If you love flavors from around the world, you’ll love exploring the cuisine of South Salt Lake, which offers a veritable melting pot of International ingredients and flair. In this relatively small city nestled between Salt Lake, Millcreek and West Valley, you’ll find cuisines from every part of the globe. The following restaurants are all well-regarded by residents and visitors. I’ll start the list with my own personal favorites.
9-UP Night Market
Address: 3232 400 E suite 1100, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
Must order: Tawainese popcorn chicken
Brilliant bao. Fabulous fried chicken. Terrific taro pudding. There’s a lot to like at this South Salt Lake spot. Operating as a delivery and takeout spot only on certain days of the week, the menu is built around vibrant South East Asian street food. Check out this write-up I put together about an order I enjoyed from 9-UP.
Best Chicken And Ribs
Address: 111 E 2700 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
Must order: chicken kabobs, rice
The slowly turning rotisserie chickens in the window tell you all you need to know about this SoSL icon. Located just next door to the equally fab Fresh Donuts & Deli, the star of the show here is chicken. You can order everything from one of those full-roasted chickens through to simple grilled skewers, kissed with a smokey singe from the grill. On the side, the restaurant offers excellent yellow-hued rice as well as beans, potatoes, and salad. And right next door to Best Chicken…
Fresh Donuts & Deli
Address: 2699 S State St, South Salt Lake, UT 84115
Must order: as much as you can carry
There’s a reason there’s always a line outside this State Street spot come weekend mornings. And no matter how fast, you see patrons gleefully walking away with box after box of golden fried treats – the line keeps stacking up. These are undeniably the best donuts in town, maybe the whole state. Classic creations, executed with deep-fried aplomb.
Emiliano’s Taco Shop
Address: 2646 S 700 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Must order: carne asada taco, carnitas taco
Taking over the location of the much missed Taqueria Los Lee, Emiliano’s takes the baton at this South Salt Lake spot. The tacos come in both street and regular sizes, pictured above are the full sized versions. Prices run roughly $3-$5 and the options include carne asada, adobada, carnitas, lengua, dish, and shrimp. Emiliano’s continues the gold standard for tacos in this location. My personal favorite is the carne asada, big chopped pieces of tender beef.
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Umi Shabu Shabu
Address: 2701 S State St, South Salt Lake, UT 84115
Must order: all you can eat noodles
Umi Shabu Shabu is a Japanese shabu shabu restaurant that offers an all-you-can-experience dining extravaganza. Choose your broth, your noodles, your toppings – then enjoy an unlimited supply of beef, lamb, pork, and seafood to cook table side. See my full review of the experience.
Pho 33
Address: 285 E 2700 S, South Salt Lake, UT 84115
Must order: signature pho 33
Making the move from Midvale in recent years, Pho 33 now lives in South Salt Lake City. The menu, a mix of Vietnamese and Chinese dishes, remains the same. My own favorite here is the pho, specifically the eponymous pho 33, which comes with rare beef, brisket, meatballs, flank, shank, tendon, tripe, and oxtail. The portion sizes are massive with generous amounts of beef. In Pho King’s roundup of EVERY pho bowl in SLC – the restaurant placed second.
Mom’s Kitchen
Address: 2233 State St, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
Must order: mapo tofu, fried chicken
This State Street eatery specializes in the cuisine of Taiwan. Home-style dishes like the mapo tofu and fried rice pictured above leap off the plate with vibrance and vigor. The restaurant has an extensive menu including a variety of Taiwanese-style small plates for snacking or sharing.
Grid City Beer Works
Address: 333 2100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
Must order: honey cream ale on nitro
Check out my original profile piece on Grid City here. The quick story? OK here goes – they offer fabulous craft beers (with a British inspiration throughout) and solid pub food menu that changes week in and out. There’s a rooftop patio, beer to go, and a fun atmosphere. One of the best brewpubs in town.
The Pie Pizzeria
Address: 3321 S 200 E, South Salt Lake, UT 84115
Must order: pizza
This purpose-built South Salt Lake outpost of The Pie is a modern and cool spot. Perfect for a slice of pizza before or after a movie at the theatre over the road or equally good for a full sit-down meal. The restaurant offers a gluten-free and vegan menu, plus a range of other dishes such as calzone and sandwiches. In warmer months the restaurant has both street-level and elevated patios for al fresco eats too.
Oh Mai
Address: 3425 State St, South Salt Lake, UT 84115
Must order: S8 garlic rib eye
One of the very best Vietnamese restaurants in Utah started right here in South Salt Lake. The blink and you’ll miss is spot along State Street doesn’t have the best parking in the world, but it does have the very best banh mi sandwiches in the state hands down. Prices are unfailingly reasonable too.
The Med
Address: 420 E 3300 S, South Salt Lake, UT 84115
Must order: lamb sandwich, hummus
Something of an institution along 33rd South is this family-run restaurant that has been cranking out Mediterranean flavors for decade after decade. In fact you’ll find plenty more as well, everything from pasta to Thai curries here, but our recommendation is to explore the Middle Eastern leaning flavors and dishes such as the pictured pitch-perfect kabobs.
Delice
Address: 2747 S State St, South Salt Lake, UT 84115
Must order: panini
This one should be no secret to those who love to lunch around Salt Lake City. Found on busy Main Street in South Salt Lake, the cafe offers sandwiches, salads, grilled panini and a fabulous roster of sweet and savory house baked goods. It’s practically impossible to leave a meal here without a take out order for your next meal too. You’ve been warned.
Afghan Kitchen
Address: 3142 Main St, South Salt Lake, UT 84115
Must order: kebob
See – we said South Salt Lake was eclectic – where else can you find authentic Afghani flavors in the Salt Lake valley? Right here, that’s where.
Mano Thai Diner
Address: 41 W 3300 S, South Salt Lake, UT 84115
Must order: pad ga prow
Craving curry? Love larb? Head to Mano Thai Diner (formerly Bon Appe Thai) in the heart of South Salt Lake. The restaurant offers beer and wine, is open seven days a week, sports a drive-thru thru and happily cranks the spice to authentic levels – if that’s your thing. What’s not to love?
Navajo Taco
Address: 447 3300 S, South Salt Lake, UT 84115
Must order: navajo taco
One of the only places I know of where you grab an authentic Navajo taco. This special treat begins with fresh homemade fry bread and from there, you load on your choice of toppings: homemade chili beans, cheddar cheese, freshly chopped lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and homemade salsa. Don’t miss the sweet fry bread for dessert too! Check out this fun story from the archives on what to expect.
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.
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