While some may be lamenting October's shortening days and cooling temps, this fall we’ll be keeping summer’s carefree vibes going by indulging in the weekend meal mashup known as brunch. Following are 17 options for spending a leisurely Saturday or Sunday in downtown Salt Lake City fueled by great food, creative libations, live music and even a drag queen or two.
At The Rose Establishment, the terms locally sourced and farm-to-table are not just marketing speak, they are the lodestar for by which every dish on this stalwart café’s menu is created. If you’re in the mood for veggies (much of which come from Snuck Farm in Pleasant Grove), we recommend the hearty Brunch Bowl, a buckwheat salad of roasted veggies, muhammara dip and peppadews, served, on request, with soft-boiled eggs and/or avocado. Meat eaters dig The Rose’s Brunch Burger, an indulgence of Snake River Farms Kobe beef, caramelized onions, Swiss cheese and a fried egg served on a Central 9th Market brioche bun. Both—along with the rest of menu’s fresh and creative dishes—pair extraordinarily well with a Peach Bellini, Mimosa or Kir Royale from the bar. And it would be a crime to leave without taking home something from The Rose’s irresistible bakery case. Reservations? Yes. Liquor license? Yes. Outdoor seating? Yes. Kid friendly? Yes. 235 S. 400 West, 801.208.5569
Though you certainly cannot go wrong with any dish on Pago on Main’s Sunday Brunch menu, don’t get too attached the one you do eventually land on. Here’s why: Pago subscribes to the “wild to table” concept of sourcing all the food served there. Meaning, every dish on the menu is completely locally sourced. And so, often when a particular item is no longer available or is out of season, it’s altered or removed, at least temporarily, from the menu. That said, deliciously elevated brunch classics are a grateful constant there, including French toast, mimosas, eggs benedict, Moroccan shakshuka, croque madame and much more. Reservations?
Yes. Liquor license? Yes. Outdoor seating? Yes. Kid friendly? Yes. 341 S. Main, 801.441.2955
Looking for a quick but tasty fuel up before heading up to one of the canyons for a pedal, hike or climb? Honest Eatery is the place. The menu there spans a dozen or so smoothies, unusual riffs on avocado toast, brunch paninis and acai bowls. Sit outside on the shady Regent Street for a fast-casual brunch nosh or take your brunch to-go for an alfresco picnic at the trailhead. Reservations? No. Liquor license? No. Outdoor seating? Yes. Kid friendly? Yes. 115 S. Regent St, 801.532.4754
For armchair sports aficionados—as well as duffers and gamers—Flanker Kitchen + Sporting Club—is the place to be on weekends when the Utes, Cougars or any team in the NFL are playing. There you can also hone your swing at one of the VR golf simulators and try your hand at duckpin bowling. Flanker’s uber-generous, sharable brunch dishes include lemon buttermilk pancakes, huevos rancheros, eggs benedict four different ways and shrimp and grits. DJs set the perfect backdrop to get your day-drinking on. We recommend the Chai Mule or The Jolt, the house’s version of an espresso martini. For the DD, Flanker also boasts an impressively long menu of tasty mocktails. And did we mention that mimosa and Bloody Marys are just $5 during brunch? Reservations? Yes. Liquor license? Yes. Outdoor seating? No. Kid friendly? No. 6 N. Rio Grande St, The Gateway, 801.683.7070
For many parents of young kids, any restaurant worth visiting must offer the following: a kid’s menu that spans more than chicken fingers and pizza; a dining room with a relatively high noise level—to drown out the stray tantrum or sibling brawl; and, most importantly, a cocktail menu. Brunch at Red Rock Brewpub checks all these boxes and then some. Seasonality dictates the Saturday and Sunday brunch menu specials, served alongside tasty backbone items like eggs benedict, omelets, steak and eggs and avocado toast. What’s more, during brunch hours, Red Rock serves $4 Bloody Marys and mimosas. What’s not to love? Reservations? No. Liquor license? Yes. Outdoor seating? Yes. Kid friendly? Yes. 254 S. 200 West, 801.521.7446.
Take advantage of one downtown’s best perches for taking in the city from above and the mountains to the east at Gracie’s. There, at least until the end of September, you can sit on the rooftop patio to dine on dishes from this gastropub’s extensive brunch menu (served Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays), ranging from comfort classics like eggs benedict, corned beef hash and huevos rancheros to picks from the “non-brunch brunch” side of the menu: burgers, always fresh and huge salads, nachos and wings. When the weather gets chilly, brunch lives on indoors where 20-plus screens—and the $4 Bloody Marys and mimosas—draw NFL and college football fans. Reservations? Yes. Liquor license? Yes. Outdoor seating? Yes. Kid friendly? No. 326 S. West Temple, 801.819.7565.
Since it opened more than a dozen years ago, The Copper Onion has held a special place in downtown’s burgeoning dining scene as the kind of place where young professionals, families with kids, hipsters and retirees happily coexist, all drawn by this eatery’s casual vibe and always-fantastic food. Brunch at The Copper Common is no exception. This American brasserie’s lunch and dinner menu flair has been translated seamlessly to craveable brunch plates like the carbonara pasta, ricotta dumplings, Turkish eggs and the unapologetic steak and eggs. Sit outside on The Copper Onion’s sidewalk patio and soak in fall’s golden hours. Or, when
temperatures begin to dip, sit indoors in the cozy dining room. We recommend making a day of it by following brunch with a movie at the Broadway Cinemas, located conveniently next door. Reservations? Yes. Liquor license? Yes. Outdoor seating? Yes. Kid friendly? Yes. 111 E. Broadway, 801.355.3282.
Tucked into the colorful Edison Alleyway, in an airy-industrial space formerly occupied by Campos Coffee, is Brick & Mortar, a charmingly casual bar and eatery that begs lingering over the creative comfort food and drinks served there. Brunch menu standouts include the beignets, quiche, biscuits and Chorizo gravy, short rib eggs benedict and—my personal fave—the chicken and waffles. The all-day menu is also offered during the Saturday and Sunday brunch hours and includes burgers, B&M’s beloved fried cheese curds, salads, tacos—both carnivorous and veggie versions, nachos, fish and steaks. Be sure to make time for a post-brunch stroll through the alleyway to check out the fantastic street art. Reservations? No. Liquor license? Yes. Outdoor seating? No. Kid friendly? No. 228 S. Edison St, 801.419.0871.
At White Horse Spirits & Kitchen, anything that can be made inhouse is. From the ice cream to the pastrami and bacon, most of what arrives on diners’ plates there is mixed, baked, cured, etc. on the premises. This edict for house made is a hallmark of Matt Crandall, executive chef at White Horse and The Bourbon Group’s other Salt Lake City outlets: Bourbon House, Whiskey Street and Franklin Ave. And so, it goes almost without saying that brunch at White Horse is good. In fact, it’s really good. Starters, which you can sip while checking out White Horse’s artistically lit liquor wall, include the basil cucumber lemonade, a Bloody Mary—served with or
without an oyster shooter—and the Wasatch Spritz, a refreshing interpretation of an Aperol spritz. Brunch dishes range from the lighter tartines (toasts), expertly made omelets and heartier entrees like lemon ricotta pancakes, eggs benedict, French toast and biscuits and gravy. Energetic and urban-inspired best describes White Horse’s vibe; akin, dare we say, to a high-end tavern in downtown Chicago or Greenwich Village. Reservations? Yes. Liquor license? Yes. Outdoor seating? No. Kid friendly? No. 325 Main St., 801.363.0137
Walking into Eva's Bakery Boulangerie feels like being teleported to a patisserie in Saint Guilhem-le-Désert where all the signage is, conveniently, in English versus French. Owner/baker Charlie Perry opened this charming café almost 10 years ago and named it in honor of his greatgrandmother. There, the robin’s egg exterior invites all who pass by to come inside, find a seat at one of the dining room’s intimate marble-topped café tables and spend the morning sippinga cappuccino and nibbling on a house made croissant, blueberry Danish or Kouign Amann. Beyond the temptations from Eva’s always-full bakery case, the breakfast menu there features a variety of brunchy faves like stuffed French toast, eggy croissant sandwiches, house granola and eggs benedict. Reservations? No. Liquor license? No. Outdoor seating? Yes. Kid friendly? Yes. 155 S. Main St., 801.355.3542
If one was to track the genesis of the weekend tradition we now know as brunch in Salt Lake City, all lines would lead directly to Market Street Grill & Oyster Bar. Brunch has been a part of the classic and consistently offerings at Market Street since it opened its sunny flagship downtown location in 1980. From the cinnamon rolls served with every order and freshsqueezed orange juice to oysters on the half shell and champagne, the brunch there is meant to satisfy all tastes and almost all budgets. Other popular brunch items at Market Street include omelets, steak and eggs and crab eggs benedict, which are as popular as the fresh crab Louie
salad and famous clam chowder. Reservations? Yes. Liquor license? Yes. Outdoor seating? No. Kid friendly? Yes. 48 W. Market St., 801.322.4668
As is true with most culinary origin stories, getting to the roots of brunch is pretty hazy. Most accounts, however, circle around the notion that this weekend tradition began in the late 1800s as a respite after a long night out. This notion of post-night-on-the-town sustenance seems to be at the heart of the decadent dishes served at London Belle every midday Sunday. When you go, leave your diet at the door and jump with both feet into dishes like the fried chicken biscuits and gravy, smoked salmon benedict, bison short rib hash or the huge hangover burger. Sample a little hair of the dog, if you dare, by ordering a mimosa, loaded Bloody Mary or Sunday
Scriptures (Buffalo Trace whiskey, Bulliet rye, coffee syrup, angostura bitters) from the creative cocktail menu. Then sink back and relax in one of the Belle’s cozy, upholstered chairs to either plan the rest of the days adventures or contemplate an afternoon nap. Your choice. Reservations? Yes. Liquor license? Yes. Outdoor seating? No. Kid friendly? No. 321 S. Main St., 801.363.8888
Likely the most apt locale for brunch with the ladies from our list is Ivy, a sophisticated yet casual bar-restaurant, and home to what is arguably downtown’s loveliest patio. Both outside and indoors within Ivy’s moody-modern interior, you can enjoy mouthwatering brunch standards like shakshuka, pancakes, steak and eggs, Wagyu braised eggs benedict and French toast. Less traditional menu items include salads, the “everything bagel” seasoned fried Brussels sprouts, the breakfast poutine and grilled beet hummus. Think outside the box when asked what you’d like to drink by requesting a kimchi michelada, celery Collins or Thai tea.
Reservations? Yes. Liquor license? Yes. Outdoor seating? Yes. Kid friendly? No. 55 W. 100 South, 801.895.2846
No roundup of downtown Salt Lake City brunch destinations would be complete without inclusion of Hong Kong Teahouse. While not a brunch restaurant per se, many equate a midday Sunday meal with dim sum, a traditional Chinese dining experience made up of small plates, usually accompanied by tea and shared among family and friends. Dishes served as part of Hong Kong Tea House’s daily dim sum menu (served until 3 p.m.) include multiple dumpling iterations (black sesame, shrimp, Shanghai, etc), turnip cake, Har gow, egg rolls, steamed barbecue pork buns, wonton and hot and sour soup and much more. Reservations? No. Liquor
license? Limited. Outdoor seating? No. Kid friendly? Yes. 565 W. 200 South, 801.531.7010
For those who can’t bear to part with their (well-behaved) pooch for a couple of hours AND like to cut a rug, there’s Twist Bar & Bistro. Dogs are welcome on Twist’s huge patio, where the brunch buffet is served on Saturdays and Sundays. DJs keep the vibe festive on Saturdays, while the local cover band, Twisted Brother, plays Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Brunch dishes skew a little more toward the lunch side of the portmanteau, with items like Tuscan tomato soup, chopped steak and sautéed mushrooms served over mashers with gravy and cobb salad. Twist’s full bar is, of course, open during the brunch hours (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), featuring $5 Bloody
Marys and $4 mimosas. Reservations? No. Liquor license? Yes Outdoor seating? Yes. Kid friendly? No. 32 Exchange Place, 801.322.3200
A New Twist on a Weekend Tradition
We, of course, love brunch on its own. But brunch with drag queens is SO much better. It’s unclear when egg benes and mimosa were first paired with this new and improved iteration of vaudevillian-style performances, but we’re sure glad someone came up with the fabulous idea for Drag Brunch. Every Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. the Quorum of the Queens perform at Tavernacle Social Club (50 W. Broadway, 801.519.8900). This raucously artistic show—which is refreshed and rebooted every week—includes lip-sync performances, live singing queens, celebrity illusions, characters from television and film and much more.
Over at Why Kiki (69 W.100 South, 801.641.6115) the midday hours on both Saturdays and Sundays are reserved for Drag Brunch. There you can take in a hilariously captivating show featuring a rotating group of performers like Hoe Shi Minh, Sally Cone Slopes, Molly Mormon, Liam Manchesthair and Diana
Lone. The starring dish on Why Kiki’s brunch menu is the Chicks & Dicks, a cheeky interpretation of fried chicken and waffles a la chicken fingers and penis-shaped pancakes. Both of the aforementioned Drag Brunch shows require advance tickets and/or reservations, and both the Tavernacle Social Club and Why Kiki are for guests age 21 and older only.