With dishes ranging from authentic Mexican mole to handmade meatballs, here are the Salt Lake City restaurants featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
Those of us who are millennials, or maybe just die-hard fans of the “Food Network,” will remember when Guy Fieri first started hosting the show “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” in the mid-2000s. My husband and I loved that show, especially because we live in a small town and know that often, the best eats can be found in the places you least expect.
Hidden gems in hole-in-the-wall buildings, family recipes passed down for generations, and plain, old delicious foods definitely drew in fans for the show. The popular show is one of the longest-running on the Food Network, now in its 43rd season of filming, and Fieri is still hosting (and sampling the fare!).
To get a taste of some of the show’s fun for yourself, you can add the 15 Salt Lake City restaurants that Fieri visited to your bucket list. The original Salt Lake City list featured 18 restaurants, but as the show first aired around 2008, some restaurants have since closed. Still, in the remaining restaurants, you’ll find everything from authentic Mexican mole to handmade meatballs to classic burgers.
1. Red Iguana
- Location: 736 W North Temple St.
- Reservations: Book online
Started by the Cardenas family in 1985, the Red Iguana serves up fresh and authentic Mexican fare, with a special emphasis on homemade mole sauces. The Red Iguana actually has two locations in Salt Lake City, but Guy Fieri visited the restaurant’s original location on North Temple Street back in 2008. It’s become so popular now that the restaurant admits it has developed a “cult-like” following.
During the show’s filming, Guy had the chance to get hands-on with some of the site’s famous mole sauce. As owner Lucy Cardenas supervised, Guy was responsible for the mole’s mix-ins, like garlic and chocolate, and he even jokingly tossed a plantain in the vat. Guy paid a return visit to the Reg Iguana in 2020 and gave the Mexican diner high praises, remarking: “There will only be one Red Iguana. You were the high-water mark to which I’ve measured all the other restaurants since then.”
Guy’s gushing over the restaurant may be why the owners explain that getting a reservation at the “O.G.” location can be challenging, but you can still try your hand by booking online or securing a spot at their second (equally impressive) location.
2. Curry Fried Chicken
- Location: 660 S State St.
- Reservations: Not taken
With a tagline that they have both the best fried chicken and the best halal food in all of Utah, Curry Fried Chicken has something for everyone. Guy visited the Pakistani restaurant in 2021 as part of his global chicken series. After watching the chicken go into a 24-hour brine and flavor bath full of curry, chili powder, garam masala, cinnamon, and bay leaves, Guy got to test the results for himself in a chicken platter, describing the spiced chicken as “really unique.
“It wrecks fried chicken, there’s so much flavor in it,” Guy added. He also tagged one of the site’s signature side dishes of spicy lentils as “really gangster.”
Curry Fried Chicken is the creation of founder Sunny Nisar, who runs the restaurant with his wife, Eerim. Nisar explained on the show that his parents opened Utah’s first halal restaurant, “Curry in a Hurry,” just down the road from Curry Fried Chicken. Nisar decided to take the flavors and heritage he was brought up with and put a twist on the traditional American dish of fried chicken. In an Instagram post, Nisar called appearing on the show a “dream.”
3. Moochies Meatballs and More
- Location: 232 E 800 S.
- Reservations: Not taken
A restaurant that started with at-home pottery classes, Moochies developed organically after its original founders, Don and Joanna MacDonald, combined a love of teaching, pottery, and, well, meatballs. The story goes like this: Don, as a master potter, began offering pottery classes out of his garage, and when that proved so popular that he was able to open a proper pottery studio, Joanna started to treat the students in the classes to her homemade meatballs.
Naturally, everyone loves meatballs, so the couple decided to add a kitchen to the studio, and Moochies was born. Born in Philadelphia, Joanna ensured the menu included authentic Philly cheesesteaks and other Italian-inspired fare. Moochies was featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” in 2008, and Fieri himself voted the takeout spot the best of his Salt Lake City stops. That’s quite the honor!
4. Tin Roof Grill
- Location: 9284 S 700 E. Sandy, UT
- Reservations: Only for parties of 8 or more; Call 801-566-3931
Like many of the Salt Lake City restaurants featured on the show, Tin Roof Grill proudly proclaims its inclusion on its website and posted a picture with none other than Guy himself when the episode aired in 2014. As the name suggests, you’ll find plenty of fresh-from-the-grill options, like sizzling shrimp, bacon barbecue burgers, and steaks.
The full-service establishment is also famous for its cheesecakes, with flavor options that include Blackberry Lemon Bar with a shortbread crust, Blueberry Sour Cream, Raspberry Charlotte with Belgian white chocolate ganache, and seasonal varieties like Nutella Toffee and Pumpkin.
5. Ruth’s Diner
- Location: 4160 Emigration Canyon Rd.
- Reservations: Not accepted
As the second-oldest restaurant in Utah, Ruth’s Diner is celebrating its 96th anniversary this year. The original Ruth, a cabaret singer who used spirited language and was known for her tough, no-nonsense attitude, founded ‘Ruth’s Hamburgers’ in 1930 and often fed the girls across the street in the house of “ill repute” while keeping an eye out for them. After the original Ruth’s Hamburgers was demolished, she established the diner in a Salt Lake Trolley car she purchased and renovated. She even built her apartment directly on the back of the trolley, where guests can see it now as the kitchen and lower dining area.
She was a tough woman who lived to be 94 and may not have even been aware that she was creating a legacy that would live on past her. But live on it has, and diners can still enjoy what Ruth started, all while digging into menu dishes like peppercorn pork chops, baked mac and cheese, and of course, Ruth’s famous burgers. While Guy visited the diner in 2008, something tells us he would have loved to have met Ruth. Can’t you just see them bonding over a burger?
6. Lone Star Taqueria
- Location: 2265 East Fort Union Blvd.
- Reservations: Not accepted
The Lone Star Taqueria‘s house specialty is fish tacos so fresh that their fish selections vary every few hours. They also handmake their tortillas and chips, making this a popular choice for anyone seeking authentic Mexican food.
Guy visited Lone Star in 2008, where he marveled at the restaurant’s relatively small kitchen for their high-volume production. He also sampled the carne adovada tacos to much fanfare. “Why even have the tortilla?” Guy joked. “Just serve it to me in my hand.”
7. Pat’s BBQ
- Location: 155 W Commonwealth Ave.
- Reservations: Not accepted
Pat’s BBQ is an award-winning barbecue joint in Salt Lake City that Guy highlighted in 2008. The restaurant serves up dishes like slow-cooked ribs, burnt ends, smoked fried wings, and pulled pork, with many reviewers claiming the food is the best barbecue they have ever had.
When you stop in, you may want to plan for a weekend, as Pat’s has free live music for diners and guests all weekend long, along with seasonal specials.
8. Oh Mai Sandwich Kitchen
- Location: 850 S State St.
- Reservations: Not accepted
The only Vietnamese restaurant Guy visited during the “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” Salt Lake City circuit, Oh Mai Sandwich Kitchen, welcomed him with open arms, family sauce and seasoning blends, and long-simmered pho. One of their current pho specials combines savory with spice, blending beef brisket with bone broth and spices. They also have Banh mi (pronounced “Bun mee”) sandwiches with braised beef or vegan proteins and toppings like pickled carrots, daikon, and kimchi.
Guy first visited Oh Mai in 2014, when the restaurant had two Utah locations. He then stopped in again, five years later, and marveled to hear that the owners had even more locations. (At the time, he reported them having six locations, but according to their current website, it’s now five.) The owners joked with Guy that their original plans for retirement had been sidelined after the restaurant was featured on the show.
“You know what I have to say to that?” Guy retorted. “Oh my!”
9. Maxwell’s Vivint Arena
- Location: 301 S. Temple
- Reservations: Book online
Maxwell’s has four locations in Utah, but no matter which spot you visit, you’ll likely find all the things that Guy loved about the restaurant: authentic, hand-tossed East Coast pizza (affectionately referred to as the “Fat Kid Pizza Slice” because one slice is as large as an entire plate) and a welcoming atmosphere.
The restaurant gets its name from the Maxwell family, who immigrated to the U.S. from Italy in 1899. When Guy visited Maxwell’s in 2024, he met a Maxwell grandson, who explained that the pasta sauce (known as “gravy” to true Italians) was his grandmother’s recipe. His grandmother, “Mom Mom,” the original Maxwell, had run an Italian restaurant out of the front of her house, teaching all the grandkids how to roll out pasta and create the classics.
On the show, the two made the sauce together, which required 6-8 hours of simmering and lots of classics like roasted garlic and tomato paste. Guy also got a chance to sample Maxwell’s famous 10-ounce meatball, a meatball known for being as big as your head that he dubbed a “man-sized meatball.”
10. Finn’s Cafe
- Location: 1624 S 1100 E, Salt Lake City
- Reservations: Not generally accepted, but you can call 801-467-4000
If you’re in the mood for Scandinavian vibes and freshly-baked sourdough, Finn’s Cafe is the place to be, and Guy Fieri would surely agree. (Sorry for the accidental poetry, but it goes along with the cafe environment.) When he visited Finn’s in 2020, he described the cafe as American “with a Scandinavian twist.”
The restaurant was opened by the original Finn, a Norwegian immigrant, in 1952, and today, it operates under the direction of Finn’s son, Finn Jr., chef and owner, along with his wife, Vicky. All of the breads are made in-house daily from scratch, and Finn Jr. and Vicky source many local ingredients themselves, such as growing rosemary for their house-made vinaigrette. Finn Jr. also does all of the baking himself, his way of paying homage to the original Finn, who was a professional pastry chef.
11. Hruska’s Kolaches
- Location: 1751 S 1100 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84105
- Reservations: Not accepted, but you can order ahead
If you had never heard of a kolache before now, you’re not alone. A kolache is a circular Czech breakfast pastry, similar to a Danish, made of dough and stuffed with fruit, cream cheese, or other sweet treats, like Nutella and maple syrup.
They can also be savory, filled with ingredients like eggs, cheese, and meat instead of the sweet stuff, and no matter which type of kolache you’ve got a hankering for, you’ll find it at Hruska’s Kolaches. When Guy visited the restaurant, he learned that Hruska’s was started by three siblings from Texas who have a Czech background, making them the ideal group to start selling the pastry popular in Texas. The trio adapted their dough recipe from their great-grandmother’s recipe and makes an average of 1,000 kolaches per day.
Kolaches are quite literally all the restaurant sells, but reviews online say they often sell out, so get there early if you’re stopping in to eat.
12. Proper Burger Co.
- Location: 865 S Main St. or 376 8th Avenue
- Reservations: Book online (for 8th Avenue location only)
Proper Burger Co., with multiple locations in Utah, encourages customers to be “proper, but never prim,” assisting them, of course, with the help of spirits and good food. The original Proper’s was founded in 2013, and the company has continued to grow ever since, focusing on specialty-brewed beer and hand-crafted cuisine. They have an entire line of year-round and seasonal ales, with flavors like Gose Ale with Guava or Barrel Aged Imperial Stout.
Guy visited the restaurant in the 2010s, when he slurped down the Double Rarepit burger topped with housemade sauce made from ingredients like gorgonzola cheese, bacon fat, and the brewery’s own ale.
13. Laziz Kitchen
- Location: 912 S Jefferson St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
- Reservations: Not accepted
With a name that means “tasty and lighthearted” in Lebanese, it’s hard to imagine how Laziz Kitchen can be anything but. Laziz got its start from partners Derek Kitchen and Moudi Sbeity, who began by selling homemade hummus at local farmers’ markets. In 2016, they opened their first location as a queer-owned Lebanese restaurant with a modern twist. Since then, they have expanded even more, offering catering and a new location.
Some of Laziz Kitchen’s signature dishes include the Lebanese platter, packed with lentils, rice, and a yogurt cucumber sauce, as well as Shakshuka, which features eggs and tomato sauce, lamb meatballs, feta, cilantro, a drizzle of honey to finish, and a side of pita bread for dipping.
Owner Sbeity talked to Visit Salt Lake about how Guy had referred to his restaurant as a “Pop and Pop” shop. “We ran with that,” Sbeity said with a smile.
14. Arempas
- Location: 350 South State St.
- Reservations: Not accepted
Arempas is a Venezuelan restaurant in the heart of Salt Lake that serves up its specialty, “arempas,” which are cornmeal cakes stuffed with traditional Venezuelan meats, vegetables, and spices. The most popular arempa that the restaurant sells is called the “Pabellon,” and it’s chock-full of traditional Venezuelan shredded beef, black beans, plantains, and cheese.
You’ll see the restaurant proudly displays “As seen on ‘Diners, Drive-In, and Dives’” on its window when you visit, and it’s easy to see why Guy raved about arempa’s unique crunch-and-creamy combo when he visited. Plus, the restaurant doesn’t shy away from late-night hunger, as it’s regularly open until 3 a.m. with full dining service.
15. Santo Taco
- Location: 910 N 900 W.
- Reservations: Not accepted
Started by Claudia and Alfonso Brito in 2019, Santo Taco was born out of humble beginnings, as the pair began working in Salt Lake City restaurants without even knowing English. Eventually, the couple’s professional skills—and family—grew, and after some of their children became vegetarians, they challenged themselves to learn how to cook delicious vegetarian food—Mexican-style, of course.
Eventually, they felt ready to open a restaurant inspired by their journey, and Santo Taco was born. Today, they operate two locations in Utah and even offer catering. You’ll find, as Guy did, a mix of modern Mexican street food and, as promised, vegetarian dishes, like the popular Calabacitas Taco made with zucchini and corn.
