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 every single thing on the menu is grown locally. Around Torrey you can find eclectic locally harvested fare like free range rattlesnake.
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 Milt's Stop & Eat, Jailhouse Cafe, Antica Forma, Sabaku Sushi, Moab Diner, Moab Brewery, 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 or lunch. Mesa Farm Market is the local farmer of your dreams, and it offers CSAs to locals and homestead-style meals to foodie travelers. Finish the day with a slice of homemade pie at Gifford Homestead in Capitol Reef National Park. Overnight in Torrey
Torrey to Boulder
40 Miles
Torrey is a delightful town with an eclectic and tasty food scene to wake you up for the scenic road trip ahead: The All-American Road Scenic Byway 12. You’ll hit 9,000 feet as you climb over Boulder Mountain. Stop at the overlook that peers back into the red rock wonderland of Capitol Reef. But don’t linger too long. You’ll want to hit the Saturday Boulder Community Market (April-November), if you’ve timed your trip for it. If not, no worries. You’ll get the very best in truly local cuisine at Hell’s Backbone Grill and you can check out local arts and crafts at the Burr Trail Trading Post. Overnight in Boulder
Boulder to Bryce Canyon
80 Miles
Kiva Koffeehouse 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 inside the park, you’ll be treated to a surprisingly thoughtful menu with local ingredients sprinkled throughout. 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 of the southwestern palate going by stopping at Black Sheep Cafe in Provo. Once back in Salt Lake City, you'll have the capital city’s full range of urban eateries to put a culinary exclamation point on this trip. A foodie's paradise, choose from BBQ, Mexican, vegan and more — even the airport hosts some dining gems.
Discover More
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5 Road Trip-Worthy Restaurants in Kanab, Utah
Hungry for a culinary renaissance? Or a small-town staple? Whatever you’re craving, fuel your outdoor adventures at these favorite Kanab restaurants.
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7 Utah Artisan Cheeses to Try Now
Taste delicious hand-crafted cheese from Utah dairies at farmers markets, restaurants and specialty shops. Visit Utah and find your favorite artisanal cheese.
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Artisan Cheese in Red Rock Country
Two decades ago, Randy Ramsley traded his Dockers-and-tie city job for a 50 acre plot of land that he called a “Garden of Weedin” and the dream of establishing a sustainable farmstead. Now travelers from all over the globe know the small market and counter-service restaurant at Mesa Farm as a refreshing “must-do” respite seemingly plunked in the middle of nowhere on Highway 24 east of Capitol Reef National Park.
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Craft Chocolate Capital of America: Utah's Culture of Cacao
The craft chocolate scene in Utah is a wonder within itself. Join one of Matt Caputo’s chocolate classes to increase your appreciation and chocolate knowledge.
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Curry, Fine Wine, Dining at 11,000'
Fred Barbier is Director of Resort Dining at Snowbird Resort restaurants. Find out what goes on in the kitchen and why you need to eat a meal here.
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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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Discover the Shape of Utah's Coffee Community
See coffee shops in Salt Lake City on this short video tour of some of the best coffee shops in Utah.
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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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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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Mesa Farm Market
Best local shops and healthy eats near Moab and Capitol Reef. Try the goat cheese!
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Mountain Chocolate Calling
Make your chocolate fantasy into reality by including on your itinerary a visit to the Ritual Chocolate Factory, one of Utah’s premier chocolate makers.
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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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Painted Pony Restaurant
Located in Ancestor Square in the heart of St. George, Utah, the Painted Pony, affectionately known as “The Pony,” gets rave reviews by all, as evidenced by its 4.5-star Trip Advisor rating.
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Ray's Tavern
Ray’s is the way to hamburger bliss after a weekend of concurring and communing with Mother Nature at her most brazen — namely, Moab and the surrounding Southern Utah recreational areas.
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Rediscovering A. Fisher Brewing Company
One brewery where you can find both a rich history and a fresh perspective is the newly reopened A. Fisher Brewing Company (also referred to simply as Fisher Brewing). After more than fifty years this Utah classic is back to stay, providing a wide variety brews to enjoy.
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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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St. George Scene: Cliffside and The Bear Paw
Explore the best restaurants in St. George including Cliffside and The Bear Paw.
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Torrey Dining
Thanks to it’s location eight miles from Capitol Reef National Park, this remote enclave is a great place to stop for some coffee, ice cream or dinner on your way in or out of the park.
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Tropic, Utah: Bryce Canyon Coffee Company and The Stone Hearth Grille
Get an introduction to the best-known restaurants in Tropic, Utah — The Stone Hearth Grille and Bryce Canyon Coffee Company. Prepare your appetite!
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Urban and RYE: An Intimate Mixture of Music and Local Eats
Come in and experience the unique fare from the RYE Diner, one of the best restaurants in Salt Lake City. Then enjoy the hot beats at the Urban Lounge.
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Urban Vibe and Funeral Potatoes
For fun places to eat in Salt Lake City find the Garage on Beck. Check out the vintage artifacts, the fresh food (funeral potatoes) and the fine live music.
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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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Where to taste, tour and take home Utah's world-renowned chocolate
The Utah chocolate world is expanding deliciously. Visit some of the world's premier chocolate stores and producers for true moments of chocolate bliss.
