Salt Lake City Temple Square at Night

Local ’Verse – Fun Before & After The Ball

  • Salt Lake City LibrarySalt Lake City Main Library, 210 East 400 S. M-Th 9AM-9PM, F Sa 9AM-6PM, Su 1PM-5PM. One of Salt Lake City’s newest and most architecturally unique buildings. It includes unique uses of natural light, plenty of reading space and a rooftop garden.

    Designed by internationally-acclaimed architect Moshe Safdie, Salt Lake City’s Main Library embodies the idea that a library is more than a repository of books and computers; it reflects and engages the city’s imagination and aspirations. The building, which opened in February 2003, is double the previous space with 240,000 square feet for more than 500,000 books and other materials, and room for the collection to grow. The six-story curving, walkable wall embraces the public plaza, with shops and services at ground level, reading galleries above, and a 300-seat auditorium. A multi-level reading area along the glass lens at the southern facade of the building looks out onto the plaza with stunning views of the city and Wasatch Mountains beyond. A roof-top garden, accessible by walking the crescent wall or the elevators, offers a 360 degree view of the Salt Lake Valley. Spiraling fireplaces on four floors resemble a column of flame from the vantage of 200 East and 400 South. The Urban Room between the library and the crescent wall is a space for all seasons, generously endowed with daylight and open to magnificent views. Free.

  • Salt Lake City and County Building, 451 S State St, +1 801 533-0858. Seat of city government since 1894. The building’s central clock tower is topped with a statue of Columbia and rises 256 feet (78 m) from the ground. The building has four floors and over one hundred rooms. Onyx lines the hall of each lavishly decorated floor. The third floor houses the mayor’s office in the south wing and the city council chamber in the north. Portraits of the city’s past mayors up to and including Deedee Corradini line the corridor between these offices. The fourth floor features an exhibit commemorating the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City.
  • This Is The Place Heritage Park, 2601 E Sunnyside Ave, ☎ +1 801 582-1847. 9AM-5PM daily. Marking a spot overlooking the valley, where city founder Brigham Young supposedly said “This is the Place,” the park features a monument to the Mormon settlers of Utah as well as a recreation of a frontier Utah village with several historical buildings which were moved to the site. Demonstrations of frontier life frequently take place here. Monument free; frontier village $5, $3 children/seniors. 
  • Utah State Capitol, 350 N State St (just N of Downtown), ☎ +1 801 538-3074. M-F 8AM-8PM, Sa Su 8AM-6PM. The grand state capitol building sits in a lovely park overlooking Downtown. Outside are several memorials and a reflecting pond, inside is some very monumental architecture. Free guided tours are offered on the hour on weekdays. Free.
  • Sugar House is one of Salt Lake City’s oldest and most interesting neighborhoods. The center of the Sugar House neighborhood is located at 1100 East and 2100 South. In recent years it has become the home of hip shops and the fashionable youth of the city. Sugar House is a mixed-use commercial/residential region located approximately between State Street on the west, 2100 East on the east, 1700 South on the north and 2100 South on the south (2700 South east of 500 East). The area around between 1300 East and 1100 East, and down 1100 East for a short while was recently the location of many of the fashionable shops and youth culture of the region, however because of a major renovation project, many of the unique businesses have relocated to different parts of the city or have been forced to close.
  • Grand America Hotel, 555 S Main St, +1 801 258-6000. A five star hotel on the south end of downtown. Often rated among the best hotels in America it is certainly one of the most beautiful city hotels in the world. Almost no cost was spared on building the hotel, which was built to be “the best hotel ever built”. The hotel features some of the most expensive chandeliers and mirrors in the Western Hemisphere. The hotel has a million dollar mirror.
  • Hogle Zoo, 2600 Sunnyside Ave, +1 801 582-1631. Winter 9AM-4PM daily, Summer 9AM-5PM daily. The local zoo sits at the mouth of Emigration Canyon on the east side of the city. On 42 acres, the zoo’s two largest exhibits include elephants and primates. $9 adults, $7 seniors/children, 2 and under free.
  • Clark Planetarium, 110 South 400 W (in the Gateway Mall), +1 801 456-7827. M-W 10:30AM-8PM, Th 10:30AM-9PM, F Sa 10:30AM-11PM, Su 10:30AM-6PM. Has free exhibits, and for a fee you can watch IMAX movies and laser shows. Shows $8 adults/teens/seniors, $6 children, $6 matinee tickets.
  • University of Utah.
    • Natural History Museum of Utah, 301 Wakara Way, +1 801 581-6927. Daily 10AM-5PM, Wed 10AM-9PM. Well known for its Jurassic-era dinosaur skeletons. $9, $7 seniors, $7 youth, $6 children, under 3 free.
    • Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Marcia and John Price Museum Bldg, 410 Campus Center Dr, +1 801 581-7332, [27]. Tu–F 10AM–5PM, W 10AM–8PM, Sa Su 11AM–5PM. Utah’s premier visual arts museum, the UMFA’s collection spans more than 5,000 years of art history, with some 18,000 works from antiquity to contemporary art. Changing galleries and special exhibitions open throughout the year and there’s a variety of public programs, such as films, artist talks, tours, and family art-making activities. $7 adults, $5 seniors/youth, under 6 free.
    • Rice Eccles Olympic Stadium, 451 South 1400 E, +1 801 581-5445, [28]. The site of the 2002 Winter Olympic opening and closing ceremonies. The torch is on the south end of the stadium. Currently home to the University of Utah football team.
  • The Living Planet Aquarium, 725 E 10600 S, ☎ +1 801 355-3474, [29]. Winter Su-Th 11AM-6PM, F Sa 11AM-7PM, Summer Su-Th 10AM-7PM, F Sa 10AM-8PM. Highlights animal habitats in Utah waters, the oceans and South American species. Entertaining, interactive educational exhibits and programs.  edit
  • Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA), 20 So. West Temple, ☎ +1 801 328-4201. Tue-Thu & Sat 11AM-6PM, Fri 11AM-9PM. The award-winning Utah Museum of Contemporary Art exhibits groundbreaking artwork by local, national, and international artists. Four gallery spaces provide an opportunity for the community to explore the contemporary cultural landscape through UMOCA’s exhibitions, films, events, classes, and presentations.Admission is FREE.  edit

Temple Square

+1 801 240-2534. Visitor centers and assembly buildings are generally open daily 9AM-9PM. Free admission.

Located in the heart of downtown, Temple Square is the most visited location in Utah. The square serves as the world headquarters of the LDS Church and the main attraction is the Church’s Salt Lake Temple, but there are a host of other facilities, including museums, libraries, gardens, restaurants and assembly facilites.

There are numerous missionaries speaking many languages to help to show you around the temple grounds. There are two visitor centers, one at the northwest corner of the square and another at the corner of South Temple and Main Streets, both with numerous exhibits and video presentations explaining the Mormon faith. There is a free tour from the airport for connecting passengers, weather permitting. Note that non-Mormons are not permitted inside the Temple itself, and even Mormons are not permitted inside the Temple unless they hold a church-issued permit known as a “Temple recommend”.

Temple Square also contains several LDS administrative and assembly buildings. TheTabernacle, a unique oval-shaped domed building just west of the temple that serves as the home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is open for guided tours as well as viewings of organ recitals and Thursday rehearsals and Sunday “Music and the Spoken Word” broadcasts of the choir. On the southwest corner of the square, the Victorian-Gothic style Assembly Hall is open for self-guided visits and hosts concerts Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30PM. The LDS Conference Center, across the street from the north side of the square, contains a lot of LDS-related art and architecture as well as a series of waterfalls and carefully-groomed gardens on the roof of the structure. You can also go to the top of the Church Office Building (M-F and Saturdays in summer 9AM-4:30PM), one of the tallest buildings in the city, which offers great views of the area.

The southeast corner of the square is home to a number of historic buildings, including the Beehive House (daily 9AM-9PM), a former residence of city founder Brigham Young open for free guided tours, the Lion House, another former residence of Brigham Young that is now operated as a restaurant, and theJoseph Smith Memorial Building, a former grand hotel which today holds a number of meeting and dining facilities, public computers for genealogical research and a theater showing free church-produced films.

Temple Square springs into overdrive twice a year when the LDS church holds its semiannual General Conference, an event that attracts tens of thousands of visitors from around the world. Another popular event is the “Christmas Lights at Temple Square.” The LDS Church maintains beautiful gardens year-round that are worth seeing if you see nothing else.

  • Church History Museum, 45 North West Temple St (just across the street, west of Temple Sq), ☎ +1 801 240-3310, [32]. M-F 9AM-9PM, Sa Su, Holidays 10AM-7PM. This free museum has a permanent display that outlines the history of the LDS church from Joseph Smith until the arrival in Salt Lake City. There is also a rotating display of different LDS themed artwork. The church history portion takes about 30 minutes to walk through if you read the descriptions of the museum pieces. Free.  edit
  • Family History Library, 35 North West Temple St (just across the street, west of Temple Sq), ☎ +1 866 406-1830, [33]. M 8AM-5PM, Tu-Sa 8AM-9PM, closed Sundays. The genealogical wing of the Mormon church, this library is the largest of its kind in the world. It is open to the public and attracts multitudes of visitors interested in tracing their family history. Research assistants are available to help patrons. Free.  edit

Parks

  • Liberty Park, between 700 East and 600 East and 900 South and 1300 South. Salt Lake City’s “Central Park” with many different areas for many different activities including a small amusement park (very small), a large pond that sometimes has paddle boats available, fountains to play in, children’s play area, swimming pools, tennis courts, bbq areas, plenty of green space, tall shade trees, bike and running paths.
    • Tracy Aviary, ☎ +1 801 596-8500, [34]. 9AM-5PM daily. Located on eight acres of land within Liberty Park, this aviary is home to 300 birds representing about 130 species (many rare or endangered). There are plenty of eye-opening and educational experiences among the wonderful canopy of large trees, two on-site springs and beautiful flowers. Offers year-round exhibits, bird shows, bird-themed crafts and avian encounters. $5, $4 students/seniors, $3 children, 3 and under free..  edit
  • Sugarhouse Park, between 1300 East and 1500 East and 2100 South and I-80, [35]. A large 110-acre park with a small pond, volleyball courts, soccer fields, a baseball diamond, picnic areas, rolling grassy hills and a garden center. The park is popular with runners and walkers, who exercise on the mile park road. The park was built on the former site of the Utah Territorial Prison. The park features a small pond often inhabited by the renowned California Gull, the state bird. Every July 4, one of the largest fireworks shows in the state takes place here, so expect traffic jams around the park that day.
  • Pioneer Park, on 300 West and 400 South. Home to the outdoor Farmer’s Market [36] on Saturdays from June to October. The market is very popular and safe, but the park has a large homeless population and should be avoided at night for safety reasons.
  • Gilgal Sculpture Garden, 749 East 500 S, +1 801 582-0432, [37]. A small but very unique collection of sculpture.
  • Memory Grove, North Canyon Rd. (120 East), [38]. Featuring several memorials and a meditation chapel.
  • Lindsay Gardens, 7th Ave and M St. A park in the city’s first neighborhood that lies next to a large cemetery. Often serene, the park offers spectacular views of the valley.

Do

For event listings, try the event calendars in SLUG or the City Weekly (see Newspapers in the Cope section), or Now Playing Utah [39] run by the Utah Arts & Cultural Coalition (UACC). If you are visiting Salt Lake in the summer, there is a good chance that there will be an outdoor concert or festival.

Outdoor recreation

Salt Lake City is a major hub for outdoor recreation of startling variety.

Summer activities, such as camping, hiking/geocaching, mountain biking, rock-climbing, fishing, boating, etc. are popular, as the mountains around Salt Lake City provide outdoor opportunities of all kinds. A 10-15 minute drive provides access to dozens of canyon trails for hiking and mountain biking. Red Butte Gardens and the surrounding area, and City Creek Canyon are popular with locals. In addition, SLC is a 5-hour drive away from the major national parks and unique, striking desert sandstone terrain of Southern Utah.

Great Salt Lake – shallow, salty lake in northwestern portion of state northwest of Salt Lake City. The Great Salt Lake Marina, operated as a state park, Great Salt Lake State Park and Marina [40] is located on the south shore of the Great Salt Lake, 16 miles west of Salt Lake City along Interstate 80. The Great Salt Lake Marina has 300 slips and is available for year-round boating on the lake that never freezes. Few power boats frequent the lake which makes this large lake with beautiful vistas and expansive night skies an excellent sailing location. The Great Salt Lake Yacht Club [41] organizes sailboat races which occur all summer. The Great Salt Lake is also one of the largest bird refuges in the West, and is home to a large pelican colony on the cliffs of Antelope Island. Antelope Island is a state park and offers a herd of bison, hiking and bird watching, in addition to hiking trails. Recreation on and around the lake is preferable to swimming and wading.

There are several world-class ski resorts accessible within minutes of SLC. Ski areas in both of the Cottonwood Canyons are served by UTA buses from late November until April. Park City, the main venue for the 2002 Winter Olympics, is a 40 minute drive up Parley’s Canyon. They are famous for the light, fluffy snowfalls caused by the low humidity and heavy ‘lake-effect’ storm clouds. In addition, some of the heaviest snowfall in the nation occurs in the Wasatch Mountains. Many of the resorts host concerts, festivals and outdoor activities during the summer, and offer discounted accommodations at that time.

  • Brighton, Big Cottonwood Canyon, [42]. Within 25 minutes of downtown.
  • Solitude, Big Cottonwood Canyon, [43]. 25 minutes from downtown.
  • Snowbird, Little Cottonwood Canyon, [44]. This scenic resort is within 30 minutes of Downtown. As well as skiing and snowboarding there’s a scenic tram ride for non-skiers to top of 11,000 ft Hidden Peak which operates year round (weather permitting), and the views from Hidden Peak in all directions are spectacular. In the summer, Snowbird also operates a sort of carnival, with numerous rides and activities.
  • Alta, Little Cottonwood Canyon, [45]. This resort is also within 30 minutes of downtown. This resort does not allow snowboarding.
  • Park City Resort, [46].
  • The Canyons, in Park City, [47]. About 40 minutes from Salt Lake.
  • Deer Valley, in Park City, [48]. About 40 minutes from Salt Lake. No snowboarding.

Sports

  • Utah’s main professional sports team is the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Utah’s fans are known as being raucous and their home court of EnergySolutions Arena is considered one of the most difficult places to play in the entire NBA. The NBA season lasts from November through mid-April; the playoffs can last as long as early June. It is directly accessible from the TRAX light rail system and service is often increased for games.
  • Real Salt Lake (pronounced ree-awl like Real Madrid as opposed to the English word real) is a member of Major League Soccer (MLS) and plays their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium, also directly accessible from TRAX, in nearby Sandy. The season lasts from March through October, with the playoffs lasting into November. They are a fairly new team, established in 2005, but won the MLS Cup (league championship) in 2009 and lost in the MLS Cup final in 2013.
  • Salt Lake City also has two minor-league teams. The Salt Lake Bees, the AAA affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels, play in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). They make their home at Smith’s Ballpark (the largest ballpark in the entire PCL), located south of downtown and served directly by TRAX. The Utah Grizzlies, the minor league affiliate of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, play in the ECHL. The Grizzlies play their home games at the Maverik Center (formerly the E Center) in West Valley City.
  • In college sports, the Utah Utes [49] represent the University of Utah in NCAA Division I competition. The Utes are members of the Pacific-12 Conference, along with nine other large public universities in the western U.S. plus the private University of Southern California in Los Angeles and Stanford University in the Bay Area. The campus, including the school’s main venues of Rice–Eccles Stadium (football) and the Jon M. Huntsman Center (basketball), is directly accessible from TRAX, with one train station next to the football stadium.

Arts, performing arts and cinema

  • Downtown Salt Lake City is home to at least 20 art galleries and antiques shops. A free downtown Gallery Stroll [50] is organized on the third Friday of every month. A “gallery row” of sorts is near 300 South and 200 East.
  • The Ballet West Ballet Company [51] perform regularly at Capitol Theater downtown. They were the subject of the reality TV series “Breaking Pointe,” which was renewed for a second season in 2013.
  • The Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company [52] perform contemporary dance at the Rose Wagner theater, also downtown.
  • The Utah Symphony / Utah Opera collaborative [53] perform at both Capitol Theater and Abravanel Hall.

Salt Lake City has always had a love affair with live theater, and several historic buildings were playhouses in the 1930s. Two professional companies maintain a full performance season:

  • Pioneer Theatre Company [54], who perform at the Pioneer Theatre on the University of Utah campus.
  • Salt Lake Acting Company [55], whose theater is north of downtown.

There is an active improv comedy community [56], including several standing weekly or monthly performances. Salt Lake City is also home to the Wise Guys Comedy clubs, which feature touring stand up comedians.

Kingsbury Hall, on the University of Utah Campus, features touring national plays, musicals, and other special performances. Red Butte Gardens [57] has a popular summer concert series in their amphitheater. The state-run event calendar Now Playing Utah lists touring acts and special events [58].

Movies are a passion for Salt Lakers, as Utah has served as the backdrop to many Hollywood blockbusters and Salt Lake is home to many film festivals (sure, you’ve heard of Sundance, but there are many more). The Salt Lake Film Society [59] runs two movie theaters showing only independent and foreign films, and special screenings of classic films. They also provide screenings for the Sundance Film Festival in January. The Tower Theatre on 876 East 900 South was built in 1921 and is the oldest Salt Lake theater still in operation. The Broadway Centre Cinemas on 300 South and 111 East are within walking distance of downtown hotels. On summer evenings, some venues in Salt Lake City and surrounding areas support free or low-cost outdoor movies, usually with a family-friendly rating and subject matter. Downtown, these are hosted at the Gallivan Center.

Several taverns and bars in Salt Lake City regularly have live music acts featuring local bands ranging from blues to ska, and punk rock to dueling pianos. The Salt Lake Arts Council runs the popular Twilight Concert Series on Thursday nights in July and August. The concerts also feature a small arts and crafts market and food service from local restaurants and food trucks. Nationally touring acts generally stop in Salt Lake City as a logical tour stop between Las Vegas and Denver, and so many concert dates take place mid-week.

Learn

  • Granite Peaks Lifelong Learning [60] is part of the Granite School District in Salt Lake City and offers a wide variety of courses for serious education or for fun at a reasonable price. English as a second language, GED Prep and Food Handler’s Permit classes are available, as well as a few Spanish-language courses. For those of you looking for something more fun, sign up for wine tasting, pottery or even ghost hunting!
  • The Univeristy of Utah Continuing Education Department [61] also offers classes on art, finance, foreign languages and a variety of specialty subjects.
  • Family History Library, 35 North West Temple St (across West Temple St from the Assembly Hall), ☎ +1 801 240-2331, [62]. M 7:30AM-5PM, Tu-Sa 7:30AM-10PM. Search your family tree and study genealogy at the largest genealogy library in the world. Free.  edit

Shopping areas

  • Every city has a Main Street, and Salt Lake is no exception. This revitalized area is home to many ethnic restaurants, specialty shops, and was recently the location of Crossroads Mall and ZCMI Mall. The two malls have been demolished (in addition to several other buildings on the two blocks) to make way for the mixed-use City Creek Center, which opened in March 2012 (complete with a skybridge over Main Street). Notable among Main Street stores is Sam Weller’s Zion Bookstore, a local new and used book emporium.
  • Salt Lake’s Gateway Mall, 90 South 400 West. M-Sa 10AM-9PM, Su noon-6PM. A new development built in anticipation of the 2002 Winter Olympics. It was built on the site of the old Union and Rio Grande railway stations, and incorporates the Union building in its structure. Many national (and several local) mall stores can be found here. Stores include: Abercrombie & Fitch, Barnes & Noble, Victoria’s Secret, Brookstone, PacSun, etc. Restaurants include Thaifoon, California Pizza Kitchen, The DoDo, etc. The Gateway is Utah’s largest open air shopping district. The area also includes condominiums and office space.
  • The City Creek Center [63] between South Temple and 100 South, and Main Street and West Temple is an open air mall with 100 stores that opened in 2012. Main anchors include Macy’s, Nordstroms, H&M, Gap, Porsche Design, Apple, West Elm, Restoration Hardware, Forever 21, and American Eagle Outfitters.
  • Historic Trolley Square, 600 South 700 East. Shop among a nice selection of smaller boutiques along-side well known national chain retailers housed in and around Salt Lake City’s former streetcar & trolley barns. Come visit the historic trolley square and enjoy its unique flavor of restaurants, boutique shops and services. Take in a movie or, one of the many every-changing events going on in-and-around the square. Trolley Square also features a very large Whole Foods grocery store; the recent construction was the subject of some debate as many residents felt the building did not fit with Trolley’s aesthetic, but it does offer more parking as well as its trademark organic groceries.
  • Salt Lake’s 9th & 9th, 900 South 900 East. Hours vary by store. This small eclectic neighborhood is a frequent hang out for University Students and the more diverse residents of the city. There are several coffee shops in the area, including Starbucks, the Coffee Garden and Cafe Expresso. Eat at one of the trendy and fun restaurants including Barbacoa and Great Harvest Bread Company. Be sure to visit the less-than-reverent Cahoots Cards and Gifts. Catch a movie or rent a video from the Tower Theatre, the home of Utah’s alternative theatre for foreign, underground and Sundance Film Festival releases. Visit Contender Bicycles before setting out on a bicycle tour of Salt Lake City. This is an excellent starting and stopping point and is central to the Harvard/Yale neighborhood, Liberty Park, the University of Utah and downtown. Other shopping includes: Charlottes, The Square Nest-House to Home, Western Rivers Flyfisher (offering guided fly fishing tours in Utah), Chameleon Artwear, Hip and Humble, Koo De Ker, Gypsy Moon, Moroz Violins, Mutual Beauty Supply, The Country Homes Antiques, Children’s Hour, Floribunda, The Yuppie Puppy and The Vug Rock and Gem Jeweler.

Eat

Fry sauce is a Utah specialty. What is it? Fry sauce is a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise (and other seasonings depending on what restaurant is making it) eaten on French fries. Fry sauce was created many years ago by the local fast food restaurant Arctic Circle and has since spread to the rest of Utah, as well as eastern Idaho. Almost any local (and many chain) restaurants will serve this tasty pink concoction. For more on Arctic Circle locations see: Arctic Circle Restaurants [64]

The local newspaper, City Weekly, has a comprehensive restaurant list on their website, including reviews (see “Cope”).

  • Bambara, 202 South Main St (Inside the Hotel Monaco), ☎ +1 801-363-5454, [65]. M-F 7AM-10PM Sa Su 8AM-11AM 5:30PM-10PM. Upscale dining serving New American type food. Eclectic décor, excellent service, a great bar and outstanding food make this worth the splurge. $20-35.  edit
  • Blue Plate Diner, 2041 South 2100 E, ☎ +1 801 463-1151, [66]. Su-Th 7AM-9PM F Sa 7AM-10PM. Great breakfasts, funky décor, a great patio and reasonable prices bring the locals to this diner. Unlike most diners, they have plenty of vegetarian options. Expect lots of noise and a wait on weekend mornings.  edit
  • Brewvies cinema pub, 677 South 200 W, has a two movie theaters showing current movies. You can eat in the theaters and in the pub area (which includes pool tables). There are often special movie events and limited release showings. [67]
  • Cafe Trio, 680 South 900 E. M-Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-10:30PM. Great flatbread, pizzas and pastas with a good selection of wine. Nice ambiance.
  • Cedars of Lebanon, 152 East 200 S, serves Moroccan and Lebanese food, and middle eastern dancers on weekends. [68]
  • Ichiban Sushi, 336 South 400 E, 4PM-10PM daily. Sushi restaurant in a converted lutheran church.
  • I Love Sushi, 368 South State Street, [69]. Lunch M-Sa 11AM-2:30PM, Dinner M-Th 5PM-9:30PM, F Sa 5AM-10PM. Great family run Sushi joint, less atmosphere than Ichiban, but more consistent on being good. The 007 roll is a great thing to try there.
  • Lamb’s Grill in the heart of downtown (on 169 S. Main Street) is the oldest restaurant in the state of Utah (since 1919!) and serves American/classic diner food. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. [70] 801 364-7166
  • Market Street Grill, 48 West Market Street, [71]. Breakfast: M-F 6:30AM-11AM; Sa 7AM-12PM; Su Brunch (Special Menu) 9AM-3PM. Lunch M-F 11AM-3PM; Sa 12PM-3PM. Dinner M-T 5PM-10PM; F 5PM-11PM; Sa 4PM-11PM; Su 4PM-9:30PM. Voted best breakfast in Salt Lake City, very good seafood restaurant.
  • Mazza, 1515 South 1500 E. 912 East 900 S. [72] M-Sa 11AM-9PM. Excellent Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food with plenty of vegan options along with a good supply of meat.
  • Moochie’s Meatballs and More!, 232 East 800 S. M-Th 11AM-7PM, F Sa 11AM-9PM. Great Italian food with an emphasis on Philly cheesesteak sandwiches.
  • The Pie Pizzeria, 1320 East 200 S, ☎ +1 801 582-0193, [73]. M-Th 11AM-1AM F Sa 11AM-3AM Su Noon-11PM. This Utah institution is in a dark but cozy basement right next to the University, and the walls are covered with the graffiti of patrons from the last twenty years. They serve salads and subs, but they’re famous for their giant and thickly loaded pizzas. Beer available. $6-20.  edit
  • The Red Iguana, 736 West North Temple. +1 801 322-1489. [74] M-Th 11AM-10PM, F 11AM-11PM, Sa 10AM-11PM, Su 10AM-9PM. This great Mexican restaurant is famous for its incredible moles. Consistently ranked among the best restaruants in the valley, it can get very crowded on weekend nights. $10-$20
  • Red Rock Brewing Company, 254 South 200 W, ☎ +1 801 521-7446, [75]. F Sa 11AM-Midnight Su-Th 11AM-11PM (Tavern open later). Excellent food, killer appetizers and even better beer. Try the French Onion Steak Sandwich or the Almond Crusted Trout. Winner of Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year at the 2007 Great American Brew Festival. $10-25.  edit
  • Ruth’s Diner is in Emigration Canyon [76]. Ruth’s has a creek side patio and spectacular views of the canyon from a train car. The diner first opened in the 1930s, and is famous for “mile high” biscuits. Everything on the menu is good. Sunday brunch is typically very very busy.
  • Siegfried’s Delicatessen, 20 West 200 S, is the city’s most authentic German deli.
  • Spencer’s for Steaks and Chops, 255 South West Temple, ☎ +1 801 238-4748, [77]. 11AM-2PM lunch and 5PM-11PM dinner. A steakhouse restaurant. Voted Best Steak in the city by Salt Lake Magazine.  edit
  • Squatter’s, 147 W Broadway. M-Th 11AM-12AM, F 11AM-1AM, Sa 10:30AM-1AM, Su 10:30AM-12AM. Tasty local brewpub. Nice patio.
  • Training Table. Specializing in excellent gourmet hamburgers with numerous locations in the Salt Lake Valley. You order via a telephone at your table and are buzzed when your food is ready.
  • Cannella’s, 204 East 500 South, ☎ +1 801 355-8518, [78]. M-Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-11PM. Established in 1978, Cannella’s was built on the love of food, family and friends. The atmosphere is cozy, comfortable and familiar, and is the kind of place where you meet friends for life. Offering a full bar, large wine selection and affordable fine Italian dining. The staff, price and quality food make it a rare dining experience that will make you look forward to your next visit. Also serving pizza as of SPRING 2011. $15-30.  edit
  • Himalayan Kitchen, 360 S. State Street, [79]. Nepali and Indian cuisine. They’ve got a good buffet lunch that makes for a quick and affordable meal. Lunch service is often quite busy, but this is also a good place for a leisurely dinner.  edit

Drink

  • The Bayou, 645 S State St, ☎ (801)-961-8400, [80]. M-F 11AM-1AM, Sa Su 5PM-1AM. A beer lover’s paradise, The Bayou is home to 240 different kinds of beer from all over the world, with about 30 on tap. They also serve excellent creole food and feature live music most nights.  edit
  • Fiddlers Elbow, 1063 East 2100 S, ☎ +1 801 463-9393, [81]. A neighborhood pub serving quality food and drinks in the heart of Sugar House.  edit
  • Gracie’s, 326 South West Temple, ☎ +1 801 819-7565. 11:30AM-1AM. Gracie’s is Salt Lake City’s one and only “Gastropub.” With two floors, two patios, and by far the most beautiful view of downtown and the Wasatch Mountains; Gracie’s is a must for a night on the town, or just some great food and drinks anytime. Must be 21 and older. Live music, games and a LOT of T.V.’s. $10-30.  edit
  • The Red Door, 57 West 200 South, ☎ 801-363-6030, [82].  edit
  • Burt’s Tiki Lounge, 726 South State Street. Traditional dive bar, frequently has live music of the heavy metal and punk variety.  edit
  • Piper Down Pub, 1492 South State Street, [83]. Traditional Irish pub, frequently has live music or trivia nights. Plan ahead if you want to attend St. Patrick’s day festivities.  edit
  • Cafe Zupas, 613 East 400 South, ☎ (801) 746-0138, [84]. Zupas has recieved 13 Best-of-State awards in over 6 consecutive years. They provide the freshest soups, salads and sandwiches with exotic ingredients. Zupas is a fast-casual setting.  edit

Utah liquor laws

Utah’s liquor laws are known as one of the more misunderstood things about the state. Increased tourism has influenced more lenient State regulation allowing liquor licenses to be issued to public serving establishments in the last decade. Local governments are allowed to restrict the sale of alcohol, but even more religiously concentrated areas outside of the Salt Lake metro area have trended towards relaxed regulations.

Salt Lake City and the metropolitan area have plenty of public bars. Last call is 1AM. They serve 7 days a week.

State run liquor stores provide retail sales of spirits, wine, and normal strength (mostly premium) beers. They are open 11am – 10PM. They are closed on Sunday. They have “sales”, but tend to sell at MSR prices.

State run “Wine Stores” are smaller outlets that often lack the selection of cheaper brands of liquor and beer of the larger state run liquor stores.

Grocery Stores are restricted to sell only brewed beers that have no more than 3.2% alcohol. They sell until 1AM in the SLC area.
Retail liquor is sold only in state-owned stores which can cost more or less than in other states – but are neat, clean and always well stocked. LAC Beer (3.2% alcohol by weight/4% alcohol by volume, as opposed to the standard 4-6% alcohol by volume) replaces the usual brew, which is available in stores and restaurants. Regular strength beer is available in bars and liquor stores. Also, state law prohibits the serving of more than 1.5 ounces of alcohol as the primary liquor in a mixed drink. This used to be circumvented with the purchase of a “sidecar” (a separate shot of liquor), but the laws have recently been amended. Secondary alcoholic flavorings may then be added to a mixed drink as the recipe requires.

Although liquor laws in Utah are strict, they are typical of areas in the USA with strong abstinent beliefs. There are several kinds of establishments to know about:

  • Private club. These used to be the only way to get a drink in Utah. A very few clubs have retained memberships, such as the exclusive Alta Club. Most private clubs became bars once the laws were amended.
  • Bar. This is a normal American bar serving the public with an issued liquor license with serving restrictions as noted above.
  • Tavern. A “tavern” was a bar that served only beer and required no “membership”. They all became bars or restaurants.
  • Restaurants. Many restaurants serve beer as well as hard liquor, but you must order food. You cannot order more than one drink (per person) at a time.
  • State Liquor Store. These sell liquor, wine, and full strength (mainly premium branded) beers.
  • State Wine Store. These specialize in wine rather spirits.

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