City Weekly Best of Utah 2022

Best of Utah 2022: Libations & Bars

53 reader-voted winners in libations & bars, from the City Weekly Best of Utah 2022 poll.

Ask Ave: What won Best of Utah 2022 for Libations & Bars

• Best Apartment Complex PubPaxton Pub

  “Jeeze, I gotta go home!” you think with dread after that last drink at your neighborhood watering hole. No sweat. You're only an elevator ride away ... if you happen to live at Paxton 365…

• Best Ballpark BreweryUTOG

  When your back porch space occupies the same space as your local professional baseball team, you're smart to make the best of it—and UTOG does. No less so than the fans who watch the…

• Best Bar Beyond Downtown SLCThe Hog Wallow Pub

  Once a Civilian Conservation Corps bunkhouse, Hog Wallow Pub has brandished many a moniker over its 70+ years as a neighborhood watering hole, but some things have remained the same. By… — Runners-up: Prohibition, Ice Haus

• Best Bar BrosWillie's Lounge and Big Willies

  Willie's Lounge proudly wears its reputation as one of Utah's finest (and oldest) dive bars, validated by multiple City Weekly Best of Utah wins. Right across the street, Big Willies is…

• Best Bar BrunchPiper Down Pub

  Heaping servings of classic, no-frills breakfast fare and some of the city's best bloody marys await at Piper Down every weekend. Besides an Irish twist on the menu with dishes like their… — Runners-up: Gracie's, Whiskey Street Cocktails & Dining

• Best Bar in DowntownSalt Lake City

  Gracie's It's a bar, it's a gastropub, it's a meeting place, it's a calm spot to watch dusk settle on downtown from the spacious upstairs deck or get your groove going listening to local… — Runners-up: Lake Effect, Bar-X

• Best Bar MenuThe Bayou

  Since 2001, Mark and Kileen Alston have been front and center, calling all the shots at Salt Lake City's The Bayou. In those two decades, dishes like sweet potato fries, Hoppin John… — Runners-up: White Horse Spirits & Kitchen, Prohibition

• Best Bar PatioGracie's

  When a bar has two distinct patios, and when the upstairs patio seems like a twofer by itself depending on where you're seated, it's no real mystery why Salt Lakers flock to this downtown… — Runners-up: T.F. Brewing, Hog Wallow Pub

• Best Bar Theme NightProhibition

  The roaring ‘20s are alive and well at Prohibition. Roll through for some vintage entertainment in the form of their themed nights, often carried forth by SLC's sauciest burlesque sirens… — Runners-up: Gays of ‘47 @ Twist Bistro, Metro Music Hall

• Best Bar TVsFlanker Kitchen + Sporting Club

  Barely even a year old, Flanker at The Gateway is flexing. There's no bar or club in town that offers the variety of Flanker: great food, cocktails, karaoke, private special-event rooms… — Runners-up: The Green Pig Pub, Fiddler's Elbow

• Best BarbecueR&R Barbeque

  Ever since entering the Utah barbecue scene in 2013, and now grown to 11 locations, R&R has cemented itself as a local force. Winners of too many awards to count, R&R began as an outgrowth… — Runners-up: Pat's Barbecue, SugarHouse Barbeque Co.

• Best BarbershopJed's Barber Shop

  Hey fellas, in the market for a trim or a straight razor shave? Head to Jed's, where a standard cut only sets you back $35 and includes a hot lather neck shave, shoulder massage and an… — Runners-up: Salt Lake Barber Co., City Barbers

• Best BaristaAubry Childs,Tres Gatos Coffee

  There's a whole “latte” love going into the cups at Midvale's Tres Gatos Coffee. Campaigning to win Best Barista, Aubry Childs took to Instagram, posting, “If you know me, you know I… — Runners-up: Sam, Old Cuss Cafe, Jadey Crofts, Sugar House Coffee

• Best Beer SelectionThe Bayou

  If for no other reason, you should patronize The Bayou for its 2020- 2021 battle with the anti-mask crowd. The Bayou stuck to CDC-recommendations (facemasks, social distancing… — Runners-up: Beer Bar, Beerhive Pub

• Best Brewed Comfort ‘Food'Shades Brewing Co.

  Gifted with the ability to concoct beers that mimic other convections, entrees and comfort foods, South Salt Lake's Shades Brewing Co. has endeared itself to the hearts of Utah's craft beer…

• Best BreweryT.F. Brewing

  Established in October 2018, T.F. Brewing quickly rose to prominence in the Utah beer scene like a head of foam rises to the top. Raise that glass and give a toast to the Beehive's best… — Runners-up: Fisher Brewing Co., Shades Brewing

• Best Brewery Can ArtBewilder Brewing Co.

  When Bewilder Brewing Co. opened weeks before the beginning of the COVID pandemic, brewery owners Cody McKendrick and Ross Metzger were more worried about people accessing their beer versus… — Runners-up: Salt Flats Brewery, Proper Brewing Co.

• Best BrewpubSquatters

  Pub Brewery There've been many brewpubs that have popped up since Squatters first opened in 1989, but they all have a long way to go to catch up to the reputation and history of this… — Runners-up: Bewilder Brewing Co., Grid City Beer Works

• Best Brunch CocktailsPurgatory Bar

  Whether a salty, zippy bloody mary is what you need for Sunday brunch or an extensive list of mimosa options, including flavors like grapefruit, cherry, pineapple or mango, Purgatory has… — Runners-up: Prohibition, Piper Down Pub

• Best Canned CocktailOgden's Own Moscow Mule

  When Ogden's Own Distillery built a massive 32,000-square-foot facility in 2020, they had visions on a grand scale in mind. They now have capacity for a 10-fold increase in production, plus… — Runners-up: Sugar House Distillery's Sugar House Raspberry Lemonade, Simplicity Cocktails' Gin & Tonic

• Best Cocktail BittersBitters Lab

  Leave it to a lady cake designer to renovate the way we experience flavors and extracts. After experimenting and testing bitters she created in her home, (hence ‘the bitters lab') owner… — Runners-up: Honest John Bitters, Grandeur View Bitters

• Best Craft CocktailsWater Witch Bar

  The principle of craft cocktails is combining unique flavors that seem like they wouldn't make sense together but inexplicably belong. That's the essence of Water Witch Bar, a cozy… — Runners-up: Prohibition, Whiskey Street Cocktails & Dining

• Best DistilleryHigh West Distillery & Saloon

  High West Distillery founders, biochemist David Perkins and his wife Jane, began distilling in 2007 in a historic stable turned garage (and now the High West Saloon) in downtown Park City… — Runners-up: Beehive Distilling, Ogden's Own

• Best Distillery TourHigh West Distillery

  For the whiskey novice or expert, get an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the phases of distilling. Get up close and personal with the barrel-aging process and learn how each product is… — Runners-up: Beehive Distillery, Holystone Distillery

• Best Dive BarCheers 2 U

  A beloved watering hole, Cheers 2 U is that place for fostering good times and drunken revelries when you let your hair down and hang with friends. Mind erasers and karaoke await you inside… — Runners-up: Twilite Lounge, Duffy's Tavern

• Best Divinely Inspired BeerFalse Prophet, RoHa Brewing Project

  This Hazy IPA made its promotional debut on or very near to July 24, 2022—a date better known as Utah's Pioneer Day (also affectionately known as Pie & Beer Day among imbibers). It's also a…

• Best End to a Beer DroughtProdigy Brewing

  The beer-loving residents of the Cache Valley are a patient lot. These long-suffering and easy-going Utahns have been without a local brewery since Cache Valley Brewing Co. closed its doors…

• Best Hard CiderMountain West Cider

  Owned and operated by husband-and-wife duo Jennifer and Jeff Carleton, Mountain West Cider prides itself on being a locally owned and locally sourced business. They are the perennial… — Runners-up: Etta Place, Scion Cider Bar

• Best Hawaiian BarbecueMo' Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food

  For the uninitiated, it's been too easy for too long to think the only barbecue is that which comes from Texas. Or Memphis. Or South Carolina. Or Kansas. But ... Hawaii? You Bettah believe… — Runners-up: The Salty Pineapple, Moki's Hawaiian Grill

• Best Korean BarbecueOmbu Grill

  With the opening of their first location in 2017 in Salt Lake City, it didn't take long for Ombu to ride the popularity crest of Korean food into two more locations in Midvale and Orem. At… — Runners-up: Kou BBQ of Utah, Yummy's Korean BBQ

• Best LGBTQ+ BarWhy KiKi

  If only there were more places like Why Kiki bar. This magical place is one where anyone can come and be themselves, escape for an evening and see top notch entertainment from some of the… — Runners-up: The Sun Trapp, M I L K+

• Best Locally Brewed BeerFisher Brewing Co. Fisher Beer

  It's ironic that the overall best beer in the state is also one of Utah's oldest beers. Even though Fisher Beer took a long hiatus between 1963 and 2017, this German-inspired pilsner still… — Runners-up: Bewilder Brewing Co. Dos Hazy Boi, Hopkins Brewing Co. Back to Basics Pale Ale

• Best Locally Made Chocolate BarRitual Chocolate

  Chocolate is a luxury and, in its best form, it comes from Ritual Chocolate. Made from organically grown and genetically diverse cacao sourced from farm cooperatives. Ritual brings New… — Runners-up: The Chocolate Conspiracy, Solstice Chocolate

• Best MixologistFlanker Kitchen + Sporting Club's Tucker Castle

  Tucker Castle is fun, creative and clearly loves his job. His drinks are innovative and tasty (Strawberry Fields is a local favorite). Tucked in a building at The Gateway, you will be… — Runners-up: Sam Miller, Water Witch, Alexi Fisher, Cocktail Collective

• Best Neighborhood Bar in Salt Lake ValleyA Bar Named Sue

  If you're craving an easy-going sports bar that's filled with faces you know and a menu of hand-crafted, affordable bar grub to accompany your pint, A Bar Named Sue is the place for you… — Runners-up: Cotton Bottom Inn, The Hog Wallow Pub

• Best New BarQuarters Arcade Bar in Sugar House

  Despite being literally underground, Quarters Arcade Bar downtown didn't stay underground for long, and now they've expanded with a second location in Sugar House, which opened just a few… — Runners-up: Scion Cider Bar, Franklin Ave. Cocktails & Kitchen

• Best New Soberwave BarCuriosity

  At Curiosity, get all the glam of a night out with no hangover. Enjoy gem-like glasses filled with innovative cocktails that nod to alcoholic predecessors while wandering a new path of…

• Best New Takeaway BarbecueBlatch's Backyard BBQ

  This backyard barbecue is just that—made in Christopher Blatchford's backyard in the Avenues with sides made from his own garden vegetables. This takeaway-only, text-to-order barbecue is…

• Best Nightclub for Live MusicMetro Music Hall

  Finding an enjoyable show in SLC isn't difficult, especially at Metro Music Hall. Their schedule is always packed with a range of musical acts, as well as live drag shows, dance parties and… — Runners-up: Urban Lounge, Keys on Main

• Best Ogden BarSide Bar

  The nightlife scene in Ogden never ceases to be exciting and full of energy. Located in Ogden's Own Distillery, Side Bar is one of the hottest locations in the area. They have a premier… — Runners-up: Harp and Hound, Brewski's

• Best Ogden Beer ShopSalt & Hops

  Grocery and convenience stores are fine and have an adequate selection. But if you want the full spectrum of “low point” craft beer, Ogden's Salt & Hops has the most brilliant selection of…

• Best Park City BarNo Name Saloon

  No Name Saloon is, as its motto says, “the bar that made Park City famous.” It's been dishing out local spirits and hefty buffalo burgers since 2000 and is a bucket-list stop for every Park… — Runners-up: O'Shucks Bar & Grill, The Cabin

• Best Park City Dive BarO' Shucks

  Bar & Grill Can there be such a thing as a dive bar in opulent Park City? There were several dives back in time, but today? Sure, and it's O' Shucks where all the hallmarks of a dive…

• Best Public Art“Out of the Blue” Breaching Whale

  Who knew that a 40-foot-wide/23-foot-tall colorful whale sculpture breaching on the 900 South 1100 East roundabout would have people up in arms? Yet, here we are. Stephen Kesler, the… — Runners-up: Granary District Murals, Protest Portraits

• Best Public Golf CourseBonneville Golf Course

  Looking for a neighborhood course that's as challenging as it is beautiful? Nestled against the foothills, Bonneville boasts incredible views of the city and an early morning/evening breeze… — Runners-up: Mountain Dell Golf Course, Mick Riley Golf Course

• Best Rural TavernShooting Star Saloon

  Shooting Star Saloon is one of the best kept secrets in Utah. It's the oldest continuously operating saloon west of the Mississippi River, established in 1879. Located in Huntsville, it's… — Runners-up: Ray's Tavern, Hanna Hilton

• Best Seafood CocktailTres Hombres Mexican Grill and Cantina

  Boasting one of Utah's more colorful restaurant interiors, Tres Hombres has been dishing Mexican fare for so long now that most people have forgotten who the three hombres (Phil, Dan and… — Runners-up: Mariscos Ensenada, La Cocina de Mama Hila

• Best Sour BeerKiitos Brewing Blackberry Sour

  Finding a beer that can quell your inner-pucker demon is no easy task. The right fruit combined with the most even-handed amount of sour beer is bliss on the good ol' refresh-o-meter… — Runners-up: T.F. Brewing Coco Guava Sour, Shades Brewing Tom Kah

• Best Sports BarThe Green Pig Pub

  When you find out The Green Pig has 14 flat-screen TVs airing all the games (and we mean all the games), you'd think it must be a massive bar. But it isn't. And that's why it's the Best… — Runners-up: Fiddler's Elbow, A Bar Named Sue

• Best Sports Bar FansLegends Pub & Grill

  Sports are a 24/7/365 affair at Legends. True sport nuts get their fill here of a gamut of sports on multiple screens (even in separate rooms at the downtown location). It's the place to…

• Best Tiki DrinkDucky Deathstar at El Chihuahua Restaurant

  El Chihuahua Restaurant sells great Mexican food, sure, but they are also known for daring to ask: What if a fish bowl-shaped glass wasn't a home for a fish, but instead a ... Deathstar?… — Runners-up: Wray Daq at Water Witch, Hurricane at The Bayou

• Best Utah County BarStrap Tank Brewery

  What's a city without a brewery? Strap Tank founder Rick Salisbury may not have known his brew pubs would become fixtures in Springville and Lehi, but they have. In a sea of chain… — Runners-up: ABG's Bar, Callie's Cafe & Sports Bar

• Best Wine SelectionBTG Wine Bar

  BTG Wine Bar and longtime neighbor Cafe Molise joined together in occupying the 105-year-old Eagle building on West Temple, and both are thriving in their new home. BTG occupies the lower… — Runners-up: Tea Zaanti, Veneto Ristorante Italiano