7 Best Restaurants in Southwestern Utah, Utah

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 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.

Drop by this airy, contemporary, downtown coffeehouse—which adjoins a yoga studio that offers a wide range of classes—for the best espresso drinks in town, including bourbon barrel–aged cold brew and crème brûlée cappuccinos. There's also an extensive menu of flavored lemonades and fresh-squeezed juices, plus tasty breakfast items like blackberry parfait and chai oatmeal.

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.

Don't be fooled by the name—coffee and tea are the only brews here, but pastries aren't the only thing on the menu. Build a sandwich of meat, egg, cheese, and more on a freshly baked bagel, croissant, artisan bread, or one of four flavors of wraps. For dinner, chicken, steak, quesadilla, and tostada are added to the menu. Enjoy your meal in the spacious dining room or people-watch from the outdoor patio.

Festival-goers, take note: This is the best bet for a late-night bite after the show.

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.

Torrey's best little source of fair-trade organic coffee and fresh-baked pastries is a terrific go-to for breakfast or lunch before you head to the Capitol Reef. Consider pancakes with fresh fruit, buttermilk biscuits with black-peppered gravy, and bagels with smoked trout and capers. Don't overlook the feathery-light orange–honey blossom and blueberry scones.