Thought it was high time to share some of the excellent SLC restaurants that are still open for takeout and curbside pickup.
Writing about food sometimes seems superfluous to me, particularly during a worldwide pandemic. While thinking through how to be intentional in my role as a food writer, I realized that giving shout-outs to my favorite local businesses working their tails off and also spreading the word about amazing + hardworking people in our community is more important now than ever. We need to take care of ourselves and others, and food has a long history of helping with that.
Eating good food together is one of those little life luxuries that makes us feel alive and human, and community restrictions have deeply affected that for so many. In our communities, the well-being of restaurant owners and employees is in actual jeopardy and workers all over the country are being furloughed or fired because shops have no other option. Chain restaurants will survive but some of these mom-and-pops and local franchises have very small margins. Many have already temporarily shuttered including some of my favorites in SLC (like the Copper Onion restaurant group and Eva, shown below).
When you’re thinking of where to order from during this crazy time, think of this question: What local restaurants could you not live without? Here are some of the places I chose.
Pizza Nono
It was a no-brainer to support this local gem at 9th and 9th. This is easily my favorite pizza in town and though half the fun is the ambiance of Pizza Nono’s dining room (with its communal dining table and photo booth with prime people-watching out their roll-up doors in the summer), these pies of course were still delicious and traveled well. Our order was #1 Margherita (on the right) and #6 Vegan with bright tomato sauce, garlic, artichoke, red onion, arugula, basalmic glaze.
Online ordering on their website was so easy (or you can call) and they brought it out curbside when I drove up and called the number on the sign.
Website: pizzanono-slc.com
Chile-Tepin
During week three of staying home, we were maybe sort of starting to feel like we were getting the hang of it (many ups and downs since then 😳). That feeling was majorly helped by Friday parrillada takeout for two from Chile-Tepin in downtown SLC. They are famous for their shareable molcajete and this parrillada, which is a huge platter that includes carne asada (steak), pollo a la plancha (chicken) (and usually shrimp/camaron but we subbed more carne asada), pico, guac, crema, queso fresco, tortillas.
Got the enchilada combinación for the kiddos and all meals came with rice and beans and a huge bag of crispy chips and two salsas (plus lollipops 🍭 for dessert).
Easy pickup or delivery options though the online ordering client can be a bit confusing if you don’t know their menu well. Pro tip: Find a photo of their menu online and read descriptions there (or just order by phone and ask any questions then). They are well-equipped with hand sanitizer and compliant distancing practices in their foyer so you don’t even enter the restaurant.
Website: chile-tepin.com
Caffe Expresso Highland
One of my favorite drive-thru cafes was still open last week. Favorite drink that I’m still hooked on thanks to a friend: Iced caramel macchiato (pictured on left).
Website: caffeexpresso.com
Beans & Brews
Frozen mocha treat from Beans & Brews on 3300 South near REI. Nobody does frozen beverages like them.
Apparently many Starbucks locations are closed or close very early which is fine because this B&B does it right and let’s shop local/shop small anyway.
They have a drive-thru and mostly regular hours (call to confirm). Their chai is also very good.
Also have had the chance to try some new-to-us restaurants that we’ve really enjoyed.
Ginger Street
Flavor explosion courtesy of Ginger Street. This was our first time trying it out, and we were impressed by the insane flavors in their spicy dan dan noodles, pad kee mao/drunken noodles (my fave dish), and even the kid meals: brothy egg noodles with broccoli, and their crazy good orange chicken with rice. I’m not a big fan of deep-fried food for takeout because it inevitably gets soggy but this chicken was still ridiculous and I’d totally order it again. Logistically, they’ve got curbside pickup down and it couldn’t be easier (clear instructions about where to park on State St. and proper compliance with gloves and masks). Only wish it was no traffic downtown like this all the time!
Website: gingerstreet.com
Stun Cube
Anytime a new Korean place comes to Utah it goes on my list. Glad we could make it to Stun Cube to try it out for the first time and support their business. This place has great reviews for a reason! The kimchi was a standout. Wish we had 5lbs more of that. Bulgogi and salad and japchae all very flavorful and good. Donkatsu was on the dry side for me but had great flavor. Love all the fruit and veg garnishes: Fresh pineapple and pickled beets, cherry tomatoes in the salad, green onions in the bulgogi.
Next time I will order a little more – my hungry and athletic family of five eats more than the average person – but I liked that they included a lot of rice. Nothing worse than running out of rice!!
Ordering on Grubhub was a little confusing because item descriptions were mixed up so just called our order in and it was ready 15 min later. Very friendly and easy and they brought it out curbside with utensils and napkins. Wish I had thought to ask about payment beforehand because I did have to exchange my card and sign for Stripe on the server’s phone. But really enjoyed this place and would definitely recommend.
CW from top: Spicy chicken bulgogi, pork donksatsu, pork bulgogi, stun kimbap. Side dishes of the day: Japchae and kimchi + fresh pineapple and salad.
Website: stun-cube.business.site
And just for fun even though we haven’t been able to order takeout (they are temporarily closed)…
Eva
That time before all this when we got to go out to @evaslc in @downtownslc for a date night and nobody was wearing gloves or masks and we weren’t anxious or worried about loved ones or germs or shortages. Good to remember that this will not last forever and we will get through this and the celebrations will be wonderful at the end.
I know eating out is a luxury. There are many ways to support local businesses including liking posts on social media, leaving a review on Yelp or Google, or just giving a shout-out and telling others why you love that coffee shop or restaurant. (Health officials from the CDC say there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be passed through food.)
Hope you all are doing okay out there. Tell me your favorite can’t-live-without restaurants below. Stay safe out there. We got this.
*There are some other more comprehensive lists out there right now of SLC restaurants still offering takeout and curbside drop-off (Yelp, Curbside Utah, Female Foodie, @nicholasandco on Instagram) but sometimes a curated guide is helpful. Definitely check with the restaurant itself as statuses are changing daily and menus have usually been pared down so go with the flow even if your favorites aren’t there.
