14 Best Restaurants in Northern Utah, Utah

The pride and joy of Utah State University dairy students, this historic ice-cream shop on campus has been making ice cream "from cow to cone" for 100 years. The luscious creations use milk from cows that live on USU's farm and a recipe and production process that's been perfected over the last century. Savor a scoop or two of lemon custard, blue mint, praline pecan, or huckleberry to fully grasp what all the fuss is about.

The thick-crusted artisan breads served in this airy, verdant, and much beloved bakery are fantastic on their own or in an impressive roster of freshly prepared sandwiches, like the bacon, avocado, egg, and provolone on ciabatta or the banh mi on a crisp baguette, available vegan or with pork belly. Some of the most creative fare incorporates house-made organic bread as an ingredient, from bread pudding to panzanella, and there's an ever-changing array of ethereal pastries. Look for local honeys, jams, and other Cache Valley specialties for sale near the register.

Famous for its pizza-size cinnamon swirl pancakes, this popular breakfast and lunch spot is often jam-packed with students from Utah State University or hikers headed to Logan Canyon, but it's worth the wait. The meat-lover's breakfast skillet with eggs, toast, ham, bacon, sausage, and cheddar will fuel you up before a big hike, while the burger on marble rye topped with caramelized garlic and onions, Swiss cheese, and garlic mayo is a lunchtime specialty.

It feels like you've wandered onto the set of The Andy Griffith Show at this quaint 1921 café—the oldest continually operating restaurant in Utah—with a menu specializing in old-fashioned comfort foods like pot roast and au gratin potatoes, chicken-fried steak, and hot turkey sandwiches with gravy. Save room for ice cream or a shake—or perhaps some sweet treats from the Idle Isle candy factory across the street. 

Inside this handsome café with ample seating and live music on weekend evenings, you'll see shiny brass canisters brimming with shade-grown, organic, fair-trade coffee beans ground daily at the local off-site roastery. In addition to tasty drinks, Ibis serves a nice array of breakfast and lunch entrées, such as avocado toast with farm eggs and roasted-veggie sandwiches. It's also popular for coffee and dessert.

A hot spot among artists, hikers, musicians, LGBTQ+ folks, and college students, this festive gastropub serves up elevated comfort fare, like blackened salmon tacos, barbecue chicken pizzas, meatless "wings" with buffalo sauce, and garlic-mushroom-Swiss burgers. There's an excellent tap and cocktail list, and in the basement, you'll find the hip and diverse Funk and Dive speakeasy, an inviting spot for cocktails and live music.

The Bear Lake region is well known for its locally grown raspberries, and this is the most popular spot in town to enjoy a thick and creamy raspberry shake. Choose from 45 other shake flavors along with a menu of old-fashioned hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken sandwiches, and if you haven't tried Utah's signature condiment, "fry sauce" (i.e., ketchup and mayo), LaBeau's is a good place for that too. Don't be surprised by long lines, though LaBeau's Too, just across the street, picks up some of the slack.

This super-chill, family-friendly eatery is a perfect stop for delicious flavored coffee drinks and traditional breakfast fare early in the day or burgers, panini sandwiches, and ice-cream desserts after your outdoor adventures.

This funky, down-home diner with graffiti-covered brick walls serves hearty Southern food throughout the day, starting with fried chicken and biscuits and ham hash in the morning and moving on to catfish and chips and brown sugar–and–maple barbecue pork sandwiches later in the day. Save room for the beignets or cinnamon biscuits for dessert, and snag a jar of pineapple-lemon-rosemary or blueberry-lavender jam on your way out.

Specializing in aebleskivers (fluffy, round Danish pancakes) topped with Nutella and strawberries and any number of other sweet toppings along with overstuffed sandwiches, this cute counter-service eatery is a fun spot for breakfast or lunch all summer long. This is also Bear Lake's go-to for espresso and coffee drinks, and there's an extensive menu of gourmet milk shakes, too.

The oldest remaining saloon in the state—in operation since the 1880s—is a beloved favorite hangout for skiers in winter and bikers in summer. The menu doesn't stray far from beer and burgers, but after a long day of outdoor play, the burgers hit the spot. The exterior looks straight out of a classic Western movie, while inside the rustic accouterments draw the eye to every corner—think dollar bills pinned to the ceiling, comical signs, scruffy old boots, teapots, and rifles. 

This casual eatery boasts hundreds of craft beers, mountain views, and a festive, friendly vibe. Try the boldly unorthodox pizza toppings, which are internationally inspired, verdant, and piled high; the gyro trip pie with a peppered-lemon base, shaved lamb, and tzatski drizzle is especially good.

Tucked inside a narrow historic downtown building festooned with colorful murals and graffiti, this funky café has well-trained baristas and sources its coffee beans from small, high-quality growers. Choose from well-crafted espresso drinks, single-origin coffees by whatever brewing method you choose (Chemex, French press, and so on), or one of the many nitro options, from on-tap cascara to kombucha. There's a limited selection of baked goods and pastries, too.

Plush armchairs, exposed air ducts, rotating contemporary art, and brick walls create a salon ambience in this high-ceiling space inside the Monarch Building in the trendy Nine Rails Creative District. Specializing in fine coffees and wines, WB's also turns out well-crafted café fare throughout the day, including brûléed grapefruit and ham-and-egg toasties at breakfast and grilled-shrimp bowls, Brussel sprouts tostadas, and fig-and-prosciutto bruschetta during the afternoon and evening hours.