Does Home Cookin Exist in SLC?
Hi, I still exist even though the blog has gone kaput... just a lack of time and communicating the minutiae of my life by other means.
Anyway, I had this idea for a while, and I'm just now getting around to writing it. I noticed while I was eating out in Salt Lake City that good side dishes were hard to come by. Even self-proclaimed "diners" only offered the ever-ubiquitous "grilled seasonal veggies." Does anyone seriously like that tasteless side? Where are my green beans and baked apples? So I went on a quest for southern-style food out west... and became even more frustrated haha. Below are short descriptors (loosely organized in no particular order) of the restaurants I visited that generally offered "homestyle" food. I've been gone from SLC for over 3 months, so bear with me as I pull this out of my memory.
Cracker Barrel
For those who don't know, this is the chain version of what I was looking for. Always yummy, except I can't endorse the "BBQ." And there was only one, way out in West Valley City.
Jim's Family Restaurant (local chain)
I only ate here once, but at the very least I got a choice of glazed carrots as my side dish. If I recall correctly, the food wasn't anything great, but about what you'd expect for the price.
Dee's Restaurant (local chain)
The blinking neon sign and interior decor scream old-timey family restaurant. I ate here only once, shortly after I arrived in SLC. One thing I do remember was that the food portions were appropriate... no getting stuffed or needing a box. I think the food was OK, but don't remember much about the menu selection. The strawberry pie was good.
Village Inn (regional chain)
I decided to toss this one on the list because I believe they do offer corn or some other veggie as a side dish. Otherwise a great place for brunch, or apparently, a 2 AM sober-up gathering. Think of it as an IHOP with good pies.
Chuckarama (regional chain)
Technically this is just a buffet, a smaller version of Golden Corral (the new version). I think the selection was OK, but the food was naturally lower quality. It reminded me of the dining hall at NC State. As with the case with these restaurants, some of the bakery items were quite delicious though.
Ruby River Steakhouse (regional chain)
I'm just giving them a shout out because they offer a loaded sweet potato as a side. Yum.
Famous Dave's BBQ
This is a national chain, but I'm throwing it in here to say, "avoid." North Carolinians would thumb their noses at both their excuse for BBQ and side dishes (frozen corn on the cob, really?).
Pat's BBQ (off W. Temple near 2100S)
This place is OK and is definitely a BBQ "dive." I think this is the one with a juicier BBQ. Anyway, from what I recall, the side dishes weren't that great, and they only had thick brown BBQ sauce.
Sugarhouse BBQ (700E/~2200S)
This would be my choice for best BBQ in SLC (although I never made it out to Q4U). Pulled pork of the correct consistency - check (brisket is great too). Cornbread - check (although often served cold). Sweet tea - check!! NC-style vinegar based sauce - check!!! Awesome side dishes - bwah wah. Their one downfall. I can best describe the potato salad and cole slaw as "yucky."
Red Rock (200W/~250S)
This is a microbrewery/restaurant. The food I've had there was good, but I'm throwing it in here because one of my dishes came with green beans. Crunchy unseasoned green beans are not what I'm used to.
Bayou (~650 S. State)
Who doesn't like the Bayou? Maybe not on a regular basis, but it's more of a class-it-up place. The huge beer selection is a plus. And you probably can't get Cajun food in many other places in SLC. But while it's good and unique, it still wasn't precisely what I was looking for.
Blue Plate Diner (2100S/2100E)
This is one of SLC's more famous restaurants. I went 3 times, and came away with the same impression... meh. The decor is classic diner but the atmosphere is decidedly hippie (not a bad thing, I liked it). As for the food, I thought it was kind of bland and didn't really differentiate itself from other restaurants. They did serve a roll with my dinner, but it was hard and cold. People rave about their breakfast, but there are only so many ways to fix omelets. Biscuits anyone? Not here... fail. Prices aren't very diner-like either (although the portions are large).
Ruth's Diner (Emigration Canyon)
Originally a trolley car diner run by a spunky woman, it has been remodeled over the years and morphed into more of a yuppie eating establishment. Patio dining on a warm evening is great, and the location is a good escape from the city. The food was definitely good... for example the meatloaf has a very original glaze. Alas, no variety on the side dishes though. And again, don't expect diner-like prices here.
Cowboy Grub (Foothill/Parley's)
They do offer cornbread and other yummy baked goods. The menu is traditional homestyle fair, but again, a lack of side dish choices. The food was decent, but I thought a little overpriced compared to similar restaurants I've visited. The serve-yourself salad bar is well stocked though.
Lion House (Temple Square downtown)
This is a cafeteria/a la carte style restaurant, so obviously it reminded me of K&W. Unfortunately they offered none of K&W's numerous side choices. In fact they actually had two versions of mixed veggies the day I went. Their homemade rolls are pretty good though. I think hours may be limited.
Lamb's Grill (Main St. downtown)
I can best describe this as an old-school nice restaurant. You almost feel like you're back in the 1950's or something. I liked it a lot. The food was good and the prices reasonable. I got some sort of squash casserole with my dinner, which was a nice change of pace. Not the redneck diner I was searching for, but a good find nevertheless.
Mama's Plantation (Redwood Rd./~5000S)
This restaurant seemed out of place in SLC. It definitely felt like a southern plantation. There was even a sign in the kitchen with the popular saying "if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." The place was dead on a Saturday night... I'm guessing because of a poor location and little in the way to suggest it's there... or maybe people just don't like it? The menu is somewhat limited, with chicken, ribs, and fish being the main offerings. Fortunately they do offer yummy sides like blackeye peas and candied yams. They even shoved free food in our face when our meal took a few minutes longer than expected (plea for business, or too much food from lack of business?). However, the quality of the food wasn't that great. In fact, they served a slice of loaf bread with my chicken... but my mama might do that haha. Prices were fair though.
Bayleaf Cafe (Main St. downtown)
What an interesting place! The husband is from Alabama and the wife is from Japan, so the menu is a combination of delicacies from those two places. And they're open 24 hours on weekends. They offer many of the standard dishes like grits, meatloaf, and catfish. Side dishes include hoppin john, collard greens, and slaw... and they serve real country sausage gravy. And they have banana pudding, which for some reason Utahans have never heard of. The topper is that they serve sweet tea in mason jars! It appears they have jacked up their dinner prices since I ate there, but breakfast and lunch are still reasonable. In addition, there is a lack of cornbread or biscuits. The atmosphere is closer to eclectic than Southern, but I'll let that slide. Otherwise there's nothing to complain about, an awesome restaurant.
So in the end, Bayleaf saved the day, but there's still something to be said for eating in a redneck restaurant. Luckily I have found my place in Ohio, by way of the 68 Family Restaurant. :-)
Anyway, I had this idea for a while, and I'm just now getting around to writing it. I noticed while I was eating out in Salt Lake City that good side dishes were hard to come by. Even self-proclaimed "diners" only offered the ever-ubiquitous "grilled seasonal veggies." Does anyone seriously like that tasteless side? Where are my green beans and baked apples? So I went on a quest for southern-style food out west... and became even more frustrated haha. Below are short descriptors (loosely organized in no particular order) of the restaurants I visited that generally offered "homestyle" food. I've been gone from SLC for over 3 months, so bear with me as I pull this out of my memory.
Cracker Barrel
For those who don't know, this is the chain version of what I was looking for. Always yummy, except I can't endorse the "BBQ." And there was only one, way out in West Valley City.
Jim's Family Restaurant (local chain)
I only ate here once, but at the very least I got a choice of glazed carrots as my side dish. If I recall correctly, the food wasn't anything great, but about what you'd expect for the price.
Dee's Restaurant (local chain)
The blinking neon sign and interior decor scream old-timey family restaurant. I ate here only once, shortly after I arrived in SLC. One thing I do remember was that the food portions were appropriate... no getting stuffed or needing a box. I think the food was OK, but don't remember much about the menu selection. The strawberry pie was good.
Village Inn (regional chain)
I decided to toss this one on the list because I believe they do offer corn or some other veggie as a side dish. Otherwise a great place for brunch, or apparently, a 2 AM sober-up gathering. Think of it as an IHOP with good pies.
Chuckarama (regional chain)
Technically this is just a buffet, a smaller version of Golden Corral (the new version). I think the selection was OK, but the food was naturally lower quality. It reminded me of the dining hall at NC State. As with the case with these restaurants, some of the bakery items were quite delicious though.
Ruby River Steakhouse (regional chain)
I'm just giving them a shout out because they offer a loaded sweet potato as a side. Yum.
Famous Dave's BBQ
This is a national chain, but I'm throwing it in here to say, "avoid." North Carolinians would thumb their noses at both their excuse for BBQ and side dishes (frozen corn on the cob, really?).
Pat's BBQ (off W. Temple near 2100S)
This place is OK and is definitely a BBQ "dive." I think this is the one with a juicier BBQ. Anyway, from what I recall, the side dishes weren't that great, and they only had thick brown BBQ sauce.
Sugarhouse BBQ (700E/~2200S)
This would be my choice for best BBQ in SLC (although I never made it out to Q4U). Pulled pork of the correct consistency - check (brisket is great too). Cornbread - check (although often served cold). Sweet tea - check!! NC-style vinegar based sauce - check!!! Awesome side dishes - bwah wah. Their one downfall. I can best describe the potato salad and cole slaw as "yucky."
Red Rock (200W/~250S)
This is a microbrewery/restaurant. The food I've had there was good, but I'm throwing it in here because one of my dishes came with green beans. Crunchy unseasoned green beans are not what I'm used to.
Bayou (~650 S. State)
Who doesn't like the Bayou? Maybe not on a regular basis, but it's more of a class-it-up place. The huge beer selection is a plus. And you probably can't get Cajun food in many other places in SLC. But while it's good and unique, it still wasn't precisely what I was looking for.
Blue Plate Diner (2100S/2100E)
This is one of SLC's more famous restaurants. I went 3 times, and came away with the same impression... meh. The decor is classic diner but the atmosphere is decidedly hippie (not a bad thing, I liked it). As for the food, I thought it was kind of bland and didn't really differentiate itself from other restaurants. They did serve a roll with my dinner, but it was hard and cold. People rave about their breakfast, but there are only so many ways to fix omelets. Biscuits anyone? Not here... fail. Prices aren't very diner-like either (although the portions are large).
Ruth's Diner (Emigration Canyon)
Originally a trolley car diner run by a spunky woman, it has been remodeled over the years and morphed into more of a yuppie eating establishment. Patio dining on a warm evening is great, and the location is a good escape from the city. The food was definitely good... for example the meatloaf has a very original glaze. Alas, no variety on the side dishes though. And again, don't expect diner-like prices here.
Cowboy Grub (Foothill/Parley's)
They do offer cornbread and other yummy baked goods. The menu is traditional homestyle fair, but again, a lack of side dish choices. The food was decent, but I thought a little overpriced compared to similar restaurants I've visited. The serve-yourself salad bar is well stocked though.
Lion House (Temple Square downtown)
This is a cafeteria/a la carte style restaurant, so obviously it reminded me of K&W. Unfortunately they offered none of K&W's numerous side choices. In fact they actually had two versions of mixed veggies the day I went. Their homemade rolls are pretty good though. I think hours may be limited.
Lamb's Grill (Main St. downtown)
I can best describe this as an old-school nice restaurant. You almost feel like you're back in the 1950's or something. I liked it a lot. The food was good and the prices reasonable. I got some sort of squash casserole with my dinner, which was a nice change of pace. Not the redneck diner I was searching for, but a good find nevertheless.
Mama's Plantation (Redwood Rd./~5000S)
This restaurant seemed out of place in SLC. It definitely felt like a southern plantation. There was even a sign in the kitchen with the popular saying "if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." The place was dead on a Saturday night... I'm guessing because of a poor location and little in the way to suggest it's there... or maybe people just don't like it? The menu is somewhat limited, with chicken, ribs, and fish being the main offerings. Fortunately they do offer yummy sides like blackeye peas and candied yams. They even shoved free food in our face when our meal took a few minutes longer than expected (plea for business, or too much food from lack of business?). However, the quality of the food wasn't that great. In fact, they served a slice of loaf bread with my chicken... but my mama might do that haha. Prices were fair though.
Bayleaf Cafe (Main St. downtown)
What an interesting place! The husband is from Alabama and the wife is from Japan, so the menu is a combination of delicacies from those two places. And they're open 24 hours on weekends. They offer many of the standard dishes like grits, meatloaf, and catfish. Side dishes include hoppin john, collard greens, and slaw... and they serve real country sausage gravy. And they have banana pudding, which for some reason Utahans have never heard of. The topper is that they serve sweet tea in mason jars! It appears they have jacked up their dinner prices since I ate there, but breakfast and lunch are still reasonable. In addition, there is a lack of cornbread or biscuits. The atmosphere is closer to eclectic than Southern, but I'll let that slide. Otherwise there's nothing to complain about, an awesome restaurant.
So in the end, Bayleaf saved the day, but there's still something to be said for eating in a redneck restaurant. Luckily I have found my place in Ohio, by way of the 68 Family Restaurant. :-)
posted by Andrew at 5:45 PM
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