City Weekly Best of Utah 2021

Best of Utah 2021: Restaurants & Dining

60 reader-voted winners in restaurants & dining, from the City Weekly Best of Utah 2021 poll.

Ask Ave: What won Best of Utah 2021 for Restaurants & Dining

• Best Authentic New York PizzaVillaggio

  The Jersey native who turned us on to this place says it reminds him of home. Villaggio imports its ingredients from New York City for a true authentic experience. They offer pizza by the…

• Best BBQR&R Barbeque

  If you're eating R&R's spareribs in Lehi or their smoked turkey in Midvale, you're getting the same quality, flavor and experience that was created on day one. It's a credit to both the… — Runners-up: Pat's Barbecue, Sugarhouse Barbeque Co.

• Best Breakfastin Bed

  Valley House Inn of Utah Want to sweep your sweetheart off their feet for a romantic vacay? Forget Paris. Huntsville, je t'aime. A historic, 150-year-old Victorian mansion awaits you with a…

• Best BurgersLucky 13

  Bar & Grill No luck necessary here—the Ballpark neighborhood staple retains its title as Utah's dominant patty-slinger, offering its mouthwatering and often daring spins on the classic… — Runners-up: Proper Burger, Rich's Burgers-n-Grub

• Best Chicken SandwichPretty Bird

  Pretty Bird's menu may be simple, but why complicate perfection? From its twin locations downtown and in Sugar House, customers can get their spicy chicken fix from chef Viet Pham's… — Runners-up: Cluck Truck, Grid City

• Best Chinese RestaurantMandarin

  Do you find it odd that Utah's best Chinese food restaurant is in Bountiful and is operated by a Greek family? Just get in your jalopy and make the trip to Bountiful. You'll see why… — Runners-up: Red Maple Chinese Restaurant, Little World

• Best Chinese TakeoutDragon Diner

  With seating capacity that never came close to the demand for their reputable Chinese fare, Dragon Diner developed an efficient takeout system long ago. When demand increased ever more…

• Best Dining DistrictSalt Lake Chinatown

  Anchored by Utah's largest Asian grocery, the aptly named Chinatown Supermarket, Salt Lake City's Chinatown is a six-acre development bursting with activity—especially for dinners and…

• Best Dining TrendDelivery and Takeout

  via Social Media While this was a survival tactic back in 2020, the idea of delivery- or takeout-only restaurants has seemed to click with both vendors and customers alike. With more…

• Best Downtown SLC RestaurantCopper Onion

  I don't like to give away my secret brunch spots, but when one serves up homemade cacio y pepe and $5 bloody marys with house pickle juice, it's only a matter of time before the recognition… — Runners-up: Oquirrh, Takashi

• Best Drive-Thru TacosSobe Eats

  Thanks to Sobe Eats, we no longer need to settle for mediocre tacos and burritos at the expense of not wanting to get out of our cars. The award-winning team has brought their elevated take…

• Best Food TruckThe Cluck Truck

  With Utah's stock of fried chicken purveyors skyrocketing, it's no surprise that we love our fried birds that much more when they're mobile. The Cluck Truck earned this spot since their… — Runners-up: Waffle Love, Bomb Dilla

• Best French FriesBruges

  Waffles & Frites Best fries is a particularly competitive category for Utah, what with the Beehive State being the home of fry sauce after all. However, Bruges makes it look easy with their… — Runners-up: Lucky 13 Bar and Grill, Hires Big H

• Best French RestaurantLa Caille

  Maintaining the top spot, La Caille serves the best French cuisine in an elegant atmosphere. Situated on beautiful grounds—20 acres of amazing flowers, trees, perfectly manicured lawns and… — Runners-up: Franck's, Eva's Bakery

• Best Gluten-Free PizzaSettebello Pizzeria Napoletana

  A gluten-free crust that doesn't taste like cardboard? What? A pizza that's even squishy and soft? Settebello's pizza will leave you asking your server three times, "Is this really…

• Best Greek RestaurantThe Other Place

  A restaurant that has withstood various restaurant trends and fads in the neighborhood, The Other Place simply offers good food at reasonable prices, a quality desperately appreciated in… — Runners-up: Manoli's, The Local Greek

• Best Greek-Style BurgerApollo Burger

  Since 1984, Apollo Burger has provided Utahns quality and quick meals at affordable prices. They've burgeoned to over 13 locations across the state, and are known for their consistently…

• Best Indian RestaurantBombay House

  Keeping their steady standing at the top, Bombay House serves up consistently good and authentic dishes of curries, tandoori and Indian flat breads. Aromatic and colorful dishes, with a… — Runners-up: Saffron Valley, The Kathmandu

• Best Innovative RestaurantTable X

  A favorite date-night spot, Table X is an experience for the senses from start to finish. They source produce from local farms or grow it in their own onsite garden. Their bee mural is a… — Runners-up: Arlo, Oquirrh

• Best ItalianCarmine's Italian Restaurant

  Freshly made pasta, cloth tablecloths and exceptional service help to make Carmine's a fine dining experience in a comfortable but classy atmosphere. Serving authentic Italian dishes like… — Runners-up: Sicilia Mia, Osteria Amore

• Best Japanese RestaurantTakashi

  While Takashi is known for their exceptional sushi (and yes, that's the Best, too), they don't stop there when it comes to Japanese cuisine. Their marriage between keeping things… — Runners-up: Kyoto Japanese Restaurant, Sapa Sushi Bar & Asian Grill

• Best Japanese WhiskiesPost Office Place

  When it comes to booze, Utahns often assume they are somehow deprived. But it ain't necessarily so, especially when it comes to Japanese whisky. Thanks to Rich Romney, the GM for Takashi…

• Best Korean StunnerStun Cube

  As a one-stop shop for Korea's most notable dishes, it's hard to overlook Stun Cube and what it's doing for local Korean food. Their cube combos offer savory bulgogi with your choice of…

• Best Low-Carb SaladGreek Souvlaki

  Who isn't dieting, hoping to lose 18 months of COVID hibernation weight gain these days? When it comes to losing weight, everyone eventually defaults to salads—which are too often so…

• Best Lunch Special TrioHimalayan Kitchen

  Combining Nepali and Indian food under one roof, the Himalayan Kitchen is a staple for the downtown Salt Lake City lunch crowd and now for those lucky souls in South Jordan. Always known…

• Best Lunch-Break IG ScrollUrban Sketching With Surbhi

  Having a rotten day and need to hit the reset button? The phenomenal sketch art by this artist is the perfect lunch-break Instagram scroll to get your mind back in good-vibes mode. The…

• Best Mexican Meals at the MarketRancho Market

  More and more savvy shoppers are finding the produce sections of Rancho Markets offer all kinds of savings. They are finding that butchered meats are better than that stuff in Styrofoam and…

• Best Mexican RestaurantRed Iguana

  The North Temple location of Red Iguana (there are now three to choose from) has long been a Salt Lake mainstay, through good times, bad times and worse times. These days, you're almost… — Runners-up: Blue Iguana, Mi Lindo Nayarit

• Best Middle-Eastern RestaurantMazza Cafe

  Like many of the restaurants on this list, Mazza has been a gateway eatery for local diners. Many of us tried Middle Eastern classics like baba ganooj and muhammara for the first time at… — Runners-up: Laziz Kitchen, Beirut Café

• Best Morning-After Breakfast SpotRoots Café

  Delicious espresso? Yes, please. Big veggie omelet with or without bacon? Um, heck yes. Buckwheat gluten-free pancake bigger than our face? You know it. Roots is a favorite breakfast spot…

• Best Murray MexicanRestaurant Morelia

  Murray residents regularly congregate at the family-owned Restaurant Morelia for lip-smacking Mexican fare. Two dishes showcase the legendary chile verde and relleno sauces: the Laura…

• Best New RestaurantIvy & Varley

  It didn't take long for Ivy & Varley to win the hearts of local diners. This approachable yet hip space seemed to demonstrate a keen understanding for what Utahns wanted from an upscale… — Runners-up: Arlo, Carson Kitche

• Best Non-Downtown RestaurantCliff Dining Pub

  Serving up sensational views and sushi, this south valley hot spot is an adult hang out with some of the best elevated "bar food" around (think sushi nachos). Craft cocktails, local brews… — Runners-up: Mint Tapas and Sushi, Provisions

• Best Ogden PizzaLucky Slice

  Co-owners Mike, Nick and Will cooked up an idea together to deliver Ogdenites top-notch pizza, a category the region lacked. The three amigos settled on Historic 25th Street for their… — Runners-up: Slackwater Pub & Pizzeria, The Pie Pizzeria

• Best Ogden RestaurantTona Sushi

  Utahns have high standards when it comes to sushi in the state. There's no reason to eat subpar sushi when you live here, and Ogden's Tona on Historic 25th Street is some of the best you'll… — Runners-up: Rovali's Ristorante Italiano, Prairie Schooner Steak House

• Best Park City RestaurantRiverhorse

  The crew at Riverhorse on Main must be getting used to the view from the top. Serving up unique dishes like the Durham Ranch buffalo short rib and Morgan Valley lamb lollipops has earned… — Runners-up: Handle, Hearth and Hill

• Best Patio Sushi and SakeSapa Sushi Bar & Asian Grill

  In terms of elegance and extravagance, Sapa exceeds in both categories when it comes to their artistic sushi preparations. While indoor dining at Sapa is a delight, you should always vie…

• Best PizzaBricks Corner

  For many Salt Lakers, their first introduction to Detroit-style deep-dish pizza has come by way of Bricks Corner, which opened late last year. Its general construction is similar to… — Runners-up: The Pie Pizzeria, Este Pizza

• Best Prosciutto SandwichMediterranean Market & Deli

  Mediterranean Market & Deli, with its distinct Italian Sub hand-painted sign on State Street, was originally called Caneparis and was one of the city's first delis, opening its doors in…

• Best RamenYoko

  Ramen bars are inherently cool, and Yoko Ramen has done a spectacular job of tailoring that coolness to Utah's Downtown food scene. On top of yummy bowls of steaming broth and thick… — Runners-up: Tosh's Ramen, Haru Rame

• Best Ramen WizardToshio Sekikawa

  Toshio Sekikawa, owner and executive chef of Tosh's Ramen, orders custom ramen noodles from a California noodle factory to create five different flavors of delectable, premium ramen soup…

• Best Restaurant BrunchSunday's Best

  You know that Sunday's Best has made a commitment to its specialty when it's chosen as its website URL "brunchmehard.com." And yes indeed, they will brunch you hard, with an all-day brunch… — Runners-up: SLC Eatery, Pago

• Best Restaurant PatioRuth's Diner

  Ruth's large courtyard patio offers a variety of seating choices and plenty of shade with the canopy of leafy trees. There are also heaters if the temperature dips a bit. It's the perfect… — Runners-up: Tuscany, Ivy & Varley

• Best Restaurant RelocationRio Grande Cafe

  Making the decision to relocate a restaurant isn't one any owner takes lightly, but in the case of Rio Grande Cafe, it was nudged along to the tune of a 5.7 magnitude earthquake in March…

• Best Restaurant SaveCotton

  Bottom Inn It seemed every local fan of The Cotton Bottom Inn and its magnificent garlic burgers held their not-as-garlicky-as-they'd-like breath when its official reopening took place last…

• Best Restaurant SurvivalOquirrh

  There's never an "easy" time to start a restaurant, but it was only a year after opening Oquirrh in 2019 that veteran chef Andrew Fuller (formerly of locations like Copper Onion and Pago)…

• Best SaladsSpitz

  It's not that Spitz has an impressive salad menu—there's just one salad. But geez, is it impressive! The Doner combines all your favorite Mediterranean flavors in one bowl: cucumber… — Runners-up: Café Zupas, Café Rio

• Best SandwichesMoochie's Meatballs & More

  With three locations serving Salt Lake County, Moochie's menu of hot and cold sandwiches, salads and desserts is the perfect answer to a growling stomach. While best known for its signature… — Runners-up: Caputo's Market and Deli, Feldman's Deli

• Best SeafoodCurrent Fish

  & Oyster Go ahead and let all those East and West Coasters think they're the only ones privy to fresh seafood—that just means more oysters for you ... and crab, black cod, shrimp, halibut… — Runners-up: Harbor Seafood & Steak Co., Market Street Grill & Oyster Bar

• Best Soul FoodSauce Boss Southern Kitchen

  Growing up living in homeless shelters, Chef Julius Thompson's most memorable exposure to homemade food was at his grandmother's table. Today, he showcases both of their culinary skills at…

• Best SushiTakashi

  If you know sushi, you know Takashi. Among the best restaurants Utah has to offer, Takashi has an unbridled enthusiasm to innovate their sushi menu—along with the regular rolls in the menu… — Runners-up: Tsunami Restaurant & Sushi Bar, Sapa Sushi Bar & Asian Grill

• Best Sushi for GothsItto Sushi

  Sushi and spooky season aren't necessarily two things that we have ever associated, but that was before we met the Dracula Roll at Itto Sushi. Initially created as part of a Halloween event…

• Best Sushi for Under $3Sushi Groove

  With creativity ga-lore, Sushi Groove is one of Sugar House's hidden gems. Enjoy fresh fish flown in throughout the week and check out their Tuesday night $2.50 specials, veggie rolls…

• Best TacosTaqueria 27

  Taqueria 27 introduced us to the wonders that duck confit could accomplish on a taco, and we've never really looked back. Now that its tacos and tequila concept has spread across the… — Runners-up: Roctaco, Lone Star Taqueria

• Best Thai RestaurantChabaar Beyond Thai

  With Thai restaurants popping up on nearly every corner these days, how is it that Chabaar Beyond Thai is a perennial winner? The answer is Anny Sooksri, the entrepreneur who's now launched… — Runners-up: Sawadee Thai Restaurant, Fav Bistro

• Best Thai TakeoutChaiYo

  Thai Togo Rising to the top tier of Utah's Thai restaurants is quite the accomplishment, and ChaiYo is definitely among our favorites. We're especially happy with their takeout-only model…

• Best Tri-Tip SaladBandits' Grill

  & Bar Thanks to Shane and Jen Barber, residents of Cottonwood Heights can enjoy some tasty 'cue in their own hood in a gorgeous restaurant with an inviting bar and swank patio. After the…

• Best Utah County RestaurantCommunal

  There are so many things to love about the food being served up at this Provo eatery. Touted as a New American Restaurant, offerings like locally sourced braised Clifford Farms pork belly… — Runners-up: Strap Tank Brewery, TRUreligion Pancake & Steakhouse

• Best Vegetarian RestaurantVertical Diner

  When you consider the history of Utah's plant-based cuisine, it's hard to think of a restaurant that has been more influential than Vertical Diner. It helped dispel the myth that… — Runners-up: Zest Kitchen and Bar, All Chay

• Best VietnameseOh Mai

  Sandwich Kitchen Oh Mai! how we have grown! (That visit from Guy Fieri might have helped fuel the growth.) There are now eight locations of this fast casual eatery in the Salt Lake Valley… — Runners-up: SOMI Vietnamese Bistro, Little Saigo