We love to try new restaurants and Utah has no shortage of fun restaurants to try. Our favorite kind is fast casual, but we also like to go to some sit down restaurants. All of the following have vegan options and are some of our favorite places in Utah to eat.
1. Thai Basil
Thai Basil is a Thai restaurant located in Riverton, Utah. They also have more locations in Utah. It is a sit down restaurant. We love to go for lunch or dinner and get the dinner sized dishes to share. Our favorite thing to share is the Yellow Curry with mixed vegetables, which is vegan.
It comes with jasmine rice and we substitute the meat for other vegetables. When they make it this way it comes with potatoes, carrots, red peppers, green peppers, zucchini, onions, broccoli, and corn. The yellow curry has a little spice to it that we love, but it's not too spicy.
This dish costs us about $12 and we always have enough leftovers to have it again the next night. Other dishes we've ordered and liked are the fresh spring rolls and the tempura veggies. Just a warning though, this restaurant is very hot in the summer. We recommend taking it to go.
Related Content: Chipotle Vegan Options: Ordering Vegan At Chipotle
2. Vertical Diner
Vertical Diner is a hip little restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah. Everything on the menu is plant-based, which makes it a vegan restaurant. These are hard to come by in Utah, so it makes it pretty unique. They have many different things on their menu, but we always stick to the all-day breakfast section.
Our favorite entrees have been:
- The Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Biscuits and Gravy
- La Mesa (hash browns, black beans, rice, red sauce, tofu scramble, grilled peppers and onions, cheese sauce, salsa fresca, sour cream, and guacamole)
The menu has food items that are not typically vegan, like meat and cheese, but they are all made from plant products. It is a very reasonably priced restaurant for being a sit down. It's about $6-10 per plate, depending on what you order. The servers are super nice and the food comes out quickly!
3. Zao Asian Cafe
Zao Asian Café is all about fresh and healthy Asian food. You can get a rice bowl, tacos, salad, bahn mi, or soup. Our favorite is the rice bowl with yellow curry and veggies. There are so many vegan options here. I have a separate blog post about that, which you can read here.
Top your meals off with one of their special drinks. Make sure to get the Thai Mango one, as it’s our fave. Their chips and guac are also amazing. For two people to eat here without the soda, it’ll cost you about $15.
4. Costa Vida
You can’t live in Utah and not eat at Costa Vida. Years ago a restaurant named Café Rio started up and really brought Mexican food back to the state. A rumor that I've heard is that the owners got divorced and one partner kept Café Rio and the other one started Costa Vida. I personally think the flavors went with Costa Vida.
What’s good here? Everything! Literally. To eat vegan here, we order either chips, guacamole, and salsa or a salad. When I get a salad here I get the tortilla, lettuce, guac, tortilla strips, limes, and salsa fresca. I'm not sure if their beans are vegan, but I know that their rice is not.
When you compare Cafe Rio to Costa Vida, you’ll find that they have shorter lines, a staff that speaks better English, a cleaner restaurant and better tasting tortillas. For two people to eat here, you can expect to pay between $15 and $20.
Related Content: Even Stevens Sandwiches in Utah: Vegan Options
5. Pizza Studio
We love pizza just like everyone else! Pizza Studio is the type of restaurant where you walk through the line cafeteria style, see the ingredients in front of you and have it made before your eyes. Each pizza is 11” and you get unlimited toppings. You first pick the type of crust that you want and then you pick out your toppings. It’s about $8 for each pizza and it comes out fast!
They have a lot of vegan options, including vegan cheese and some vegan meats. I'm not a fan of those though, so for my pizza I order the rosemary herb crust, red sauce, herb roasted potatoes, corn, broccoli, green peppers, and fresh basil. It's my favorite pizza out there!
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