East Side and Sugar House Restaurants

1. Ruth's Diner

Families love the gussied-up old railcar that serves as Ruth's dining room and the best creek-side patio in the city—you just have to navigate your way up gorgeous Emigration Canyon to find it. Breakfast (served until 4 pm) has been the diner's trademark since 1930, and it starts with 3-inch-high biscuits followed by massive omelets like the King of Hearts (artichokes, garlic, mushrooms, and two cheeses). In summer the barbecue fires up every Thursday night for ribs, fish, chicken, or whatever the chef concocts, with live music on the patio. Watch the road for deer, moose, and some of the top cyclists in America, who train here much of the year.

2. Desert Edge Brewery

For more than 40 years, this lively microbrewery inside Trolley Square has offered delicious pub food, house-made beer, loft seating, a sheltered patio, and lots of music and noise. It also offers a great view of the sunset through floor-to-ceiling windows. The menu gets creative with sandwiches such as salmon with pickled ginger-cucumber slaw, whole-meal salads, and Southwestern fare like citrus chicken tacos.

3. Finca

At this cozy neighborhood spot with a leafy covered patio and an intimate dining room with a fireplace, tuck into plates of Spanish pintxos and tapas—ham and cheese croquettes, grilled bread with roasted mushrooms, Moroccan-style lamb skewers—along with shareable larger platters of tagine and paella. The wine list of well-curated Spanish and Portuguese bottles is one of the best in the city.

4. Mazza

Mazza presents a long menu of well-prepared, traditional Middle Eastern favorites, like falafel, Aleppan walnut-pomegranate dip, cheese and za'atar flatbread, lamb kebabs, and oven-baked chicken and potatoes mutabbak (served with sweet onions and a tangy tamarind sauce over basmati rice). The desserts—including honey-drenched baklava—are noteworthy.

5. Mazza Middle Eastern Cuisine

6. Mumbai House

You'll be enveloped in electrifying aromas the minute you step into this dark, intimate space that ranks among the best Indian restaurants in the state. You'll find all the standards, including soft garlic naan, chicken-coconut korma, piquant lamb vindaloo, fragrant tandoori dishes, and lots of vegetarian options. There's a selection of domestic and imported beers as well as traditional teas and tea-based drinks. There are additional locations in West Jordan and Provo.

7. Ozora Izakaya

Sample small boldly flavored plates of yakisoba noodles, hamachi crudo, eggplant yakitori, and miso-glazed salmon at this airy, high-ceilinged Japanese restaurant in Sugar House. Ozora also offers a nice range of sushi rolls and sashimi. Save room for a slice of strawberry-and-yuzu cheesecake.