City Weekly Best of Utah 2019

Best of Utah 2019: Restaurants & Dining

48 reader-voted winners in restaurants & dining, from the City Weekly Best of Utah 2019 poll.

Ask Ave: What won Best of Utah 2019 for Restaurants & Dining

Best BBQR&R BBQ
From their outpost at the Vivint Smart Home Arena to their Provo location, R&R has taken a smoky grip on the BBQ scene, leaving locals with sauce-stained ear-to-ear grins. Whether it's… — Runners-up: Benji's BBQ Shack, Pat's BBQ
Best BreakfastPenny Ann's Café
In 2011, the doors opened at Penny Ann's Café—or PAC for short, a nod to the University of Utah entering the Pac-12 athletics conference in the same year. Owner Penny Ann, the café's… — Runners-up: Ruth's Diner, Pig & a Jelly Jar
Best Breakfast Fare With a FlairThe Cotton Kitchen
Let's face it: As delicious and comforting as breakfast food is, there's a sameness to it. I mean, how many ways can you offer eggs, pancakes or potatoes? The folks at Cotton Kitchen are…
Best Breakfast Treat Ready to GoCity Cakes Donuts
As more and more Americans switch to specialized diets, whether for health or social consciousness reasons, they also look for ways not to miss out on the wonderful things they've always…
Best BrunchRuth's Diner
When a diner has been around nearly three-quarters as long as Utah has been a state, you know they mean business. For 89 years, Ruth's Diner—nestled inside Emigration Canyon on a trolley… — Runners-up: Sweet Lake Biscuits & Limeade, Roots Café
Best BurgersLucky 13
No surprise here. The ballpark-area eatery has been raking Best of Utah awards ever since its inception a decade ago. Overwhelmed with menu choices? Take a step back and eenie meenie miney… — Runners-up: Proper Burger, Crown Burger
Best Chinese RestaurantMandarin
The dynasty created by Gregory Skedros, his daughter, Angel, and son-in-law, Paul, has given Mandarin a stronghold on this Best Of category for years. While of Greek origin, the Skedros… — Runners-up: Red Maple, Shanghai Café
Best Deal On a Vegetarian BuffetGovinda's Buffet
Off a side road on the outskirts of Spanish Fork, the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple offers up a daily buffet from 11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. It only costs $6, and it's a fairly simple setup with…
Best Dessert You Can Pretend Is BreakfastCrumbl Cookies Waffle
The rotating menu of specialty cookies at Crumbl is always a delight, giving customers a reason to come back every week just to see what new concoctions they've developed. But keep an eye…
Best Dinner and a ShowMark of the Beastro
While the main draw of visiting 666 S. State is to partake in some tasty plant-based comfort food—vegan chicken and waffles anyone?—the space is so much more. Mark of the Beastro is part of…
Best Dinner With a DragsterGarage Grill
Even from the street, you can see that this Draper eatery is something a little different; it seems more like a place you pull into for an oil change than for a meal. But that's just part…
Best Downtown SLC RestaurantCopper Onion
Copper Onion, named after two major exports found in Utah, is the all-occasion spot. Want to impress your dinner date? Have an important business lunch? Just want a quick cocktail at the… — Runners-up: Takashi, HSL
Best Food Court RenaissanceThe Gateway
The best thing The Gateway did for itself was to get rid of its traditional food court. Now it seems like every time I visit, they have some newfangled eatery that I have to check out. The…
Best Food Pairing OptionsProper Brewing Group
There are quite a few brewery-based restaurant groups out there, but Proper Brewing Group continues to set the bar. At the center of the operation is Proper Brewing Co., providing the base…
Best Food TruckCupbop
Kudos to the food truck that's graduated to an impressive seven brick-and-mortar locations. Still paying homage to their mobile roots, Cupbop's Korean BBQ in a cup goodness can be found on… — Runners-up: Waffle Love, Cluck Truck
Best French FriesBruges Waffles & Frites
Hand-peeled and cut daily from fresh Idaho potatoes, Bruges' frites are to die for. Try them with any of the housemade dipping sauces or go heartier with a selection of Old World faves… — Runners-up: Lucky 13, Crown Burger
Best French RestaurantLa Caille
La Caille est le meilleur restaurant français dans l'état. Read by a French beau or belle, those words from the language of love—even if you don't understand them—are reason enough to book… — Runners-up: Franck's, Eva's Bakery
Best Greek RestaurantManoli's
Manoli Katsanevas essentially grew up in the kitchen, starting in the back-of-house at his family-owned Crown Burger age 13. His dream of restaurateuring was realized in 2015 when he opened… — Runners-up: The Other Place, Greek Souvlaki
Best GyroGreek Souvlaki
Given City Weekly's Greek ownership, this category is one that gets in-house attention year after year. Our readers have spoken, and it turns out nothing beats the original. Established in… — Runners-up: Crown Burger, Yanni's Greek Express
Best Indian RestaurantBombay House
From open to close, day after day, you'll find a line out the door for a precious table (there are no reservations, so come early), and just as many customers picking up to-go orders. It's… — Runners-up: Kathmandu, Himalayan Kitchen
Best Italian RestaurantSicilia Mia
Immigrating to Utah in 2013, Sicilia Mia founder Francesco Mirenda and his family quickly established themselves as the premier purveyor of Italian fare in town. Since the first location… — Runners-up: Celeste Ristorante, Carmine's
Best Japanese RestaurantTakashi
When people from Monterey or San Francisco come to Salt Lake and praise Takashi as the best sushi restaurant they've ever encountered, you know there's something special going on. Takashi… — Runners-up: Kyoto, Sapa
Best Local Chicken Sandwich ThrowdownPretty Bird vs. Mr. Charlie's Chicken Fingers
It doesn't take a Twitter war to know that the real battle for fried chicken supremacy should be fought by Pretty Bird and Mr. Charlie's Chicken Fingers. The hot behind chicken sandwich at…
Best Mexican RestaurantRed Iguana
Why would you locate a second restaurant a block away from the first? Lucy Cardenas and her husband, Bill Coker, took a gamble when they opened restaurant No. 2 a hop, skip and a jump away… — Runners-up: Blue Iguana, El Chihuahua
Best Mexican With a TwistMaria's Mexican Grill
Maria Castillo was a server when she met Sergio Vazquez, a cook, at the restaurant where they both worked. They married and each worked for 20 years in the restaurant industry before…
Best Middle Eastern RestaurantMazza
At Mazza, they believe that excellence in cuisine can only be achieved by using the highest quality, freshest ingredients and cutting no corners. That might be why they've owned the Best… — Runners-up: Laziz Kitchen, O'Falafel Etc.
Best New Food TrendCurry Pizza
A few years ago, it was doughnuts, then bacon on literally everything followed by the ramen explosion. Now, our ever-intrepid readers determine it's the reign of curry pizza. Call it the… — Runners-up: Cookie home delivery, Poke
Best New RestaurantOquirrh
How much more Utah can you get by naming your restaurant Oquirrh? The idea of community was paramount for the new Salt Lake City eatery operated by Andrew and Angelena Fuller. Ingredients… — Runners-up: Mr. Charlie's Chicken Fingers, Ginger Street
Best Noodle JointOne More Noodle House
We have no shortage of noodle shops in our fair state, but this is the one that always gets me through the winter. Their menu is vast, and it maintains fair representation from every major…
Best Off-The-Beaten-Path Mexican RestaurantSalt Flats Café
When someone thinks of Wendover, they probably think of casinos with their glitzy signs and slot machines. Eventually, they'll think of Wendover for its marijuana store, too, perhaps. But…
Best Ogden RestaurantTona Sushi
Historic 25th Street is home to not only the best restaurant in Ogden, but arguably the state of Utah, as well. Tona's masterful sushi creations are as much an art piece as anything… — Runners-up: Slackwater, Roosters Brewing
Best Park City RestaurantRiverhorse on Main
In the culinary hotbed of Park City, Riverhorse is recognized as the creme de la creme. It's known for pushing the boundaries on creativity, style, flavor and class. Riverhorse has also… — Runners-up: Handle, Hearth and Hill
Best PizzaThe Pie Pizzeria
Another highly contested food category. At the end of the day, what's not to love about pizza? Whether its thin-crust, deep-dish, by the slice or a whole pie, it's hard to mess it up… — Runners-up: Lucky Slice, Nomad Eatery
Best RamenJinya
Ladies and gentleman, we have reached ramen bubble. Utah diners are fortunate enough to have witnessed the Japanese noodle explosion, and the local culinary scene is all the better for it… — Runners-up: Tosh's Ramen, Yoko Ramen
Best Restaurant PatioCliff Dining Pub
The past two years, Cliff Dining Pub has won awards for Best New Restaurant and Best Salt Lake Valley Restaurant. Voters agree that the contemporary American menu is exceptional. They also… — Runners-up: Ruth's Diner, East Liberty Tap House
Best Restaurant to Impress NewcomersRed Iguana
Want your out-of-town friends or family to recognize the Utah dining scene for something other than Jell-o and funeral potatoes? The place to razzle and dazzle visitors is only a… — Runners-up: Takashi, Valter's
Best SaladsAubergine & Co.
Yawn, right? Not here. Since its founding in 2014, Aubergine & Co. has found a way to reinvent the green stuff and present it in innovative (and filling) ways. Kale, Romaine, quinoa, goat… — Runners-up: Mollie & Ollies, Café Rio
Best Salt Lake Valley RestaurantPago
Utah born and bred Scott Evans is the founder and president of Pago Restaurant Group, which includes Pago, Bar George, East Liberty Tap House, Hub and Spoke and Trestle Tavern. If you've… — Runners-up: Provisions, Copper Onion
Best SandwichesMoochie's
No surprise here. Across its four locations, Moochies is known for serving the best meatball sandwich in the vicinity, which comes topped with ooey gooey provolone; the ribeye monster known… — Runners-up: Feldman's Deli, Grove Market
Best SeafoodCurrent Fish & Oyster
Contemporary and innovative, it's no surprise Current took the fishy top spot again this year. Be it their East Coast oysters or West Coast Kumamotos, yummy poached tuna melt or elevated… — Runners-up: Harbor Seafood & Steak Co., Market Street Grill
Best Sliced Meats For Your SandwichCaputo's Market & Deli
Caputo's Market & Deli has been slinging fine Italian goods for decades. Their lifespan is a testament to their quality of food, namely the meats. You can be sure to find designer…
Best SushiTakashi
Another evergreen champ. What's not to love about the downtown eatery? The brainchild of namesake Takashi and his wife, Tamara Gibo, the always-crowded space has been serving up the good… — Runners-up: Sapa, Tsunami
Best Taco Cart That's Not a Taco CartSanto Taco
Those who maintain a distant curiosity with the taco carts that sporadically dot our metropolitan intersections will be interested in Santo Taco. Its menu boasts many of the same options at…
Best TacosTaqueria 27
Owned by husband and wife team, Todd and Kristin Gardiner, T27 has set the taco standard across its five locations. Whether you're there for brunch (give the turkey chorizo and eggs tacos a… — Runners-up: Taco Taco, Lone Star Taquería
Best Thai RestaurantChabaar
A Thailand native, Anny Sooksri grew up feasting on Thai street food and enjoyed the colorful ways vendors interpreted their offerings. Sooksri drew that inspiration when she created a… — Runners-up: Sawadee, Tea Rose Diner
Best Utah County RestaurantCommunal
At Communal, they don't just preach family-style eating, they live it. It's evident in their community tables, their commitment to working with local purveyors, farmers and artisans and a… — Runners-up: Black Sheep, Strap Tank Brewery
Best Vegetarian RestaurantVertical Diner
There's nothing bland about the quirky and festive Vertical Diner that puts the fun in vegetarianism and veganism. Their vegan "wings" and "chicken sandwiches" are beloved items on an… — Runners-up: Zest Kitchen & Bar, Bolt Cutter
Best Vietnamese RestaurantOh Mai
Crispy exterior. Juicy and savory interior. That's how a banh mi should be, and that's what Oh Mai does oh so well. They pride themselves on their exceptional, affordable sandwiches such as… — Runners-up: All Chay, Little Saigon

Best of Utah is a City Weekly readers' poll. Results are reproduced here with permission; the full write-ups are at City Weekly.