Bar Guide 2013 

Page 8 of 12

Saturday 12:03 a.m.
Zest Kitchen & Bar
Organic Vegan Food & Dance
Zest has a vibe that feels much more like a hip house party than a bar, due to its smaller size and the friendliness of the crowd. During the day, Zest is an organic, mostly vegan restaurant, but at night, the lights are turned down and the dancing begins. Tonight, Concise Kilgore plays a mostly hip-hop-based set for Stir-Friday, a regular event at Zest where young people dressed like they just stepped out of an American Apparel ad do their thing on the tiny dance floor.
275 S. 200 West, Salt Lake City, 801-433-0589, ZestSLC.com

Saturday 7:40 p.m.
The Break Sports Grill
Strollers by the Bar
The SoDa retail section of Daybreak is a place for families taking an evening walk or playing in the park. So, it’s convenient that the area’s only full bar is also extremely family-friendly. While some of the patrons belly up to the bar and watch the games on the TVs or head to the upstairs 21-and-over-only game room, families with young children settle in for burgers and fries, both inside and on the patio. And the high ceiling makes it surprisingly easy to carry on a nonshouted conversation, even with the chatty youngsters and sometimes-even-chattier sports fans.
11274 S. Kestral Rise Road, South Jordan, 801-987-3354, TheBreakSportsGrill.com

Saturday 8:45 p.m.
Club 48
Beers & Hugs in Equal Measure
The cover band is grinding out “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” as couples slow-dance in the low-ceilinged bar. In this decidedly macho bar—where Harley Davidson T-shirts complement the gleaming chrome and black-leather saddle bags in the parking lot—it’s the sight of two large, balding men hugging, mock-arm wrestling, then one kissing the other’s brutal fist that sets the tone for this affectionate, keeping-it-real beer hall.
16 E. 4800 South, Murray, 801-262-7555

Saturday 9 p.m.
Alleged
History Lesson in a Glass
The sun is setting, and the temperature is perfect. Ben Lomond Mountain to the north is bathed in alpenglow, and I can see and feel it all from Ogden’s only rooftop bar. The brand-new Alleged offers an extensive menu of cocktails, each named after some Ogden luminary—outlaw, madame or ghost. 25th Street is full of history, and it comes in little doses with each drink on Alleged’s menu. Once the sun goes down, the crowd makes its way downstairs, where architectural remnants of a former brothel mix with contemporary design and the bar’s oddest feature: unisex stalls lined up with a handwashing station out in the open. You better wash up, because people are watching.
205 25th St., Ogden, 801-990-0692, Facebook.com/Alleged25th

Saturday 9:29 p.m.
Barbary Coast
Tonight’s the Night
There’s an air of optimism in the Barbary Coast. One young woman sighs to another, “Maybe I’ll meet somebody tonight.” And at the Barbary, you never can tell which direction the crowd will go in—early 20s through 50s, depending on the mood and the night. As a bartender says of Barbary’s always unpredictable clientele, “Some may be rough on the outside, but they’re all nice on the inside.” The spicy sauce on the Buffalo wings, the generous array of beers and liquor, and the friendly, attentive staff all conspire to bring the promise of the night a little closer.
4242 S. State, Murray, 801-265-9889

Saturday 9:30 p.m.
Lofte’s
Trash-Talking About Pilots With Off-Duty Flight Attendants
Considering that this bar is surrounded by five different hotels, and it’s way out near the airport, I had no idea what to expect—or even how to pronounce the name. “So, who usually comes in here?” I ask Shayne, the bartender. “No regulars, really,” he says as he fills a stein for the only other guy at the bar. “I guess mostly tourists and people who work in the airline industry.” An off-duty flight attendant strolls in, dressed in sweatpants and a crumpled T-shirt; she orders a bottle of wine to go. “You know what, though?” Shayne asks. “This is a great place if you want to interact with a bunch of douchebag pilots.” The flight attendant laughs. “Hey, asshole, I’m a pilot,” says the only other guy in the bar. “Except for you, though, buddy,” Shayne says.
2106 W. North Temple, Salt Lake City, 801-741-1188

Saturday 9:32 p.m.
Granite Club
Crock-Pot Cozy
Being greeted by a Crock-Pot and a bag of hot-dog buns is an instant reminder that we aren’t rubbing elbows with the highbrow—and the folks here couldn’t be happier about that. A few scattered games, an intimately sparse patio and a ton of smiles is what Granite delivers, which proves refreshing on a night when all I want is to just chill. Tucked away behind an unlit façade, inside an unmarked door, this is a bar that wants you to want to find it—and rewards you when you make the effort.
3820 Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, 801-277-9018

Saturday 9:33 p.m.
Murphy’s Bar & Grill ^
The Booth With the Antique Globe
I duck down the few steps into Murphy’s, narrowly missing getting trampled by a pack of plaid-wearing frat boys (sigh of relief). I head straight toward the back and grab a leather booth—the one with the antique globe. Walking later alongside the crowded bar, I pass a birthday celebration, foreign-exchange students, bar regulars and two people wearing green (it’s an Irish pub, after all)—in short, a wide cross-section of folk amicably enjoying repartee and rounds. It’s both loud and quiet. Saturdays means the charming and gorgeous twosome “Brown and Bramble” are tending bar, so I order their drink of choice: Powers Whiskey, neat.
160 S. Main, Salt Lake City, 801-359-7271, MurphysBarAndGrillUT.com

Saturday 9:35 p.m.
No Name Saloon
Where Nobody Knows Your Name
Every nook is packed, with people and with rustic accoutrements like the antler chandelier at the entrance and the merchandise booth by the restroom. It’s even more crowded upstairs. There’s a person for every piece of odd ornamentation hanging on the walls and from the ceiling. A group of 20-somethings are younger than the old Park City license plates they sit under. A gaggle of young professional women wearing tiaras fumble past vintage drink signs and up the oak-y stairs. A cluster of condo owners exchange advice about house-swapping in France on the upstairs patio. No one has a name, but everyone has a story.
447 Main, Park City, 435-649-6667, NoNameSaloon.net

Saturday 9:45 p.m.
The Red Door
The Church of Bohemia & Jazz
A small trio of musicians from the Joshua Payne Orchestra sink into another blustery jazz tune as a couple—well-dressed theater patrons—comes in through the door. The whole scene feels strangely intimate; maybe it’s the small space, the sultry colors on the walls, or the music. The couple finds two open seats at the bar, and she orders the fresh Strawberry & Basil Press, a house recipe by bartender Brother Dustin—a seasonal twist on an old classic cocktail of vodka and soda.
57 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City, 801-363-60-30, BehindTheRedDoor.com