The Best Restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah

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The 2002 Winter Olympics cast Salt Lake City in a new, contemporary, more diverse light. Visitors discovered a panoply of cultural influences, brewpubs, ethnic flavors, and progressive chefs. Salt Lake City may not have the depth of restaurants seen in other big cities, but there are a couple of outstanding choices for nearly every budget and cuisine. Restaurants like Lamb’s Grill Café, Hire’s Big H, and Ruth’s Diner trace their roots back five-plus decades, and their colorful proprietors are more than willing to share the history they’ve witnessed from their kitchens. Returning LDS missionaries have brought back their favorite flavors from Asia, Europe, and Latin America, with impressive results. Seafood, Japanese, Tibetan, Indian, Spanish, and Italian are all suitably showcased in Salt Lake eateries, and when all else fails, there are great burgers and Rocky Mountain cuisine, a fusion inspired by frontier big game, seafood fresh from the great Pacific ports, and organic produce grown in Utah’s fertile valleys. You'll also find creative wine lists and knowledgeable service. Bakers and pastry chefs defy the 4,400-foot altitude with rustic sourdoughs and luscious berry-filled treats. Multiple weekly summer farmers' markets are thriving, and chefs are building more and more of a food community.

Sawadee Thai

$$

Head to this popular restaurant on the border between the Avenues and Central City—its brick walls and gorgeous artwork create a warm, inviting vibe—for authentic Thai fare. Starters like minced-fish cakes with red curry paste and Thai beef salad are perfect for sharing, and the main dishes—such as barbecue sweet-soy pork, pineapple fried rice, and duck in red curry sauce—arrive in generous portions.

754 E. South Temple, UT, 84102, USA
801-328–8424
Known For
  • Eggplant, garlic, and Thai basil stir fries
  • Fragrant Thai iced tea
  • Jackfruit with Thai sweet sticky rice
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun.

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