20 Best Restaurants in Southwestern Utah, Utah

You can watch your handmade artisanal pizza being pulled from the fires of the brick oven, then sit back and enjoy a seasonal pie layered with ingredients like house-made fennel sausage and wood-roasted cremini mushrooms. The creamy vanilla gelato layered with a balsamic reduction and sea salt is highly addictive.

Husband and husband Joseph Shumway and A. C. Ivory operate this hip artisan ice cream shop adjacent to the Wild Rabbit Cafe and Shooke Coffee Roasters along with the small regenerative farm in nearby Bicknell where they source some of their ingredients. Some of the interesting flavors include dark chocolate–mint, juniper berry, and mango-chili-lime.

Stop by this cheerful coffeehouse with hanging plants and several tables on a spacious side patio to fuel up before your big park adventure or to grab some healthy sustenance for later. Hearty acai and miso-quinoa bowls, toast with goat cheese and fresh strawberries, bagels with the requisite schmears, breakfast burritos, and house-made granola are among the tasty offerings. There's also a nice selection of camp mugs, travel tumblers, and coffee-related gifts.

This hip sidewalk café and bakery on the ground floor of a downtown St. George apartment building is a pleasing option for both decadent sweets—think passionfruit-coconut–glazed doughnuts and blood-orange tarts—and filling sandwiches on crusty house-baked breads. Notable drink options include brown sugar–cinnamon lattes and high-octane cold brews.

This fun stop along scenic Highway 12, 13 miles east of Escalante, was constructed by the late artist and inventor Bradshaw Bowman, who began building it when he was in his eighties and spent two years finding and transporting the 13 Douglas-fir logs surrounding the structure. The distinctive eatery with amazing views serves a daily-changing array of made-from-scratch soups, bagel sandwiches, tamales, oatmeal pancakes, salads, and decadent desserts, plus exceptional coffee and espresso drinks. Open from March through October, the café also rents two overnight accommodations in a nearby cabin.

This tiny takeout patisserie in the center of downtown is a favorite stop for lattes and cold brew; crepes and salads; heartier dinner specials (salmon, filet mignon, ratatouille); and ethereal pastries and sweets, including a rotating selection of chocolate, berry, lemon, and seasonal tarts. Although primarily a to-go option that's perfect for stocking up before a hiking or biking adventure, in warm weather, you can also dine on the cute patio out front.

A charming patio overlooking Ancestor Square with contemporary Southwestern art on the walls provides a romantic setting for enjoying contemporary American fare with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients, many from the owners' private organic garden. Consider sage-smoked quail with a tamarind glaze, followed by a juniper-brined bone-in pork chop with stuffed pears and smoked-tomato relish, and don't pass up the standout sides that include sweet cornbread pudding, truffle potato chips, and Stilton fritters. The white chocolate cheesecake tower is a standout among several excellent desserts.

This beautifully designed adobe oasis in the Kayenta Art Village in Ivins, about 10 miles northwest of St. George, offers gracious indoor and outdoor seating, the latter overlooking fragrant high-desert gardens and the surrounding red-rock ramparts. Pronounced zay-tah-vah, the space began as a coffee bar and is still a source of lattes and mochas, but you'll also find an eclectic selection of globally inspired all-day fare, including blue-corn waffles, ham ciabattas, peach-glazed organic chicken, and wild mushroom burgers. Weekend brunch is extremely popular.

From the Western-style interior and creaky floors to the smoker out back, this rustic café has an aura of Texan authenticity—there are cowboy collectibles and game trophies lining the walls. No surprise that barbecue is the specialty here, and the restaurant has its own house-made sauce, with ample portions of favorites, such as ribs, mesquite-flavored beef, and pulled pork, along with lighter sandwiches and salads.

Head to this local chainlet's light-filled, high-ceilinged east side location—near the Virgin River bike and jogging trail—for well-crafted coffees, teas, and lemonades as well as an assortment of tasty, generally healthy, dishes. Start the day with some BLT avocado toast or a turmeric-tofu scramble, and for lunch, try the harvest berry salad. Additional locations are in Ancestor Square and Springdale.

This colorful storefront eatery in historic downtown Hurricane pours one of the region's best cups of coffee, a fine prelude or follow-up to the salads, sandwiches, hearty omelets, homemade soups, flavorful pastas, and generous hamburgers on the menu. If you have the time, linger outside on the shaded patio and watch the hummingbirds.

At this funky, updated downtown take on a burger joint, the brick walls are hung with local art for sale. Creatively topped beef and veggie burgers are offered, plus breakfast burritos, several varieties of quinoa salad, and thick milkshakes. Choose from a long list of toppings and sides, like sauerkraut, sriracha mayo, pineapple relish, and kimchi for your meal.

Dive into one of the hefty burgers at this local fast-food spot set in a low-slung mid-century building on Main Street—there's no indoor seating, just order at the counter and enjoy your meal at one of the green picnic tables. Bison, beef, and veggie patties are available, along with beer-battered-cod baskets, corn dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, and homemade ice cream and shakes.

Notable for its big patio with fantastic views into the park and for one of the better selections of vegan and vegetarian dishes in town, this funky little café decorated with colorful artwork serves plenty of tasty meat and egg dishes, too. The grilled ham Benedict has plenty of fans, as do buffalo burgers with Havarti cheese and apple-pear-berry salads with organic greens, feta, and walnuts.

As the name suggests, this airy contemporary restaurant is a meat-lover's paradise. Starting with tri-tip eggs Benedict and chicken and waffles at breakfast, pulled-pork sandwiches, carne asada nachos, and bacon-mushroom-cheddar burgers follow. You'll find a few shrimp options, including a po'boy sandwich, and some veggie dishes like spicy cauliflower tacos. No alcohol is served. There's a branch in St. George, too.

At this upscale, light-filled restaurant with an eclectic menu that's rich on fresh pastas and creative meat and seafood dishes, the staff makes you feel right at home even if you saunter in wearing hiking shoes. The exposed wood beams and large windows that frame the surrounding trees and rock cliffs set a Western mood, with tablecloths and original artwork supplying a dash of refinement. Note that October through May, the restaurant isn't usually open for breakfast—check first.

With bird's-egg-blue cuckoo clocks and light-hearted Victorian-theme prints on the walls, this café in St. George's historic downtown is all about whimsy and fun, right down to the to-die-for homemade cupcakes, such as orange blossom and chocolate espresso. Lunch offerings include pastas, panini, deli sandwiches, and salads. You can also order a panino for breakfast, which is served until noon, though most people opt for buttermilk pancakes, French toast, biscuits and gravy, or a frittata or other egg dish.

With a white-tile open kitchen, marble tables, and a wood-beam ceiling, this scene-y farm-to-table restaurant and bar in the swanky Advenire Hotel is St. George's destination for people-watching and deftly crafted seasonal cuisine. The sharing-friendly menu changes regularly but always features a selection of cheeses and charcuterie, and typical offerings include grilled octopus with preserved lemon and bone-in prime rib-eye.