Southern Utah (5 national parks)

[KeithA]

We are planning at trip to Southern Utah in April to hit the 5 national parks (Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce, and Zion plus other national monuments, state parks and other amazing wilderness). The only recommendations on the board are for Moab near Arches/Canyonlands and they are rather old and mostly non-recommendations. Anyone been more recently and have suggestions?  One place we were told to check out is Hell's Backbone in Boulder, UT. Thanks.

[DonRocks]

5 hours ago, KeithA said:

Bryce, and Zion plus other national monuments

They aren't *that* good.

[If you have to explain a joke, it wasn’t worth making. 🙂]

[smokey]

@Marty L. I'm responding to you over here so that the A&J thread stays focused and so other people can find my musings. 

 

Sadly, there is not a lot I know of near Zion, honestly.  Some of this is minimal exposure (I've camped around there, but rarely dined) and some of this is the paucity of recs I could make from the experiences I've had.  Springdale is the big 'town' near Zion and I had a completely unmemorable meal there (so much so, I couldn't give a name of the restaurant). 

In the Moab area, I've good things about 98Center and Moab Garage Company, but have personally eaten at neither.  I thought the Love Muffin Cafe had good breakfast burritos and reasonable coffee (I don't remember being overwhelmed in either direction about their coffee).  Milt's Stop and Eat is a Moab classic.  The waits are long no matter when I've been there.  I don't think I've had the burgers, but the shakes are genuinely good and I've heard good things from my fellow diners about the burgers.  Fries are another critical assessment to a diner and I'll admit, I don't remember them.  That's not a ringing endorsement, I know.

 

In SLC, I've heard good things (but haven't yet eaten at) Nohmslc.  The Waterwitch is a bar near it that is the size of a postage stamp and makes good drinks.  Alibi is a good bar downtown.  I used to love Rye (a restaurant attached to a club) but haven't been in a while.  Their menu changes with some frequency and some versions of their menu I've liked more than others.  They've got delicious cocktails, friendly wait staff and I usually like the food a fair piece.  Yokoramen is around the corner from Rye and I've really liked the ramen and other items I've gotten there.  If you're here on a Saturday when Beltex meats (a local butcher) does their Cubano sandwiches GET ONE.  They're fantastic.  Pizza Nono makes a good pizza and I think their sides are particularly good.  It kind of reminds me of Two Amy's back when I lived there (don't know what it's like now).  Oh, there's a place called Nomad Eatery that used to be near the airport (they're moving, staying on the westside, but I don't know where); I like them a lot.  Had a really good meal at Post Office Place which is next door to a sushi places that's supposed to be fantastic (but I haven't eaten at).  I need to keep thinking on this.  COVID has me so off any eating out game and I don't even know how valid these recs are given the challenges of COVID (are they serving takeout?  is their food as good these days?  are they even open?!).

Edited September 12, 2020 by smokey
added a few recs

[Bart]

South of Zion is the little town of LaVerkin and they have a nice, local coffee shop that also serves smoothies, bagels, pastries, sandwiches, salads, pizza, etc.   They have a great view on their back deck too.  It's called River Rock Roasters.

https://riverrockroasters.com/