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Best Sugar House restaurants – a foodies guide

One of the most popular neighborhoods in Salt Lake City is Sugar House. The area has undergone significant reconstruction in the past decade seeing many new faces and flavors to hit the streets. You can find everything from burgers to Thai to Italian in Sugar House. Restaurants line the streets – but which one to pick? The following are my personal picks for the a great meal in Sugar House.

SOMI - short rib rice plate
SOMI – short rib rice plate (Gastronomic SLC)

SOMI Vietnamese Bistro

Address: 1215 E. Wilmington Ave, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Cuisine:
Vietnamese, Chinese

Stunning Vietnamese cuisine can be found right in the heart of Sugar House. SOMI is a modern restaurant with an upscale aesthetic and a menu replete with Vietnamese classics. Rice dishes, noodle dishes, fresh salads and a range of Chinese dishes like Peking Duck make for a mouth watering menu. Check out the cocktail wine and beer menu too.

Pretty Bird - chicken sandwich with crinkle fries
Pretty Bird – chicken sandwich with crinkle fries (Gastronomic SLC)

Pretty Bird

Address: 675 E 2100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Cuisine:
fried chicken, sandwiches

The second location of celeb-chef Viet Pham’s Pretty Bird empire. Pham brings his popular menu of Nashville style fried chicken sandwiches, as well as all new tenders and nuggets. If you enjoy spice, don’t be afraid to go hot – the highest couple hear levels are more than manageable. The self ordering, quick serve format makes Pretty Bird a top pick for a fast and easy meal when in a rush – without sacrificing flavor.

Sushi Groove - scallop with Tobiko, togarashi, spicy mayo, green onion, ponzu
Sushi Groove – scallop with Tobiko, togarashi, spicy mayo, green onion, ponzu (Gastronomic SLC)

Sushi Groove

Address: 2910 S Highland Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Cuisine:
sushi, Japanese

A little out of the center of Sugar House, but only just, one of the funnest restaurants in all of Utah. Get your groove on by order from the fresh sushi board and kicking back to the regular DJs that play at Sushi Groove. The menu at Sushi Groove is packed with creativity and style, and if you don’t see something you like just chat to the team at the sushi counter to create something extra special just for you.

Sara Thai Kitchen - Khao man kai
Sara Thai Kitchen – Khao man kai (Gastronomic SLC)

Sara Thai Kitchen

Address: 609 E 2100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Cuisine: Thai

This quality Thai eatery recently made the move from downtown to join the roster of great Sugar House restaurants. My favorite dish to date here has been the Khao Man Kai, a sort of Thai spin on Hainanese chicken. Simply cooked skin-on chicken is sliced and served over steaming Jasmine rice. On the side there’s a pot of liquid that needs no explanation, the surface quivers with rendered chicken fat making it clear this is for splashing over in gloriously waterfall fashion. The finishing touch to the otherwise subtle flavors is an assertive garlic and ginger sauce.

De Los Muertos Mexican Restaurant - chicken mole burrito
De Los Muertos Mexican Restaurant – chicken mole burrito (Gastronomic SLC)

De Los Muertos Mexican Restaurant

Address: 1215 Wilmington Ave, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Cuisine:
Mexican

This fast casual Mexican spot can be found in the very heart of Sugar House, just next to Spitz and SOMI. The compact menu is home to some fabulous burritos as well as light tacos. Local craft beer, an eye catching patio and quick self service ordering make this a must.

Feldman's Deli - loaded half pound sandwiches
Feldman’s Deli – loaded half pound sandwiches (Gastronomic SLC)

Feldman’s Deli

Address: 2005 E 2700 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84109
Cuisine: sandwiches

The fabulous corned beef and pastrami is hand carved daily at Feldman’s and everything that’s not carefully shipped from the East coast, is hand made in house.. From the classic corned beef with mustard through the funky sloppy Joe or soul satisfying reuben – each creation is a masterpiece. Moreover, these enormous sandwiches are enough to share, or split over two meals.

Yannis - gyro and fries
Yannis – gyro and fries (Gastronomic SLC)

Yanni’s Greek Express

Address: 2761 Highland Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Cuisine:
Greek, gyros

This choice is maybe controversial, but Yanni’s is my favorite gyro in SLC. Why? First of all, there’s the choice of red or white sauce – and you can even order both. The white is a traditional tzatziki, while the red is a rich meaty gravy (pictured above). Bonus points for me include the pita bread enjoying a little time on the flat top adding a little extra crisp and flavor. Lastly, the meat at Yanni’s is always juicy without exception. Yanni’s has a drive thru too which makes satiating the craving quick and simple.

LIttle Saigon - pho banh mi
LIttle Saigon – pho banh mi (Gastronomic SLC)

Little Saigon

Address: 2021 Windsor Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84105
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Home to banging banh mi. If you’re new to banh mi, you’re missing out. This French influenced Vietnamese sandwich is Little Saigon’s standout dish. Start with a crisp French baguette, layer with cilantro, pickled vegis and mayo – then top with your choice of protein; everything from garlic butter steak to tofu lemongrass. Prices are killer too, at just $5-$7.

Wasatch Brew Pub Sugar House - tater tots
Wasatch Brew Pub Sugar House – tater tots (Gastronomic SLC)

Wasatch Brew Pub

Address: 2110 Highland Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Cuisine: brewpub

Wasatch sits in arguable heart of Sugar House and has something for absolutely every taste and occasion. Wasatch is open seven days a week, has a huge interior space and exterior patio, an equally huge brew pub menu – and of course – more beers than you shake a stick at.

Saffron Valley – chicken biryani (Gastronomic SLC)

Saffron Valley

Address: 479 E 2100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
Cuisine: Indian

This third location of the popular Indian eatery is maybe owner Lavanya Mahate’s finest yet. Like every other location the menu showcases lesser known dishes from the Indian sub continent, which means you’ll have tons of fun discovering new flavors. The chic modern interior is bright and comfortable and up from you will also find a display case of baked goods from the businesses sister business, Biscotts. Come for something like the picture Thali above, and when you leave, make sure you grab a sweet treat to go!

Spitz - doner wrap with beast mode upgrade
Spitz – doner wrap with beast mode upgrade (Gastronomic SLC)

Spitz

Address: 1201 Wilmington Ave, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Cuisine: Mediterranean, gyros

Just across the plaza from SOMI, check out this Mediterranean inspired hang out with an edgy vibe. Doner kebabs are the name of the game here but there are other treats too such as Street Cart Fries (fries loaded up with more toppings than is sane) and vibrant salads. The restaurant sports local beer, wine and has a hip, trendy crowd around the clock.

Sugar House BBQ - Big Bills combo
Sugar House BBQ – Big Bills combo (Gastronomic SLC)

Sugar House BBQ

Address: 880 E 2100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Cuisine: BBQ

Now in its second location, but still in Sugar House proper, one of SLC’s oldest BBQ joints. Open daily the restaurant turns out brisket, ribs, chicken, turkey and an array of sandwiches, salads and specials. There’s also beer, wine and cocktails. Yep, ribs and rye. Open seven says a week there’s no excuse for not getting your Q on.

Who did we miss?

If you think we’re missing a really great addition to this list, please email us at stuart@gastronomicslc.com – we’d love to hear from you. Let us know who you think should be on this list and why. If you have a really great picture of one of more dishes, please send that too! We’re always excited to check our more businesses!

Sugar House Utah questions

Is Sugar House walkable?

In terms of the core of Sugar House, it’s a very walkable area. You probably want to head to the heart of Sugar House which is roughly 21st South and 13th East. From there you will be surrounded by bars and restaurants galore.

How far is Sugar House from downtown SLC

In an Uber or Lyft and light traffic, plan on about 10-15 minutes travel time in either direction. During rush hours, you can expect to add another ten to fifteen minutes on top of that.

Is Sugar House expensive?

Relatively speaking, Sugar House is one of the most expensive areas in Utah. This applies to house, food, drinks and everything else. The neighborhood is one of the most trendy and rapidly developing – seeing massive redevelopment over the past decade.

Where and what is Sugar House

As Sugar House is one of the most popular neighborhoods in all of Utah, its no wonder that folks try to extend the boundaries to hopefully include themselves. We think the following boundaries make sense, as does Google Maps, where the image comes from. For reference, you might also hear about the ‘Sugar Hood’, that’s the area roughly outside of Sugar House proper itself.

And yes, it’s Sugar House, not SugarHouse.

Acme Bar Co - Mike Edwards, Festivus Swizzle
Acme Bar Co – Mike Edwards, Festivus Swizzle (Gastronomic SLC)

Bars in Sugar House

Fancy a tipple after you’ve dined? There are plenty of bars in the Sugar House neighborhood to take care of you if so. With the major reconstruction of Sugar House in recent years the bar scene has changed dramatically. Here are some of our own personal favorites for libations in Sugar House:

ACME Bar Company

Home to one of the best cocktail programs in Utah, and found just on the edges of Sugar House. Welcome to ACME where tiki inspiration and flair reigns supreme. The bar offers an ever evolving cocktail list, and is helmed by some of the most talented mixologists in the state. I wrote about the bar in detail, in this story.

Craft By Proper

This is a one of a kind spot in Utah – and is located right in the very heart of Sugar House. Craft By Proper is Utah’s only, Utah beer only, bar. Everything poured here comes from one of the brewers on our fabulous brew scene. Ran by Proper Brewing Co the bar showcases the best of Utah with 36 draft options, and more than 200 selections by can and bottle.

Sugar House Pub

A funky hang out dive bar that looks small from the front, but inside, this place goes back quite a ways. There’s a relaxed vibe here, and if you sit up at the bar area you’ll feel quickly welcomed by the regulars. Towards the back of the space is a games room with pool tables etc.

Quarters Arcade Bar

Part bar, part arcade. Mix together in one glass and stir for a good time. The Sugar House location of Quarters is an offshoot of their downtown SLC original and is every bit as good; some might say even better? The ground floor is host to an affordable walk up bar, as well as pinball galore. Upstairs you’ll find seating and a whole host of arcade machines.

Wasatch Brew Pub

We mentioned this restaurant above as a great place to eat, and it serves just as well for drinks. At the front of this restaurant is a bar area, both a long bar to perch up at, or a comfy lounge area with sofas. If you stop by for drinks make sure to ask what seasonal specials are on draft, Wasatch/Squatters beers brew some of the finest beverages in the city.

All of the above three have full liquor licenses so pour beer, wine and liquor. See our Utah Liquor Laws page for info on navigating the drinks scene in Utah.

Our sponsors and this page

This page may contain information about one of our sponsors. We only work with the very best businesses in the state, and routinely turn down offers to work with businesses we don't enjoy. If we can't hand on heart recommend them - they can't be a sponsor.

At this time we have the following sponosrs: BTG, Caffe Molise, Downtown Alliance, Feldman’s Deli, Felt Bar & Eatery, Flanker Kitchen + Sporting Club, Hearth And Hill, Hill’s Kitchen, Kin Sen Asian Noodle Bar, Kyoto, Log Haven, Oasis Cafe, Squatter’s Downtown Salt Lake City, Stoneground Italian Kitchen, Urban Hill, Wasatch Brew Pub Sugar House, Whiskey Street, White Horse.

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