Best deal on breakfast in Springdale, Utah

Many restaurants in Springdale (the gateway to Zion National Park) serve breakfast, lunch and dinner at resort prices.
To get the most for your money in the morning - and a tasty meal, opt for the breakfast buffet at the Spotted Dog Cafe (at Flanigan's Inn- 450 Zion Park Blvd).
The spread costs $8 for adults, $5 for children under 12 and kids 5 and under are FREE. You won't find anywhere else in town with a deal this good for any meal.
Do note beverages are NOT included, but the tap water in Springdale is quite good tasting so there's real need for other beverages plus it'll help you fuel up to fight the heat and sun.
The buffet includes house specialty scrambled eggs which have cream cheese, parsley and other seasonings in them, regular scrambled eggs, waffles, pancakes, bacon, sausage, fresh fruits, cereals and more.

Big Al’s Burger at the Junction

By Arikka Fullmer
Highway 89 Kanab, Utah

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>= mixed bag, can be good but can be bad, can’t count on it
The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxxx= comfortable
Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$ under $10
Value (what you get for your money)
*** = fair -you get what you pay for, not in a bad way
This is Kanab’s greasy spoon. This is where every little league teams descend after a game. This is where teenage crush’s are crushed in the drive up.

Kanab High Cowboy football team portraits hang next to the ‘firewood for sale’ sign. Combine all that with vintage Coke decor and you’ve got an atmosphere familiar to any small town.

The menu high on the wall behind the cashier is full of typical fare. Corn dogs, fries, grilled cheese, burgers...you get the idea. To my surprise they have a buffalo burger, for cheap! I order it with cheese, fries and for 15 extra cents - Al’s homemade fry sauce. Fry sauce is a condiment anomaly unique to Utah and it is fantastic!

The shake menu shows signs of Kanab’s past and recent growth. The first shake flavor is COFFEE! I order a mint oreo shake but they don’t have mint! How can this kind of place have coffee but not mint shakes.

My dining partner orders a cheeseburger and a peanut butter cup shake. Total cost.....$13.85, a sign of the quality of food. My buffalo burger is bland, the bun flat and soggy. But the fries and sauce are delicious. It was enough to sustain me another 200 miles on the road without the emergency stop I anticipated.

Grandma Tina's

By Arikka Fullmer

198 South 100 East, Kanab, UT

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>>>= a favorite, can count on it being good every time
The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxxx= comfortable
Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$$$ = $15
Value (what you get for your money)
**** = worth it - you won’t be disappointed with what you get for your money

This is a family restaurant with humble decor typical of your Grandmothers. We have the choice of inside the dining room or on the sunny patio. We choose outside. So does another diner with his young pup named Dinosaur. The patio is a dog friendly place with buckets of water under each table for your best friend. We also have views of redrock cliffs in every direction.

The menu is diverse from appetizers, soups, salads and main dinner options that climb to over $20 dollars per person. We are here for lunch so I order a cheese burger and fries. It’s a bit pricier than I expected at $9 for my plate.

To my surprise the fries are spiced. I enjoyed them but more sensitive palettes may not. The burger is packed with flavor. Its obviously a preformed frozen patty but it is very tasty. The bun is full, fresh and stuffed with fresh condiments. No droopy lettuce or wilted tomatoes. So you get what you pay for in Kanab. Our waiter was attentive, genuine and had a sense of humor. Big tips all around for making us feel at home while on the road.

Este Pizza Co.

By Arikka Fullmer
2021 Windsor St Ste A, Salt Lake City, UT
estepizzacompany.com

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>>>>= always great, unique, and flavorful no matter where you’re from
The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxx= good but could be improved
Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$$$$$ $30
Value (what you get for your money)
*** = fair -you get what you pay for, not in a bad way

Este is a cozy little pizza joint in the heart of Sugarhouse, an eclectic neighborhood that houses Este well.
Tucked into the back of a free standing two story, Este consists of two simple rooms. In one, a small dining area and bar to order your pie with a sampling of single slices laid out.
The back room is the kitchen, on full display through a giant window facing the outdoor patio.
Este is one of those laid back, local as local gets places that I almost feel too uncool to be in.
But the delicious smells, and bold murals quickly make me feel very cool to finally be eating at the much raved about Este.
True to word of mouth, Este is pricey for a place with standard ingredients of pepperoni, sausage and onions.
But Este will argue you pay for what you get, and what you get and what they serve is tradition, New York style pizza.
No pineapple here!
We get the Italian flag, a red, white and green striped pie. The pesto sauce was delicious, the perfectly thin crust was flavorful and just my style. What won me over was the orzo salad, you must order a side with your pie. But pack your patience and your wallet. We weren’t greeted, were unsure how to order and waited quite awhile for our food. The atmosphere on the patio is a great place to wait though. Kick back at the tables next to the worn brick exterior, covered by an ivy canopy and string lights overhead. I will go back, next time for a more affordable single slice and wash it down with Uinta’s Kolsch, always on tap.

Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli

By Jerry Ireland

314 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City, UT
menu at: caputosdeli.com

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>>>>= always great, unique, and flavorful no matter where you’re from

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxxx= comfortable

Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$                    under $10

Value (what you get for your money)
***** = superb -lots of quality/taste for what you pay

Salt Lake City doesn’t readily come to mind when thinking about the nation’s best spots for sandwiches. But with places like Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli, Gandolfo’s NY Deli, and Legers, sandwiches could be Salt Lake’s signature food. At the top of the sandwich game is Caputo’s downtown at the corner of 300 West and 300 South.

Boasting distinctive Italian and southern European food, Caputo’s delivers with fresh food and a family atmosphere. Tony Caputo maybe the friendliest restaurant owner I have ever met. He makes an effort to get to know most of his customers, which is no small task since there are usually lines out the door during lunch hour. Many of the Caputo clan takes part in running the business, giving it a home away from home feel. It seems harder and harder to find that feeling in restaurants these days and that’s probably a part of why Caputo’s keeps people coming back for more.

The Wednesday Special is what draws me in on most visits. Each day of the week offers a different pasta dish and Wednesday is lasagna. Several fresh batches are made by hand and it is easily the best in the city. The pasta melts in your mouth. It’s served with a green salad and a roll. The pasta specials price out at $8.45 and worth every penny.

The menu includes, sandwiches, soups, salads and deserts. My sandwich is the Caputo ($6.45).  It has prosciutto, mortadella, salami, provolone, lettuce, and tomatoesand is served on a hard Italian roll covered with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. What makes this great is the freshness and high quality of each and every ingredient. Both the oil and vinegar are sold at the Caputo’s Market if you are looking to add some of these fantastic flavors for your own cooking. I am not alone in my love for the Caputo as it was named the third best sandwich in America by FHM magazine.

There are 11 other sandwich choices including The Meatball, The Prosciutto, The Italian Cold Cut, Feta and Tomato, and The Cheese Lover. I’d recommend opting for any one of these on focaccia, as it’s my favorite bread in the whole city. Sandwiches run between $6.25 and $7.45 depending on your selection.

Freshness is also the key to Caputo’s salads, which use a base of virgin olive oil, and balsamic or red wine vinegar.  Whether it is using greens, pastas, or vegetables, all the salad choices are made to order and excellent. A Salt Lake favorite is the Vanocur Salad ($7.45) named after a local news reporter. It’s made of seasonal fresh greens with feta, green olives, tomatoes, croutons, pepperoncini topped with balsamic vinaigrette and a roll.

Desserts include New York Cheesecake ($3.50), Tiramisu ($3.50), Chocolate Cake ($5), and Cannoli ($2.75). My fav: the cannoli. It tastes like it is straight from Italy and should not be passed up.

The marketplace that is connected to the restaurant has the largest selection of Italian foods in Utah and is a Godsend for people from back East or anyone that appreciates top notch gourmet foods.

Overall Caputo’s is, in my opinion, THE best place to grab a quick lunch in the entire state of Utah. I used to go there every week when I lived in Salt Lake. Now when I visit, I make sure to plan my stay so that I can grab a Wednesday lasagna special. Caputo’s is a place that I must stop and you should too.

Bear Paw Café

By Arikka Fullmer

75 N Main St
St George, UT
http://bearpawcafe.com


The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks
>>>>= a favorite, can count on it being good every time

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxxx = comfortable

Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$under $10

Value (what you get for your money)
**** = worth it - you won’t be disappointed with what you get for your money

Here's a little gem I'm so happy I stumbled upon in St. George, Utah with great coffee. The Bear Paw Cafe has a classic facade on narrow Main Street. Forget the chain breakfast joints with typical greasy dishes. The Bear Paw lures you in with it’s vintage feel and by the patient line, you know it’s worth the wait.
The menu can be overwhelming, so many options that all sound so good! The drink menu alone is several pages with a full coffee/tea bar, smoothies, juices and tempting concoctions. The coffee is so good, I keep it simple.
For a simple breakfast try Grandma’s oatmeal, very filling. But my favorite is the eggs benedict with smoked salmon. I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed the vegi quiche and french toast.
There are plenty of twists on classic items with pecan, blueberry, baked apple, almond, and vanilla. Bear Paw’s rustic front is just a front for its sophisticated menu.
My gripes: The line, sometimes it moves quick, other times its slower than dripping molasses. The service, usually abrupt and all business. And they never bring that yummy coffee quick enough.