No matter who you are on this Earth, man, woman, child, or even another animal other than human. Fish, Dogs, Cats, all of the above, doesn't even matter, you must eat. You must eat to survive here on Earth, such is the way mother nature has decreed it. I myself am one of these creatures who must eat to survive, and as such I have compiled this list for you, my fellow fan of eating.
At times, the technological hellscape that man has created around themselves can be overwhelming, however, if it has granted us one thing, it may be yummy food. What was once our must existential threat, hunger, has been tamed. But only if you have access to these 10 restaurants all located within the Salt Lake Valley area:
(this list is in not a ranking and is listed in no particular order.)
Over The Counter Cafe
If you are ever in the millcreek area and are craving an all American Breakfast, Over The Counter cannot be beat. As far as breakfast foods go, theyve got it all. Pancakes, Eggs, Potatoes, Burritos, Coffee, omg the coffee! One of my favorite memories of this place was in 2024, Ripley and I had just returned home from our trip to Amsterdam. After a night of (not a lot) jet lagged sleep, we got up at about 4 or 5 in the morning, we decided to get some food at Over The Counter Cafe. I have never had bacon as perfectly seasoned and cooked as I did in that moment. If I recall, I remember wishing I had ordered my eggs a little bit more cooked as the whites were a little bit runny, but regardless, normally its bussin. My go to orders are the B.E.S.T., the OTC skillet, or the French toast. The coffee is incredible but you will feel like you are on crack for the rest of the day after 2 of those cups of joe.
Rich's Burgers
I have been to this place many times now and I would be so daring to say they have the BEST burger in Salt Lake City. Their menu is pretty straight forward, but it is definitely unique as far as burgers go. Its like theres a bunch of different burger meals, its crazy. My go to is the Mac and Cheese burger, as the mac and cheese is always cooked to complete perfection, with slightly crispy cheesy goodness oozing out of every bite. They also have baller milkshakes, as well as fries and sweet potato fries. One time they had deepfried mushrooms as a side, which while unique was quite enjoyable as well. Also try the Guacamole Burger or the Maui Burger.
Greenhouse Effect
If you find yourself in the Millcreek area, and aren't hungry enough for the best American breakfast you will ever have at OTC, and are instead in need of a cozy coffee shop vibe, then Greenhouse Effect is for you. This is the perfect 3rd place, theres always a good amount of people inside socializing, or otherwise on their computer working on whatever they may be working on. For me, this place has surely become my favorite Crepe in SLC. Whether you are meeting up with a friend, on a date, or need to cram a bunch of homework, Greenhouse effect will leave you feeling happy that places like it still exist. Try the Chai tea, Rice pudding, and the california crepe, or perhaps a nutella crepe if you want something sweeter.
Curry in a Hurry
As far as curry goes, Im not gonna lie, this probably isn't the restaurant I have frequented the most. That title would probably go to Gurkhas (look it up). However I selected Curry in a Hurry because it is also very very good. It's been a while so lowkey Im not sure what to recommend but the tiny tiny shop very much has a mom and pop vibe. If you want Indian curry go to Gurkhas, but if you want Pakistani curry, go to curry in a hurry. Both are great, I like yellow curry yum yum.
Pho Tay Ho
Speaking of a Mom and Pop vibe, Pho Tay Ho may be the winner in that regard, as its literally in an old couples house. Specializing in Pho, (pronounced Fuh..) Pho Tay Ho has dethroned my previous favorite Vietnamese food which would have been Little Saigon, but little saigon still has amazing Vietnamese sandwiches, which Pho Tay Ho does not serve unfortunately so still check out little saigon. Pho Tay Ho's pho has great flavor, the cuts of meat on the inside are always incredible, and it has really yummy (and spicy) chile oil. This place is damn cheap too compared to a lot of Pho nowadays, if you pay in cash you can get a small bowl (which is still pretty damn big) for like $11. Absolutely unheard of in 2025. You can't really go wrong with the menu, just choose your favorite cut of meat for your Pho and your set, but the Thai iced tea is really good as well as the egg rolls.
Pie Hole
Now, I may be biased as this is my place of employment ngl, but hear me out. As far as pizza goes in SLC, pie hole is only really rivaled by the big stupid chains, perhaps big daddys but theyre kinda mid, and The Pie. The Pie is good, but they put their pepperoni under the cheese which is wack and the pizza is really sloppy. If you want sloppy pizza go to the Pie, I'm not saying its bad but its very wet and doesnt keep very well. The Pie HOLE on the other hand is not sloppy at all, its much more New York style pizza, when you take a bite you can hear the crunch from space, the cheese is melted to a perfect orange, and the pepperoni lays firmly above the cheese. The 4 basic slices you can get on any night are already a great variety, pepperoni, cheese, potato & bacon, and the red peppers & basil. Perfectly balanced for any mood, but on top of that there are 4 slices that rotate out everyday, and theyre damnnnn goood. Shoutout the Bird dog and the Thai chicken, you cant go wrong with this place (unless your vegan sorry the vegan slices can be weird). Get drunk at one of the many bars around State & 3rd, and then come here and you will experience a high that you will be chasing everytime you get drunk again.
Bud's Sandwiches
I mentioned vegan slices in the last review, if you are vegan I would instead opt for Bud's sandwiches. Being the only all-vegan restaurant that has made it onto my top 10 should earn it extra points, because you can't tell this place is vegan at all imo. I have nothing against vegan food, but I have eaten at Mark of the Beastro multiple times, and its just not that good. You can tell that the imitation meat and cheese is imitation. Not at Buds. Served up on these incredible cuts of french bread, you can have a buffalo chicken sub, or a classic Italian deli sandwich, with what you would think is the best chicken or salami you've ever had, but its fucking VEGAN! This place is perfect for a summer sammy, as there is no lobby but an awesome little patio to chill out and eat your sandwich on. Try the sandwiches I said earlier but also the Pesto sub.
Spitz
As far as mediteranean food goes, Spitz may well have the best in SLC. I have only recently started going to Spitz, and after intially thinking the name was kinda weird, I was very impressed. Firstly, they have an awesome deal where you can get a whole pitcher of beer for the price of 2 glasses of beer, so thats like doubles the beers for your bucks. Secondly, they have the best wraps ever. I have yet to try anything other than a wrap, but they also have Gyro's and little salad bowls and both look really tasty too. I have only been there 3 times at the time of me writing this, and I got the Mediterranean wrap two of those times. It has really fucking good olives inside of it. I need to experience more of the menu, but I already love what I've had.
Mr. Charlie's Chicken
If you know me, then you likely have been waiting to see this on my top 10 list. I am so very grateful for this place for proving to me that we as fans of chicken food deserve better than Raising Canes. Mr. Charlies motto is "southern comfort at altitude", which I find endearing, because their buffalo and nashville sauce get me sweating like I'm on an airplane going down. Hands down the best fried chicken in the state, and when you know what you got you make it last, just as Mr. Charlie himself has done. They got tendies, wraps, po' boys, wings, and baked chicken and you seriously cannot go wrong. The chicken has a crisp seasoned outside, with a soft, tender, steaming hot inside. Very generous proportions of french fries and chicken compared to Canes (although they have been slipping a tad.....) and a wide variety of sauces that you can choose to your liking. Depending on my mood I'll have the tenders, or perhaps a Nashville po boy or wrap. But if your feeling crazy and want to share, I would also heavily recommend the Nashville fries. They also have chicken and waffles which I have not had but it sounds really damn good. For choices of sauce I almost always go with buffalo, ranch, charlie sauce (like cane sauce or fry sauce but better), and the Garlic parm. If you want chicken in SLC you are a fucking poser unless you go to Mr Charlies Chicken.
Tacos Don Rafa
Last, but certainly not least, is a true locals only, Tacos Don Rafa. Being a Taco truck outside on the corner of State & 8th, you wouldn't expect such a heavy hitter to be so unassuming. Tacos Don Rafa makes Tacos (obv), quesadillas, or burritos on the sidewalk just for you. You get to dress it up out of a cooler exactly to your liking, and you may help yourself to a mexican coke whilst you are at it. Once you take your seat and eat the masterful arrangment of meats, cheeses, and tortillas, all dressed up by none other than your very self, you will be wondering where TDR was all these years. The portions are massive for a pretty damn cheap price, whether your a hungry fellow who needs a massive burrito NOW, or someone who could just use for a bite and decides to order 2 tacos, you will fall in love. My go to order is usually the Quesadillas with Cabeza, I do mine up with plenty of pico de gallo, radish, cilantro, some onions and salsa, and damn, it will keep you fed and leave you begging for more. I have had 3 orders of Taco Dan rafa in one night before, and I will tell you that I was blowing up that toilet for the entire next day, and I didn't regret it for a second. Tacos Don Rafa may possibly be the best Mexican place in SLC.. (although they do have stiff competition so I will not say that with 100% confidence).
Well everyone, thanks for reading my top 10 restaraunts in SLC. Also, Wild Pepper Pizza is right across the street from Tacos Don Rafa if you want pizza instead, which was a close contendor with pie hole for best pizza. Also, Moochies is right down the street from TDR as well, which Moochies deserves an honorable mention for best sandwich fr, PLEASE TRY THESE PLACES THANK YOU FOR READING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
