What is it?

This is the home page of the TGIF@cs.utah.edu mailing list, a group of people who occasionally go out to eat together, usually on Fridays. The organization is very informal and spontaneous. Anyone can post to the group mailing list, and everyone is welcome for dinner. We usually solicit restaurant suggestions a day or so in advance. We'll try pretty much any place where we can get a big table without much trouble, don't have to dress up, and can get out for under $8-$10 each, including tax & tip. We prefer interesting food if possible (ie, NOT Up-Chuck-A-Rama), especially ethnic foods. We typically plan to meet at the restaurant sometime around 6:30.

If you want to join the mailing list, send mail to majordomo@cs.utah.edu, with the message "subscribe tgif".

Restaurant reviews

Here are some reviews of local Salt Lake area restaurants. Prices and descriptions are typical for one person on a Friday evening, except where noted. If you want to submit a review, or if you have more up-to-date information about a restaurant, contact cejka@cs or yih@cs.

There is also an slightly dated vegetarian restaurant list, hosted in the UK.

Index

American: American Grill, B&C Chicken and Ribs, Bill and Nada's, Chili's, Cromptons, Crusty's, Dodo, Eibo's, Hires, Hooligans, Johanna's Kitchen, Lazy Moon, Marie Calender, Perry's Hotel Pub, Ruth's Diner, Schlotzsky's, Shenanigan's, TGI Fridays, Training Table, Up-Chuck-A-Rama
Chinese: Charlie Chow's, Chop Suey Luey's, Golden Phoenix, Golden Wok, Ho Ho Gourmet, Hunan Garden, Mandarin, Ming's
Italian: Al Forno's, Ferentellis, Firenze's, Fresco's, Grappa's, Gucci's, Lupo's, Olive Garden, Rino's Zaccheo's
Mexican: Don Antonio's, La Frontera, La Puente, Miramar, Red Butte Cafe, Red Iguana, Rio Grande, Santa Fe Restaurant, Taqueria Piedras Negras, Taqueria San Marcos, The Baja Grill, Tres Hombres
Other Ethnic: Baba Afghan Restaurant, Bangkok Thai, Bombay House, Cafe Trang, Dask's Greek, East-West Connection, Hungry I, Kabul House, Kyoto's, La Parisian, Panda, Robert's Deli, Seoul of Korea, Siegfried's Deli, Star of India, State Noodle House, The Mekong Cafe, Yanni's Greek Express
Pizza and Pasta: Gepettos, Pizza Hut, Salt Lake Pizza & Pasta, Spaghetti Factory, The Pie, Wasatch Pizza Co,
Steak and Seafood: Market Street Broiler, Market Street Grill, Red Lobster, Ruby River Steakhouse, Sizzler, The Old Salt City Jail, Tony Roma's, Wagonmaster
Fine Dining: Adolphs, Erik's Creative Dining, Goldner Hirsh, Grappa's, La Caille at Quail Run, Log Haven, New Yorker Club, Perry's Hotel Cafe,
Microbrewery: Red Rock, Fuggles, The Pub, Squatters, Uinta Brewing Company, Wasatch Brew Pub
Specialty: Brachman Brothers Bagel Bakery, Bubba's, Cafe Creole, Granato's, Leatherby's, Long Life Veggie House, Mushroom Company, Nature's Way Sandwich Shop, Snelgroves, Southern Plantation, Town & Country Market

American

American Grill

Price: $5-$9
Food: American/Sandwiches
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: 300 South Main, Salt Lake City
Reviewer: cejka@cs
Date: August 1993

B&C Chicken and Ribs

Price:
Food: Flame grill
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: 400 South State Street
Reviewer: critchlo@cs
Date: August 1993

Bill and Nada's

Price: $4-$7
Food: 50's diner
Crowd: Variable, but usually worth watching (especially after midnight).
Service: Fine -- and sometimes quite entertaining.
Atmosphere: It's a 50's diner, fercrissakes. Probably hasn't been remodeled since the 50's!
Location: 479 South 600 East
Remarks: the most eclectic and unpretentious place in town. If you want eggs and brains at any time of the day or night, they're there.
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995 (revised)

Chili's

Price: intermediate
Food: American, with a Tex-Mex slant
Crowd: Varies
Service: Usually good
Atmosphere: Yuppie fern-bar restarurant
Location: 1070 E Fort Union Blvd (Midvale 6900 S)
Reviewer: Jim De St Germain
Date: August 1993

Cromptons

Price: $4-$9
Food: American/Sandwiches
Crowd:
Service: They do NOT take plastic.
Atmosphere: About 4 miles up Emigration Canyon.
Location: 5915 East Emigration Canyon Road
Reviewer: Benny Yih
Date: August 1993

Remarks: Good omelletes and fresh OJ. A nice place to stop after a ride up Emigration Canyon. Folk music on some evenings.
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995

Crusty's

Price: $5-$9
Food: American/Sandwiches/Bakery
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: 1355 East 2100 South
Remarks: Make their own bread, wonderful stuff. Good sandwiches also.
Reviewer: Rory Cejka
Date: August 1993

Remarks: They serve breakfast until 1:00 on Sundays. Excellent!
Reviewer: willrich@cs
Date: July 1995

Dodo

Price: intermediate
Food: French/Grill, a bit rich (esp. desserts)
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: 680 South 900 East
Reviewer: cejka@cs
Date: August 1993

Eibo's

Price: $7-$15
Food: Grill/BBQ
Crowd: Mostly yuppy businessman at lunch time.
Service: Varies wildly.
Atmosphere: Nice, especially outside.
Location: 300 Trolley Square (7th East, 5th South)
Remarks: OK for ribs. Good, if a bit greasy, grilled sandwiches.
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995 (revised)

Hires

Price: $5-$9
Food: Good burgers, good onion rings, good root beer.
Crowd: Small and usually crowded, but they have curb service.
Service: Average
Atmosphere: Casual, 50's diner. Chrome and vinyl.
Location: 7th East, 400 South.
Reviewer: willrich@cs
Date: July 1995

Remarks: Not as clinical as Training Table, nor as greasy as most of the fast food places. A bit too conventional `Utah' for my tastes (fry sauce on everything, root beer, hyper clean cut staff).
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995

Hooligans

Price: $3-$10
Food: Sandwiches/Ice Cream
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: Sandy Mall
Remarks: Good Sandwiches & Ice Cream Sundaes. Much better than Baskin-Robbins for ice cream.
Reviewer: Lisa Letellier
Date: August 1993

Johanna's Kitchen

Price: ???
Food: Home cooking
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: 9725 South State
Remarks: Really good down home cooking. Really good breakfasts, etc.
Reviewer: Lisa Letellier
Date: August 1993

Lazy Moon

Price: $5-$12

Food: Excellent sandwiches, beer from Uinta Brewing Company. I've only been here for lunch.
Crowd: Not very at lunch.
Service: Okay
Atmosphere: Yuppie pub
Location: Exchange Place (about 375 South, 50 East). You have to wander down some tiny alleys to find this place, but it's there. Just keep looking.
Reviewer: willrich@cs
Date: July 1995

Remarks: Excellent pizza from Wasatch Pizza Company, good beer from several brew pubs, interesting atmosphere (it was built into the boiler plant of the old stock exchange).
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995

Marie Calender

Price: $4-$9
Food: American/Misc/Dessert
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: 1313 Foothill Drive
Remarks: A good "standard" fare place, with lots of dessert options. They have LOTS of good pies.
Reviewer: Rory Cejka
Date: August 1993

Perry's Hotel Pub

Price: $5-$10
Food: Soup/Sandwich
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: 150ish West 300 South
Reviewer: cejka@cs
Date: August 1993

Remarks: I like their laid back atmosphere and sandwiches. They seem to be almost identical to the Pub at Trolley Square.
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995

Ruth's Diner

Price: $4-$9
Food: Sandwiches/Burgers/Pasta
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere: Great on the patio, live music on some nights.
Location: 2100 East Emigration Canyon Road
Remarks: The best breakfast can be had sitting on the patio behind Ruth's Diner up in Emigration Canyon. The biscuits and berry jam are to die for, and the rest of the food is great, too. If you've never been, head up when the weather's nice so you can sit outside.
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1993

Schlotzsky's

Price: $3-$6
Food: Sandwiches
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: Various -- Crossroads Mall, or 6949 South 1300 East
Remarks: Interesting & Good Deli sandwiches -- I guess this is a chain across the US, but this is the first one I've ever seen. They are building a new place right by where they are now, so they must be doing good business.
Reviewer: Lisa Letellier
Date: August 1993

Remarks: I love their sandwiches (the bread and the filling :). However, the ones in Nebraska I like better...
Reviewer: Rory Cejka
Date: August 1993

Shenanigan's

Price: ???
Food: American
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere: A bit of a festival atmosphere
Location: 274 S West Temple or 7176 South 9th East
Remarks: the best ice cream drinks
Reviewer: Marc Ellens
Date: August 1993

TGI Fridays

Price: $6-$13
Food: American/Misc chain
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: 1400 Foothill Drive
Remarks: can be a wait at times, but has a good variety of foods
Reviewer: Rory Cejka
Date: August 1993

Location: 4800 South Highland Drive
Remarks: Never again. Service was incredibly slow, plates dirty, waiters chatty and annoying. I tried it twice, and promised that I'd never eat in another TGI Fridays, anywhere in the world.
Reviewer: willrich@cs
Date: July 1995

Training Table

Price: $5-$9
Food: Yuppie Hamburgers, chicken. Lots of specialty burgers (blue cheese and bacon burger is really good), but a little overpriced for what is basically just a hamburger.
Crowd: Not very
Service: Self-Service at the counter. No tipping.
Atmosphere: Casual. You get to order on the phone.
Location: Several around town: Sugarhouse, also 8th East and 4th South.
Reviewer: willrich@cs
Date: July 1995

Up-Chuck-A-Rama

Price: $5-$7
Food: Nasty. This is an all-you-can-eat buffet, where local families go because it's the only place you can feed 12 kids without going broke. It's very much like the dining hall at a large public university, but without the flavor or quality. Yuck.
Crowd: Usually. Lots of Mormon families and Rotary Club luncheons.
Service: Buffet-style, serve yourself
Atmosphere: Fake Western decor
Location: Several
Remarks: Don't eat here, it's nasty.
Reviewer: willrich@cs
Date: July 1995

Chinese

Warning!!! As far as I am concerned, the nearest decent Chinese restaurant that I have found is in San Francisco. Unfortunately, the Chinese restaurants in Salt Lake have been devastated by the general preference for bland food displayed by most Utahns. Sigh. -- John Carter (Aug 95)

Charlie Chow's

Price: $6-$10
Food: Chinese
Crowd:
Service: Fine
Atmosphere: Nice outdoor seating on a balcony overlooking Trolley Square.
Location: Trolley Square.
Remarks: Not bad Americanized Chinese food. Tasty, if not authentic or spicy.
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995

Chop Suey Luey's

Price: $4-$7
Food: Chinese
Crowd: Mostly students and faculty from the U.
Service: Self-service (cafeteria style).
Atmosphere: Good lunch spot next to campus. New outdoor seating!
Location: 1328 East 200 South
Remarks: has very solid Chinese fast food, much better than you might expect from the name, but its main attractions are its low, low prices at lunch time and its convenience to the U campus.
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995 (revised)

Golden Phoenix

Price: $5-$9
Food: Chinese
Crowd: Not too crowded except during peak dining hours
Service: Usually very good
Atmosphere: Good, a tablecloth-and-candles place
Location: 1084 South State Street
Reviewer: Rory Cejka
Date: August 1993

Golden Wok

Price: $5-$12

Food: I've been there once and thought that they had pretty good food. I liked it a lot better than Chop Suey Luey's, Ho Ho Gourmet, and the Mandarin. They had a great menu selection and seemed to have some very authentic selections, such as Ducks Feet, Mushrooms and Squid, and others. The dish that I had was spicier than I've had at other Chinese places, although it could have been hotter (why is there no really spicy food in Utah?)
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: 420 East 3300 South
Reviewer: Woody Walton
Date: August 1995

Ho Ho Gourmet

Price: ???
Food: Chinese
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: 1504 South State
Remarks: The place for Dim Sum, Sunday Brunch is the time. Go early or be prepared to wait for a table. It's an adventure in cross-cultural dining.
Reviewer: Dudley Irish
Date: August 1993

Hunan Garden

Location: 2121 East 2100 South

Remarks: Better than Chop Suey Luey's, but not as good as you can get in a real state. :-)
Reviewer: Dudley Irish
Date: August 1993

Ming's

Price: $5-$9
Food: Chinese
Crowd: can get crowded, it is a small restaurant.
Service: usually quite good.
Atmosphere: the side walls are covered by mirrors, giving the illusion of a lot of space.
Location: 1330 Foothill Dr.
Remarks: One of my most favorite Chinese food places in town.
Reviewer: Rory Cejka
Date: August 1993

Mandarin

Price:
Food: Chinese. Their Hot and Sour soup is great and they have some spicy dishes.
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: 348 East 900 North Bountiful
Remarks:
Reviewer: Woody Walton
Date: August 1995

Italian

Ah! Unlike Chinese food, Salt Lake is blessed with a surprisingly large number of very good Italian restaurants, ranging from the very cheap to the mind bogglingly expensive. Enjoy! -- John Carter (Aug 95)

Al Forno's Ristorante

Price: moderate ($8-$15)
Food: Italian
Crowd: It's best to get a reservation, but not usually a big deal.
Service: More than adequate.
Atmosphere: Reserved, despite having crayons on each table for drawing on the white butcher paper tablecloths.
Location: 239 South 500 East
Remarks: A lovely surprise. The food is tasty, the atmosphere inside is a nice blend of formal and laid back, and the prices are very reasonable. Worth a shot, despite the fairly ugly exterior.
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995

Ferentellis

Price: moderate
Food: Italian
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: Trolley Square
Remarks: Cheap enough to make up for the occasionally bad service.
Reviewer: Terry Critchlow
Date: October 1993

Remarks: Not bad for a large staff lunch, but you can do a lot better for your money at Al Forno's or Firenze's.
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995

Firenze's

Price: $6-$8 (sandwiches), $10-$15 (pasta entrees)
Food: Italian deli up front, nice sit down in back.
Crowd: Casual, if a bit yuppy.
Service: Good.
Atmosphere: Very pleasant -- the interior is nicely decorated in a way that evokes the feeling of Italian Renaissance architecture.
Location: 358 South West Temple.
Remarks: Yet another excellent Italian restaurant. I really enjoy their sandwiches, which although pricey, are extremely good and come with a very tasty salad and rosemary bread (for dipping in olive oil and vinegar). Their pasta is a bit expensive, but their desserts, especially the Tiramisu, are great. If you haven't tried it... do it already!
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995

Fresco's

Price: $18-$25

Food: Italian

Crowd: Upscale yuppy.

Service: Variable (excellent to mediocre).

Atmosphere: White linen in a pleasantly small house. Connected to the King's English bookstore via an open hallway.

Location: 1513 South 1500 East

Remarks: One of the top restaurants in town, if you factor in both quality and price, although the service has been slipping a bit of late. It's not cheap, but the food is as good as what you can get at the New Yorker Club or La Caille at Quail Run, but much cheaper. Not that I'd turn down an offer to go to La Caille or the New Yorker, but...
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995 (revised)

Grappa's

Price: $20-$50 (extremely expensive)
Food: Italian
Crowd: Mostly upscale (hardly surprising given the cost). Make sure to get a reservation if you want to be assured of a seat ((801) 645-0633).
Service: Excellent!
Atmosphere: Very nice, especially outside. Grappa's is situated in a completely remodeled and tastefully decorated old house.
Location: Top of Main Street in Park City
Remarks: The best restaurant in Utah that I have found, but it doesn't come cheap. Every course that I've had there is excellent, the wine list is very good, and the location and service are wonderful. If you have a bundle to drop on a meal, or somebody else is footing the bill, THIS is the place.
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995

Gucci's

Price: ???
Food: Italian
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: 8260 South 700 East
Remarks: Wonderful Italian food in a relaxed atmosphere.
Reviewer: Lisa Letellier
Date: August 1993

Lupo's

Price: ???
Food: Italian
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: 255 East 3300 South
Remarks: Very good food and moderate prices. This is probably my favorite Italian in Salt Lake.
Reviewer: Eric Eide
Date: August 1993

Olive Garden

Price: $6-$13
Food: Italian chain
Crowd: Very, they do not take reservations.
Service: Usually good.
Atmosphere: Tablecloths, but casual.
Location: Various -- Sugarhouse, Downtown, Murray
Remarks: A national chain with standardized menus. Uniformly excellent food. They occasionally make changes to the menu.
Reviewer: willrich@cs
Date: July 1995.

Remarks: Uniformly excellent is a bit overly generous (see Firenze's for a better option). However, the portions are very large, the raspberry lemonade is great, and the salad and bread sticks will definitely fill you up. One of the better national chains.
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995.

Rino's

Price: $8-$19
Food: Italian
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: 2302 East 2100 South
Reviewer: cejka@cs
Date: January 1995

Zaccheo's

Price: $6-$10
Food: Italian, Pasta.
Crowd: Not very.
Service: Average.
Atmosphere: Kind of dark with lots of dining rooms ("you're in a maze of twisty passages, all alike").
Location: 280 East 8th South
Reviewer: willrich@cs
Date: July 1995

Mexican

Don Antonio's

Price: $6-$8
Food: Mexican
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: Sugarhouse (2100 S and about 1100 E)
Remarks: really excellent Mexican food. It's relatively cheap and their salsa is actually spicy and hot (i.e. it's a good thing they serve beer), athough it is sort of a dump (don't let that stop you).
Reviewer: Jason Herschaft
Date: August 1993

La Frontera

Price: moderate
Food: Mexican
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere: A good place for lots of reasonably cheap Mexican food
Location: 1434 South 700 West
Reviewer: cejka@cs
Date: August 1993

Remarks: Yeah, but I'd use "cheap" as a synonym for "low quality". Bleah.
Reviewer: willrich@cs
Date: August 1993

La Puente

Price: moderate
Food: Mexican
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Location: 3434 South State
Reviewer: As far as I know, this is the best Mexican in town. Not as good as you can make at home, but better than the other places. I have tried the "secret" (:-) taqueria's (there are several) and I still think that La Puente is better. Of course it really does depend on what you are looking for. It is not hot, but it does taste good.
Reviewer: Dudley Irish
Date: August 1993

Miramar

Price: $6-$9
Food: Very good Mexican.
Crowd: Pretty small place, fairly busy.
Service: Good.
Atmosphere: Casual, but frequented by some Mafia-looking Hispanics. Don't scratch any cars in the parking lot.
Location: About 300 West, 1300 South
Reviewer: willrich@cs
Date: June 1994. I haven't been here in a quite a while, though.

Remarks: As a long time Texan, I rate Miramar as the best that Salt Lake has to offer in terms of Tex-Mex food. Greasy (that's considered a plus for Tex-Mex), spicey, and plentiful. They have the best salsa in the city, which admittedly isn't saying a hell of a lot. Unfortunately, while they serve XX (Dos Equis) and Bohemia beer (and Corona for all you yuppies), they don't have a liquor license and thus cannot serve margaritas.
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995

Red Butte Cafe

Price: $7-$15
Food: Southwestern
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere: Yuppy
Location: Foothill Village
Reviewer: cejka@cs
Date: August 1993

Red Iguana

Price: $7-$11
Food: Best Mexican in Salt Lake (I say this as a former Texas resident, who knows what Mexican food should taste like).
Crowd: Very. Get there early.
Service: Average
Atmosphere: Loud, casual, used to be smoky.
Location: 736 West North Temple, near the plasma donor center and other cultural hot spots.
Reviewer: willrich@cs
Date: June 1994. I haven't been here in quite a while. Anyone have a more recent review?

Remarks: This former Texas resident, albeit one with a more muted accent than an unnamed willrich, would put Red Iguana below Miramar, but its definitely above threshold. I've only been twice, since I prefer Miramar for sit down Tex-Mex and Taqueria San Marcos and Taqueria Piedras Negras for taqueria/hole-in-the-wall Tex-Mex, but it was solid both times. Hotter, but less flavorful, salsa than Miramar. Great nachos.
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995

Rio Grande

Price: $7-$14
Food: SW/Mexican
Crowd:
Service:
Atmosphere: In/by the train station, I will let you guess :)
Location: 300 West 300 South
Reviewer: cejka@cs
Date: August 1993

Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995

Santa Fe Restaurant

Atmosphere: A tad more fancy than Ruth's Diner next door, and definitely SW
Location: 2100 Emigration Canyon
Reviewer: Rory Cejka
Date: August 1993

Remarks: Good SW style weekend brunch, but the lunch and dinner entrees are disappointing. Eating outside on the second floor deck while the leaves are turning, though, is breath taking.
Reviewer: John Carter
Date: August 1995

Taqueria Piedras Negras

Price: $4-$7 (cheap)

Food: Mexican

Crowd: Mostly hispanic, which is always a good sign.

Service: Nothing special.

Atmosphere: Major hole in the wall. Formica tables with built in benches. Don't come here for the atmosphere!

Location: A strip mall at 1465 South State

Remarks: Very good, cheap, hole-in-the-wall Mexican food. You can get such authentic dishes as cow brains tacos or tripe, but I stick to the soft tacos, quesadillas, and Mexican coca-cola's. Not quite as good as
Taqueria San Marcos
- Price: $4-$7 (cheap)
- Food: Mexican
- Crowd: Mostly hispanic, with a mix of bikers from the biker bar next door.
- Service: Very pleasant and friendly.
- Atmosphere: Better than your average taqueria.
- Location: South State just south of 900 South.
- Remarks: My favorite hole in the wall Mexican place in Salt Lake. I probably eat here twice a month, mostly choosing the taco dinner (two tacos al pastor, two asada, a baked potato, and a slice of avocado). Both their red and green salsas are good, and you get plenty of home made chips. Could easily be in Houston.
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1995
The Baja Grill
- Price:
- Food: Mexican
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: Trolley Plaza (Fort Union and 72nd South)
- Remarks: The food is okay, but they do have some beer on tap (Bud/Bud light) and a ***killer*** salsa bar. Mild, medium, ***HOT!*** - you name it, they got it. Just help yourself - if it is not "spicy" enough to suit you, it is not the cook's fault!
- Reviewer: Alan Brubaker
- Date: August 1993
Tres Hombres
- Price: $5-$10
- Food: Mexican
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 3298 South Highland Drive
- Remarks: can be pretty bland but standard Mexican fare
- Reviewer: Rory Cejka
- Date: August 1993
Other Ethnic

Baba Afghan Restaurant
- Remarks: I've only been here for lunch. Kabul House has a menu that is almost identical, even to the order of the items.
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: July 1995
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1995
Bangkok Thai
- Price: $8-$12
- Food: Utah's version of Thai food -- those dishes which are supposed to be very hot and spicy, aren't. Real Thai food should melt through the silverware. However, those dishes which aren't supposed to be spicy are very good.
- Crowd: Small place, get there early
- Service: Poor.
- Atmosphere: Dressy. Tablecloths, snooty waiters. They don't like casual diners. They also don't like large parties, reservations made more than one week in advance, reservations made the same day, or walk-ins. I don't care for this place.
- Location: Upstairs at Foothill Village
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: April 1995
- Remarks: I have a higher opinion of Bangkok Thai than most, although I have to agree that their hot dishes are not as good as their ones that are not supposed to be hot (e.g., Pad Thai, yum!).
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1995
Bombay House
- Price: $6-$15
- Food: Very good Indian food. Tandoori oven, garlic naan. If you're really hungry, get the "Feast". They have an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet for around $6.
- Crowd: Not bad.
- Service: Usually good.
- Atmosphere: Tablecloths, but casual.
- Location: About 1650 South Foothills, next to the State Liquor Store.
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: July 1995.
Cafe Trang
- Price: $5-$10
- Food: Vietnamese
- Crowd: Often crowded, but I've always gotten a table.
- Service: Fine.
- Atmosphere: Dingy, but the food makes up for it.
- Location: 818 South Main Street
- Remarks: Best Vietnamese, and maybe best oriental, in town. Has a very large menu, and everything I've tried has been very good and seemingly authentic (based on my experiences in Little Saigon in Houston). The pot stickers are particularly good, and I love the Bun Bo Hue (vermicelli noodles, beef, and vegetables in a beef broth). Don't miss the Iced Coffee -- a major caffeine and caloric feast.
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1995 (revised)
Dask's Greek
- Price: $4-$10
- Food: Greek
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere: A food court -- need I say more...
- Location: Crossroads Plaza - Food Court
- Reviewer: Lisa Letellier
- Date: October 1993
East-West Connection
- Price: $6-$9
- Food: Very good Vietnamese, especially the five-spice chicken and the curry.
- Crowd: Never very busy, easy to get tables.
- Service: Average
- Atmosphere: Tablecloths, but not too dressy.
- Location: Upstairs at Foothill Village
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: July 1995
- Remarks: Nicer atmosphere than Cafe Trang, and the food is almost as good, but the menu is a lot less varied and slightly more Americanized. Definitely worth a visit, though!
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1995
Hungry I
- Price: $7-$10 (for LUNCH!)
- Food: Greek
- Crowd: Not Very
- Service: Good.
- Atmosphere: Dressy.
- Location: 1440 S Foothill Drive
- Remarks: I've only been there for lunch, but it's been very good. It's overpriced, though, so it's probably not worth going to for dinner.
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: July 1995
- Remarks: I wanted to second the "overpriced" comment. You can get equally good Greek/Middle Eastern food elsewhere for less money,
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1995
Kabul House
- Remarks: I've never eaten here, just looked at the menu. Baba Afghan Restaurant has a menu that is almost identical, even to the order of the items.
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: July 1995
Kyoto's
- Price: moderate
- Food: Japanese
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 1100 East 1300 South
- Remarks: some very solid Japanese fare
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: October 1993
- Remarks: good food, large portions, reasonable prices
- Reviewer: Terry Critchlow
- Date: October 1993
La Parisian
- Price: ???
- Food: French/Italian
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 417 South 300 East
- Remarks: The Beef Bourganon (SP?) isn't has good as Pat's, but then whose is? :-) This is the place I go when I want a good dinner, in nice surroundings at a good price. The food really is good.
- Reviewer: Dudley Irish
- Date: August 1993
Panda
- Price: $5-$8
- Food: Mongololian barbeque. You pick out your meats & vegetables, then watch some yahoo cook it on a big automobile hood.
- Crowd: Not bad
- Service: Average
- Atmosphere: Buffet-style
- Location: 1700 South State.
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: July 1995
- Remarks: You either love it or hate it. The atmosphere is pretty dingy, and some people take offense at having to handle frozen meat before eating (crushing as much as humanly possible into one bowl), but I love it. You need to put on a lot more spicy sauce (lobster sauce, garlic, ginger, pepper oil, ...) than you think -- a lot of it boils away while cooking. The soup and egg roll that you get with the buffet are some of the worst I've ever had -- ignore them.
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1995
Robert's Deli
- Price: $8-$15
- Food: Armenian/Greek
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 11th East, 9th South
- Remarks: A great selection of mideast favorites including hummus, falafel, babaganoush, etc. Also great feta cheese and greek olives.
- Reviewer: Chris Johnson
- Date: August 1993
Seoul of Korea
- Price: $6-$9
- Food: Most authentic Korean restaurant anywhere outside of Korea, according to friends who have lived in Korea. Several excellent varieties of kimchee provided as appetizer. Entrees include goat, jellyfish, and stuff written only in Korean which I don't want to know about. Not for the faint of heart (or stomach), but I like it.
- Crowd: Not very
- Service: Average
- Atmosphere: Casual. Several Korean families apparently just living there. Korean TV shows blaring on the projection TV. A few waitresses actually speak some English.
- Location: 1050 East, 2100 South
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: July 1995
Siegfried's Deli
- Price: $4-$6
- Food: German
- Crowd: Crowded at lunch.
- Service: Cafeteria line style (aka none). Only open for lunch!
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 69 West 300 South
- Remarks: Very good, if greasy, German food, and it's quite cheap.
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1993
Star of India
- Price: $5-$12
- Food: Indian
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 177 East 200 South
- Remarks: Star of India has surprisingly good Indian food, considering that it has little competition. It recently underwent a change in management, and the food (and spiciness) improved a lot.
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1995 (revised)
- Remarks: I thought the food was rather bland and not as good as Ghandi's
- Reviewer: Rory Cejka
- Date: August 1993
- Remarks: Me too, except that Ghandi's is now the Bombay House.
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: July 1995
State Noodle House
- Price: $5-$8
- Food: Vietnamese, some Chinese. I particularly like their noodle dishes.
- Crowd: Not much.
- Service: Average
- Atmosphere: Tiny place. The decor is not as good as it once was. It used to have little glass tanks built into the walls next to the tables, with Christmas tree lights, plastic animals, and tiny statues of Elvis in them. All gone now, though. :-(
- Location: 755 South State
- Remarks: I've only been here for lunch, but I like it.
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: June 1995
The Mekong Cafe
- Price: ???
- Food: Thai
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 7725 South State (Midvale)
- Remarks: I've gone for lunch a couple of times and was impressed. Very reasonable prices.
- Reviewer: Eric Eide
- Date: August 1993
Yanni's Greek Express
- Price: $4-$10
- Food: Greek
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 13th East & Highland
- Remarks: Good Gyros & Souvlaki --- Great greasy french fries
- Reviewer: Lisa Letellier
- Date: August 1993
Pizza and Pasta
Gepettos
- Price: $5-$9
- Food: Italian/Pizza
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 230 South 1300 East
- Remarks: Nothing to write home about, but ok food in a good campus location.
- Reviewer: cejka@cs
- Date: August 1993
Pizza Hut
- Price: $9-$14
- Food: Pizza
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 1239 East 2100 South
- Remarks: I put this in mostly because I like this place :)
- Reviewer: Rory Cejka:
- Date: August 1993
Salt Lake Pizza & Pasta
- Food: What you might expect from the name. They also have Buffalo Wings. The food is excellent. They also serve beer from Uinta Brewing Company, a very good local microbrewery.
- Crowd: Very. Expect a wait.
- Service: Good
- Atmosphere: Small, crowded, noisy.
- Location: 1063 East 2100 South
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: July 1995
- Remarks: The best wings that I've had in town.
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1993
Spaghetti Factory
- Price: $5-$9
- Food: American/Spaghetti
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 602 East 500 South (Trolley Square)
- Remarks: not much spaghetti, but all you can eat bread...
- Reviewer: Rory Cejka
- Date: August 1993
The Pie
- Price: $8-$15 (full pizza) $1-$3 (slice)
- Food: Pizza
- Crowd: Average
- Service: Self-serve
- Atmosphere: A dark, low-ceilinged basement, decorated in crayon and spray paint
- Location: 1320 East 200 South
- Remarks: Some of the best pizza in town, and close to campus :)
- Reviewer: Terry Critchlow
- Date: October 1993
Wasatch Pizza Co
- Price: $5-$10
- Food: Gourmet Pizza
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 850 East 3300 South
- Remarks: The best pizza that I've had in town was at the Wasatch Pizza Company. Where else can you get a pizza with artichoke hearts? The pizzas use very fresh, interesting ingredients and plenty of spices. When I talked to the owner last, he said that they were planning to open a location downtown, which'd be wonderful.
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1995 (revised)
Steak and Seafood

Market Street Broiler
- Remarks: A decent steak and seafood place close to campus. A bit less expensive than Ruby River.
- Reviewer: Rory Cejka
- Date: August 1993
Market Street Grill
- Price: $10-$18
- Food: Grill
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 50 W Post Office Pl.
- Reviewer: cejka@cs
- Date: August 1993
Red Lobster
- Price: $6-$11 (lunch) / $8-$18 (supper)
- Food: Seafood
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 2300 South 1300 East (Sugarhouse)
- Reviewer: cejka@cs
- Date: August 1993
Ruby River Steakhouse
- Price: $12-$20
- Food: Steaks
- Crowd:
- Service: Variable
- Atmosphere: Pseudo-western style, complete with big barrels of peanuts and a wood floor on which to toss the peanut shells.
- Location: 435 South 700 East
- Remarks: One of the better steaks in town, although I usually prefer to grill my own. Interesting fruit shakes. Big portions.
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1995
Sizzler
- Price: $5-$12
- Food: Steak/Seafood
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 371 East 400 South or 1300 East 2100 South
- Remarks: What can I say, the less expensive (and less quality) steak place
- Reviewer: cejka@cs
- Date: August 1993
The Old Salt City Jail
- Price: $8-$15
- Food: Steak and Seafood
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 460 South 1000 East
- Remarks: If you don't have reservations or your party is large, expect to wait. The restaurant is very popular, especially on weekends. They have excellent food, and a great atmosphere...
- Reviewer: Marc Ellens
- Date: December 1993
Tony Roma's
- Price: $10-$15
- Food: Ribs
- Crowd: Not usually too crowded, mostly average Joe's and Joanne's.
- Service: Varies a lot (great to awful).
- Atmosphere: Pleasant.
- Location: 352 Trolley Square (7th East, 5th South)
- Remarks: OK for ribs - plenty of food, albeit not real Texas ribs, sigh.
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1995 (revised)
Wagonmaster
- Price: somewhat expensive
- Food: Steak
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere: you eat in covered wagons...
- Location: 5485 South Vine
- Remarks: best/most tasty steak I've had in the valley
- Reviewer: Greg Hannon
- Date: August 1993
Fine Dining
Adolphs
- Price: Expen$ive
- Food: Excellent
- Crowd:
- Service: Excellent.
- Atmosphere:
- Location: Park City
- Remarks: Used to be my favorite restraunt for special occassions, however the quality seems to be decreasing. The food is decent, but not fantastic (portions have been decreasing), and the waiters aren't as on the ball as they should be.
- Reviewer: critchlo@cs
- Date: December 1994
Erik's Creative Dining
- Price: It's on the expensive side of moderate.
- Food: Seafood
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 10263 South 1300 East (Sandy)
- Remarks: I love their Cajun pasta.
- Reviewer: Eric Eide
- Date: August 1993
Goldner Hirsh
- Price: expensive
- Food: European
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere: Styled very closely after Austrian hotel of the same name.
- Location: Silver Lake, Deer Valley
- Remarks: Good variety of 'game' style foods (rabbit, deer etc.).
- Reviewer: Terry Critchlow
- Date: July 1995
Grappa's
- Price: $20-$50 (extremely expensive)
- Food: Italian
- Crowd: Mostly upscale (hardly surprising given the cost). Make sure to get a reservation if you want to be assured of a seat ((801) 645-0633).
- Service: Excellent!
- Atmosphere: Very nice, especially outside. Grappa's is situated in a completely remodeled and tastefully decorated old house.
- Location: Top of Main Street in Park City
- Remarks: The best restaurant in Utah that I have found, but it doesn't come cheap. Every course that I've had there is excellent, the wine list is very good, and the location and service are wonderful. If you have a bundle to drop on a meal, or somebody else is footing the bill, THIS is the place.
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1995
La Caille at Quail Run
- Price: expen$ive
- Food: French
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 9565 Wasatch Blvd
- Remarks: Definitely not worth the money! They spent a lot of money on the surrounding, but the food is seriously lacking, especially at the price they are charging.
- Reviewer: Terry Critchlow
- Date: October 1993
Log Haven
- Price: expensive
- Food: European
- Crowd:
- Service: Excellent
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 4 miles up Millcreek Canyon
- Remarks: Well prepared food, good wine list, and excellent service.
- Reviewer: Terry Critchlow
- Date: July 1995
New Yorker Club
- Price: expen$ive
- Food: Fine dining
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 60 W Post Office Pl
- Reviewer: cejka@cs
- Date: August 1993
- Remarks: Private club. Certainly one of Salt Lake's top restaurants, with a very attentive wait staff and wonderful desserts. Their lamb dishes are always excellent, especially the one with various dried fruits (get it if its the special of the day).
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1995
Perry's Hotel Cafe
- Price: $15-$20+
- Food: Fine dining
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 150ish West 300 South
- Reviewer: cejka@cs
- Date: August 1993
- Remarks: One of the more interesting menus in Salt Lake. Their chef must take some interesting mind altering substances to come up with some of the odd, but interesting, combinations (e.g., pheasant with artichokes in an orange glaze). Definitely worth a try.
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1995
Microbrewery
Red Rock
- Price: $7-$12
- Food: Good food, good beer. Pizza, sandwiches, pasta, chicken.
- Crowd: Not terrible, but somewhat crowded.
- Service: Okay.
- Atmosphere: Loud, noisy, casual.
- Location: 250 South, 200 West
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: July 1995
Fuggles
- Remarks: Separate bar for a waiting area, wine list. Great place if you're on an expense account. They also have a gift shop with bizarrely-overpriced T-shirts and sweat shirts. This place is an upscale version of Squatters, so the beer is the same.
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: July 1995
The Pub
- Price:
- Food:
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: Trolley Square
- Remarks: This has recently converted to a brewpub. I haven't tried it yet.
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: July 1995
Squatters
- Food: Microbrewery/Sandwiches. I think their Buffalo Wings are better than those at Salt Lake Pizza & Pasta, but it's very close. Their beer is excellent, especially the seasonal varieties.
- Crowd: Always very. Go for lunch, and even then it's crowded.
- Service: Sometimes slow, mostly due to crowds.
- Atmosphere: Loud, noisy, yuppie bar.
- Location: 147 West 300 South
- Remarks: You can get the same beer at Fuggles, but with different food and atmosphere.
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: July 1995
Uinta Brewing Company
- Price: $5 growlers, plus $3 if you don't have your own container.
- Location: 389 West, 1700 South
- Remarks: This is not a restaurant, it's just a brewery. However, you can get growlers (half gallons) to go. They make excellent beer (arguably the best in Salt Lake) which is carried by many local restaurants.
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: July 1995
Wasatch Brew Pub
- Price: $5-$12 (without the beer :)
- Food: Microbrewery/American
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 250 Main St, Park City
- Reviewer: cejka@cs
- Date: August 1993
Specialty
Brachman Brothers Bagel Bakery
- Price: moderate
- Food: Bagels/Bagel sandwiches
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: Various
- Remarks: Just great bagels!
- Reviewer: Chris Johnson
- Date: August 1993
Bubba's
- Price: $7-$9
- Food: Excellent St. Louis style barbeque. They have chicken, beef, and pork, also typical southern foods like cornbread, pecan pie, etc.
- Crowd: Get there before 7:00 or wait forever.
- Service: Average
- Atmosphere: Loud, very casual.
- Location: 4291 South 900 East
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: July 1995
- Remarks: Excellent?!? Bill, you've been away from Texas for too long. Its the best barbeque and southern cooking in town, but that isn't saying much. Worth a trip if you're craving barbeque, though.
- Reviewer: John Carter
- Date: August 1995
- Remarks: Well, okay, the beef is so-so. The pork BBQ is very good, and wouldn't take much to be pretty close to Carolina-style.
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
Cafe Creole
- Price: $3-$6
- Food: Cajun and Creole fast food. Surprisingly good, and completely authentic. The owner is a Lousiana native, and much of the ingredients are flown in from there. They have gumbo, etouffee, jambalaya, and other traditional foods. They always have crawfish, and occasionally alligator (yes, it's really alligator, and it tastes like pork -- not chicken).
- Crowd: None
- Service: fast food
- Atmosphere: None
- Location: Food court at ZCMI mall (south of temple square)
- Reviewer: willrich@cs
- Date: July 1995
Granato's
- Price: ???
- Food: Italian/Greek deli
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 1391 South 3rd West
- Remarks: Where to go for things Italian and they make great sandwiches too. If you love olive oil, this is where you buy it in town.
- Reviewer: Dudley Irish
- Date: August 1993
Leatherby's
- Price: $3-$6 food, $1-$4 ice cream
- Food: Sandwiches/Ice Cream
- Crowd: sometimes
- Service: adequate
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 1872 West 5400 South (Kearns)
- Remarks: Good sandwiches, but great ice cream/desserts
- Reviewer: Rory Cejka
- Date: August 1993
Long Life Veggie House
- Price: ???
- Food: Vegetarian
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 33rd South between Highland and 13the East
- Remarks: They have a large selection of non-meat dishes. One of my favorites, the eggplant with spicey garlic sauce.
- Reviewer: Chris Johnson
- Date: August 1993
Mushroom Company
- Price: ???
- Food: Misc
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 33rd South and about 23rd? East
- Remarks: This used to be much more of a non-meat place, but over the years has become mostly a meat oriented restaurant. They still have a great non-meat garden burger and wonderful cinnimon tea.
- Reviewer: Chris Johnson
- Date: August 1993
Nature's Way Sandwich Shop
- Price: ???
- Food: Vegetarian
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 9th South and about 4th or 5th East
- Remarks: Great sandwiches made by the owner. Try the avocado submarine sandwich with spicey peppers and a fruit smoothie. The shop also serves as a kite shop, so pick up a great kite while you're there.
- Reviewer: Chris Johnson
- Date: August 1993
Snelgroves
- Price: $2-$5
- Food: Ice Cream
- Crowd: The smaller places can get crowded
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: Various -- 605 E 400 S or 850 E 2100 S
- Remarks: Good, reasonable priced ice cream, and close to campus...
- Reviewer: cejka@cs
- Date: August 1993
Southern Plantation
- Price: ???
- Food: Southern
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 1465 South State
- Remarks: As close to real southern as you can get in this state. BBQ and Catfish -- takeout only. A little pricy, but it goes to a good cause.
- Reviewer: Dudley Irish
- Date: ???
Town & Country Market
- Price: $2-$5
- Food: Sandwiches
- Crowd:
- Service:
- Atmosphere:
- Location: 2840 South Main
- Remarks: Great Sandwiches -- Huge too! I can usually only eat 1/2.
- Reviewer: Lisa Letellier
- Date: August 1993

What is it?

Restaurant reviews

Index

American

Chinese

Italian

Mexican

Other Ethnic

Pizza and Pasta

Steak and Seafood

Fine Dining

Microbrewery

Specialty