Best New Club
Best Boardwalk Empire Lounge
The Speakeasy at the Avenues Bistro on Third
No password needed, though it feels like you might want to invent one as you descend to The Speakeasy at the Avenues Bistro on Third. Enter via the stairwell at the back of the restaurant or through the kitchen and down the steps. There, in the dim light, you’ll see rows of wine and beer bottles hanging from the walls, a tiny L-shaped bar and a couple of tables. Order a martini and a nosh, and expect the unexpected.
564 E. Third Ave., Salt Lake City, 801-831-5409, Facebook.com/AvenuesBistroOnThird
Best Out-West Rooftop Patio
The Puck
Despite the exquisite Wasatch Mountain scenery and some of the best star visibility of any metropolitan area, there is a severe lack of rooftop patios in the Salt Lake Valley. But this West Valley City three-level sports bar has all that, plus it’s within a slapshot’s range of the Maverik Center for post- and pre-game/concert drinks and eats. If you must come down from the patio because of inclement weather, the big screen above the bar and the weekend DJ spinning on the dance floor make for an enjoyable transition.
3396 Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City, 801-975-7825, GreenStreetSLC.com
Best Throwback Spot
Atomic Arcade
Today’s generation doesn’t know of the glory that was once the classic arcade, or even convenience stores with a copy of Street Fighter II in the corner. But those glory days can be relived with the Atomic Arcade on Highland Drive. A stone’s throw from two bars and several restaurants, Atomic has become the place for old-school gamers and kids looking to hone their retro skills to play legendary titles from Pac-Man and Donkey Kong to Tron and Warlords. Just remember to bring the quarters!
3939 Highland Drive, Holladay, 801-634-1130
Best Gay Bar For Cowboys
The Trapp
If
you’re looking for the oldest LGBT saloon this side of the Wasatch,
look no further than The Trapp. For over 22 years, this gay-friendly
hangout has been a cornerstone of Salt Lake City’s LGBT community and a
welcoming spot for anyone who loves cold beers served in Mason jars,
good company and novelty-size disco-ball cowboy boots. Here’s to 22 more
years!
102 S. 600 West, Salt Lake City, 801-531-8727, TheTrappSLC.com
Best Northern Lights
The Garage
Downtown snobs refuse to go past 2100 South, but if there are rules about going north of 600 North, they were made to be broken by The Garage, Salt Lake City’s one-size-fits-all hangout. Its Beck Street location (with its refinery backdrop) technically makes The Garage a roadhouse bar, but it’s more complex than that, offering live music, Southern comfort food, quiet corners for chatting and a huge patio—with its own dedicated bar—that’s big enough to accommodate both rowdy horseshoe players and solitude-seeking smokers.
1199 N. Beck St., Salt Lake City, 801-521-3904, GarageOnBeck.com
Best Spot for Burners
Mixx
Though not necessarily designed with fans of the annual Burning Man festival in mind, Club Mixx is still an ideal candidate for anyone who likes things a little different. On any given night of the week, party-goers can expect scantily clad cabaret dancers, high-flying acrobats and steampunk unicyclists, while a minimal house DJ holds down the soundtrack. The weekly Plush Saturdays are the marquee event, hosted by a rotating roster of local and traveling EDM DJs.
615 W. 100 South, Salt Lake City, 801-575-6499, GetMixxed.com
Best No-Judgment Zone
Johnny's On Second
No judgments here, just good old-fashioned drinkin’. Johnny’s on Second is buzzing all day, with college kids taking a break from studying to play pool, worker bees trying to forget the day with some suds out on the patio, and late-night revelers chowing down on pizza and guzzling $1 cans of Busch while keeping an eye out for new friends or maybe more.
165 E. 200 South, Salt Lake City, 801-746-3334, JohnnysOnSecond.com
Best Horseshoein’ Around
Club Rendezvous
The triangle-shaped entrance of Club Rendezvous should have been shaped like another geometrical object. No, not a rhombus; a horseshoe. OK, we might not be good at geometry, but we sure can throw a ringer or two. The patio in the back is home to several fine horseshoe pits, where bar patrons sip cheap drinks and toss for free. You’ll often hear the clang of metal outside, but if you hear it inside, get excited: It means someone rang the bell above the antique-looking beer-cooler doors—so drinks are on that poor sucker.
1900 W. 4100 South, Taylorsville, 801-972-4264
Best Musical Epicenter
Velour Live Music Gallery
It wouldn’t surprise us if Provo’s 100 Block is a nationally known term in a decade—or even five years. The 100 Block is the hip enclave between 100 and 200 North on University Avenue in Provo, and it’s usually referenced in the same breath as successful, ambitious music. Velour owner Corey Fox is mostly responsible for this, as he’s crafted an exciting all-ages venue, where Utah County bands aspire to play in front of supportive audiences. Velour was the starting place for Utah County bands now signed to major record labels such as Neon Trees, Imagine Dragons and Fictionist. It’s a hotbed for an unexpectedly vibrant and robust music scene. Bands play on the weekends, but you might catch Provo’s next big thing at the Tuesday open-mic nights.
135 N. University Ave., Provo, 801-818-2263, VelourLive.com
Best Striptease Shuttle
Southern X-posure International
This State Street strip club has a reputation for offering an abundance of scantily clad dancers, but it’s also a place where you can party on the cheap. Every day of the week, the club offers a free stripper shuttle that picks up patrons and drops them off within the downtown area, and there’s a free gourmet lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Most drinks are only $3, and there’s a pool tourney every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for a $300 cash prize.
3420 S. State, South Salt Lake, 801-288-1488, MySouthernX.com
Best Place for a Shot Between Classes
Pitchers Lounge
We’ll let you in on a little secret—you don’t have to travel blocks from the University of Utah to get a drink. Many students assume that the only place within walking distance to sip a beer is the often-crowded Pie on 200 South or Big Ed’s on 1300 East. But less than a half-mile from the student dorms is a quiet little spot called the Pitchers Lounge, inside the Marriott University Park hotel. It’s technically in Research Park, so students (of the legal age) can enjoy a cocktail while playing pool or watching a game.
Marriott University Park, 480 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, 801-581-1000, Marriott.com
Best Karaoke
Best UFC Party
Oscar's Social Club
There’s something about watching two grown men rolling around in short shorts while beating the crap out of each other that’ll always bring a neighborhood together. Oscar’s understands this completely, which may be why all of Midvale shows up for the free UFC screenings. The fights are the main event, but this party also features tasty grub and cheap tallboys.
8136 S. State, Midvale, 801-566-3222
Best New Venue
The Shred Shed
More
than a year in the making, in October 2012, the new home of the Shred
Shed opened to sold-out shows. The all-ages venue has become the hotspot
for shows that normally wouldn’t find a home at Kilby, Urban, Bar
Deluxe or Burt’s. The new wild location on Exchange Place is a great
location to party hard, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s just a stone’s
throw away from TRAX, three bars, several food joints and a music shop,
either.
60 E. Exchange Place (350 South), Salt Lake City, ShredShedSLC.com
Best Cowboy Bar
The Westerner
It’s no secret that The Westerner is Utah’s boot-scootin’est nightclub. Every Saturday, this spot showcases local country bands, while cowboys and cowgirls pack the 1,500-square-foot dance floor. If you have two left feet, grab some liquid courage in a $3 draft and show up for the free dance lessons Thursday through Saturday, starting at 7 p.m. If your coordination is already top-notch, take advantage of the free mechanical bull rides. Every Friday is bikini bull-riding, where ladies can compete for a $200 cash prize.
3360 S. Redwood Road, West Valley City, 801-972-5447
Best Summertime Rock Party
Sunset Sessions at the Canyon Inn
Canyon Inn is known as a great après ski bar, but every Thursday night from June through the end of July, this drinking spot at the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon transforms its front parking lot into a wide-open party space, complete with live tunes, barbecue, beer pong and cornhole. Great local bands like Wasnatch, American Hitmen and Marinade often play the Sunset Sessions, and the outdoor event raises cash for the Utah Food Bank.
3700 E. Fort Union Blvd., Salt Lake City, 801-943-6969
Best Bar to Watch Real Salt Lake
Dick N' Dixies
If they’re not down at the pitch come game day, true Real Salt Lake fans are at Dick N’ Dixies, an official Real Salt Lake pub partner. At kickoff, expect this friendly neighborhood spot to be packed with Real hooligans, frosty mugs and lots of soccer scarves. Besides coming to see the world’s greatest game, fans also show up for cheap whiskey shots—served in a Dixie cup—and tallboys.
479 E. Broadway, Salt Lake City, 801-521-3556
Best Darts
Club DJ's
While
it might take a few throws to hit the spot you were shooting for on the
dartboard, it won’t take that long to hit a good time at this big
Taylorsville room of fun. The big-box stores have moved out of this
strip mall, but Club DJ’s holds down the fort with 12 electronic
dartboards and Sunday dart tournaments. If the competition gets too
stiff—or you need to rest your throwin’ hand—there’s often karaoke or a
DJ spinning Top 40 and hip-hop tunes.
3849 W. 5400 South, Taylorsville, 801-964-8575, ClubDJsUtah.com
Best All-Ages Venue
Best for Relaxing
Junior's Tavern
Sometimes you just need to hit a bar for a nice, relaxing chat and a pitcher of fine beer, and there’s no better place to go in the afternoon than Junior’s Tavern. The “blues and booze” bar is quiet enough that you can carry on a conversation or mull over your own thoughts and has a friendly, jazzy vibe that you can’t get anywhere else.
30 E. Broadway, Salt Lake City, 801-322-0318, JuniorsTavern.com
Best Big Stage for Small Bands
Bar Deluxe
Sure,
the large Bar Deluxe stage hosts its share of big-name rock & roll,
hip-hop, DJ and even burlesque and gypsy shows, but more often than
not, it’s just local bands you’ve barely heard of. Instead of working up
their chops on a dime-size “stage” in the corner of some bar that
supplies a 40-watt bulb for a light show, one power outlet and maybe a
P.A. system (if they’re lucky), bands get full access to a pro stage and
sound—and not just on random weeknights, either. At Bar Deluxe, Salt
Lake City outfits like ’90s Television (pictured) and many others have a
place to spread out and get freaky, thanks to proprietor Kaci Tokumoto.
666 S. State, Salt Lake City, 801-532-2914, BarDeluxeSLC.com
Best Booze Breath Check
BreathAdvisor
If you’re not sure if that last Jager bomb put you over the edge or not, you can, for a small fee, use a BreathAdvisor kiosk to check your blood-alcohol level yourself. The info is private and isn’t stored in the machine, and the kiosk—which currently can be found in the Canyon Inn, Lumpys South, Zest Kitchen & Bar, with more coming soon—can even help you get a cab. Even for those with designated drivers, the BreathAdvisor could become the newest bar-game craze, allowing you to keep a high score of just exactly how plastered you can get—right down to the thousandth decimal point.
BreathAdvisor.com
Best Latin Gay Party
Karamba Pachanga Nights
What happens when you mix cross-dressing go-go dancers, a pinch of Red Bull and vodka, a dash of dem-bow bass lines and lasers—lots of lasers? You get Pachanga Night at Karamba. Every Sunday evening, CJ Lara of JCL Promotions takes over Sugar House’s best Latin nightclub and offers up an LGBT-friendly night of DJs, graffiti artists—and did we mention cross-dressers?
1051 E. 2100 South, Salt Lake City, 801-696-0639, Facebook.com/Club-Karamba
Best World-Rocking Mai Tai
Gracie's
With its music, great drinks, upscale pub food and outdoor patio, there’s lots to love about Gracie’s. But nothing starts out a dinner or bar crawl like a good buzz—and the mai tai will get you on your way. Sure, it’s pink and sweet, but there’s nothing ladylike about this rum-infused drink. After just two, you might start to forget you’re in Utah.
326 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City, 801-819-7565, GraciesSLC.com
Best Comedic Alternative
K-Town Komedy
Many of Salt Lake City’s newest talents coming up through the stand-up scene are appearing at Club DJ’s for K-Town Komedy. The monthly showcase in Taylorsville has become the new place to see risk-takers and up-and-comers, as well as the occasional semi-famous comedian. If you’re looking for funny at a cheap price, K-Town is your destination.
Club DJ’s, 3849 W. 5400 South, Taylorsville, 801-964-8575
Best Hemingway-esque Hideaway
David's
If
Ernest Hemingway were still alive and found himself in Utah, he would
probably find the liquor laws absurd, but at least he could feel at home
at David’s, telling exaggerated fishing tales in a leather seat at one
of the tables in the charming, oaky steakhouse. And he’d have plenty of
inspiration, too. Bar patrons can look upon the 12-foot-6-inch encased
marlin behind the bar while eating a sirloin steak and drinking a cold
one. The 450-pound behemoth took bar owner David Van Wagenen an hour and
a half to reel in and won him first place at the 1983 International
Billfish Tournament in Kona, Hawaii.
2324 S. Redwood Road, West Valley City, 801-972-9688
Best Magically Delicious Charms
The Leprechaun Inn
It’s easy to feel at home in the Lep’s full-service bar and restaurant, serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner. Not only can you park by the front door, there is lots of room to spread out when you come inside, thanks to a recent expansion. You’ll be charmed by the Lep’s covered patio, its 15 HD TVs and satellite TV channels—all tuned to your favorite games—Golden Tee golf, free Wi-Fi, pool, darts, bands, daily drink specials (such as $2 Bloody Marys on Sundays) and maybe the tastiest selection of steaks, sandwiches and burgers this side of the Emerald Isle (try the blarney burger).
4700 S. 900 East, No. 6, Salt Lake City, 801-268-3294, TheLeprechaunInn.com
Best Dinner & Dancing
Habits
Habits is a 12,000-square-foot dance club armed with a huge menu, ranging from sushi to steak—any and all taste buds are welcome here. As such, Habits is a great venue for a quick meeting, events, snacks or dinner. Once the food coma wears off, you and your cohorts can get your groove on the large sunken dance floor in the center of the club.
832 E. 3900 South, Salt Lake City, 801-268-2228, ClubHabits.com
Best Murray Patio
The Point After
There’s a lot going for this bar, located in the Murray Sports Mall. It’s got 30 HD flat-screen TVs on two floors, making this a game-day destination. Most of the food served here is prepared from scratch—even the meat, which is smoked in-house. And for those who like to relax on a warm summer night, there’s probably no better place than the two-level patio at The Point After. With a fire pit and live music on weekends, it’s a place you’ll make a “point” to return to often.
5445 S. 900 East, Murray, 801-266-9552, PointAfterSLC.com
Best Bringing Home the Bacon
The Republican
Under
normal circumstances, when you walk through the doors of your favorite
watering hole, your mouth is percolating for a frothy brew or some other
libation. But Wednesday evenings at The Republican are not normal
circumstances, for there is free bacon for the taking. Bacon while you
drink a Guinness, bacon while you play shuffleboard or darts, bacon
while you watch soccer (you’ll never see American football on these
screens) ... it’s true, everything is better with free bacon.
917 S. State, Salt Lake City, 801-595-1916
Best All-Week Music Party
The Urban Lounge
Believe it or not, years ago, there were several clubs in Salt Lake City that hosted live music of the touring and local variety seven days a week—no off-night filler, just real bands playing real music Monday to Sunday. In 2013, the only local joint that rocks all week long (with rare exception) is The Urban Lounge, this town’s indie champion for all genres and crowds. There’s deliberate, undeniable “cool” about Urban’s choices in touring-act bookings, and any local musician will tell you that breaking into the club’s lineup is a real coup. Long may The Urban Lounge remain karaoke-free.
241 S. 500 East, Salt Lake City, 801-746-0557, TheUrbanLoungeSLC.com
Best Place to Talk Like a Pirate
Scallywags
Scallywags has the unique distinction of being Utah’s first and only pirate bar—arr! Though Blackbeard may not be pouring you pints as you wearily tell your tales, this South Salt Lake bar still offers a place for you and your mateys to weigh anchor and pillage—er, throw a few back while enjoying one another’s company. Savvy?
3040 S. State, Salt Lake City, 801-604-0869
Best Whiskey Barrel
The Hotel/Club Elevate
For six years, The Hotel/Club Elevate have been renowned as a swanky Salt Lake City dance club. And now, with recent renovations, they’re rebranding as a cross between dance club and lounge. First, start at The Lobby Bar—now filled with high-top tables and TVs. Then, head to the remodeled basement, dubbed The Barrel Room, for a more laid-back atmosphere. The Barrel Room offers a perfect place to just chill out—with a whiskey on the rocks in hand, of course.
155 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City, 801-478-4310, TheHotelElevate.com
Best Rocking Out on the Patio
Barbary Coast Saloon
When summer comes around, nothing beats a cold beer, a sleeveless T-shirt and a good ol’ American rock & roll band. Barbary Coast agrees, and if you haven’t checked out the bar’s massive back patio and stage, you’re missing out on a great spot to catch an outdoor show. The newly installed stage regularly features local bands like Ledd-Foot, Caveman Blvd. and Black Water Jack, as well as national acts like The Fryed Brothers.
4242 S. State, Murray, 801-265-9889, Facebook.com/BarbaryCoastSaloon
Best Mason Jar Usage
Carol's Cove II
Traditionally,
Mason jars are used for moonshine or pickles. Carol’s Cove II—actually
in its third location—deals in neither. But, amid the ’50s decor—Betty
Boop, et al.—owner Carol Mills and her staff pour ice-cold, frothy brews
into the jars. It’s an old-timey, back-porch sentimentality, matched
perfectly by the joint’s jukebox, which is always blaring country music.
3424 S. State, Salt Lake City, 801-466-2683
More Best of Utah 2013: