Best Restaurants in Utah South of I-70

The other thread got me thinkin’ what’s the best and worst food you know of south of I-70? Who gives a hoot about Smog Lake City food, let’s talk the about the southern part.

Will do my best to keep this list up to date.

Best South Central and Central Utah

• Ray's Tavern, Green River
  • Burger and a beer
• Hell's Backbone Grill, Boulder
• Kiva Koffeehouse, Escalante
• Georgie’s Outdoor Mexican Cafe, Escalante
• El Mexicano, Salina
• Taco Food Truck at the old gas station, Green River
• Magnolia's Street Food, Boulder
• Make a pbj and jetboil coffee, your car

Best Southeast Utah

• Comb Ridge Eat and Drink, Bluff
• Patio Diner, Blanding
  • "Not bad for a burger"
  • Shakes
• Gustavo's Mexican Restaurant, Monticello
• Ja-Roen Thai, Monticello (STILL OPEN BUT FOR SALE)
• The Granary, Monticello
  • Veggie burger
  • Onion Rings
  • Chicken wing dinner
• High Desert Cafe, Monticello
• Twin Rocks Cafe, Bluff
  • Navajo Taco
• Arches Thai, Moab
• Sabaku Sushi, Moab
• 98 Center, Moab
  • Banh Mi
• A&W, Blanding
  • The only fast food burger place in San Juan County. You can go bowling too.

Best Southwest Utah

• Kan Kun Mexican Restaurant, Beaver
• Centro Woodfired Pizza, Cedar City
• Red Fort Cuisine Of India, St. George
• The Painted Pony, St. George
• The Spotted Dog, Springdale
• Rocking V Cafe, Kanab

The first thing that came to mind was Ray’s Tavern in Green River. Though looking on the map it’s right on I70 and technically to the north by about a half mile. It checks the boxes for both best AND worst food, depending on your state of mind.

For an on the road (I15) Mexican meal, Kan Kun in Beaver is descent.

For an on the road (I70) Mexican meal, El Mexicano in Salina is descent.

As mentioned, Ray's is good for a good burger and a beer. Hell's Backbone is recommended.

Comb Ridge Eat and Drink in Bluff is good.

Ray's in Green River is classic, though not so much for the food which is pretty ok.  It is much better if you have just finished derigging from a river trip.  The taco food truck at the old gas station is really pretty good.

Hells Backbone in Boulder is absolutely first rate.  Magnolias food truck in Boulder is also really good.

The Patio Diner in Blanding is not bad for a burger.

Another on the road (I-15) recommendation: Centro Wood Fired Pizza in Cedar City. https://www.centropizzeria.com/

Cory N wrote:

The other thread got me thinkin’ what’s the best and worst food you know of south of I-70? Who gives a hoot about Smog Lake City food, let’s talk the about the southern part.

Are we including St. George / Zion areas?

Marc801 C wrote:

Are we including St. George / Zion areas?

Yeah for sure! Looking forward to your recs Marc!

Food and coffee sucks ass in central utah.

Make a pbj and jetboil coffee.

Red Fort in St George should be on your list 

Come on now we’ve got a few decent spots.

The Granary - chicken wing dinner

High Desert Cafe

The A and dubya- side of bowling 

Twin rocks in Bluff for a Navajo Taco 

Honorable mention for Jeremy - The Monticello 711

St. George - The Painted Pony

Springdale (Zion) - The Spotted Dog

Kanab - Rockin' V

Bob - wrote:

Come on now we’ve got a few decent spots.

The Granary - chicken wing dinner

High Desert Cafe

The A and dubya- side of bowling 

Twin rocks in Bluff for a Navajo Taco 

Honorable mention for Jeremy - The Monticello 711

I have been to the granary.

idk if this is a hot take but there’s unexpectedly good SE Asian food in SE Utah. Arches Thai in Moab as well as the Thai place in Monticello both clonk my bonkers.

aiden the cam slinging slasher wrote:

idk if this is a hot take but there’s unexpectedly good SE Asian food in SE Utah. Arches Thai in Moab as well as the Thai place in Monticello both clonk my bonkers.

Thai place in Monticello closed down homie:( Arches Thai is good, If you got the dough and patience Sabi Sushi is good in Moab. 98 Center has great banh mi as well. 

Bolting Karen wrote:

Thai place in Monticello closed down homie:( Arches Thai is good, If you got the dough and patience Sabi Sushi is good in Moab. 98 Center has great banh mi as well. 

Still open, but still for sale. He looks to have chilled out on trying to sell the place, just dropped sushi from the menu. Hopefully when it closes another reasonable restaurant will open in it's place. 

I updated the list! Keep em coming.

Missing some good stuff

• Angelica's- Saint G
• The Pizza Wagon -(Hurricane, has weird hours tho)
• Hash House A go go- Saint G (Fried Chicken and Waffles)
• Burr Trail Grill- Boulder UT (One of the best in UT)

Moab:

Desert Bistro

Fiesta Mexicana - acceptable Tex-Mex (they have a number of other locations - https://fiestamexrest.com/mexican-restaurants/)

spitfire smokehouse in Moab catered my brothers wedding. The pulled pork was really good.

Does anyone remember La Hacienda in Moab? The food was good enough but something about their salsa after a hard day on the desert. It was soooooogoooood. I miss their salsa. 

Any suggestions for vegan food in southern Utah would be welcome as well.  My girlfriend is a vegan, so she spends a lot of time at this place:

• Make a pbj and jetboil coffee, your car

Climber food or real food?

For real food try the Sunset Grill in Moab

Eric Engberg wrote:

For real food try the Sunset Grill in Moab

I haven't been there in a while. Is it still excellent?