attention as the traditional Thai curries. That's unusual for a Thai restaurant and suggests The Big Mango is successfully building the hybrid experience they envisioned. For Utah's food scene, this matters. When restaurants push beyond traditional categories—when they refuse to be just Thai food or just cocktail bars—the entire dining landscape improves. The Big Mango proves that Thai cocktails in Salt Lake City can be more than gimmicky Thai tea martinis. They can be thoughtful, technically sound craft cocktails that genuinely complement complex Thai flavors. Nina Turk's Bangkok background combined with Jeff's hospitality sense created something Utah's Thai scene didn't know it was missing. The Big Mango isn't trying to replace established Thai restaurants. It's carving out new territory entirely—a space where Bangkok street food culture meets craft cocktail sophistication, where khao soi curry pairs with bourbon old-fashioneds, where a cheesesteak can taste like Thailand without losing what makes a cheesesteak great. That's the real innovation here. Not Thai food. Not cocktails. But the deliberate, thoughtful collision of both in ways that honor Thai cuisine while embracing Utah's growing appetite for interesting drinks and boundary-pushing flavors. The Big Mango might be a fast-casual spot in a Riverton shopping center, but what Nina and Jeff Turk are building feels bigger than the square footage suggests—it feels like the future of Thai dining in Utah.

There's a moment when you bite into Fancy Burger's signature creation that the entire Utah County burger scene suddenly makes sense. The house-made Hokkaido milk bun—they call it their "cloud bun"—compresses gently under your fingers, releasing that distinct sweet-cream aroma that Japanese bakeries get right. Then comes the crispy-edged smash patty, a proprietary steak blend mixed with local bacon, and you realize this isn't just another burger joint trying to be fancy. This is the real thing. "Hands down the best burger I've ever had," one out-of-state visitor shared after trying their May special. "The bun is soft, the meat is flavorful and cooked perfectly. The rosemary fries are the best texture and flavor." When Fancy Burger opened in May 2023 at 37 W University Parkway in Orem—directly across from Utah Valley University's campus—it filled a gap that nobody in Utah County knew existed. Between the $5 fast-food burger and the $25 upscale experience in Salt Lake City, there was... nothing. Just a long stretch of ordinary. The Two-Year Journey to North America's Best Burger Blend The family-owned team behind Fancy Burger didn't stumble into this. They spent two years developing what they confidently claim is the best burger blend in North America, maybe even the world. That's not just marketing talk—it's what happens when you're willing to grind meat in-house daily, experimenting with ratios and cuts until you land on something genuinely different. The blend itself is a closely guarded recipe: premium steak cuts combined with local ground bacon for enhanced umami depth. It's the kind of detail that makes beef cattle farmers—who visited and reviewed the restaurant—actually pause and pay attention. "As beef cattle farmers, we are picky about our meat and how it's prepared," they wrote. "One of the best smash burgers in the state and I'll stand by this." But the genius isn't just in the beef—it's in understanding that smash burger technique is where science meets art. When that beef ball hits the screaming-hot flat-top griddle and gets pressed down hard, the Maillard reaction kicks in. Sugars caramelize. Proteins transform. You get that crispy, lacy edge while the center stays impossibly juicy. It's the difference between a good burger and one that has people driving from Provo, Salt Lake, even out of state. Co-owner Jared Terry brought serious operational expertise to Fancy Burger, having spent 11 years at Waffle Love climbing from entry-level to operations manager overseeing multiple locations. That restaurant industry experience shows in every detail—from the streamlined menu that allows for quality control to the open kitchen where you can watch chefs work the griddle with precision timing. The Hokkaido Milk Bun Revolution Utah County Didn't Know It Needed Here's where Fancy Burger does something nobody else in Utah is doing: baking authentic Japanese Hokkaido milk buns from scratch, every day, in-house. If you've never experienced a Hokkaido milk bun, think of the softest, most pillowy bread you've ever encountered, then add a subtle sweetness and a richness that comes from the milk and butter in the dough. The Japanese call this technique "tangzhong"—a water-roux method that creates an impossibly tender crumb structure. The result holds together perfectly under burger weight without getting soggy, while staying so light it practically floats. "Ok folks...truly best burger ever," one reviewer wrote. "I've had a lot of burgers around the world and this one is right there, probably the best. Smashed patties with bacon mixed in. Luscious lettuce and tomato. Amazing cheese with real flavor. And the bun!....my god the house-made bun. Sooo good." They're not exaggerating. Fancy Burger calls them "cloud buns" for good reason—the texture is ethereal. Slightly sweet, creamy-flavored, with a golden crust that's been brushed with butter. Some versions even have tiny flecks of gold leaf worked into the dough, because why not? If you're going to make a luxury burger experience, commit to the bit. And then there's the kewpie mayo. Every burger gets a swipe of this Japanese mayonnaise, which tastes completely different from American mayo—richer, slightly tangy, with more umami punch from the MSG and rice vinegar. It's the kind of detail that makes food people lean forward and say, "Wait, what is that?" A TikTok review that went viral with over 1,400 likes nailed it: "The burgers also all come with kewpie mayo - which lends a really great flavor profile and elevates it from the classic mayo you normally find on a burger." The Fancy Burger Experience: From $5.50 to $48 Fancy Burger's menu philosophy is beautifully simple: do a few things exceptionally well, and let customers choose their price point. The Plain Luxury starts at $5.50 for a single—just the cloud bun, custom beef blend, cheese, and kewpie mayo. It's affordable enough for UVU students between classes but elevated enough to feel special. Double it for $8.50, triple for $12.50, or go full quad for $14.50. The Classic adds local tomatoes and lettuce, bringing fresh vegetable brightness to balance the richness. Again, scale up as your appetite demands. Then there's the monthly masterpiece that gives the restaurant its name: The Fancy Burger. This is where the chefs flex their culinary training. Every month—sometimes twice a month—they create a completely new burger that reimagines fine dining classics as handheld experiences. We're talking fennel-crusted roasted pork belly with quail eggs and prickly pear hollandaise. Whole roasted garlic prime rib with house-pickled fennel and aged cheddar Mornay sauce. Heirloom tomatoes with burrata, garlic confit, and balsamic glaze. Prices range from $27 to $48 depending on ingredients, and yes, sometimes there's literal gold leaf involved. "If you want a killer experience, try the high-end special. It will knock you out," one regular customer advised. "One other thing I love is that the owners, chef, and employees are dedicated to providing a great experience and also make you feel like you are helping them to fulfill their culinary vision." It's an inspired strategy. The rotating monthly special creates urgency—miss it and it's gone forever—while keeping regulars coming back to see what's next. It's also Instagram and TikTok gold, which matters when you're building buzz in a college town. Don't skip the Rosemary Fries, available in both thick and thin cuts. They're cooked in beef tallow—the traditional way, the way your grandparents' generation did it—which gives them a richness and crispness vegetable oil can't match. Fresh rosemary isn't just a garnish; it's cooked right into the fries, perfuming them with piney, savory aromatics. "The rosemary fries are the best texture and flavor," one visitor noted. The thick-cut versus thin-cut debate is purely personal preference—both deliver that perfect golden crisp. The Utah County Upscale Dining Gap Fancy Burger Fills Location matters, and Fancy Burger's position at 37 W University Parkway (also listed as 1132 State Street after their recent move) is strategic genius. They're in the Barnes & Noble shopping area, near Crumbl Cookies, directly across from UVU's 48,000-student campus. That's 48,000 potential customers within walking distance—students who want something better than fast food for date nights, graduation dinners, or when parents visit. Young professionals in Orem and Provo who are tired of driving to Salt Lake City for upscale dining. Families looking for a special occasion restaurant that doesn't serve alcohol. Because here's the thing about Fancy Burger that makes it uniquely positioned in Utah County's LDS-heavy demographic: they don't serve alcohol. Not at the bar, not anywhere. Instead, kids can sit at the bar and watch the chefs work the open kitchen, and families can experience fine dining without the awkwardness of navigating liquor menus. "I love that they don't serve alcohol!" one reviewer enthused. "This means the kids can sit up at the bar and eat while watching the cooks grill their burgers." The atmosphere reinforces this approachable luxury concept. A baby grand piano sits in the corner where live musicians perform—often jazz trios—at a volume that enhances conversation rather than overwhelming it. There's a suggested $5-per-person donation for the musicians, which feels generous rather than obligatory. Gold silverware shaped like something royalty would use. Elegant lighting. Local art on the walls. An open kitchen where you can watch your burger being smashed to order. The decor walks that fine line between high-end and hip—"cozy, hip, modern, and the vibe was just on point," as one Friday night diner described it. What Utah County's Food Scene Says About Fancy Burger Fancy Burger has generated the kind of organic buzz that money can't buy. The TikTok and Instagram attention has been substantial, with food influencers declaring it among Utah's best burgers. UtahChefsKiss's viral TikTok called it "one of the best burgers in the state" with "elegant and understated" presentation that "drives the focus on the flavors and textures of the food." Even more telling are the reviews from people who know burgers. The beef cattle farmers who dissect every aspect of meat preparation. The world travelers who've eaten burgers across continents. The family from out of state whose relatives insisted they had to try it. "Walked in for lunch with my friend and the waitress was immediately kind and helped us feel welcome," another customer shared. "The ambience here is incredible, feels like high-end dining without ridiculous prices. Music wasn't too loud, easy to have a conversation. And the food was unbelievable. Without exaggerating, I honestly don't think I've ever had a better burger." That last bit—"without exaggerating"—is the kind of qualifier people use when they're surprised by their own enthusiasm. When something exceeds expectations so dramatically that you feel compelled to clarify you're not being hyperbolic. The burger consistently delivers what the restaurant promises: a luxurious experience eating burgers. The "cloud bun" nickname isn't marketing fluff. The custom beef blend isn't just good beef—it's a proprietary formula they spent two years perfecting. The smash burger technique creates that ideal crispy exterior and juicy center. The Japanese touches (Hokkaido buns, kewpie mayo) aren't gimmicks; they're thoughtful choices that elevate familiar American comfort food. Planning Your Visit to Fancy Burger in Orem Address: 1132 State Street, Orem, UT 84058 (previously 37 W University Parkway—they recently moved to a new location with their distinctive gold food truck parked out front) Hours: Monday-Saturday: 11:30 AM - 8:30 PM Sunday: 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM Weekend Brunch: Saturday and Sunday mornings (exclusive brunch menu) Phone: (801) 900-7719 What to Order First Time: Start with the Double Classic to experience the core burger concept—that incredible Hokkaido bun, the smash-burger technique, the kewpie mayo difference. Add rosemary fries (thick-cut if you love potatoes, thin-cut if you prefer maximum crisp). If you're feeling adventurous and it's a special occasion, go for the current month's Fancy Burger—but know you're committing to the $30-40 range. Best Times to Visit: Arrive before the dinner rush (before 6:00 PM) to snag a table without waiting, especially on Friday and Saturday nights when live music draws crowds. UVU students pack the place during lunch hours and late afternoons. Parking & Location: Easy parking in the Barnes & Noble shopping area. Walking distance from UVU campus. Look for the distinctive gold food truck out front. Instagram: @myfancyburger (they post the monthly Fancy Burger reveals here) Why Fancy Burger Matters to Utah County's Food Story There's a reason foodies from Salt Lake City are making the drive south to Orem. Fancy Burger has proven that Utah County can support elevated dining that respects both culinary ambition and family-friendly accessibility. They've shown that Japanese baking techniques can enhance American classics without feeling forced. That smash burgers can be fine dining. That $5.50 can get you something genuinely special, and $40 can get you an experience you won't forget. In a state where burger culture runs deep—from pastrami burgers to fry sauce—Fancy Burger has carved out completely original territory. They're not trying to be Lucky 13's provocative creativity or Crown Burger's utilitarian satisfaction. They're something Utah County didn't have before: approachable luxury, family-friendly fine dining, and the best Hokkaido milk buns you'll find anywhere between Tokyo and the Wasatch Front. "I really do think this is one of the best burgers in the state and the restaurant really is something special," that viral TikTok review concluded. "It's quickly becoming one of my favorite burger places for sure!" For once, the hype is justified.

The smell hits you first—shaved ribeye sizzling on the flattop, onions going translucent in their own sweetness, Cheez Whiz melting into something that shouldn't work but absolutely does. This isn't another Utah sandwich shop trying to approximate what they think an East Coast sub should taste like. At Beast From The East Sandwichery, Kris Davis is cooking the exact sandwiches he grew up eating in Collingswood, New Jersey, just across the river from Philadelphia. As one customer put it after trying the JD Philly Cheesesteak, "I drove here to try it out based on previous reviews. I'm stuffed and glad I did." That's the thing about authentic East Coast subs in Salt Lake City—when you finally find the real deal, you know it immediately. From South Jersey Pine Barrens to Utah's Mountains: The Journey of "The Beast" At 16, Kris Davis was absolutely certain about one thing: he wanted nothing to do with restaurants. He'd worked as a host at a chain restaurant in New Jersey and declared the food industry dead to him. Funny how life works. After that teenage declaration, something shifted when he found himself in a fine-dining kitchen where precision mattered, where technique wasn't optional, where the rigid structure and over-the-top customer service standards actually made sense. He fell hard for it. But here's the thing—when you grow up in Collingswood, New Jersey, surrounded by the Pine Barrens where the legendary Jersey Devil supposedly lurks in the mist, you don't just leave that behind. His Italian grandmother was teaching him how to make proper meatball subs and chicken parm before he could see over the counter. Those recipes, passed down through generations, were tattooed on his taste memory. After years in upscale Jersey restaurants, Kris took off to explore Ecuador and the West Coast before landing in Utah. Geography changed. The craving for real East Coast sandwiches didn't. When Kris and his wife Megan were dating, he made her a Philly cheesesteak. She'd had plenty of what Utah calls cheesesteaks—loaded with bell peppers, drowning in marinara, unrecognizable. What Kris put in front of her was revelation: bread, shaved ribeye, cheese, grilled onions. That's it. Five ingredients. "Everybody tries to overthink stuff," Megan explained. "He's, like, 'it's simple.'" On a long drive, Kris woke up from a nap and announced to Megan that he'd one day own a place called "Beast From The East Sandwichery"—a tribute to the Jersey Devil, that mythical creature from the Pinelands of his childhood. Since he was 16, he'd dreamed of opening a sandwich shop. In November 2025, that dream materialized at 1702 S. Main Street in Salt Lake City. The Real Deal: What Makes These East Coast Subs Different Walk into Beast From The East's new location—painted dark to evoke that East Coast aesthetic, long and narrow like a neighborhood spot you'd find in Philly or Jersey—and you'll notice Philadelphia Eagles paraphernalia covering the walls. The space previously housed Loco Burger, but the Davises painted over those bright yellow walls with something that screams "East Coast" the moment you walk through the door. It connects to Manny's bar next door, where you can grab one of Kris's sandwiches alongside a cold beer if that's your vibe. The menu here isn't trying to impress anyone with creativity. It's executing classics the way they're supposed to be executed. The JD Philly Cheesesteak ($10.25 half, $16.50 full) is the bread-and-butter, featuring thinly shaved ribeye chopped and seared on the flattop, tossed with grilled onions, your choice of cheese (Whiz, American, or provolone—though locals will tell you Whiz is the only correct answer). As Ted Scheffler from Utah Stories put it, these sandwiches come in two sizes and "I can barely get through a half-size sandwich from the Beast since they are stuffed to the gills." A City Weekly reviewer noted that it's "as good as any cheesesteak I've had in Utah and better than some I've eaten in Philadelphia." But Kris's Jersey roots run deeper than just Philly cheesesteaks. The Camden Chopped Cheese ($9.50 half, $15.75 full) brings that specific New York/New Jersey deli magic: seared ground beef chopped up on the flattop with caramelized onions and American cheese, dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo. One reviewer called it "probably one of the better sandwiches I've ever had. Every bite was delicious and flavorful." Another customer couldn't contain their enthusiasm: "These subs are wild, in the best way! So much flavor." The cold subs follow the same no-nonsense philosophy. The Godfather ($10.25 half, $16.50 full) packs the classic Italian deli lineup—Genoa salami, ham, capicola, pepperoni—with provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, seasoning, vinegar, and olive oil. It's so loaded that the bread barely contains everything inside. "It's perfect for anyone looking for an old-world deli experience," according to City Weekly's review. The sandwich earned recognition as the "don" of the cold sandwich menu, which feels appropriate given the name. Local Sourcing, East Coast Standards Kris isn't just recreating the sandwiches—he's sourcing ingredients the way a serious East Coast shop would. He gets his sausages from Gerome's Market, a local spot with generational roots in Philadelphia. There's a farm up the road growing some of his produce. Sharp provolone, broccoli rabe, capicola—these aren't ingredients you compromise on when you're trying to nail authentic hoagies and subs. "This isn't your normal bar food," Kris explained. "We use fresh ingredients from local vendors. That's the caliber we're going for." The attention shows up in less obvious places too. The Sports Fries come dusted with Old Bay Seasoning—that distinctly Mid-Atlantic spice blend that tastes like summer on the Chesapeake. The cherry pepper mayo on the Subway Screamer (a turkey sub loaded with roasted turkey breast, red onion, American cheese, pickles, and fresh cilantro) is so good that customers keep suggesting Kris bottle and sell it. The Legend ($16 full, $10 half), a chicken parmesan sandwich with parmesan-crusted chicken breast, mozzarella, and house marinara, carries the ghost of his nonna's recipe—simple but executed flawlessly. South Salt Lake's Answer to East Coast Hunger Beast From The East now anchors the corner of 1700 South and Main Street in South Salt Lake, a permanent home after starting out inside Cruzrs Saloon in Holladay. That original location was 21-and-over only since it operated within a bar, which meant families couldn't get their hands on these sandwiches. The new spot fixes that—it's all-ages during the day, with a connection to Manny's next door for anyone who wants the biker-bar vibe with their sub. The Davis family (including Kris's parents, who now live in Murray) runs the operation with that fine-dining discipline Kris learned in New Jersey. Fast service, generous portions, simple flavors done right. They've built a cult following through social media and a clever marketing move—hiding "Beast Bucks" throughout Salt Lake County that entitle finders to free subs. Kris has become something of a local celebrity, known on Instagram as "The Beast." The restaurant scene in Salt Lake has expanded dramatically over the past decade, with more authentic regional cuisines finding homes along the Wasatch Front. But East Coast sandwich culture remained underrepresented until Beast From The East opened. Jersey Mike's and Capriotti's offer corporate approximations. Moochie's has its own loyal following. But Kris is bringing something different—the sandwiches of his childhood, the recipes his grandmother taught him, the five-ingredient cheesesteak that Megan fell in love with on their early dates. Planning Your Visit to Beast From The East Sandwichery Address: 1702 S. Main Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84115 Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 12pm-10pm, Sunday 12pm-9pm, closed Mondays What to Order: Start with the JD Philly Cheesesteak with Whiz and grilled onions—it's the signature for a reason. If you're hungry, the half sandwich ($10.25) is already substantial. Add Sports Fries for the full experience. For cold sub fans, The Godfather delivers that Italian deli experience. Adventurous eaters should try the Camden Chopped Cheese or anything with broccoli rabe. Insider tip: The restaurant is still settling into its new location and currently running a shorter lunch menu all day. They make food until they sell out, so earlier visits guarantee more menu availability. The space connects to Manny's bar next door, giving you the option for that bar atmosphere if you want it, but the main sandwich shop is family-friendly. Parking: Street parking along Main Street and the surrounding neighborhood. The spot is easy to find on the corner—look for the dark exterior that replaced Loco Burger's bright colors. Follow: @beastfromtheeast_subs on Instagram for menu updates, special promotions, and the occasional Beast Buck treasure hunt Why This Place Matters to Utah's Food Scene There's a specific homesickness that comes with missing the food you grew up with. For East Coast transplants scattered across Utah—and there are plenty, especially in the tech corridors—finding a proper cheesesteak or Italian hoagie has been a multi-year scavenger hunt with disappointing results. Kris Davis gets it because he lived it. When you grow up eating sandwiches a certain way, anything less than authentic just makes you miss home more. Beast From The East isn't trying to reinvent East Coast subs for Utah palates. It's cooking them exactly as they're made in South Jersey and Philadelphia, with the ingredients that matter, in the proportions that work, without the bell peppers and marinara that somehow became standard in Western interpretations. One reviewer who clearly knows their East Coast sandwiches said it best: "Beast from the east Sandwichery is the real deal, no bones about it. You absolutely can not get a better cheesesteak in several days drive in any direction." That's the standard Kris is holding himself to—not just better than Utah's other options, but legitimate enough to compete with the sandwich shops back East. It's working. The lunch rushes pack the place. City Weekly ranked it just south of Moochie's in their cheesesteak rankings. Local food writers keep coming back. And most importantly, people who know what these sandwiches are supposed to taste like are saying it's legit. In a food scene that's increasingly sophisticated and diverse, Beast From The East fills a specific gap: authentic, no-frills, East Coast sandwich culture executed by someone who learned it from his Italian grandmother in New Jersey. No overthinking. No fusion experiments. Just shaved ribeye, Cheez Whiz, grilled onions, and a proper roll. Sometimes simple is exactly what you need.

There's this moment that happens at Baby's Bagels around 7:45 on a Saturday morning. The pink neon sign glows through the window at 204 East 500 South, and inside, brothers Koby and Cyrus Elias and their friend Eric Valchuis are pulling the first batch of bagels from the oven. The crust crackles. The steam rises. And you can smell that distinct, almost sweet scent of properly kettle-boiled dough meeting high heat—something you just don't get from the grocery store bag stuff or the chain places. "These bagels are real deal, chewy and flavorful," one customer wrote recently, and honestly? That's the whole point. Because what started as three friends messing around with YouTube videos in early 2022 has become Salt Lake City's answer to the question nobody knew they were asking: can you get legitimate artisan bagels in Utah that actually taste like they came from somewhere that knows what a bagel is supposed to be? From Corporate Life to Ski Bum to Bagel Baker: The Unlikely Journey to Utah's Best Hand-Rolled Bagels Here's how Baby's Bagels actually happened. Koby Elias left his corporate job in Boston—just walked away from the whole thing—to become a ski bum in Jackson Hole. His brother Cyrus followed not long after, because apparently the mountains and his older brother were both too hard to resist. Eric Valchuis came last, relocating with his partner after grad school in California during the pandemic, when everyone was making sourdough and questioning their life choices anyway. "We all somehow ended up here, and once we got together, Baby's Bagels was born," Eric explains, and there's this self-awareness in how they talk about it. They're not pretending they went to culinary school or trained under some bagel master in Brooklyn. They just knew what good bagels tasted like from growing up outside Boston, and they were homesick for them. So they taught themselves. YouTube tutorials. Trial and error. A lot of error, probably. "We had no idea what we were doing, but we knew what a good bagel should taste like," Koby says. For three or four months, they just experimented—mixing, proofing, boiling, baking, tasting, starting over. Their first sales were through Instagram, people ordering and picking up at a commissary kitchen in South Salt Lake. No storefront. No overhead. Just bagels and hope. The name? "We're babies, you know. It reflects our sort of immaturity," Koby grins. Though the other story is that all his friends were having actual babies while he started a bagel business, which feels about right for your late twenties in Salt Lake City. The Three-Day Process Behind Salt Lake City's Most Authentic Bagels What actually makes Baby's Bagels different from every other bagel option in Utah comes down to time and technique. These aren't machine-extruded circles of bread-like substance. Each bagel at Baby's is hand-rolled—actually shaped by human hands—then goes through a three-day fermentation process that involves mixing, multiple rest periods at room temperature, up to two days in the refrigerator, kettle boiling, and finally baking on burlap-wrapped boards. "It's not rocket science," Eric says with typical understatement, "but if you make enough bagels, you figure out what works—and what doesn't." The process starts Thursday with dough mixing and shaping. Friday brings the boiling and baking. And here's the thing about boiling bagels that most people don't realize—it's what creates that distinctive chewy interior and crispy, golden-brown exterior. It's the difference between a bagel and a round piece of bread with a hole in it. They use organic flour milled right here in Utah by Central Milling up in Logan. The water's from Salt Lake City itself. "We don't call them NY Style, though they are clearly heavily influenced by traditional east coast bagels, these are Utah bagels made with Utah wheat and Utah water," Koby smartly explains, sidestepping the whole geographic gatekeeping thing that makes bagel discourse so exhausting. The menu stays intentionally tight: plain, everything, poppy seed, sesame, and salt bagels. That's it. No blueberry. No cinnamon raisin. No "everything but the everything." "I actually liked the fact that they didn't have any sweet bagels," one reviewer noted. "If I wanted that, I would have gone to a doughnut shop, thank you very much." What Actually Makes These the Best Bagels in Salt Lake City (According to People Who Eat Them) The lox bagel might be the thing that converted the skeptics. Open-faced, stacked high with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, dill, and red onion on an everything bagel. "This was incredibly well-balanced," Salt Lake City Weekly's reviewer wrote after trying it. "The schmear is tart and creamy, the smoked salmon is fresh and bright, the capers add just the right snap of vinegary acid, the crunchy onions were understated enough to let the other flavors shine." But honestly, people seem equally obsessed with the simpler stuff. The salt bagel with honey and butter has developed its own cult following. "The salt bagel with honey and butter is delicious," one regular notes. "I also love going with a classic egg n cheese on everything." There's something about that sweet-salty combination on a properly made bagel—the granules of salt catching the light, the honey soaking into those first warm bites—that just works. The egg and cheese sandwich ($8, add bacon or sausage for $3) is what one reviewer called "a solid entry in our local breakfast sando hall of fame." And the fact that the bagel itself doesn't get lost under all those breakfast sandwich toppings? That tells you something about the structure and flavor Baby's has dialed in. Then there's the cream cheese situation. Plain and scallion are year-round staples, but the rotating seasonal flavors are where things get interesting. Dill pickle has become a permanent favorite—"whipped cream cheese mixed with finely diced pickles and fresh dill. A Baby's classic." They've done elote during corn season, giardiniera with pickled vegetables, strawberry rhubarb, even a confit fennel and lemon zest that apparently blew minds. "They also mix fresh ingredients into the cream cheese," one customer explains. "I'm a baby4life." Which is either the highest compliment or proof that the branding really worked. The vegan muhammara sandwich deserves mention too—house-made red pepper and walnut spread with herbs, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses on a fresh bagel. "A Middle Eastern spread made with smoky red pepper and chopped nuts," as it was described, and apparently even non-vegans are all over it. How Baby's Bagels Became Part of Salt Lake City's Local Food Movement What's striking about the Baby's Bagels story isn't just that they make good bagels. It's how they've integrated themselves into Salt Lake City's actual food community rather than operating as some isolated bagel cult. They source from Kessimakis Produce for most of their fresh ingredients. They rotate their menu with the seasons—no hothouse tomatoes in winter, actual Utah peaches in summer. "I think it's really important to have good sourcing," Koby explains, and you can tell this isn't just marketing speak. When they experimented with a BLT recently, they waited for local tomato season. The cream cheese flavors change based on what's actually available and fresh. This is small-batch craft baking meeting genuine farm-to-table principles, which in Salt Lake City's growing artisan food scene, actually matters. "People have been incredible," Koby says about other food businesses in the city. "Other food businesses in Salt Lake are so open to helping, offering advice, and just wanting to see you succeed." Eric adds: "It's a rising-tide-lifts-all-boats kind of place." And you can see evidence of that in how Baby's has grown—from Instagram orders at a commissary kitchen, to farmers market pop-ups, to their permanent storefront that opened in November 2023. The space itself fits the vibe perfectly. Funky artwork. Pastel colors. Subway tile spelling out "BAGELS" across the front counter. One spot on the floor where a brick should be is instead filled with little plastic babies encased in resin, because of course it is. "I guess we are the babies," Koby says. "It is Baby's Bagels, you know, sort of juvenile and immature." There's outdoor seating on the sidewalk. The atmosphere is casual enough that you feel comfortable grabbing a bagel and eating it standing up, but thoughtful enough that you could absolutely sit down and make it an actual breakfast experience. And now they've even added Pie Boy Pizza in the same space Wednesday through Friday evenings (5:00-8:30 PM), which is either the most brilliant or the most chaotic use of a bagel shop you've ever heard. Planning Your Visit to Baby's Bagels in Downtown Salt Lake City Baby's Bagels is located at 204 East 500 South in downtown Salt Lake City, right in the Central City neighborhood. They're open every day from 7:30 AM to 2:00 PM, which means morning people get the warm-from-the-oven experience and everyone else needs to adjust their schedule accordingly. The half dozen runs $15, individual bagels with cream cheese around $5-6. Sandwiches range from $8 for the egg and cheese up to $14 for the lox. It's not Costco pricing, but considering these are legitimately hand-rolled artisan bagels made with organic Utah-milled flour and actual technique, it's reasonable for what you're getting. Pro tips from regulars: get there before 10 AM on weekends if you want the full flavor selection. The dill pickle cream cheese will sell out. The salt bagel with honey butter is worth trying even if it sounds weird. And if you're torn between the lox and the egg and cheese, the correct answer is to go back tomorrow and get the other one. "The exterior of each bagel is crisp and golden brown, and the inside dense and chewy," as one thorough reviewer documented. "I'm happy to say that Baby's Bagels absolutely nails this." That texture—the slight crunch giving way to that dense, chewy interior—is the result of proper kettle-boiling and that three-day fermentation process. It's what separates real bagels from bread products pretending to be bagels. You can order online for pickup at babysbagels.square.site, which is useful if you're trying to guarantee your favorites don't sell out. They also do wholesale and catering, in case you need to be the hero who brings legitimate bagels to your next office meeting. Why Baby's Bagels Matters to Utah's Food Scene Look, Salt Lake City isn't New York. It's not trying to be. But what Baby's Bagels represents is something that's been happening across Utah's food landscape over the past few years—people who actually know food, who've eaten well in other places, deciding they'd rather create what they're missing than keep complaining about it. Three guys from Boston who love skiing and bagels taught themselves how to make professional-quality artisan bagels using YouTube and determination. They started small, grew organically, opened a storefront, and now they're the place where locals bring visitors when they want to prove Salt Lake City has real food culture. "We always imagined creating something we wanted to see in the city, and I think we've done that," the trio says. And the thing is, they really have. Because now when someone's homesick for East Coast bagels or when a New Yorker's wife says these are her favorite bagels, that's not just marketing—it's three friends who refused to accept that good bagels couldn't exist in Utah and decided to prove themselves right. The bagels are hand-rolled. The ingredients are sourced locally when possible. The process takes three days. And the result is legitimately the best bagels in Salt Lake City, which is exactly what they set out to make in the first place. Follow Baby's Bagels on Instagram at @babys.bagels for daily flavor updates and that inevitable moment when they announce they're temporarily sold out for the day.

There's something almost ceremonial about watching costela fogo de chão come off the grill after four hours of slow-roasting over wood fire. The beef ribs glisten with rendered fat, the meat so tender it practically falls off the bone before the knife even touches it. This is the kind of Brazilian BBQ that takes patience—the kind you can't rush, the kind that reminds you why Southern Brazil's gaucho tradition has survived for generations. And somehow, improbably, this tradition has found a home in Clearfield, Utah. Jared's BBQ Brazilian Steak Experience isn't trying to be Tucanos or Fogo de Chão. While those Brazilian steakhouse chains dominate Salt Lake City's dining scene 30 miles south, Jared's has carved out something different entirely in Davis County. This is authentic Brazilian churrasco brought directly to your event—whether that's a corporate gathering at Hill Air Force Base, a backyard wedding reception, or a family celebration that needs to feed 50 people without breaking the bank. "The owners were friendly and welcoming," one customer notes about their experience with Jared's. "If you enjoy Brazilian cuisine, or have never tried it..." The sentiment captures what makes this operation unique in northern Utah's food landscape. The Brazilian BBQ Tradition Meets Davis County Innovation The story of Brazilian churrasco begins in the Pampas grasslands of Southern Brazil, where European immigrants in the early 1900s developed a cooking method born of necessity and abundance. Gauchos—Brazilian cowboys—would dig pits to protect their fires from the wind, then slow-roast massive cuts of beef over wood embers for hours. What emerged wasn't just food; it was a social ritual, a celebration, a way of gathering that put the quality of the meat and the patience of the preparation at the center of everything. Jared's BBQ understands this. Their costela fogo de chão, those traditional ground-roasted short ribs, take four to five hours over wood fire. There's no shortcut here, no gas grill approximation, no rotisserie that speeds things up. Just beef, coarse salt, smoke, and time. In Davis County—where Hill Air Force Base employs over 20,000 people and Clearfield's family-oriented demographics create constant demand for event catering—this commitment to authentic preparation methods sets Jared's apart from every other catering option within 20 miles. You're not getting steam-table buffet food or pre-cooked meats reheated on-site. You're getting the real thing: fire-roasted cuts carved tableside by passadores (meat servers) who bring the rodizio experience directly to your venue. What Makes Brazilian Steakhouse Dining Different (And Why It Translates Perfectly to Catering) If you've never experienced authentic rodizio service, here's what you need to know: it's the antithesis of American portion control. In a traditional Brazilian steakhouse, gauchos circulate continuously with skewers of fire-roasted meats—picanha (top sirloin cap with its prized fat layer), fraldinha (flank steak), maminha (tri-tip), toscana sausage, bacon-wrapped chicken, even chicken hearts for the adventurous. You control the pace with a simple card system: green side up means "keep it coming," red side means "I need a break." Jared's has adapted this experience for catering in a way that's honestly pretty brilliant. They bring everything—tents, grills, serving tables, stainless steel chafing dishes—and set up a complete Brazilian churrascaria at your location. The minimum is 20 adults, which makes sense when you're talking about 1.3 pounds of high-quality meat per person. Their standard package includes seven meat options: picanha, ribeye steak, bacon-wrapped chicken breast, short ribs, toscana sausage, and chicken hearts. But it's the sides that tell you whether a Brazilian operation knows what they're doing. Anyone can grill meat. The real test is whether they're serving authentic farofa (toasted cassava flour with bacon), proper vinagrete (Brazilian salsa with palm hearts), and pão de queijo (cheese bread) made correctly. Jared's menu includes all the traditional accompaniments: bacon farofa, garlic white rice, mixed green salad, vinagrete, and garlic bread. They've also adapted for Utah palates with additions like potato salad while maintaining the Brazilian soul of the meal. The Clearfield Advantage: Location, Authenticity, and Value Here's the geography that matters: Jared's BBQ sits at 930 South 550 East in Clearfield, roughly 2.5 miles from Hill Air Force Base's west gate. The nearest comparable Brazilian steakhouse is Tucanos in Farmington, 17 miles away. Rodizio Grill is 30 miles south in Salt Lake City. Fogo de Chão is 35 miles away in Murray with $50+ per person price points. This isn't just convenient proximity—it's a blue ocean market opportunity that Jared's has quietly dominated. Davis County has over 300,000 residents, most of whom would need to drive 30-45 minutes and pay premium prices to access authentic Brazilian churrasco. Jared's brings that experience to Clearfield, Layton, Roy, Syracuse, and everywhere in between. For military events and corporate gatherings at Hill AFB—which hosts everything from change-of-command ceremonies to retirement parties to unit celebrations—having an authentic Brazilian steakhouse option within 10 minutes changes the equation entirely. The same goes for weddings at Davis County event venues, family reunions, graduation parties, and the kind of milestone celebrations where you want something memorable without Salt Lake City's dining prices. The business model is smart, too. By focusing primarily on catering and event services rather than maintaining a traditional restaurant with fixed overhead, Jared's can offer competitive pricing while delivering an experience that feels far more expensive than it is. When you're comparing catering options for 50 people, you're typically looking at $15-20 per person for standard buffet fare. Jared's charges approximately $18 per person for their basic package (based on their DoorDash pricing of $270 for 15 people), which includes 1.3 pounds of high-quality meat per guest plus all the traditional sides. That's extraordinary value for authentic Brazilian churrasco with tableside service. Beyond Picanha: Understanding Brazilian Meat Cuts Let's talk about picanha for a minute, because if you're not familiar with Brazilian steakhouse terminology, this is the cut you need to understand. In American butchering, picanha is called the sirloin cap or coulotte—it's the top part of the sirloin with a thick fat cap that, when grilled correctly, renders into something approaching transcendence. Brazilian steakhouses score the fat cap in a crosshatch pattern, season it with coarse salt (sal grosso), and grill it over high heat on skewers. When carved tableside, each slice has that crispy, seasoned fat on one side and perfectly medium-rare beef on the other. Most American steakhouses trim the fat cap off and discard it. Brazilians consider this borderline criminal. Jared's offers picanha across all their packages, from the basic catering option to their premium Churrasco Completo Experience. They also feature cuts you won't find at typical American BBQ caterers: maminha (the tri-tip, which Brazilians prepare completely differently than California-style tri-tip), fraldinha (flank steak that's been properly tenderized and seasoned), and the signature costela fogo de chão. For the adventurous—and honestly, for anyone who wants the full Brazilian experience—there are chicken hearts. Before you recoil, understand that these are grilled on skewers until crispy on the outside, tender inside, with a flavor profile closer to dark meat chicken than anything organ-like. They're a delicacy in Southern Brazil, the kind of thing gauchos would fight over at traditional churrasco gatherings. Brazilian Sides That Complete the Experience Here's where you can tell the difference between a Brazilian operation that understands the culture and one that's just grilling meat with a Portuguese name on the menu. The sides matter immensely. Farofa is the test. This toasted cassava flour mixture with bacon, sometimes onions, sometimes olives, provides textural contrast and a slightly nutty flavor that cuts through the richness of all that meat. Done right, it's addictive. Done wrong, it's sawdust. Jared's serves bacon farofa, which suggests they understand the assignment. Vinagrete—not to be confused with vinaigrette dressing—is Brazil's answer to pico de gallo, but with more acidity and the addition of palm hearts. It's fresh, bright, acidic, and absolutely necessary when you're eating your body weight in red meat. The fact that Jared's includes vinagrete with palm hearts specifically tells you they're not taking shortcuts. Then there's pão de queijo, those small cheese breads made from tapioca flour that are naturally gluten-free and ridiculously addictive when served warm. Jared's offers these, along with more familiar sides like garlic white rice and mixed green salad that help bridge the gap between Brazilian authenticity and Utah expectations. For their premium packages, they go deeper: Brazilian-style beans with bacon and cassava flour (essentially a simplified feijoada), "carreteiro" rice prepared in a cast iron pot (a traditional gaucho dish), and butter-sautéed couve (collard greens with bacon that bear no resemblance to Southern-style greens). Full-Service Event Catering: What Sets Jared's Apart The catering model deserves closer examination because it's genuinely impressive in scope. Jared's doesn't just drop off food and leave. They provide: Complete equipment: Tents, grills, serving tables, high-quality stainless steel chafing dishes to maintain ideal temperatures Professional staff: Dedicated servers who handle everything from setup to carving to cleanup Unlimited beverage service: Complete non-alcoholic drink service with staff managing refills Customizable menus: Multiple package tiers from basic to premium, with add-on options Flexible service styles: Traditional rodizio with tableside carving, buffet-style service, or hybrid approaches For events that want to go all-in on the Brazilian experience, they offer the Churrasco Completo Experience with premium cuts like New York steak, ribeye, tomahawk steak, lamb chops, and pork ribs. You can even add grilled pineapple with cinnamon and sugar—a classic Brazilian steakhouse finale that shouldn't work but absolutely does. There's also a Feijoada experience available, which is Brazil's national dish: a black bean stew with various cuts of pork (dried beef, calabresa sausage, paio sausage, bacon, pork ribs) served with traditional accompaniments like bacon farofa, vinagrete, pork cracklings, butter-sautéed kale, white rice, and orange slices. This is Sunday lunch food in Brazil, the kind of meal that brings extended families together for hours of eating and conversation. Planning Your Jared's BBQ Experience Whether you're considering Jared's for catering or trying their food through delivery services (they're available on DoorDash and Uber Eats), here's what you need to know: Location: 930 South 550 East, Clearfield, UT 84015 Service Area: Primarily Davis County and northern Utah, including Clearfield, Layton, Syracuse, Roy, South Weber, and the Hill Air Force Base area. They'll travel for larger events. Minimum Requirements: 20 adults for catering packages (makes sense when you're setting up full churrasco service) Pricing Structure: Packages range from approximately $18 per person for basic service to $30+ per person for premium experiences with expanded meat selections Best For: Corporate events and military gatherings (especially Hill AFB functions) Wedding receptions and rehearsal dinners Large family celebrations and reunions Birthday parties and graduation celebrations Any event where you want something memorable beyond standard catering options What to Order: If you're trying Jared's for the first time through delivery, the Picanha Combo gives you the signature cut plus traditional sides. For catering, the mid-tier package with picanha, ribeye, bacon-wrapped chicken, short ribs, toscana sausage, and chicken hearts provides the complete Brazilian experience without going into premium pricing territory. Insider Tip: The costela fogo de chão (those 4-5 hour wood-fired short ribs) are the signature dish—if you're planning an event, ask about including them specifically. This is the cut that separates authentic Brazilian BBQ from everything else. Why Davis County Needed This The broader context matters here. Before Jared's BBQ established their presence in Clearfield, anyone in Davis County wanting authentic Brazilian churrasco faced a 30-mile minimum drive to Salt Lake City, fighting traffic and paying premium prices at established chains. Hill Air Force Base personnel hosting retirement ceremonies or change-of-command events had limited options for distinctive catering that could accommodate large groups while delivering something memorable. Utah has a substantial Brazilian community, particularly in Utah County, but northern Utah has been underserved for authentic Brazilian cuisine. The nearest Brazilian options were chain operations in Salt Lake City that, while good, have Americanized their offerings to appeal to broader audiences. Nothing wrong with that approach, but it creates an opportunity for someone willing to maintain traditional preparation methods and authentic flavor profiles. Jared's filled that gap. They brought the gaucho tradition to Clearfield, committed to wood-fire preparation and traditional techniques, and built a business model that makes Brazilian steakhouse quality accessible to a market that previously couldn't access it easily. The timing is right, too. Davis County has experienced significant growth over the past decade, with young families and growing businesses creating steady demand for quality catering options. Clearfield itself has transformed from a sleepy town into a hub for startups and established businesses, with modern business plazas and an increasingly diverse dining scene. A Brazilian churrasco specialist fits perfectly into this evolution. The Future of Brazilian BBQ in Northern Utah What Jared's BBQ represents is bigger than one catering company in Clearfield. It's evidence that Utah's food scene continues to diversify and mature, that authentic ethnic cuisines can thrive outside Salt Lake City, and that there's real demand for culinary experiences that go beyond standard American fare. The Brazilian steakhouse model—with its emphasis on quality meats, traditional preparation methods, and communal dining experiences—translates exceptionally well to Utah's family-oriented culture and celebration-focused lifestyle. Milestone events matter here: retirements, graduations, weddings, religious ceremonies, family reunions. Having a catering option that delivers something truly distinctive changes what's possible for these celebrations. For Jared's, the opportunity extends beyond just Davis County. The entire northern Wasatch Front—from Ogden down through Farmington and Bountiful—represents a market of over 500,000 people with limited access to authentic Brazilian cuisine. As word spreads about what they're doing (and as more Hill AFB events feature their catering), that market becomes increasingly accessible. There's something refreshing about a food business that focuses on doing one thing exceptionally well rather than trying to be everything to everyone. Jared's isn't attempting to be a full-service restaurant with lunch specials and happy hour deals. They're not competing with Tucanos for the family dining crowd or trying to match Fogo de Chão's white-tablecloth ambiance. They're bringing authentic Brazilian churrasco—prepared the traditional way, with patience and respect for the craft—to your event, your celebration, your gathering. In a market dominated by chain restaurants and standard catering options, that kind of focus and authenticity stands out. Davis County needed this. Hill Air Force Base needed this. And based on their 4.9-star rating and steady growth, it's clear that northern Utah has embraced what Jared's BBQ brings to the table. Or more accurately, what they bring to your table, wherever that happens to be. For more information about Jared's BBQ Brazilian Steak Experience: Website: jaredsbbq.com Location: 930 South 550 East, Clearfield, UT 84015 Delivery: Available through DoorDash and Uber Eats Catering Inquiries: Contact through their website for personalized quotes Whether you're planning a corporate event at Hill Air Force Base, a wedding reception in Davis County, or just want to experience authentic Brazilian churrasco without driving to Salt Lake City, Jared's BBQ has brought the gaucho tradition to Clearfield—and northern Utah's food scene is better for it.

Walk into Skillets on a Saturday morning and you'll notice something different right away. There's the usual brunch energy—the clatter of silverware, the smell of coffee brewing, friends laughing over loaded plates. But then you catch it: the rich, slightly tangy aroma of slow-cooked Venezuelan shredded beef simmering in sofrito, a scent that doesn't belong in your typical American breakfast spot. And that's exactly the point. This is Salt Lake City's only American-Venezuelan brunch restaurant, a place where breakfast burritos get stuffed with carne mechada instead of the usual suspects, where poutine comes topped with Venezuelan shredded beef and a smoky hollandaise, where Jorge Garcia-Kesler's family recipes from Venezuela collide beautifully with Will's American comfort food sensibilities. As one customer put it after her first visit: "The shredded steak is so flavorful and tender, and the green sauce made it just that much better. We loved it so much, we went back again on Sunday." From Food Truck Dreams to 900 South Reality Jorge and Will Garcia-Kesler got married at the beginning of 2020, right before the world turned upside down. While COVID disrupted everything, it also gave them time to dream. Will had always wanted to open a bakery. Jorge, with his Venezuelan heritage and kitchen experience, had dreamed of running a restaurant. When they realized a brick-and-mortar wasn't realistic during a pandemic, Jorge started researching food trucks. They spent months perfecting recipes in their home kitchen—testing different marinades for the carne mechada, calibrating the acidity in their now-famous green cilantro sauce, figuring out how to pack Venezuelan flavors into a handheld breakfast burrito that wouldn't fall apart. In May 2021, they finally launched Skillets as a food truck, parking primarily downtown and building a following one burrito at a time. The response was immediate. Their Venezuelan breakfast burrito—stuffed with slow-cooked shredded beef, black beans, scrambled eggs, cheese, pico de gallo, and crispy tater tots—started generating buzz. In 2024, it earned them a Best of Utah Award for Best Breakfast Burrito, finishing second only to the legendary Beto's. Not bad for a food truck that had been operating for just three years. By November 2024, demand had grown so much that Jorge and Will couldn't keep up. They opened their brick-and-mortar location at 282 E 900 South, in the heart of the Maven District, taking over the space that used to house Barrio. The food truck? Still operating for catering and events. But now they have a spacious restaurant with a huge outdoor patio, a full kitchen, and room to expand their menu into spectacle territory. What Makes Venezuelan Breakfast Different Here's something most people don't know about Venezuelan cuisine: it takes meat preparation seriously. Really seriously. The carne mechada that Jorge uses in his breakfast burrito isn't just seasoned beef—it's a technique passed down through Venezuelan families, a slow-cooking method that transforms tough cuts into tender, deeply flavored shreds. The beef gets marinated with a sofrito base of peppers, onions, tomatoes, and garlic, then slow-roasted until it practically falls apart. The result has what one Salt Lake City Weekly reviewer described as "a vibrant, slightly acidic seasoning profile, roasted to tender perfection." It's the kind of beef that provides a completely different flavor foundation than the typical breakfast sausage or bacon you'd find elsewhere. Jorge brings this authentic Venezuelan technique to every dish at Skillets. The Skillets Poutine layers rosemary home-fried potatoes with cheese curds, that signature carne mechada, finely chopped peppers and onions, a fried egg, and hollandaise with a smoky kick. One customer raved: "The Tater Tot Skillet is an absolute must-try! It's a delicious blend of Venezuelan shredded steak that's perfectly seasoned and tender, paired with crispy tater tots for a great texture contrast." And then there's that green sauce. Customers mention it in nearly every review—a cilantro garlic sauce that Jorge and Will spent "hours and hours perfecting." It's become such a signature that people specifically request extra containers to take home. The Tower for Two and the Art of Spectacle Brunch When Skillets moved into their brick-and-mortar space, Jorge and Will took advantage of the expanded kitchen to create dishes that simply weren't possible in a food truck. The crown jewel? The Tower for Two—a triple-stacked breakfast structure that costs $35-39 and requires pulling up an extra table just to fit it all. Here's what you get: The bottom tier holds all your savory breakfast essentials—eggs cooked to order, crispy bacon, breakfast sausage, and perfectly seasoned home fries. The middle tier showcases sourdough toast with three flavors of house-made cream cheese (the basil one gets particularly high praise from customers). The top tier features waffle fondue with three dipping sauces: dulce de leche, pistachio cheesecake, and chocolate. "We got the 'Tower for Two' which is this amazing breakfast tower," wrote one TikTok food blogger after visiting. "It was seriously SO delicious & such a fun unique presentation! We also got the classic breakfast burrito (this is an absolute MUST - I'm SO serious don't skip it)." The restaurant has also earned a 2025 Best of Utah nomination specifically for the Tower for Two, cementing its status as one of Salt Lake City's most Instagram-worthy brunch dishes. But here's what matters more than the photos: it's actually a thoughtful sampler of everything Skillets does well, from their Venezuelan-influenced savory items to Will's sweet side expertise. Other spectacle dishes include the French Toast Flight ($19)—three different preparations including a Nutella-stuffed version, a Cinnamon Crunch topped with cereal, and the Lemon Mallow, all served together. As one SLUG Magazine reviewer noted: "The menu includes three types of French toast, but you can also get the French toast flight that gives you one of each." What Customers Keep Coming Back For The breakfast burrito remains the heart of the Skillets experience, even with an expanded menu. "This is an absolute MUST - I'm SO serious don't skip it," one customer emphasized in her review. Another couple shared: "We loved it so much, we went back again on Sunday." The Venezuelan Bowl showcases Jorge's heritage more directly—carne mechada over rice with black beans, topped with that green sauce and a fried egg. Multiple customers have called it "really good" and specifically praised how the Venezuelan shredded beef stands out from anything else available in Salt Lake City. For those wanting to try the fusion concept, the Corned Beef Poutine offers a middle ground—taking the Canadian-inspired dish and giving it a Venezuelan twist with layers of flavor. "A unique and flavorful dish slathered in the tastiest hollandaise sauce," according to one reviewer. The French toast options consistently impress too. The stuffed version comes loaded with Nutella, while creative variations keep the menu fresh. One customer who tried several dishes concluded: "Arguably the best French toast I've ever had—perfectly balanced, fluffy, and rich without being overwhelming." The 900 South Brunch Boom Skillets opened at a perfect moment for Salt Lake City's food scene. The Maven District along 900 South has been transforming into a restaurant row, with Skillets joining a cluster of new breakfast and brunch spots. Just one block away, Atomic Biscuit opened in December 2024, bringing Southern-style biscuits to the neighborhood. But Skillets occupies a unique position. As Salt Lake City Weekly observed: "On the spectrum of local brunch spots, Skillets manages to hit all the right bases regardless of what you're looking for. It's great for those after Instagram likes and spectacle, but you're also not beholden to that vibe if you just want to have a nice, colorful breakfast served by a friendly staff." The location itself has become part of the draw. The spacious outdoor patio catches morning sun and has reviewers already predicting it'll be "the place to be on those sunny weekend mornings." The interior features cozy decor with cheerful pops of yellow, creating what multiple customers describe as a welcoming, almost visiting-a-friend's-house-for-brunch kind of atmosphere. Service consistently gets mentioned in reviews too. Servers like Ciara, Sierra, and Jazmin earn praise by name for making customers feel at home and offering solid menu recommendations. Owner Will frequently stops by tables to check in, share the restaurant's story, and thank guests—something several reviewers specifically appreciated. Planning Your Visit to Skillets Address: 282 E 900 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 Hours: Monday-Friday: 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM Saturday-Sunday: 7:00 AM - 3:00 PMeatskillets Instagram: @eatskillets Website: eatskilletsut.com What to Order: First-timers: Start with the Venezuelan Breakfast Burrito—it's what built their reputation and won them awards. Ask for extra green sauce. Groups: The Tower for Two provides the best overview of their menu and easily feeds 2-3 people. Venezuelan curious: Try the Skillets Poutine or Venezuelan Bowl to taste the authentic carne mechada preparation. Sweet tooth: The French Toast Flight lets you sample three variations at once. Good to Know: The restaurant gets busy on weekend mornings. One reviewer mentioned an hour-long quoted wait that ended up being 25 minutes, so the turnover is faster than expected. They still operate their food truck for catering—perfect for weddings, corporate events, or private gatherings. Parking can be found on the street along 900 South or in nearby lots. The patio is first-come, first-served and absolutely worth requesting during nice weather. Coffee flows freely—multiple customers praised the bottomless cups and attentive refills. Salt Lake City's Venezuelan breakfast scene was practically nonexistent before Skillets arrived. Now, Jorge and Will Garcia-Kesler have created the city's only spot where you can taste authentic carne mechada alongside American brunch classics, where family recipes from Venezuela get plated next to Instagram-worthy towers of waffles and French toast. The Best of Utah Award for their breakfast burrito wasn't an accident. The 2025 nomination for the Tower for Two isn't either. This is what happens when two people who genuinely love food take the time to perfect their recipes, respect their cultural roots, and build something that doesn't exist anywhere else in the state. Whether you're a brunch regular looking for something different or you've never tried Venezuelan food, Skillets offers a rare thing in Salt Lake City's restaurant scene: genuine fusion that honors both sides of its hyphen, executed by owners who spent years perfecting their craft in a food truck before opening their doors on 900 South.

The best farm to table restaurant in Provo sits in an unassuming building on University Avenue, where Erika Orndorff spent seven years turning a simple belief into reality: feeding people beautiful food changes everything. When BLOCK Restaurant opened in December 2017, Provo wasn't exactly known for culinary creativity. But walk through those doors today and you'll find cooks singing along to the overhead music in an open kitchen, fresh flowers lining the dining room, and a menu that reads like a love letter to Utah's farms. One recent OpenTable reviewer described it perfectly: "It is always a great experience when I go to BLOCK! Food is very delicious always!!!" The Mother Who Built a Restaurant Around Connection Erika Orndorff didn't set out to revolutionize Provo dining—she just loved feeding people. As a mother of four young children, she and her husband Jason turned their home entertaining passion into something bigger. "We're just trying to bring beautiful food and a good, accepting atmosphere to Provo," Orndorff explained in a 2018 interview. "We're a place where you can have a really good meal and a really good conversation and just connect." That philosophy of connection runs deep at this Provo farm to table restaurant. Orndorff physically visits every farm BLOCK sources from, walking the fields where Snuck Farm grows their arugula in Pleasant Grove, checking in with Clifford Family Farm's animals in Provo, building trust over time. "You are supporting the people who are putting their life and soul and blood, sweat and tears into their ideals, their passion, their farming," she said. She teaches her kids the same lesson: don't waste food because someone put their entire energy into growing it. In 2025, BLOCK transitioned to new ownership, with the restaurant honoring Orndorff's incredible legacy. The website now reads: "We want to take a moment to say farewell and thank you to Erika—an incredible leader whose vision, dedication, and heart built the foundation of what BLOCK and Next Door are today." What Makes BLOCK's American Fusion Worth the Drive The seasonal menu at this Utah County farm to table restaurant changes based on what local farmers bring through the door. A farmer shows up with rainbow carrots? The kitchen makes seven different preparations—carrot chips, pickled carrots, carrot puree, raw crudité. "They're so beautiful that you can do anything," Orndorff explained about embracing the creative challenge of seasonal cooking. Start with the crispy pork belly from Clifford Family Farm. Multiple reviewers call it "off the chain," served with Brussels sprouts, sunchoke puree, and pomegranate molasses. One Tripadvisor reviewer raved: "The flavors on our pork belly appetizer, the light and airy sweet potato fries, the short ribs and gnocchi, and the guava dessert were heavenly. It made me as happy as good sushi does." The rainbow trout from Spring Lake Trout Farm in Payson consistently appears in customer favorites. It arrives with roasted cauliflower, cauliflower puree, dill and herb emulsion, and a striking squid ink cracker. "I want to eat it every night!" wrote one enthusiastic reviewer. Another noted: "The salmon was cooked beautifully and loved the crunch of the rice cake. Thinking of the meal makes my mouth water right now." The BLOCK Burger deserves its own paragraph. Antonella's Artisan Bread Cafe supplies the glistening brioche bun. Inside: a juicy local beef patty, pan-fried sunny-side-up Clifford Farm egg, Heber Valley smoked cheddar, and house-made Dijon mustard. Utah Stories food writer Ted Scheffler declared it "one of the best burgers I've gotten my lips around in quite some time." Don't sleep on the seasonal salads either. The kale Caesar made with Snuck Farm kale and roasted jalapeño dressing, or the roasted beet salad with goat cheese mousse and arugula pesto showcase how this American fusion restaurant elevates simple ingredients. As one reviewer noted: "The blistered cherry tomatoes and the little Manchego balls in the salad were over the top." For dessert, the panna cotta variations—whether strawberry, caramel popcorn, or chocolate potted cream—consistently earn praise. One guest called it "the highlight of the meal." Farm to Table Provo: Building a Community Through Food BLOCK's farm to table philosophy extends beyond buzzwords into genuine relationships with Utah producers. The restaurant partners with Spring Lake Trout Farms in Payson for rainbow trout, Clifford Family Farms for pork and eggs, Future Fresh Farms for hydroponic produce, and MushBetter Mushrooms for locally grown varieties. Snuck Farm in Pleasant Grove supplies mixed greens and arugula. Slide Ridge provides honey. Heber Valley Cheese makes the smoked cheddar. This commitment to local sourcing does mean higher menu prices—a challenge Orndorff acknowledged openly. "Because of that care and that attention farmers give, you get a really good quality product, but with the quality comes a price because you're paying for somebody to physically be there with the animals or at the farms," she explained. "You're not supporting just this restaurant, you're supporting all these small ranchers." Customers seem to get it. While some reviews mention the $31-50 price range, they consistently note the quality justifies the cost. "Totally underrated," wrote one regular. "If you want a really good meal and are willing to wait and dine slowly this is a great place. The food is top quality." The restaurant's design reinforces the community vibe—contemporary warmth with reclaimed woods, concrete floors, and eclectic artwork (including paintings where people's faces are replaced with floral bouquets). Fresh flowers line one wall. The open kitchen lets you watch enthusiastic cooks work. The bar serves local spirits from Beehive Gin, High West Distillery, and Sugar House Distillery. It's hip without being pretentious, elevated without being stuffy. One reviewer captured the server expertise perfectly: "Our server was Kai, and we were continuously impressed by him throughout the evening. Not only did I value his opinion in selecting my dinner options, but I loved that he could answer every random question one of us decided to ask him as he approached our table!" Planning Your Visit to BLOCK Restaurant Address: 3330 N University Avenue, Provo, Utah 84604 Phone: (801) 885-7558 Hours: Monday: Closed Tuesday-Thursday: 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM (Dinner) Friday: 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM (Dinner) Saturday: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Brunch), 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM (Dinner) Sunday: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Brunch) What to Order: The pork belly appetizer is non-negotiable. For mains, go with whatever fish is fresh (usually the trout or salmon), or the BLOCK Burger if you're craving comfort done right. The gnocchi with braised short ribs consistently appears in rave reviews. Save room for panna cotta. Pro Tips: Make a reservation—this place gets packed, especially Friday and Saturday nights. The brunch service on weekends showcases different menu items. The full bar is a rarity in Provo, making BLOCK a destination for craft cocktails alongside dinner. Instagram: Follow along for seasonal menu updates. When Erika Orndorff said BLOCK is "your neighborhood, your community—it's your block," she wasn't just talking about a restaurant concept. She was describing what happens when you build something around the belief that feeding people beautiful food, sourced from people who care, changes how we connect. That seven-year foundation still stands strong, making BLOCK the farm to table restaurant Provo needed—and the community gathering place Utah County deserves.

There's a moment that happens at Cucina Wine Bar, usually about halfway through your second wine flight, when you realize you've stumbled onto something Salt Lake City has been keeping to itself. The dining room on 2nd Avenue in the Avenues neighborhood is small enough that Dean Pierose—the owner, sommelier, and self-described "wine oracle"—might personally deliver your crab cakes while explaining why that Loire Valley Chenin Blanc pairs so perfectly with the chipotle aioli. The octopus carbonara arrives looking like abstract art on squid ink linguine, and you understand why locals have been calling this place their secret for nearly three decades. "Five stars aren't enough," one guest wrote on Facebook after a spa day turned dinner reservation. "From the generous wine selection to show stopping tapas, mains and desserts, their unique menu is the perfect combination of comfort meets adventure." From Boise to the Avenues: Dean Pierose's 20-Year Wine Journey Dean Pierose didn't set out to become one of Salt Lake City's most respected wine curators when he moved to Utah from Boise, Idaho in 1991. He discovered his passion for the restaurant industry while working as manager at Cucina—then a gourmet deli and market opened by business partners Marguerite Marceau Henderson and Eileen McPartland in 1995. When the partners started looking for a successor in 2001, they chose Pierose, the manager who'd spent years studying their operation while teaching himself wine through "thoughtful research and travel." "I think they thought I would make a nice fit," Pierose told the Deseret News in a 2005 interview. "I hope I have." That humble assessment undersells what Pierose has built over two decades. What started as an upscale delicatessen has evolved into what Salt Lake Magazine calls an "Avenues neighborhood gem"—a dual-concept restaurant that serves gourmet deli sandwiches and salads from 7am-5pm, then transforms into an intimate wine bar and New American restaurant for dinner service after 5pm. The evolution came gradually. Pierose built an underground, temperature-controlled wine cellar to properly store his growing collection. He studied wine service temperatures—"you'll notice the wines are served at ideal temperatures," food critic Ted Scheffler notes, "rare even for high-end restaurants in Utah." He cultivated relationships with winemakers and distributors, building a list that now features 80+ wines available by the glass through an Argon gas preservation system that keeps open bottles fresh. His philosophy? "Extensive, but not pretentious." Most bottles at Cucina range from $50-70, with only a handful priced above $100. The wine list includes rarities you won't find at other Salt Lake City restaurants—Manoir du Capucin Chardonnay from Macon, Domaine Schlumberger Pinot Blanc, Halter Ranch Grenache Blanc from Paso Robles—all available by both the glass and bottle. "If I'm being honest, I think that the food and wine at Cucina is underpriced," writes Ted Scheffler, a food and wine writer who's been covering Utah's restaurant scene for 30 years. "But shhhhh... don't tell anyone. Let's just keep this between us." The Wine Bar Salt Lake City Experience: 80+ Wines and Four Flight Options Walking into Cucina for dinner feels like discovering your neighborhood's best-kept secret, which is exactly what it is for Avenues residents. The dining room at 1026 E 2nd Ave is intimate without feeling cramped, with a display case near the entrance filled with corks from bottles Dean has poured over the years—a collection that's grown from a couple dozen to nearly full. The wine program is what sets Cucina apart in Salt Lake City's wine bar scene. Four wine flights are available Sunday through Thursday for $15 each—three 2-ounce pours carefully curated by Pierose and his team: All White Flight: Showcasing aromatic and complex white wines All Red Flight: Bold selections from around the globe French Flight: A tour through France's wine regions Old World Flight: European classics with history and depth "Better yet, go with the flight and get a tasting of 3 top choices from Dean and the team," reads the Cucina website, "and all the hard work has been done for you. The only thing left is to sip some wine." For guests who want to bring their own special bottle, Cucina charges just $15 for corkage—one of the most affordable rates in the city for a fine dining establishment. Share plates are provided at each table, encouraging the communal dining experience that makes small plates restaurants in Salt Lake City perfect for groups and date nights alike. The wine dinners Pierose hosts sell out almost immediately after they're announced. The "Pigs 'n' Pinot" dinner featured perfectly paired wines with dishes like prosciutto and cured pork loin with cantaloupe. The Valentine's Day four-day tasting tradition has become legendary among regulars, with six-course menus designed specifically for wine pairing. "We have even been voted one of the best wine bars in Salt Lake City by Salt Plate City," Pierose notes. "It helps our cred when others tell us we know how to pick out good wine for our guests." New American Small Plates: Creative Cuisine in the Avenues Cucina's dinner menu under Executive Chef Bret Guild (who took over from longtime chef Joey Ferran in 2025) continues the restaurant's tradition of creative New American cuisine with global influences. The small plates format encourages sharing and exploration—order 2-3 dishes per person and pass plates family-style. The Crab Cakes ($21) are Dean Pierose's personal favorite menu item, and customers consistently rave about them. "Crab cakes were fantastic," wrote one Tripadvisor reviewer who had trouble choosing from the extensive menu. "Sesame ahi tuna was creative and tasty. Bison strip loin cooked perfectly." The cakes arrive with chipotle aioli, cilantro paint, cucumber slaw, and scallion—a presentation that's both beautiful and intensely flavorful. The Octopus Carbonara has achieved near-legendary status among Cucina regulars. "The octopus gnocchi is pitch perfect in texture," one reviewer writes. The dish features tender octopus on squid ink linguine with guanciale (cured pork jowl) and pecorino romano—a play on traditional carbonara that brings Mediterranean technique to Italian comfort food. Lion's Mane Mushroom preparations showcase seasonal ingredients and creative techniques. The current version celebrates shiitake mushrooms three ways alongside baby bok choy, radish, and yakiniku glaze. "We especially enjoyed the gnocchi with calamari and the mushroom small plates," one OpenTable reviewer noted. The Sesame Ahi Steak ($30) consistently appears in customer reviews as a standout. Food critic Ted Scheffler calls it "exceptional: sesame seed-coated sushi grade ahi lightly kissed by heat, with hot & sour cabbage, kaffir lime rice cake, green garlic oil and scrumptious sambal-coconut cream." During former chef Joey Ferran's tenure (2016-2025), Cucina became known for boundary-pushing ingredients—cricket-infused crostini, blue cheese ice cream, black ant crème fraîche with osso bucco. Ferran trained for nearly a decade under Log Haven's Executive Chef Dave Jones before joining Cucina, bringing techniques like red mole preparations and Southwestern flavor profiles that still influence the menu today. "The dishes that come out the kitchen are not only superbly executed but the plates are exquisitely composed," writes one Yelp reviewer. "Dinners are meant to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace so make sure the server picks up on the cues for what consistently is one of SLC's most satisfying dining experiences." Avenues Neighborhood Dining: A Community Gathering Place Cucina's location in the Avenues—a historic residential neighborhood northeast of downtown Salt Lake City—is essential to its identity. This isn't a destination restaurant trying to impress tourists. It's a neighborhood pillar where residents gather for morning coffee, grab lunch sandwiches to go, and celebrate anniversaries over wine flights and small plates. "Katie is a fabulous server! This is a neighborhood gem. So cozy and inviting," one OpenTable reviewer wrote. Another called it "the best restaurant you've never heard of." During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dean Pierose responded with what Salt Lake Magazine calls his "signature manic energy." He expanded outdoor dining spaces, pivoted to curbside delivery, and did something that defined Cucina's community role: he offered free coffee in the mornings and encouraged Avenues residents to linger and commiserate together safely. The outdoor spaces became a place where the neighborhood could gather during isolation. "Pierose's outdoor spaces became a place where the neighborhood could gather safely," the magazine noted. "He offered free coffee in the mornings and encouraged his regulars to linger and commiserate together, preserving a semblance of society during a socially distanced time." The Avenues location gives Cucina a residential charm you won't find in downtown Salt Lake City wine bars. The dog-friendly patio is perfect for leisurely lunches away from downtown traffic. Parking is available in a small lot west of the building or on the street—easy access compared to downtown's parking challenges. University of Utah is nearby, making Cucina a popular spot for visiting parents and faculty gatherings. Memory Grove and the Capitol building are short drives away. The neighborhood's walkability means locals can stroll to dinner without worrying about driving home after wine flights. "We were in town for one night near the university and found this marvelous Cucina restaurant for dinner," a Tripadvisor reviewer from out of town wrote. "It was hard to select from the delicious menu." Planning Your Visit to Cucina Wine Bar Address & Hours: 1026 E 2nd Ave, Salt Lake City, UT 84103 Phone: (801) 322-3055 Deli Hours (Breakfast/Lunch): Monday-Friday: 7am-5pm Saturday-Sunday: 8am-5pm Dinner Service: Monday-Thursday: 5pm-9pm Friday-Saturday: 5pm-10pm Sunday: 5pm-9pm What to Order: Start with a wine flight ($15 for three 2oz pours) to explore Dean's selections. For food, regulars recommend the crab cakes, octopus carbonara, and sesame ahi steak. Order 2-3 small plates per person if sharing family-style, or choose an entrée like the chicken confit or bison strip loin. Reservations: While not required, reservations are recommended, especially for weekend dinners and special wine dinner events. Book through their website at cucinawinebar.com or call directly. Special Events: Watch for Cucina's wine dinner announcements—they sell out quickly. The Valentine's Day four-day tasting menu tradition is particularly popular, with limited seating across February 11-14. What Makes It Special: This is fine dining without pretension. Dress code is casual, service is knowledgeable but approachable, and the focus stays on great wine, creative food, and genuine hospitality. Dean Pierose still works the dining room most nights, sharing wine recommendations and connecting with both regulars and first-timers. For over 20 years, Cucina Wine Bar has been quietly building something rare in Salt Lake City's dining scene—a neighborhood restaurant that's simultaneously approachable and exceptional, casual and creative, affordable and award-winning. Dean Pierose's wine expertise, combined with the Avenues' residential charm and a menu that celebrates seasonal ingredients with global techniques, creates an experience that rewards return visits. "Our group of 8 for dinner last night agreed—5 is not a high enough rating for this outstanding establishment," wrote one Yelp reviewer. "When food is both delicious and beautiful like art, paired with phenomenal service and delicious wine, whatdayahave? A FANTASTIC place!" What they have is exactly what Pierose set out to create two decades ago: that "wow" feeling the moment you walk in the door, sustained throughout a leisurely dinner of wine flights and small plates, in a neighborhood gem that feels like discovering Salt Lake City's best-kept secret. Instagram: @cucinaslc Website: cucinawinebar.com

There's something deeply subversive about a basement wine bar thriving in a city once known more for its liquor laws than its liquor selection. Step down into BTG Wine Bar beneath downtown Salt Lake City's historic Eagles Building, and you're entering a space that shouldn't really exist here—which is exactly why it's become essential to the city's dining scene. The subdued lighting catches on wine glass chandeliers, casting amber shadows across dark wood banquettes where guests lean in over flights of three two-ounce pours, tracing their fingers along tasting notes. A couple at the bar debates the merits of Oregon Pinot versus Burgundy while sommelier Louis Koppel—a walking encyclopedia of wine knowledge—explains why the minerality they're detecting comes from volcanic soil. "I wish we had a place like this in my city," one visitor from Montreal wrote after discovering BTG during a convention week. "Very surprised that my perfect wine bar turned up to be in 'restrictive' Salt Lake City." How Fred Moesinger Built Utah's Wine Education Movement Owner Fred Moesinger didn't set out to revolutionize Salt Lake's wine scene when he opened BTG Wine Bar in 2013. He just wanted somewhere he and his wife Aimee Sterling could relax with a proper glass of wine. But Moesinger—who'd been working at Caffé Molise since helping construct the original restaurant in the 1990s and officially taking ownership in 2003—understood something crucial: wine intimidated people. The mysterious language of tannins and terroir, the unspoken rules about what to order, the fear of looking foolish in front of a sommelier. So when he opened BTG (By The Glass) just two doors down from Caffé Molise, he built it specifically as Utah's first genuine wine bar—a place where novices and wine snobs alike could explore without judgment. The concept proved prescient. By 2018, both Caffé Molise and BTG needed more space, and Moesinger found it in the 1915 Eagles Building at 404 S West Temple. The Neo-Renaissance structure—designed by Swedish immigrant Nils Edward Liljenberg with its grand staircase, arched windows, and Egyptian-style pillars—had housed the Fraternal Order of Eagles until the Depression, then served as everything from an American Legion post to The Bay nightclub. Moesinger and Sterling spent over a million dollars on renovations, carefully preserving the building's historic character while creating 15,000 square feet of restaurant and wine bar space. BTG settled into the basement level, where the old Eagles boxing ring once stood, and that speakeasy feeling—the sense of discovering your own secret hideaway—became part of the bar's DNA. Today, BTG stands as a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence recipient celebrating 12 years of operation, with a wine program that's earned recognition despite operating in what many still call one of America's most challenging liquor law environments. But that's precisely the point, Moesinger says: "We are advocates for the responsible appreciation and consumption of wine." The Wine Flight Experience That's Changing How Salt Lake Drinks Walk into BTG any evening after 5pm (it's 21+ only), and you'll find Louis Koppel either at the bar, moving between tables, or leading an impromptu wine education session. The sommelier—who previously helped build Spencer's Steakhouse's extensive wine cellar—maintains BTG's 75+ wines by the glass alongside manager Jesse Garrett, constantly rotating selections based on customer feedback, national press, and what they can navigate through Utah's state availability system. The argon gas preservation system means every pour, whether it's your first glass from a bottle or the fiftieth, tastes as fresh as opening day. The wine flights are where BTG truly shines. Nearly 30 different flights populate the menu—"Bubbles," "Think Pink," "A Glance at France," "Mixed Tape," "Malbec Around the World"—each featuring three two-ounce pours carefully selected to teach your palate something new. One regular customer describes stumbling out with notes on "wines we really liked, the ones that we thought were good and a couple that were OK, but we likely wouldn't order again" after working through multiple flights in one evening. "We had a great time getting the download on dozens of wines, all of which he knew intimately," another guest wrote after an eight-year patronage culminated in discovering Koppel's sommelier expertise. "He was able to recommend a couple of flights mixing wines from all over the world into a superb tasting experience." The brilliance of BTG's approach is that wine comes in three pour sizes—2 ounces, 5 ounces, or full bottles—starting as low as four dollars for a 2-ounce taste of Portuguese Vinho Verde and ranging up to $200-per-bottle splurges like Domaine Levet Cote Rotie. "This allows people to compare and contrast, and see what they like," Moesinger explains. "See if they can pick out the differences between a cabernet sauvignon from California or a cabernet sauvignon from Washington, and to see which ones they like. Guests also enjoy trying to tell the difference between a $100 bottle and a $20 bottle." But the food separates BTG from standard wine bars. Sure, you can stick to the bar bites menu—and should, because those eggplant meatballs are legendary. Vegetarian "meatballs" in a shallot tomato-cream sauce that one food writer swears are among the best meatballs he's ever had, eggplant or not. The butternut squash ravioli gets consistent raves: "Best ever!" according to one visitor, while another calls it simply "amazing," praising the handmade pasta tossed in garlic-brown butter sauce with balsamic reduction and Asiago. "Order the Butternut Squash Ravioli—you won't regret it," advises a Valentine's Day regular. The real insider knowledge? BTG guests can order the full Caffé Molise menu until 10pm. That means access to the Pollo Marsala with wild mushrooms in Marsala wine-cream sauce, the Pappardelle al Sugo with its slowly-simmered beef and pork ragu, and any of the other Northern Italian specialties that have kept Caffé Molise a Salt Lake fixture for over 30 years. The synergy between the two establishments—Fred's culinary expertise combined with wine knowledge that matches Louis Koppel's expertise—creates what one reviewer called "a bar that is more than a bar." Downtown Salt Lake City's Wine Education Hub BTG's location in the historic Eagles Building positions it perfectly for downtown Salt Lake's diverse traffic. Two blocks from the Salt Palace Convention Center, one block from the Courthouse TRAX stop, walking distance from City Creek Center and multiple downtown hotels—it catches business travelers, convention attendees, date night couples, and locals celebrating everything from birthdays to anniversaries. The outdoor patio (a recent addition that Salt Lake summers demand) fills with guests sipping rosé while a jazz band plays, and the private banquet room on the building's upper floor hosts wine dinners where winemakers from places like Longoria Wines, Badia a Coltibuono, and other international estates share their craft with Utah wine enthusiasts. These regular wine dinner events—typically four courses with four wine pairings for around $120 per person—represent Moesinger and Koppel's commitment to wine education. At a recent dinner featuring natural wines from four countries, sommelier Louis Koppel walked guests through pink, white, orange, and red selections while chef Earl Moesinger (Fred's brother) created dishes specifically to pair with each wine's characteristics. It's this hands-on approach that gave rise to BTG in the first place, and it's what keeps the bar's regulars coming back. "The staff at BTG Wine Bar is very well versed in the cuisine at Caffé Molise," Moesinger notes. "Conversely, the staff at the restaurant is very comfortable with the wines available at BTG Wine Bar." The community connection extends beyond wine education into partnerships with local producers. The Caffé Molise Rosso—an exclusive blend of mostly Zinfandel with Syrah and a field blend splash—is produced specifically for the restaurant and bar. Creminelli Fine Meats supplies the cured meats for cheese boards. The approach mirrors the broader philosophy: celebrate what Utah offers while educating palates about what the wider world of wine can bring. Planning Your Visit to BTG Wine Bar BTG Wine Bar is located at 404 S West Temple in downtown Salt Lake City, beneath Caffé Molise in the historic Eagles Building. The entrance is on 400 South just west of West Temple, marked by the original 1915 antique awning. The space opens daily at 5pm (last call varies: Sunday-Thursday until 10pm, Friday-Saturday until midnight). Reservations are strongly recommended—this intimate basement space fills quickly, especially on weekends. For first-timers, start with a wine flight. If you're unsure which one, flag down Louis Koppel or ask your server—the entire team knows the list intimately and takes genuine pleasure in helping guests discover new favorites. Don't skip the eggplant meatballs or butternut ravioli, but also know you have access to the full Caffé Molise menu. Parking is available on-street in front of the bar or in paid lots east and south of the building. The Courthouse TRAX stop is one block east. Expect to spend around $50-75 per person for a couple of flights and shared appetizers, more if you're diving into full entrees or splurging on reserve list bottles. The vibe is dim, relaxed, mellow—date night perfect but also ideal for groups of friends who want to linger over wine and conversation. "Super romantic too," one regular notes, while another calls it ideal for "girlfriends gathering" or "business meeting" depending on the occasion. One crucial detail: You must be 21 or older just to enter. BTG is a bar first, and Utah law doesn't allow minors even with parents present. Why BTG Wine Bar Matters to Utah's Food Scene Twelve years into its run, BTG Wine Bar has become more than downtown Salt Lake's go-to wine spot—it's become proof that sophisticated wine culture can thrive even in markets with challenging regulations. The Wine Spectator Award validates what locals already knew: this is the real thing, a wine program that could hold its own in San Francisco or New York, executed with genuine hospitality and education-first philosophy. "Amazed, that it is in a rather 'restrictive' city like SLC," one visitor wrote. "Visited three times in one week." That's the ultimate compliment—not just that BTG exists, but that it's worth returning to repeatedly, worth telling people about, worth celebrating as evidence that Salt Lake City's food and wine scene has fully arrived. Fred Moesinger and Aimee Sterling bet on that arrival back in 2013, and with Louis Koppel's wine knowledge and a historic building that's seen boxing matches, fraternal gatherings, dance clubs, and now wine education, they've created something that feels both timeless and urgently contemporary. A basement speakeasy where the secret being kept isn't that you're drinking, but that you're learning—about wine, about food, about what makes a place worth gathering in even after you've had too many flights to count.

The slice lands on your paper plate with that satisfying weight that tells you everything you need to know. The thin crust has those little charred bubbles along the edge, the kind that only come from a properly hot oven and dough that's been treated right. You fold it lengthwise—the New York way—and the tip doesn't immediately collapse into a greasy disaster. At Lucky Slice Pizza in Ogden, this is what happens when three guys who came for Utah's powder decided to stay for the pizza. "This is the best Pizza I have found in Utah since moving here 40 years ago," one customer wrote after visiting the original 25th Street location. That's not hyperbole when you're talking about authentic New York-style pizza by the slice in a state that historically leaned toward different pizza philosophies. From Ski Bums to Pizza Barons: The Lucky Slice Origin Story Here's how it actually went down: Nick VanArsdell and Mike McDonald rolled into Ogden in 2006 chasing Utah's legendary powder. They weren't the first out-of-staters drawn by the promise of four million annual skiers descending on the Wasatch mountains, and they wouldn't be the last. But unlike most seasonal visitors, they looked around historic 25th Street and saw something beyond the ski lifts. They partnered with William Shafer—a Utah native and culinary talent who actually knew what he was doing in a kitchen—and in 2012, Lucky Slice Pizza opened its doors in a historic building on the corner of Lincoln and 25th. The original plan? "Ski by day and work by night," VanArsdell has said. That dream lasted about as long as it takes to proof pizza dough. Turns out when you're making all your dough and sauces from scratch, shredding your own cheese, and hand-tossing every single pie using actual technique instead of processed ingredients and machines, people notice. The counter-service concept—pizza by the slice with late-night hours catering to "the hungry lunch crowd, random passers-by, and of course the late-night drunkards from the Ogden bars"—filled a gap in Northern Utah's dining scene that nobody realized existed until Lucky Slice opened. "Pizza by-the-slice was our bread and butter," the founders wrote on their website, and that's still true at their three locations in Ogden, Logan, and Clearfield. They've graduated from that original "hole in the wall" to a growing Northern Utah institution, but the philosophy hasn't changed: "Pizza 'til Death." When they first started saying it, they admit they didn't really know what it meant. "It just sounded cool." Now it's their battle cry. The New York-Style Pizza Experience: Why the Slice Matters Walking into Lucky Slice's Ogden flagship feels like stumbling into a pizza parlor that somehow teleported from Brooklyn to the Wasatch Front. The open kitchen lets you watch pies get assembled and slid into the oven. Arcade cabinets line the walls—a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game sits prominently, because of course it does. Movie posters reimagined with pizza themes hang alongside the Lucky Strike-inspired logo that winks at you from every corner. But it's the counter display that matters. The slices sitting there are genuine New York-style: thin crust, foldable, each one a proper sixth of an 18-inch hand-tossed pie. "New York pizza is thin, crisp crust with enough sauce to accent the flavor of fresh Mozzarella cheese," one transplant wrote in their review. "The Lucky Slice knocks this one out of the park. They must bake on stones to get the crisp crust and when I took the first bite... wow, I was back in the North East." A former New Yorker and Bostonian echoed that sentiment: "Pizza is one of my most covered carbs and comfort food," noting the distinct preparation method that gives Lucky Slice's crust that lighter crisp despite the thin profile. The menu splits between classics and what McDonald calls their "unorthodox choices." The Carnivore loads up red sauce and mozzarella with pepperoni, Canadian bacon, sausage, and 'Merican bacon—a meat lover's dream that's consistently among their best-sellers. The Lucky 7 piles on sausage, Canadian bacon, pepperoni, green peppers, white onions, black olives, and mushrooms for those who want the full supreme experience. But it's the original creations that earn cult followings. The Dub All-Star features a creamy pesto base with mozzarella, roasted chicken, spinach, tomatoes, and caramelized onions, finished with a barbecue drizzle. "It was originally served only on Sunday nights," according to Lucky Slice's history, "but after many customer requests, they added it to their daily pizza selection." Then there's the Danimal—three types of cheese with red onion, fresh tomato, a balsamic reduction, and lemon wedges. "The Danimal is the best vegetarian pizza around, hands down," one customer insisted. "I have served it to my meat eating friends, and they have all loved it. You won't miss the meat." Another called it simply: "Best gf pizza ever!! The danimal is my fav!" The Marghie (short for Margherita Supreme) elevates the classic with red sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, tomato, roasted red pepper, basil, and a balsamic drizzle. One review noted: "The Marghareta and Danimal were both among the best thin-crust pizza I have experienced." Northern Utah's Slice Culture: Why Lucky Slice Works McDonald has a theory about why pizza matters, especially pizza by the slice. Reflecting on the diverse crowd at the Ogden location, he's watched mom-and-daughter lunch dates sit next to attorneys, police officers, and punk-rock kids. "I always just loved that, because that's pizza," he told a local reporter. "It's for everyone and whatever you're into on your pizza, we kind of fill that role." That democratic approach extends to the menu. They offer gluten-free crusts and vegan cheese. Rotating monthly specials keep things interesting—recent offerings included the Uncle Rico (inspired by Napoleon Dynamite, featuring garlic cream sauce, ground beef, tater tots, pickles, and a ketchup drizzle) and creative combinations like pickle pizza and chicken and waffles pizza. "We take our craft serious but we don't take ourselves too serious," McDonald explained when asked about the unconventional toppings. It's that balance that makes Lucky Slice work—technique and quality without pretension. The late-night hours (until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays at the Ogden location) cement their role in the local nightlife scene. "It's awesome that they are open so late," one reviewer wrote after a night out. "The pizza is NY thin style crust and when you fold it in half its still nice and crispy. You have to get a Rice Krispy treat!!" Those rice crispy treats—made with rice crispies, marshmallow, and butter "just like mom used to make"—show up repeatedly in customer praise, along with the zeppoles (fried pizza dough tossed in cinnamon-sugar and served with caramel sauce) and the cauli-buds (hand-breaded cauliflower chunks). The craft beer selection rounds out the experience. Lucky Slice maintains rotating taps featuring both Utah craft breweries and domestic options, leaning into that dive bar pizza culture that's rare in increasingly polished restaurant landscapes. Building Community One Slice at a Time Lucky Slice's commitment to Northern Utah extends beyond pizza. They've partnered with local artist Lucas Beaufort on multiple mural projects, hosting "live, immersive paint experiences" where community members help create artwork for their locations. The team regularly participates in local events, especially in arts and entertainment. Their expansion strategy has been deliberate. After establishing the Ogden flagship, they opened locations in Clearfield and Logan, plus a seasonal spot at Powder Mountain's Timberline Lodge that serves skiers. In 2023, the ownership group purchased The White Owl bar on Logan's Center Street, expanding their footprint in Cache Valley. When their Logan location moved to Center Street to be closer to other pizzerias, McDonald's response embodied their community-first approach: "We're a community and we want to support each other. There's an old business theory about bookstores and how much better they performed when they were in close proximity together… I feel like that's what it's going to be like on Center Street." During COVID-19's restaurant shutdowns, when their business dropped to 45-50 percent and they had to furlough staff, VanArsdell called it "like losing part of our family." They fought to keep all locations open, protecting jobs and maintaining that community presence that makes Lucky Slice more than just a pizza joint. Planning Your Visit to Lucky Slice Pizza The original Ogden location sits at 207 25th Street in the heart of historic downtown. Hours run 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. The Clearfield location (1246 S. Legend Hills Drive) and Logan spot (moving to Center Street near The Crêpery) maintain similar schedules. Order by the slice for around $3 each, or go for full pies—large 14-inch feeds 1-2 people, XXL 18-inch handles 3-4. "Two large slices and a soda for $7.99 fed two hungry adults after a long hike," one customer noted. That value proposition, combined with the ability to try multiple flavors without committing to an entire pie, explains why the counter stays busy. The space itself is casual—bar stools, booth seating, and arcade games create that pizza parlor atmosphere. "The sitting area is small so it can be hard to get a table sometimes," one regular acknowledged, making the by-the-slice model even more practical for quick lunch stops or late-night cravings. For those not near the physical locations, Lucky Slice offers delivery through their own service and major platforms like DoorDash and Grubhub. They also operate two food trucks and provide full catering services. Follow them on Instagram @theluckyslice for daily specials and rotating menu updates. The monthly specials often sell out, so checking social media before visiting ensures you don't miss limited-time offerings. In a state where pizza culture has historically meant thick-crust family chains or upscale Neapolitan certification, Lucky Slice carved out territory by doing something deceptively simple: authentic New York-style pizza by the slice, made from scratch, served late, without pretension. That three ski enthusiasts who came for the powder ended up creating Northern Utah's slice revolution says something about recognizing opportunity where others see limitation. "We choose to make all of our dough & sauces, shred our own cheese, and prepare the majority of our ingredients fresh—right here in Ogden, Utah," the founders wrote. "Those ingredients plus the fact that we craft each pie by hand using age-old techniques equals a better pizza than those made from processed ingredients and machines." It's working. Awards from City Weekly, Best Pizza honors from Indie Ogden and Best of Logan, and most importantly, lines out the door during lunch and late-night rushes prove that sometimes the best business plan is skiing until you realize you've found something worth staying for. Pizza 'til death? At Lucky Slice, they mean it.

You can smell the house-made root beer brewing before you even walk through the doors at 255 South Main Street in downtown Logan. Inside the old Deseret Industries building—with its soaring brick walls and industrial bones—The Beehive Pub & Grill hums with the kind of energy that only comes when a chef who grew up in restaurant kitchens decides to put everything he knows into one place. Chef and owner Dustin McKay has spent nearly a decade turning this sprawling space into what one customer called "tied for best burger in Utah," and honestly, when you're biting into a King Kobe loaded with house-made onion jam, you start to believe it. From Copper Mill to Cache Valley: Dustin McKay's Kitchen Journey McKay's story starts the way a lot of great restaurant stories do: as a kid learning from his father. At just nine years old, he was already working the line at his dad's Copper Mill restaurant, absorbing the rhythms of a professional kitchen before most kids could work a can opener. That early immersion stuck. He went on to study both business and culinary arts at Utah State University, right here in Logan, which meant he understood Cache Valley's dining landscape from a student's perspective—the budget constraints, the craving for quality food that doesn't feel like a cafeteria, the need for a space that works equally well for a date night and a post-exam burger with friends. When McKay purchased The Beehive Grill in January 2016, the restaurant had already been operating for seven years under the Moab Brewery ownership. The bones were good—that connection to Moab Brewery's craft beer expertise, the house-made root beer tradition born from Logan's old brewing restrictions, the historic DI building location. But McKay saw an opportunity to evolve it. He couldn't keep the original "Beehive Grill" name due to trademark reasons, so he rebranded as The Beehive Pub & Grill and got to work putting his thumbprint on the menu. Out came pulled pork sandwiches with bread from Crumb Brothers Artisan Bread and house-made BBQ sauce. In came signature half-pound burgers that would eventually earn cult followings. The philosophy he brought? Consistency above everything. "We can't always survive on our glory days," McKay told the Herald Journal in 2023. "We have to constantly stay on point to make sure that we can impress the guests and that they can always rely on us to give them a good experience." It's that mentality—trained into him since age nine—that's kept The Beehive growing year after year in a competitive college town restaurant scene. The Food & Experience: Elevated Bar Food With Scratch-Made Soul Here's the thing about The Beehive that separates it from your standard sports grill: everything is made from scratch, and you can taste it. The menu reads like elevated American comfort food, but when the plates hit your table, you realize McKay's culinary training wasn't just for show. Start with the King Kobe burger if you want to understand what people are raving about. One reviewer on Google called it exactly what it is: "The King Kobe knocked our socks off. Fabulous bacon, great meat (perfectly seasoned), and the best part is a healthy amount of house-made onion jam and blue cheese aioli. I couldn't get enough of it." That's domestic Kobe beef from Snake River Farms, applewood smoked bacon, Swiss cheese, and those two house-made condiments that elevate it from "good burger" to "drive-from-out-of-town-for-this burger." At around $13, it's the kind of thing that makes you wonder why you ever settle for less. But burgers aren't the only play here. The coconut shrimp tacos are McKay's most popular menu item—three flour or corn tortillas loaded with fried coconut shrimp, cherry pepper slaw, sweet Thai chili sauce, baja sauce, and guacamole. One diner raved about the salmon: "melted in my mouth." Another called the Mac and Cheese Carbonara—cavatappi noodles with Applewood bacon and petite peas in sharp cheddar sauce—a revelation, though fair warning, it's rich enough that you might need to take half home. And then there's the slow-roasted prime rib, a dish that multiple customers cite as better than anything the chain steakhouses offer. As one reviewer put it: "Everything we had was spectacular. Meals, sides, drinks, desert, it's all good. By far the best steak I've had in The Valley, they make Texas Roadhouse steaks look amateur by comparison." It's served with creamed horseradish sauce, au jus, and your choice of side. The 10-ounce is $26.99, the 16-ounce is $34.99, and both are worth every penny if you're celebrating something—or just hungry after hiking Logan Canyon. The house-made gelato gets its own paragraph because people drive back to Logan specifically for it. Made fresh on-site with what they describe as "only the finest ingredients," customers describe flavors like fresh citrus custard as "firm, tart, and refreshing"—the kind of dessert that makes you ask the server if they can ship it to Virginia (one couple actually did). Logan's Only Root Beer Brew Pub: The Moab Brewery Connection Here's a story you won't find at most Utah restaurants: The Beehive's house-made root beer exists because Logan's city ordinances wouldn't let them brew beer when the restaurant first opened in 2009. The original owners—the same folks behind Moab Brewery—got creative. If they couldn't brew craft beer on-site in downtown Logan, they'd brew something else: craft root beer. And that tradition stuck. Today, The Beehive is Logan's only root beer brew pub, serving both a traditional root beer and seasonal sodas made on-site. The recipe comes from Moab Brewery's brewmaster Jeff Van Horn, who perfected the proprietary formula using Northwestern Extract Co. ingredients—a blend of root beer and sarsaparilla extracts, cane sugar, and a yucca plant-based foam stabilizer that gives it that classic frothy head. Customers fill growlers with the stuff. Kids who grow up drinking it come back as USU students and order it with their burgers. But The Beehive hasn't abandoned its beer roots. As the sister restaurant to Moab Brewery, they serve all of Moab's craft ales on tap—Dead Horse Ale, Raven Stout, Red Rye IPA, and more. The combination means everyone at the table has options, whether they're ordering a craft beer, a house-made root beer, a handcrafted cocktail from the full bar, or one of the mocktails. Downtown Logan's Industrial Cathedral: The Historic DI Building Location matters in the restaurant business, and The Beehive hit the jackpot with 255 South Main Street. The building used to house a Deseret Industries thrift store, and McKay kept the industrial soul intact when he took over. Those high ceilings and exposed mature brick walls create what customers describe as "a nice, modern decor, not too casual, nice but not stuffy." One reviewer compared the vibe to "a nice lodge restaurant in Park City or Vail"—earthy, relaxed, unpretentious but elevated. The space is massive. There's a pub area that seats 85-90 people, a main dining room that can accommodate 300 patrons, an outdoor patio, and a private room for events up to 40 guests. Despite that capacity, McKay deliberately didn't cram in as many tables as he could have. "There is plenty of seating, with lots of space, very comfortable," noted one customer who'd eaten out extensively. That breathing room matters when you're trying to have a conversation over dinner, watch a game on one of the many TVs, or just decompress after a day in the mountains. The waterfall sculpture near the entrance adds an unexpected touch of zen to the industrial setting. Live music on Friday nights brings in the college crowd and locals alike. Tuesday trivia at 7:30 PM has become a Cache Valley institution. And the downtown Main Street location puts you right in the heart of Logan's walkable core, close to Utah State University campus and just minutes from the Logan Canyon entrance. Planning Your Visit to The Beehive Pub & Grill Address: 255 South Main Street, Logan, Utah 84321 Hours: Monday-Thursday: 11:00 AM - 8:30 PM Friday-Saturday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Sunday: Closed What to Order: The King Kobe burger is non-negotiable if you're a burger person. The coconut shrimp tacos are the most popular item for a reason. If you're celebrating, go for the slow-roasted prime rib. Don't skip the jalapeño cornbread. Save room for house-made gelato. Pro Tips: Get there early on Saturday evenings—one customer counted 50 people waiting in the lobby after 5 PM. Reservations are recommended for groups and weekend dining. If you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, The Beehive has dedicated gluten-free fryers and extensive GF options including buns. Enter from the back side near the Logan Community Recreation Center if you want to avoid the Main Street traffic. Try the house-made root beer at least once, even if you're ordering a Moab Brewery ale. Price Range: Burgers and sandwiches run $11-$15, entrees $16-$35, generous portions that often yield leftovers. Instagram: @beehivepubgrill Since Dustin McKay bought The Beehive Pub & Grill in 2016, he's been building something rare in the restaurant world: a place that appeals to USU students on a budget, families celebrating milestones, business lunches, date nights, and everyone in between. That's the vision McKay described when he first took over—"a menu that streamlines everything so it appeals to a wide variety of people and meets everyone's taste profile." Nearly a decade later, that vision has turned The Beehive into one of the best restaurants in Logan, Utah, the kind of place where the Mac and Cheese Carbonara sits comfortably on the same menu as slow-roasted prime rib, where house-made root beer flows alongside Moab Brewery craft ales, and where a nine-year-old kid who learned to cook at his father's restaurant has created Cache Valley's most reliable spot to gather, eat well, and feel at home.

The smell hits you first when you walk into Porcupine Pub & Grille on a Saturday afternoon in January—melted cheddar cheese mixing with the hoppy aroma from two dozen beer taps, all of it wrapped in that unmistakable scent of snow-soaked Gore-Tex and pine trees that clings to every skier who stumbles down from Brighton or Solitude. It's 2:30 PM and the place is absolutely packed, which is exactly what Byron Loveall and Brian O'Meara envisioned back in 1998 when they opened this Big Cottonwood Canyon restaurant at 3698 Fort Union Boulevard. "The nachos are dripping with real cheddar cheese, sour cream, and guacamole," one regular wrote about their half-order—a plate so massive it feeds four people and has become the stuff of après-ski legend in Salt Lake City. They're not wrong. These aren't your typical sports bar nachos with that nuclear-orange cheese sauce. This is the real deal, layered throughout so every chip gets its share. The Vision Behind Utah's Canyon Gateway Gathering Spot When Loveall and O'Meara opened Porcupine Pub & Grille on April 27, 1998, they had a specific vision in mind. Not just another mountain restaurant, but what they called "the perfect gathering place for skiers, mountain bikers, outdoor enthusiasts, families, and friends." The location at the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon wasn't accidental—it was strategic. Right where the canyon meets civilization, easily accessible without a resort pass, close enough to the trailheads that you can still smell the mountain air. The partners had decades of restaurant experience between them, but this was their first venture. They couldn't afford brewing equipment back then, so instead they focused on curating the best selection of Utah craft beer they could find—24 rotating taps featuring local breweries like Uinta, Wasatch, Red Rock, Park City, and Squatters. "Walking into the Porcupine after wandering around Utah is a truly beautiful experience," one beer enthusiast wrote. "The long line of beer taps behind the bar could likely cause a beer drinker to shed a tear." That commitment to supporting local has defined their approach ever since. The menu reflects it—homemade food that's "a great escape from the usual mass produced food chain." They make their soups, sauces, dressings, smoked meats, and desserts from scratch. Executive chef Mike Corbett and restaurant chef Jim Colloch have both been with the Porcupine group since the early days, staying because "the owners are actually here, caring and supporting their large team of employees." Over the years, Canyon Culinary Inc. has grown beyond just Porcupine. They renovated the historic Fire Station No. 8 near the University of Utah, rescued the iconic Rio Grande Cafe from closure, opened The Dodo in Sugar House, and eventually acquired Bohemian Brewery in Midvale—fulfilling that original dream of owning a brewery. But the original Porcupine at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon remains the heart of the operation. The Après-Ski Dining Experience That Defines Utah Mountain Culture There's something that happens at Porcupine between 2 and 6 PM on powder days that you can't really explain to someone who hasn't experienced it. The parking lot fills with trucks bearing ski racks and bikes. People stream in wearing everything from ski pants to work suits, exactly as the restaurant intended. The energy is infectious—that particular buzz of exhausted satisfaction that only comes after a day spent earning your turns in Big Cottonwood Canyon. "It's one of those unsaid relationships that you get with everybody eating there," wrote one devoted regular. "You all embrace the good, genuine, mountain lifestyle." The upstairs loft, with its honey-colored wood and skylights, becomes a kind of communal living room. Strangers compare powder stashes. Locals share beta about which runs are skiing best. The whole place feels less like a restaurant and more like someone's mountain cabin where everyone's invited. The menu caters perfectly to this crowd. Start with those legendary nachos—the half-order runs $5.99 and genuinely feeds a group. One reviewer declared them "the best f*cking nachos I have ever eaten," and once you've experienced that cheese pull, you understand the enthusiasm. Add a side of chile verde (surprisingly legit for a non-Mexican restaurant), and you've got the perfect shareable starter. The Big Cottonwood Burger has developed its own following—a hand-pressed patty that doesn't get lost under the toppings, served with a mountain of fries. "I always go with the Big Cottonwood Burger," one regular reported. "Very good and filling after a day of skiing or in my case hiking." Multiple reviewers mentioned the generous portions, which makes sense when your clientele has just burned 3,000 calories carving through knee-deep powder. The Ahi Tuna Salad draws raves from an entirely different crowd. "I have a new favorite dish at the Porcupine grill," one food enthusiast wrote. "Top sushi grade, seared very lightly, served on top of a delicious deep green salad, with a nice surprise of pickled ginger hidden under the tuna. Topped off by a mouth watering sesame seed dressing. I ate every morsel on the plate." Fish and chips features fried halibut (which some find excessive for a casual pub, but locals appreciate the quality). The Cajun pasta with shrimp consistently gets mentioned as one of the best dishes on the menu. And then there's the chile verde burrito—massive, spicy, and exactly what you want after a morning on the mountain. "Very big and filling and tastes good after a day of skiing," is how one satisfied customer put it. Craft Beer Authority at the Base of the Wasatch Those 24 taps aren't just for show. Porcupine has quietly established itself as one of Salt Lake City's premier craft beer destinations, leveraging their location and philosophy. "If it's brewed in Utah, odds are good that it's on tap here," observed one beer advocate. The selection rotates constantly, showcasing everything from Wasatch Hefeweizen to seasonal releases from Utah's expanding brewery scene. The bar area has that perfect ski lodge atmosphere—not too polished, not too rough. You can belly up in your ski boots without anyone batting an eye, or show up in business casual after work. The beer list includes local favorites alongside harder-to-find offerings, with knowledgeable bartenders who can guide you through the options. They also serve wine and craft cocktails, but beer is clearly the main event. Weekend brunch brings a different energy but maintains that craft beer focus. The menu features omelets of the day, French toast with fresh berries, pancakes, and biscuits & gravy. One family member swears by the Huevos Rancheros, while another can't get enough of the "Big Ol' Pile of Breakfast"—double order of house potatoes, four large eggs, bacon and sausage. Pair any of it with a local brew and you've got the perfect recovery meal after early morning powder laps. A Cottonwood Heights Community Institution What makes Porcupine special isn't just the food or the beer or even the location—it's how it functions as a genuine community gathering place. Unlike resort restaurants that cater primarily to tourists, Porcupine has cultivated a loyal local following. People who live in Cottonwood Heights, Murray, Holladay, and the surrounding Wasatch Front neighborhoods consider it their neighborhood spot, even though it sits at the base of a canyon. The restaurant's "family-minded" philosophy isn't just marketing speak. Regular customers genuinely feel like they're part of something. The staff—many of whom are ski bums and outdoor enthusiasts themselves—create that welcoming atmosphere where first-timers quickly become regulars. Multiple reviews mention servers by name and praise the attentive service that keeps drinks refilled and food arriving hot. During ski season (roughly November through April), Porcupine becomes ground zero for Utah's outdoor recreation community. Climbers share stories from the canyon crags. Mountain bikers plan summer routes. Trail runners fuel up before tackling the Wasatch trails. It's accessible year-round, unlike many canyon restaurants that close seasonally, which means locals can rely on it through every season. The view from the upstairs dining room doesn't hurt either. Large triangular windows frame the foothills and canyon entrance, bringing the outside in. On sunny days, skylights flood the space with natural light. The outdoor patio—open seasonally—provides direct mountain views and has become one of Salt Lake City's best spots for summer dining near hiking trails. Planning Your Visit to Porcupine Pub & Grille You'll find Porcupine Pub & Grille at 3698 Fort Union Boulevard (7200 South) in Cottonwood Heights, literally at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon. The location shares a parking lot with the Canyon Inn and sits upstairs from the Lifthouse Ski Shop—which means if you forgot something for your ski day, you can handle that and grab food in one stop. Hours run Monday through Friday 11 AM to 10 PM (11 PM on Fridays), with weekend brunch starting at 9:30 AM on Saturday and Sunday. Expect crowds during peak après-ski hours (2-6 PM) in winter, and on game days when University of Utah fans pack the place. Parking can be tight during busy periods, but spots open up regularly as groups come and go. What to order depends on your mood, but locals recommend starting with the nachos (half-order feeds 3-4 people), then choosing between the Big Cottonwood Burger, Ahi Tuna Salad, fish and chips, or that substantial chile verde burrito. The daily specials—written in colorful chalk on slate boards—often feature gems like jalapeño bleu bacon burgers or seared halibut. Don't sleep on the homemade soups, especially the chicken noodle which one reviewer called "thick, creamy, and savory." For beer lovers, ask your server what's fresh on tap. The selection changes regularly, and there's always something new from Utah's craft beer scene. If you're not sure what you want, the bartenders are genuinely helpful about offering recommendations based on your preferences. The restaurant accepts walk-ins and reservations. During powder days and weekend dinners, expect a wait—but the bar area provides great seating if you don't want to wait for a table. The atmosphere stays casual and welcoming whether you show up in ski gear or date-night attire. Where the Canyon Meets Community Twenty-six years after Byron Loveall and Brian O'Meara opened the doors, Porcupine Pub & Grille remains exactly what they envisioned—a gathering place where Utah's mountain culture comes to refuel and reconnect. It's earned its place as a Big Cottonwood Canyon institution not through flashy marketing or trendy concepts, but by consistently delivering what locals want: honest food, great beer, and a space that welcomes everyone from powder chasers to families to professionals unwinding after work. "Winter days should be filled with a cup of hot chocolate and a plate of their famous nachos in the upstairs, cozy loft," one passionate regular wrote. "Summer days? Get ready to enjoy the mountainous valley view from the deck while enjoying a bite of the roasted veggie flatbread." That about sums it up—Porcupine adapts to the seasons while maintaining its soul as the perfect après-ski dining destination in Salt Lake City. Next time you're coming down from a day in Big Cottonwood Canyon, whether you've been carving turns at Brighton, hiking to Lake Blanche, or just driving up to check out the aspens, pull into that parking lot at the base. Order the nachos, grab a local brew, and settle in. You'll understand why this spot has become Cottonwood Heights' living room—and why locals have been protecting this secret (not so secret anymore) for over two decades.

The wood-fired oven glows at 900 degrees behind the Walgreens on Holladay Boulevard, and if you know where to look—up those wooden stairs, past the parking lot—you'll find what locals are calling the best Neapolitan pizza in Salt Lake City. At Pizzeria Tasso, every pizza emerges from the flames in exactly 90 seconds, the leopard-spotted crust blistered and charred the way they do it in Naples. One customer who lived in Naples for a year put it plainly: "This is better than many of the pizza places there." That's not something you hear often about pizza made 7,000 miles from Italy's Campania region. But Zeke, the owner and pizzaiolo behind Pizzeria Tasso, didn't learn to make pizza from YouTube videos or culinary school textbooks. He learned it the way Neapolitans have for centuries—by living there, eating there, and falling so completely under the spell of true Italian pizza that coming back to American-style pies felt impossible. From Italy's Streets to Holladay's Hidden Gem: The Story Behind Pizzeria Tasso Zeke's pizza journey started with two years as a volunteer missionary in Italy, wandering the cobblestone streets where pizza isn't just food—it's patrimony, tradition, identity. When you spend that much time in a country where pizza Margherita was created to honor a queen, where the VPN (Vera Pizza Napoletana) association guards centuries-old standards with religious fervor, American pizza starts to taste like a pale imitation. "After serving as a volunteer missionary in Italy for 2 years, Zeke knew he couldn't go back to American pizza," reads the Pizzeria Tasso origin story. His solution wasn't to pine for Naples or seek out the closest approximation. It was to create his own business, to return to the roots of what makes true Italian pizza sing. Along with his wife Kelsey, Zeke built Pizzeria Tasso from the ground up—first as a catering operation running for 10 years, then finally opening their brick-and-mortar location in Holladay three years ago. The restaurant operates from what was essentially a blank canvas behind a commercial building, transforming it into a space where Italian music plays softly and the scent of wood smoke mingles with fresh basil and San Marzano tomatoes. They import their tomatoes and flour directly from Italy, use a traditional wood-fired brick oven, and make each pizza to order. It's not trying to be fancy. It's trying to be faithful. "We have made this a new date-night favorite," one customer explained. "My husband is Italian and doesn't like the American-style food of chain restaurants. Tasso is fresh and authentic. The atmosphere is friendly and clean with Italian music and no frills." The Authentic Neapolitan Pizza Experience: What Makes Tasso Different Walk into most American pizza joints and you'll see ovens running at 450, maybe 500 degrees if they're serious. Pizzeria Tasso's wood-fired brick oven roars at temperatures that would make most pizza chains nervous—the kind of heat that transforms dough in 90 seconds flat, creating that signature Neapolitan texture: soft and chewy with an airy, bubbly border charred to blistered perfection. This is pizza cooked the way Raffaele Esposito did it in 1889 when he created the Margherita for Queen Margherita of Savoy—red tomatoes, white mozzarella, green basil mirroring the Italian flag. Neapolitan pizza is meant to be simple, designed to showcase magnificent ingredients rather than bury them under a mountain of toppings. At Tasso, they take that philosophy seriously. The Margherita ($11) is the pizza that separates pretenders from the real deal, and customers say Tasso nails it. "Trust me, get the margherita. I lived in Napoli for a year and this is better than many of the pizza places there," one reviewer declared. The tomato sauce—made from those imported San Marzano tomatoes grown in volcanic soil near Mount Vesuvius—has a brightness and depth you don't find in California or domestic varieties. Fresh mozzarella melts into creamy pools, basil releases its perfume under the heat, and extra virgin olive oil ties it together. But if you're looking for heat, the Diavola ($13) brings it. "The Diavola, which is a tomato based pizza with fresh mozzarella, salami, red onions, parmesan, and their spicy signature oil on top of a classic woodfired crust: thin, chewy, slightly charred, and completely toothsome," described one local food blogger. That signature spicy oil is a Tasso calling card, the kind of condiment that makes people ask for extra on the side. The Salsiccia ($12)—Italian sausage with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and parmesan—consistently ranks as a best seller. And the Pepperoni ($12) gets the Tasso treatment too, elevated beyond the greasy American version with quality ingredients and proper technique. "Best pizza in salt lake," a customer raved. "Margherita is spot on, and the pepperoni is a fan favorite. Get it with Mikes Hot honey and you won't be disappointed!" That Mike's Hot Honey drizzle has become almost cult-like among regulars, adding a sweet-spicy dimension that plays beautifully against the savory, wood-fired flavors. It's one of those combinations that seems obvious in retrospect but feels like a revelation the first time the flavors hit your tongue. Don't sleep on the weekly special either—Tasso rotates a featured pizza that often becomes the talk of the week. Past specials like the Coppa have earned devoted followings. "Follow them on instagram to find the specials!" one regular advised. "Small operation but super high quality." Why Holladay's Pizza Scene Needed Pizzeria Tasso Holladay sits in Salt Lake County's comfortable suburban sprawl, a neighborhood known more for family homes and solid dining than cutting-edge food scenes. But in recent years, this quiet community has become something of a culinary destination, home to acclaimed spots like Franck's Restaurant, Tuscany, and a growing roster of international flavors. Into this landscape came Pizzeria Tasso, filling a very specific gap: authentic, VPN-style Neapolitan pizza made with imported Italian ingredients and traditional techniques. Sure, Salt Lake City has plenty of pizza options—from The Pie's massive slices to Via 313's Detroit-style squares to gourmet wood-fired concepts. But true Neapolitan pizza, cooked in 90 seconds in a wood-fired oven by someone who actually lived in Italy and learned the craft through immersion? That's rare. "Having been to most of the 'Neapolitan style' pizza places in Utah, I can say with some authority that this is one of the best, if not the best, pizza places in Utah. Would highly recommend even if it requires a drive," wrote one pizza enthusiast who'd clearly done the research. The authenticity extends beyond just the pizza itself. Tasso uses Caputo 00 flour, the gold standard for Neapolitan dough, milled in Naples specifically for pizza-making. The slow-rise, naturally fermented dough develops complex flavors and that characteristic chew. Buffalo mozzarella, when available, brings the creamy richness you'd find in a pizzeria on Via dei Tribunali in Naples. Even the approach to toppings follows Neapolitan tradition—restrained, focused, allowing each ingredient to speak. This isn't a place where you can get 17 toppings on a pizza. It's a place where you trust the pizzaiolo's judgment about what belongs together, what honors the tradition. But Tasso isn't precious or unapproachable. The atmosphere is "friendly and clean with Italian music and no frills," as one customer described it. You order from your phone using a simple system, watch the pizza oven work its magic through the window, and settle in for what amounts to fast-casual dining executed at an artisan level. "The crunch, the sauce, the toppings it's just incredibly delicious," a customer explained after trying the pepperoni and weekly special. "Id go as far to say that this is... drumroll... best Neapolitan pizza in the Salt Lake Valley. Seriously so good!" Planning Your Visit to Pizzeria Tasso Finding Pizzeria Tasso takes a bit of local knowledge, which somehow makes discovering it feel even more rewarding. The address is 4734 Holladay Blvd E, tucked behind the Meier's Catering building near the Walgreens parking lot. Look for the wooden stairs leading up—once you see the giant outdoor pizza oven and smell the wood smoke, you'll know you're in the right place. Hours are limited (currently Friday and Saturday 5-8pm, Monday 5-8pm), which adds to that neighborhood secret feel. The small operation means Tasso focuses on quality over quantity, making each pizza to order and refusing to compromise on technique or ingredients just to pump out more volume. Parking at the Walgreens lot works fine—just walk up those wooden stairs. The seating is inside, though the pizza is cooked outside in the food truck-style setup with the wood-fired oven. It's unconventional, sure, but it's also part of what makes Tasso special. This isn't a restaurant trying to look like a rustic Italian pizzeria; it's a restaurant actually making authentic Italian pizza in whatever space allows for the proper equipment. What to order? Start with the Margherita to understand what Tasso does best, then branch out based on your preferences. The garlic cheese bread has earned a cult following of its own—"best garlic cheese bread of my life," according to one enthusiast. If you're feeding kids, they consistently approve of both the Margherita and the pepperoni. "The garlic bread and Margherita pizza are favorites among kids," noted a family-friendly review. For dessert, the cannoli brings that Italian pastry shell filled with ricotta cream that transports you straight to a Neapolitan pasticceria. The cinnamon roll pizza and apple pie dessert pizza offer sweet endings that feel indulgent without being overwhelming. Prices run remarkably reasonable for this level of quality and authenticity—personal pizzas range from $11-13, meaning you and a friend can eat extremely well for around $30-35 including drinks and maybe a dessert. "For the 2 pizzas, two drink, two gelatos about $30 was spent. Not too bad but can also get pricy quick but honestly it's worth every penny," one customer calculated. The portion sizes are personal Neapolitan-style, which means they're smaller than American large pizzas but perfectly sized for one person or for sharing a few different varieties. Some customers wish for larger sizes, but that would fundamentally change what Tasso is—authentic personal-sized Neapolitan pies, not American share-a-large pizzas. One practical note: The location can be tricky to find on your first visit. "Location is hard to find. I like to park at the walgreens and walk up the wooden stairs," advised one regular. There's also limited phone ordering—Tasso keeps operations streamlined and focused on the pizza itself rather than extensive customer service infrastructure. But what they lack in fancy amenities, they more than make up for in the quality coming out of that wood-fired oven. Service is consistently praised as friendly and attentive despite the casual setup. "The service here was so great! The servers were very attentive and friendly," noted one customer. For catering needs, Tasso's decade of experience shows—they've successfully fed crowds of 110+ people at weddings, "pizza cooked to perfection!! The crew kept their amazing pizza coming hot and fresh!" Follow @pizzeriatasso on Instagram for weekly specials, hour updates, and that essential pizza photography that'll have you planning your next visit before you've finished your current pie. Pizzeria Tasso represents something increasingly rare in American dining: uncompromising commitment to authentic technique and ingredients, executed by someone who actually learned the tradition at its source. Zeke didn't just visit Italy; he lived there long enough to understand that Neapolitan pizza isn't about innovation or fusion or putting a creative spin on things. It's about respecting centuries of refinement, using the right ingredients cooked the right way, and trusting that simplicity done excellently will always win. In Holladay's suburban landscape, behind a Walgreens parking lot, up some wooden stairs, that philosophy is creating the kind of pizza that makes people who've eaten in Naples nod with recognition. It's worth the drive from anywhere in the Salt Lake Valley, worth the limited hours and the hunt to find the entrance. Because this is the real thing—the best Neapolitan pizza in Holladay, and quite possibly the best in all of Utah. Pizzeria Tasso4734 Holladay Blvd E, Holladay, UT 84117Hours: Mon, Fri, Sat 5:00-8:00 PMInstagram: @pizzeriatasso

The smell hits you first—that deep, caramelizing aroma of freshly roasted beans cutting through the industrial chill of a converted 1940s warehouse on West Temple. Inside Publik Coffee Roasters' flagship location in Salt Lake City's Granary District, a Diedrich IR-12 roaster hums beneath 65 solar panels while baristas pull shots of light-roasted Ethiopian into ceramic cups. Missy Greis, the woman who turned this 13,000-square-foot space into one of the greenest coffee roasteries in America, built something that didn't exist in Utah a decade ago: a third wave coffee operation that refuses to choose between exceptional quality and environmental responsibility. One customer described the space perfectly: "This location is spacious! The coffee is smooth not bitter, this coffeehouse is doing it right, good community feeling with high quality products!" The Woman Who Brought Community Coffee to Salt Lake City Missy Greis didn't come to coffee through the traditional barista-to-owner pipeline. She grew up in Aspen, studied exercise physiology, and moved to Utah in 1997 where she spent years immersed in local nonprofits and community organizing. She met Erin Mendenhall, then Director of Breathe Utah and now Salt Lake City's mayor, through volunteer work focused on air quality—an issue that would later shape every decision Greis made about Publik's roasting operations. The word "Publik" is Dutch for community, and Greis chose it deliberately when she opened the original location in May 2014 after a 17-month renovation of an industrial warehouse. Her vision wasn't about creating another trendy specialty coffee shop—though Publik certainly became that. It was about building anchors in Salt Lake City neighborhoods where people from wildly different backgrounds could occupy the same space over the same cups of carefully sourced, meticulously roasted coffee. That philosophy of "community over corporate" extended to her business model. When COVID hit and Greis found herself with over 60 employees across multiple locations, she made a choice that sets her apart in the hospitality industry: she prioritized paying her staff over her own compensation. "For Missy, caring for her staff first, even at the expense of her own compensation, has always been top priority," according to those who've worked with her. It's the kind of decision that builds loyalty—Silvana Elguera, now Publik's Director of Coffee and Head Roaster, started as a barista at one of the cafés. Coffee Roasting That's Actually Green (With 65 Solar Panels to Prove It) Here's where Publik gets interesting for anyone who cares about sustainable coffee roasting. The roastery isn't just slapping "eco-friendly" on the website—it's 100% solar-powered through an array of 65 panels on the roof that can generate enough energy on a clear Utah day to power the entire operation for a full workday. But that's only half the story. Attached to the Diedrich roaster is a catalytic oxidizer, essentially an afterburner that filters out 96% of the particulates released during the roasting process. For context: coffee roasting produces smoke and volatile organic compounds that contribute to air pollution. In a valley like Salt Lake City, which struggles with serious air quality issues trapped between mountain ranges, that matters. Greis and Elguera made the decision to invest in oxidizer technology before most specialty roasters were even thinking about it. "I think what motivated our efforts in sustainability was the fact that we already reside in a big valley that has so many air quality issues," Greis explained. "Knowing that coffee roasting is not necessarily the cleanest business, it requires that you do something like our catalytic oxidizer." Elguera, who oversees all roasting operations, emphasized the hyper-local responsibility: "It's necessary for us to think about the environmental impression that comes from roasting coffee in our neighborhood. We need to contribute to the health of the atmosphere we operate in." This combination—solar power plus oxidizer—makes Publik one of only about five roasteries in the country with both systems. In 2022, Food & Wine named them the best coffee roaster in Utah, recognition that acknowledged both their environmental leadership and the quality of what ends up in the cup. The Toast Menu That Made Red Bicycle Bread Famous in SLC Walk into any Publik location and you'll notice something: people aren't just drinking coffee. They're ordering toast. Not basic buttered toast, but thick slabs of artisan bread from Red Bicycle Breadworks in Park City, topped with everything from ricotta and arugula to salmon and cream cheese to banana, honey, and peanut butter. The toast program started small but became so popular that customers now build entire visits around it. As one reviewer put it: "My go to order is the honestly John latte and avocado toast, but you really can't go wrong with anything." Another called out the variety: "I got the Gryffindor, chocolate chip cookie, Brie + Apple toast. Everything so so good!" Red Bicycle bakes the bread fresh specifically for Publik, using high-quality organic flours and traditional techniques. The spreads come from Amour Spreads, a Salt Lake City company founded by a local couple that Greis eventually acquired during the pandemic when they were looking to retire. The jams rotate seasonally—heirloom tomato, orange habañero, apricot—bringing chef-level creativity to what could have been a throwaway menu item. "Every bite of the 'Cinnamon Toast', 'Banana Toast', and 'Avocado Toast' feels like the first bite every time," one regular customer noted. The salmon and cream cheese toast gets particular love from the Avenues location crowd, while the goat cheese jam toast has developed its own cult following. The toast menu reflects Greis's larger philosophy: source locally wherever possible, work with partners who share your values, and don't cut corners on ingredients just because it's "only" toast. It's become such a signature that visitors from out of state specifically seek it out. One TripAdvisor reviewer wrote: "The smell of coffee over takes your sense and wakes all your taste buds up. We ordered a cup of specialty coffee and one of their famous toast. My husband did the basic Avocado toast and I did a build your own with ricotta cheese, arugula & radish & let me tell you it did not disappoint." Small Batch Roasting for Third Wave Coffee Nerds If you're the kind of coffee drinker who cares about varietal characteristics, roast profiles, and terroir, Publik will speak your language. Under Elguera's direction, the roastery focuses on small batch roasting, handling three single-origin coffees and three custom blends that change with the seasons. The approach leans toward light roasts—what specialty coffee people call "third wave" roasting—designed to preserve the unique flavors of each origin rather than burying them under dark, carbonized notes. "Most specialty coffee is lighter-roasted, and you're trying to preserve varietal and regional flavors and characteristics," Ryan Gee, formerly Publik's head roaster, explained in an interview. Ethiopian beans might taste fruit-forward and floral. Central American coffees tend toward bright, zesty profiles. Indonesian beans can be sweet with a sharp finish. The roasting technique determines whether those qualities make it into your cup or get burned away. Publik roasts to order, meaning they're not stockpiling beans that sit around losing freshness. This minimizes waste and ensures that wholesale clients and café customers get coffee that's been roasted within days. The café menu offers multiple brewing methods—espresso, pour over, nitro cold brew, and Alpha Dominche Steampunk—so you can taste the same beans prepared different ways. Customers notice the difference. "Top quality beverages, I jump back and forth from their cold brew, drip coffee and a blonde mocha on occasion," one Yelp reviewer noted. Another called out the consistency: "The nitro cold brew was really good though and was served immediately." The signature Honestly John latte—made with cherry bitters—has become something of a local legend, combining traditional espresso with cocktail-inspired flavors. It's the kind of drink you'd expect from a roastery that takes coffee seriously but doesn't take itself too seriously. Four Locations Across Salt Lake's Best Neighborhoods Greis didn't just open one successful café and call it done. She expanded strategically into distinct Salt Lake City neighborhoods, each with its own character but united by the same commitment to quality coffee and community space. Publik Coffee Downtown (975 S. West Temple) – The flagship. Two stories, 13,000 square feet total, housing the roastery, a 60-seat café with three meeting rooms, and Publik Space, a 4,000-square-foot event venue under a dramatic 1940s barrel roof. Built almost entirely with sustainable and reclaimed materials, including doors that are over 100 years old. This is where the roasting happens, where wholesale production runs, where you can watch beans being profiled and packaged while you work on a laptop upstairs in the quiet room. One reviewer described it: "Absolutely gorgeous, huge space and amazing coffee and food. Highly recommend." Publik Avenues (502 3rd Ave.) – The neighborhood spot. Just over 1,000 square feet of cozy, welcoming space in the Avenues residential area. Focused primarily on coffee and the toast menu, with a more intimate vibe than the industrial downtown warehouse. Perfect for locals who want to walk to excellent coffee. "Good drinks, excellent snack options, and friendly service. The servers seem to enjoy their jobs and appreciate the customers, which makes the experience that much better," according to one regular. Publik Kitchen (931 E. 900 South) – The full breakfast and lunch spot in the 9th and 9th neighborhood. Originally opened in a Victorian house in 2016, then underwent a complete renovation and rebuild in 2022 with expanded seating to 80, a second patio, and a proper kitchen. Chef Alicia Pacheco, formerly of Rye, developed a menu that goes beyond toast to include French toast, hash, specialty sandwiches, and salads—all using locally sourced ingredients. The Publik breakfast comes with your choice of toast, bacon or sausage or avocado, and two eggs any style for $7. One reviewer raved: "ANY of the toast items are great. I'm a big fan of the banana, honey, peanut butter toast, and the avocado toast. The BLT and Hash are sure to rock your little locally-grown, no antibiotics, hipster-chic pants off." Publik Ed's (210 S. University St.) – The University of Utah location that took over the landmark Big Ed's space in 2018. Greis kept the name as a nod to the beloved dive that had served students for nearly 50 years, but renovated to meet modern safety and ADA standards while maintaining an accessible, student-friendly vibe. The menu includes burgers and beer alongside the full coffee program—breakfast, coffee, burgers, and beer, just like Big Ed's used to serve, but with Publik's emphasis on quality ingredients. Each location maintains WiFi for working, ample seating arrangements, and the same core coffee menu, but adapts to its neighborhood's needs. Downtown attracts the coworking crowd and event planners. The Avenues draws residential regulars. Publik Kitchen serves the 9th and 9th brunch scene. Publik Ed's feeds college students who need affordable meals and study space. Planet Over Profit: Walking the Sustainability Talk The solar panels and oxidizer aren't performative gestures—they're expensive infrastructure investments that don't necessarily show up on the bottom line. Greis made these choices because she believes businesses have a responsibility to their communities, especially in a valley with documented air quality problems. The commitment extends beyond roasting. Publik uses compostable paper products where possible. They source ingredients locally from partners like Red Bicycle Breadworks, Amour Spreads (which Greis now owns), Laziz Foods for hummus, and The Queens Tea. The café spaces were built using recycled and reclaimed materials—those 100-year-old doors, repurposed windows, reclaimed wood throughout. "We're just trying to build a culture that is conscientious about the work that we're doing and the product that we're providing," Greis said. "Our tagline is, 'Planet over profit, community over corporate, quality over quantity.'" It's not just marketing copy. During the pandemic, when construction delays and cost overruns hit the Publik Kitchen renovation hard, Greis prioritized keeping her 60+ employees working and paid rather than protecting her own income. When Amour Spreads needed a buyer, she acquired the company to preserve a local partnership rather than switching to a cheaper wholesale supplier. When she opened Publik Ed's, she deliberately kept prices affordable for college students even though the neighborhood could probably support higher price points. This approach has built deep loyalty from both staff and customers. People talk about Publik not just as a place to get good coffee, but as a genuine community anchor where they feel welcomed regardless of background. "Some call us an institution, some call us a safe space. Some call us THE place," Greis wrote. "At the end of the day, we're just Publik – a brand and places that strive for excellence and high vibes." Planning Your Visit to Publik Coffee Roasters Downtown Flagship & Roastery: 975 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City. Open Monday-Friday 7am-6pm, Saturday-Sunday 8am-6pm. This is where you'll see the roasting operation, access Publik Space for events, and experience the full warehouse atmosphere. Parking available in a lot on the side of the building (street parking fills up fast). What to Order: Start with their drip coffee ($2.25 for bottomless) or cold brew ($3) if you want to taste the roasting quality straight. The Honestly John latte (with cherry bitters) is the signature espresso drink. For food, the avocado toast is classic for a reason, but branch out to the salmon and cream cheese toast or the banana honey peanut butter toast. If you're at Publik Kitchen, the hash ($10) with perfectly poached eggs gets consistent raves. Best Times to Visit: Mornings can get busy, especially on weekends when there might be a 45-minute wait at Publik Kitchen (though you can grab espresso drinks at the coffee bar and wander the neighborhood). The Avenues location tends to be quieter and more laptop-friendly. All locations have WiFi and seating for working, with the downtown flagship offering an upstairs quiet room perfect for studying or meetings. Instagram: @publikcoffee for daily specials, event announcements, and beautiful latte art photos. Know Before You Go: Service can be slow during peak times because the same person taking orders often makes food and drinks. It's worth the wait, but build in extra time if you're on a schedule. The downtown location hosts events regularly at Publik Space, so check the calendar if you're planning a group visit. Missy Greis built Publik Coffee Roasters because Salt Lake City needed coffee that mattered—coffee roasted with environmental consciousness in a valley struggling with air quality, served in spaces that genuinely welcome everyone, supporting local producers at every step. She invested in solar panels and oxidizer technology before it was trendy. She prioritized employee well-being during a pandemic. She acquired a local jam company to preserve a partnership. She took over a beloved university landmark and kept it accessible to students. That's what makes Publik different from every other third wave coffee shop trying to crack the Utah market. The specialty coffee scene here is crowded with talented roasters—La Barba, Blue Copper, Jack Mormon, Alchemy—all doing excellent work. But Publik is the one that built 65 solar panels on the roof, installed a catalytic oxidizer that filters 96% of particulates, and still manages to serve an avocado toast so good that one customer said it "feels like the first bite every time." Visit the downtown roastery and watch Silvana Elguera and her team profile single-origin beans on equipment powered by Utah sunshine. Order the Honestly John with cherry bitters. Get the salmon toast from the Avenues location. Try the hash at Publik Kitchen. Grab a beer and burger at Publik Ed's. Whatever you do, you'll be drinking coffee from one of the greenest roasteries in America—and supporting a woman-owned business that actually walks the sustainability talk.