Hungry Hearts: Utah Eateries that Feed the Soul

Maybe it was the trickle of nostalgia that made the peacefully laid-to-rest Training Table’s cheese fries so tantalizing. Maybe it was the cheesy, oozing warmth of Pie Hole keeping you cozy after a messy breakup. Whatever the place or plate might’ve been, there are certain foods that will always have a special space in our hearts. So, join us in a feast of core memories and personal connections — it’s time to feed the soul!

Chubby Baker

When it comes to love in my life, three things immediately come to mind: donuts, reality TV and my wonderful partner. My perfect day is relaxing with my partner, watching reality TV and enjoying my newest donut obsession, Chubby Baker. Nothing has made me fall in love quicker than their Ferrero Rocher donut with its perfect fluffy texture and creamy chocolate hazelnut cream, topped with Nutella frosting and Ferrero Rocher candy. Chubby Baker has rotating monthly flavors (one of my recent favorites was Cereal Milk) and they have late-night DoorDash available. I’ve enjoyed one of their donuts after a workout class on a Sunday morning with my partner and DoorDashed them late at night while watching some of my favorite reality shows (Love is Blind, The Ultimatum, The Valley, etc.). If you are sleeping on Chubby Baker, it’s time to wake up because it just might become one of the loves of your life. —Alegra Zuchowicz

Dee’s Family Restaurant 

There are a lot of things that I don’t like about this country, but there are some things that I absolutely love. Chief among them is the American greasy spoon diner. Since childhood I have celebrated every victory, languished every defeat and pushed through most every hangover in the booth of one of these establishments, and since my move to Salt Lake in 2018, most of those moments have been at Dee’s Family Restaurant. This place serves old-fashioned breaded and fried love with a short stack of hotcakes. The waitstaff, who can somehow maintain a smile in the face of the drunken midnight crowd, are some of the kindest and hardest-working people in this valley. It’s too late for me to have been born in Dee’s, but I’d like to live and die there, and if they offered catering, they would be at my wedding too. —Cam Elliott

Big Daddy’s Pizza

It was at exactly 1:00 a.m. on a summer night in 2020 when I realized I was hungry. My fridge and cabinets produced hard rigatoni but no pasta sauce, and some unopened yet clearly battered Uncrustables. I had just moved from Chicago with my girlfriend and cat, and found myself caught utterly unaware by the lack of late-night delivery in Salt Lake City. The discovery of Big Daddy’s saved me that evening. Their Six Cheese Pizza, composed of mozzarella, parmesan, gouda, feta, cheddar and blue cheese, stunned my palate. I grew up in Wisconsin, and I hadn’t put that many different types of cheeses in my mouth at the same time before. Big Daddy’s has a wide and cost-effective menu, with a hearty selection of specialty pies and appetizers, including their delicious Mac & Cheese Bites. You will find everything you need in a pizza during the ungodly hours with this local chain, which has six locations in the Salt Lake Valley and one in Park City. —Kyle Forbush

Arempas

Shortly after moving to Utah in 2023, the 2:00 a.m. hunger of my friends and I led us to what seemed like a choice of convenience. The line at Pie Hole was too long, so we decided to eat at Arempas, the restaurant next door. It was my first time trying a Venezuelan-style empanada and it changed me as a person. Everyone I know has witnessed my fixation on these gluten-free fried pastries and Arempas as an establishment. This place has seen the best and worst of my inner circle, including a questionable decision to let a stranger take my contact lenses out of my eyes while in line! (don’t worry, he washed his hands.) Arempas is a must-try — just as delicious in daylight as it is under neon beer signs. The restaurant boasts an episode on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and eating an arepa where Guy Fieri once did feels truly transcendent. —Liz Kelly

Rancherito’s

It was 2024 and I had just graduated from Salt Lake Community College. I was feeling lost and scared shitless that this degree wasn’t getting me anywhere. Now, allegedly, I decided that what would fix this feeling would be to pregame a certain herb and high-point alcohol in a parking lot before heading into a Salt Lake Bees game with my partner and his two childhood friends. A rowdy baseball game and some tall boys later, my existential dread was creeping its way back into a vicious spiral in my smooth lizard brain. During my hazy car ride home, I saw my glowing beacon of hope, Rancherito’s. While swaying in the lobby of this haven I devoured birria tacos and shot the leftover consommé. It was then that I realized, no matter how uncertain and directionless this life may feel, as long as I have good food (and people to enjoy it with) I’d make it out okay. —Yonni Uribe

Central 9th Market 

It’s not a quiet place: Wu-Tang Clan cranks over the speakers and seating is scarce — one picnic table or the sun-warmed concrete slab. But Central 9th Market is where you fill your tank. The food tastes like what you wish your mom could make — precise and intentional. Two chef/cashier/fry cooks work behind the counter. Massive focaccia loaves stand stacked at the end, glistening with olive oil. I order my comfort meal: The Breakfast Sando — fried egg, bacon, cheddar, and sauce between focaccia — with a cherry limeade. It’s 10 a.m. and I’m not hungover, but not quite sober. When they call my name, I salivate instantly. At first bite, warm bread crunches and egg yolk spreads perfectly. For a moment, everything feels right. My restlessness fades. I’m simply present. After thanking the staff, I leave. Around the corner, a sign with a grim reaper reads: “Fuck around, find out.” It’s Saturday. Only Saturday. —Josh Allred

Spitz Sugar House

“Help, what’s a good dinner spot in Sugar House for a first date?” I frantically texted my friends on a Wednesday afternoon. My requirements: not overly fancy, but not fast food, with a lively atmosphere and plenty of meatless options. One friend suggested Spitz, the Mediterranean street food restaurant tucked into a corner next to Tea Bar, so we met there at 6:30 that night. He got the Gyro Combo and a mix of regular and sweet potato fries. I got the Street Cart Doner Wrap with falafel and a Dr. Pepper. We played Battleship (I won) and Connect Four (I lost). There was a second date, and a third, and a fourth. Almost a year later, we returned to Spitz the night before he took the MCAT for some much-needed protein and distraction. He scored in the 96th percentile, and I give partial credit to those crispy fried lavash chips and mouth-watering lemon-herb tahini. —Asha Pruitt 

All Chay

It’s not often that a vegan spot will catch my attention or leave me wanting more. I was vegetarian for five-plus years, but even that didn’t ultimately shift my palate away from the traditional American diet. All Chay, though, has carved a spot in me. It could be due to their impeccable Bánh Mì selection or their genuinely convincing vegan pho, or maybe the vacant, motel-lobby-esque interior. Regardless, this was a go-to spot for me and my boyfriend when he lived on the west side a few years back. Like all couples, we struggled to find a food spot we both agreed on, but All Chay was always a yes. We spent many date nights in the sparse booths until eventually we had sampled every Bánh Mì offering on the menu. If you plan on going, know that you will wait an unknown amount of time for your food. While it’s not quick, it is reliable and good. —wphughes 

Del Barrio Cafe

Del Barrio Cafe came through for me and my family after a long day of pickleball. For context, my family loves a good get-together, but no one is athletically gifted. Pickleball is obviously the best summer activity for our lack of coordination, but after a long and tiring day of hitting a ball back and forth, we were starved. I brought up Del Barrio Cafe, a place I knew had something for everyone. Despite all 10 of us showing up at once, the small restaurant was able to comfortably accommodate our big group. The menu had so much to choose from, from habanero limonadas to veggie nachos — and best of all, their mouth-watering birria tacos. The rich consommé and flavorful marinated beef along with the cheesy crunch of the taco shell left me in a trance, even after I finished my meal. I still dream of eating those tacos with a mojito limonada to wash it down. —Angela Garcia

One More Noodle House

The rich, bright and delicate ornamental visuals of the Chinatown Supermarket rushes in from every angle with the power to numb any bits of sadness — much like the strip mall’s One More Noodle House’s bowl of Spicy Beef Noodles. The slow and low heat of the numbing spice broth knows how to pull all the sour flavors from your palette giving space for rich broth to move in. It’s just one of the many great dishes that are served. Taste and ambiance only takes an experience so far. The last piece of the comfort food holy trinity (and most important) are the people we share a meal with. The transformable experience for me is credited to Robin Banks, not only because they introduced the place to me or the camaraderie of hunching over bowls of noodles together. It was the final tip they had left me with at the end of the night that made space in my heart for them and the restaurant. The gift that kept on giving was this advice: KEEP THE BROTH! Buy some noodles from the market and take home the broth to make more. If none of this resonates and entices you to try out the place, maybe the comfort that comedian Ali Wong thought it was outstanding will convince you. —Joshua Joye

Read more about the yummy, scrumptious foods of SLC:
The Bayou Will Do Right By You
Hankerings for The Hangover: Top 8 Local Cure-Alls