Foodie Journey
This six-day itinerary is fit for foodies, and it's the only itinerary where you might come back heavier than you started.
In a place that’s known for its red rock landscape, it’s incredible that local chefs can coax such a feast of fresh food from the desert. This itinerary is fit for foodies — be warned you might come back weighing more than when you started.
You’ll visit Moab, where you can enjoy canyon views and a bounty of restaurant options. On the road to Capitol Reef National Park, you can awaken to a farm-fresh breakfast, dine riverside and then savor salads grown in the desert sun and picked fresh just for you.
Imagine what it was like to farm over 100 years ago at Gifford Homestead, an oasis set among sandstone cliffs. Then gorge yourself at Hell’s Backbone Grill, where almost everything on the menu is grown locally. Around Torrey, you'll find slow-cooked meals featuring locally sourced wild game and fish.
In Boulder, Cedar City and St. George, you’ll find more unique options including southwestern flavors, big city pizza and Kansas City-style barbeque.
Cap off your trip in Salt Lake City, where you could spend another full week trying to taste everything.
When to Go?
From August to October, you can enjoy many of Utah's harvest festivals. Check restaurants in advance for any seasonal closures between November to March.
Moab
35 Miles
Post-fun meals in Moab are an essential part of the adventure. Recharge your energy, enjoy a cold one (or two) and refuel at some of Moab's best restaurants. After a day of biking along endless slickrock bluffs or hiking narrow canyons, you'll have worked up a mighty appetite. Moab has a surprising range of culinary options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, consider Doughbird, Milt's Stop & Eat, Jailhouse Cafe, Birdy’s Finer Diner, Antica Forma, Sabaku Sushi, Thai Bella and more. Overnight at Red Cliffs Lodge or in Moab (Read: The Best Time to Visit Moab)
Moab to Capitol Reef
160 Miles
Depending on what time you get started, Tamarisk in Green River serves up a great breakfast. For lunch in Torrey, find foodies and other hungry souls lined up beside a food truck where Capitol Burger is flipping what some say are the best in the state. Made-to-order sandwiches, perfect for stashing in your pack for a day in the park, can also be found at both the Wild Rabbit and the Chuckwagon General Store, Deli & Bakery. Need a midday snack? Grab a slice of homemade pie at Gifford Homestead in Capitol Reef National Park. For dinner, Hunt & Gather is a fine dining eatery with a casual space, featuring “slow-cooked meals from local ingredients," including wild game, fish, stone fruits and organic vegetables. And for an after dinner treat, Color Ridge Farm & Creamery offers artisanal, homemade ice cream, with creative flavors like Juniper Berry and Lavender Honey. Overnight in Torrey.
Torrey to Boulder
40 Miles
In Torrey, options for breakfast and lunch range from homey, sit-down eateries to a quick drive-through coffee shop. Wild Rabbit Cafe is a local favorite. Specializing in house-baked buttermilk biscuits and farm-fresh local eggs, this rustic cafe serves up classic dishes alongside artisan coffee roasted right in town by Shooke Coffee Roasters. Another great spot is Dark Sky Coffee, a walk-up or drive-through cafe housed in an adorable, red-roofed tiny house on the east end of Main Street—named in honor of Torrey’s designation as Utah’s first International Dark Sky Community.
Grab your morning fuel to wake up for the scenic road trip ahead along Scenic Byway 12. You’ll reach an elevation of 9,000 feet as you climb over Boulder Mountain—be sure to stop at the overlook for a breathtaking view back into the red rock wonderland of Capitol Reef. Just don't linger too long! If your trip falls on a weekend between April and November, you won't want to miss the Saturday Boulder Community Market. If not, no worries: you can still experience the very best in truly local cuisine at North Creek Grill in Escalante, Hell’s Backbone Grill, Burr Trail Grill or Sweetwater Kitchen in Boulder and browse local arts and crafts at the Burr Trail Trading Post. Overnight in Boulder.
Boulder to Bryce Canyon
80 Miles
Kiva Koffeehouse (open Wednesday-Sunday) in Escalante is a welcome stop for fresh food and espresso tucked on a hillside near milepost 73 along Scenic Byway 12. There are lots of opportunities to stop and stretch along the way, or continue along to the quaint community of Tropic, which has some culinary treats in store — including Stone Hearth Grille and Bryce Canyon Coffee Co. Bryce Canyon National Park gets busy in the summer, but if you can, get a table at the Bryce Canyon Lodge. The restaurant at the lodge is a delightful option for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Within its rustic setting, diners can choose from a traditional American menu with Southwestern flare, including Elk Chili (delicious and gluten-free), pan-seared Slickrock Salmon with a honey glaze (in the Beehive State) or the Warm Trail Bowl filled with black beans, brown rice, roasted corn and topped with pico de gallo and green chili sauce. Note that the restaurant does not accept reservations. Overnight in Bryce Canyon City or Panguitch.
Panguitch to Cedar City
175 Miles
Today explores the best eats of southwestern Utah, from the Western-inspired dining of historic Panguitch to the rising dining scenes of St. George and Cedar City. Throughout this region there are infinite options for hiking and exploration. Take the S.R. 9 through Zion National Park and eat in Springdale or see the Cedar Breaks National Monument and stop in at Brian Head Resort. Overnight in Cedar City (if your timing is right, catch a Shakespeare performance!)
Return to Salt Lake City
250 Miles
On your way back to Salt Lake City, keep this journey through the southwestern palate going with a stop at Black Sheep Cafe in Provo. Once you arrive in SLC, you’ll have the capital city’s full range of urban eateries to put a culinary exclamation point on your trip. A foodie's paradise, the city offers everything from BBQ and Mexican to vegan cuisine—and even the airport hosts a few dining gems. Urban Hill, Oquirrh, Table X, Bar Nohm, and Facil Taqueria are just a handful of the city's innovative dining experiences you won't want to miss.
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5 Road Trip-Worthy Restaurants in Kanab, Utah
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A Sweet-Tooth’s Guide to Downtown Provo
We’ve set out on a walk in search of Provo's best treats. We were not disappointed.
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Best Après Ski Bars in Park City and Beyond
Want to master the art of après? Here’s your guide to the best après-ski bars in Park City and the Wasatch Front.
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Cedar City Scene: Centro Woodfired Pizza and The Grind
Right downtown on Center Street, just off Main Street in Cedar City, Utah, and within walking distance to everything, lies the famed Centro Woodfired Pizzeria. (The Grind Coffee House is just around the corner.)
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Discover the Breweries of the Wasatch Front
Over the past two decades, Salt Lake’s breweries have grown into a culture all their own. Here’s what you need to start planning a pub crawl with this collection of Salt Lake’s most popular breweries.
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Eating Up Mount Timpanogos
Learn about the Utah farms near Mt. Timpanogos that produce luscious lettuce and artisan cheese. Make your own plans to “eat up” Mt. Timpanogos!
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Fervor on Foot: Tracking Salt Lake's Food and Spirits
Salt Lake City, Utah is a walkable town with a flourishing and ever-evolving food and spirits culture. Find a neighborhood district to stroll, taste, touch and see!
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Heber Eats
Heber Valley is a basecamp for adventure with none of the crowds! With restaurants, bakeries, yurt dining and more there is never a shortage of places to eat.
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Hell's Backbone Grill
Boulder, Utah sits at the edge of wilderness, but Hell's Backbone Grill culinary ethics and farm-to-table cuisine puts most city dining to shame.
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Kiva Koffeehouse
Kiva Koffeehouse is a welcome stop for fresh food and espresso tucked on a hillside down a dirt driveway near milepost 73 on the scenic byway.
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Meet the Women Leading Utah's Food and Beverage Renaissance
When it comes to food and beverage in Utah, there are key influencers who have been the proponents of change, growth, and the role of women in Utah’s food scene.
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More Than Coffee: The Caffeinators of Salt Lake City
The unique Salt Lake City coffee community is ready to embrace you. When you visit Utah, try all the capital city's coffee shops and styles to find your favorite cup.
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Navajo: Fry Bread, Tacos, Pizza
Despite its troubling origins, Navajo fry bread is an inspired food of the nation’s people, and it can be found in many forms with various names around the southwest.
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Short List: Local Salt Lake City Nightlife Picks
Make the most of winter's shortened daylight by extending your Utah ski trip into the night. Sure, some resorts offer incredible night skiing — so, okay, after that — but then the night really gets going in downtown Ski City.
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The Hills are Alive With the Scent of Whiskey
The first of several legal Utah distilleries since 1870 is the High West Distillery. Tour the facility, enjoy a tasting, build your flight and have a burger.
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The Spice of (a New) Life
Some of the best food in Salt Lake City is served in the Spice Incubator Kitchen. Come visit this international culinary kitchen for a treat to your taste buds.
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Utah Spirits Tours
Utahns have rediscovered distilling. Sample the merchandise on a gin distillery tour, stay for dinner and taste Utah whiskey, vodka and more on other tours.
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Utah's Rum Underdogs
Utah distilleries are becoming very popular. Distillery 36 is rising to the top of the list. Drink in their story and then let’s toast with Brigham agricole rum!
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Utah’s Fruit Way: Harvest Time Along Old Highway 89
Headed to Bear Lake, Golden Spike National Historical Park or the Bear Lake Migratory Bird Refuge? Stock up with fresh road-trip snacks and dinner provisions direct from family-run farm stands, all within a stone’s throw of the region’s many historic farms and orchards.
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Utah’s Women Make History
Walk in the footsteps of Utah’s earliest women’s suffrage leaders at sites throughout downtown Salt Lake City. Along the way, view public art installations commemorating voting rights and stop at trail-adjacent local women-owned businesses.
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Want Wine? Utah Has an App for That!
Search for and locate any wine, beer or spirit in the entire statewide inventory using an app.
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Welcome to the 5%: Liquor Laws Support Utah's Vibrant Craft Brew Scene
While Utah still has some unconventional liquor laws on the books, they aren’t an impediment to enjoying the local creations. So raise a glass to your next trip to Utah — you won’t be disappointed.
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Where to Eat and Drink in St. George
As you explore St. George and Greater Zion seeking excellent food, coffee and drinks, you’ll want to add these top restaurants to your list.
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Where’s the Meat?
Taking the blue highways, finding a local diner or picking up fresh fruit from a family-run farm store gets us that much more in touch with the flow of seasons and feeling grounded in our sense of place as we travel. And shrinking the circle of our food sourcing has become a priority for many people even, and especially, while on the road.
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Women in the Wild: Transformation and the Outdoors
Paula Colman joins a weekend retreat for women in Moab, Utah, that has an eye-catching mission: Build your tribe. Connect with your inner spirit. Transform body, mind and spirit around the theme: “Ignite the Flame Within.” Follow along as she seeks her authentic self and learn how to find your own Tribe.
