Spring into the season with these fresh flavors at Slapfish

If you’ve yet to try Slapfish – the seafood-centric fast casual – the coming month is the perfect opportunity to dip your toes into the proverbial waters. Not only has the restaurant revamped its core menu, but right now, you can also snag some rather fun seasonal specials.

The boutique brand has a familiar trajectory to many in the business – starting life as a humble food truck back in 2011. From those roots, the company has grown to nearly two dozen U.S locations – a quartet of which can be found across the Wasatch front. Amidst a sea (pun intended, last one I promise) of burger and chicken chains, the menu presents a stand-out option when it comes to fast-casual dining, especially for those seeking fresher flavors.

Which brings us neatly to the limited-time release that’s hitting Slapfish menus right now. Three all-new special rolls have arrived as part of the Roll Call update. The trio all come on a toasted, buttery split top roll, crafted as follows:

• Shrimp scampi roll – grilled shrimp, roma tomato, scampi sauce, arugula, garlic breadcrumbs
• Buffalo bacon shrimp roll – iceberg lettuce, pickled red onion, Greek yogurt ranch, crispy shrimp, buffalo sauce, bacon crumbles, celery
• Citrus crab roll – arugula, lemony crab salad, celery, orange

Here’s a quick look at each when I stopped by the Sandy location last week:

The latter was my personal favorite, the zippy zing of lemon and orange being a perfect foil for the rich, buttery bun. The rolls (with a choice of seasoned fries or slaw on the side) are priced more than reasonably at $13.95 – $15.95. The price point is notable given the ingredients; indeed the core concept at Slapfish is to marry sustainable seafood, with affordable prices, in a casual setting. If you’ve swung by any of the big national names of late, you’ll know firsthand how expensive even a simple fried chicken sandwich can be these days.

The other major update I touched on earlier, follows the 2022 purchase of the company by Mac Haik Enterprises. As part of that transition, the overall menu has been refined and sharpened. Slapfish now embraces a modern DIY approach to ordering. This allows guests to create a refreshing meal from a set series of steps (try saying that with a mouthful of citrus-brightened crab). Select a protein, pick a format, and finish with a sauce.

Salads, bowls, sandwiches, and tacos can all be loaded up with the likes of grilled salmon, grilled or crispy white fish, seared ahi tuna, and grilled or crispy shrimp. Plant-based seafood is also an option should you wish. To complete their dish, guests can also choose from herby chimichurri, sriracha honey lime, sesame soy glaze, Greek yogurt ranch, and the brand’s signature Slap Sauce. I could enumerate the endless permutations, but hopefully, your mind is already at work on that one.

Thankfully for the indecisive, composed dishes remain on the menu after the refresh – the signature lobster roll that many regulars love is just one example. Regional manager Juan Carlos Cordova also pointed me in the direction of two fan favorites from this segment of the menu. Notably a vibrantly arresting poke bowl, and a classic fish and chips. Here’s a couple more pics I snapped to give you a feel:

I’ll confess the poke bowl ($13.95) took me by surprise, it’s one of the finer examples I’ve tasted in Utah. Ruby red tuna is the jewel of the well-appointed crown, gently glazed with sesame and soy sauce. Avocado, sriracha mayo, edamame, shaved rainbow radishes, cucumbers, pickled red onion, pickled ginger, crispy wontons, furikake, and shredded cabbage are artfully plated. Underneath you’ll find a bed of jasmine rice studded with quinoa. There are few casual dining dishes out there that so easily blend healthy and tempting.

The fish and chips ($15.95) are equally well executed, and I’d happily place Slapfish’s rendering on my list of the better options in town. The beer batter is remarkably light while retaining plenty of crunch and crackle. The dish stays true to the British classic with meaty, flaky cod. Served with a Slap Slaw and house tartar sauce, it’s another solid selection.

As the season warms up, and with palates craving lighter, fresher flavors – Slapfish makes for an ideal option to add to your dining destination list this Spring.

Slapfish locations in Utah include:

• Sandy – 10431 S State St, Sandy, UT 84070
• Lehi – 3320 Digital Dr, Lehi, UT 84043
• Farmington – 254 N University Ave, Farmington, UT 84025
• Park City – 6622 N Landmark Dr, Park City, UT 84098

Check out the full menu online at slapfishrestaurant.com/menu – and note that all the Spring limited time rolls are available through to the start of May.

Stuart Melling

Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you!  I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC.  I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City  dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.

I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV.   Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune.    I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand.   What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.

Want to know more? This is why I am the way I am.