Zest Kitchen & Bar

Visiting Utah from NC and we are vegans so we're looking for vegan restaurants, came across this one and thought to give it a try and it didn't disappoint us. Everything we ordered was yummy, portion size is great and the ambience is amazing. Service was a little slower as they were understaffed but everything else was great. Love that everything is vegan and we don't have to think about what to order.

Delicious all gluten-free and vegan restaurant. My wife and I are newly vegan (and she has Celiac disease), so this place is perfect for us! We loved the nachos and jalapeño poppers, but the buffalo jackfruit pizza took the cake! For dessert, their caramel tart and carrot cake were delicious as well! And lastly, their dinner roll is the best gluten-free roll we’ve ever had! We will definitely be back!

Wonderful and delicious food, great atmosphere, friendly folks and very nearby the center of town if you are traveling for work. Highly recommend! 10/10

Unassuming, but top marks for food and service. This was our first real meal after hurricane Milton, and it cheered us up. I wish these folks would open in St. Petersburg. Get the duck two ways!

Was in SLC for a conference and this was my favorite place to eat as a vegan! I had the side salad, superfood salad, mushroom risotto. However the SPO pizza was absolutely phenomenal, couldn’t believe it was gluten free too. Thank you!

Whoever bought what used to be this amazing establishment did a great job RUINING it. No longer 21+, more "kid's menu" and LESS "adult" entrees than there used to be (there never were many). One server to tend to the whole floor on Valentine's??? An entire dish they had on the menu was not as pictured and didn't even match its description?? We were sat at a dirty table by the host after having a reservation and then he LAUGHED IN OUR FACES and said he was gesturing to a table 5 feet away from that one? They keep sending me 10% off coupons because I used to be on their email list when I actually used to enjoy coming here... not even 50% off could make me go back. Save your money. Go somewhere else. Anywhere else.

Honestly, this is one of the nicest vegan restaurants I’ve visited. The dishes are so delicious and well-prepared that you might not even realize there’s no meat in your meals

I want to give Zest 5 stars, but after my last visit on Wednesday, 2/5, I just can't in good conscience. The whole front-end of the restaurant was being taken care of by a single (absolutely amazing) person, Sarah. She was seating people, taking orders, working the bar, etc. And she absolutely killed it. But the fact that they had her working alone like that is just not ok, and made me extremely uncomfortable with the whole experience. We were one of only two or three tables at first, and then felt really bad that we stayed after she got up to six or more tables. The food is amazing, the drinks are great, the atmosphere is fun, and Sarah was incredible. Get her some help and this would be an easy 5 star review. Oh, and add another mushroom or two to the stuffed mushrooms appetizer. They are delicious, but with a group of 4, everyone didn't get 2, and they are quite small and not inexpensive.

I'm rating this off of my friend majority vs me since I am not vegan nor am I fan. However with me stepping outside of the box, the food was good. The grilled cheese was good, I wasn't a fan of the cauliflower soup personally but it wasn't too bad with me trying something new. Broccoli bites were good. The sides were marinara and ranch (all vegan). Service: We had a nice waitress and she gave great recommendations with their dishes especially with me being non vegan. Ambiance: Very cute in the inside. Seating area is cute and so is decor.

If you are vegan and live in Utah and there aren't many options then this might be what you have to get used to. However, if you are not vegan, this isn't the place to experiment with. I did not find this food good at all. Luckily the prices weren't too bad so that I didn't mind wasting the food. I got the nachos, which afterwards I read might have a potato cheese, it also had mushrooms and walnuts and the flavors just did not combine well at all. I had the fig cherry cheesecake, which was okay because it's hard to go wrong with a dessert, but I would not necessarily recommend it to anyone. The service was good and quick, and the restaurant was clean.

Good food season Service excellent Clean. Modern. Good. Portion . Fresh. I would definitely go back. Cloth napkins and silverware was real

Note number one: Everything here is vegan. Note number two: I'm not a vegan. Note number three: I'll definitely be back. It was DELICIOUS. It's deceptively open inside. High ceilings, open floor plan. It was quiet at 8pm on a Tuesday. I used the QR code menu and it was a little confusing cause you can place the order on there, but the bartender said he would take the order. The food was out in under five minutes. The queso and chips first, then a couple minutes later, the jackfruit tacos. Piled high and very tasty, the tacos were more than filling. A savory and sweet flavor. The mix of sweet salsa and pickled onion made a satisfying splash of flavor. I think the pickled onion may be soaked or made with cumin. Very unique and tasty. The old fashioned was amazing. Made with Desolation rye and tobacco bitters, it was smooth and tasty. No nonsense. Lots of delightful tastes and smells.

I came in about right before 6 o'clock on a Wednesday. I'm assuming they were unexpectedly busy because there is one singular server who is serving, bussing, bartending, and hosting she's doing an amazing job at all of them but is obviously understaffed. Which has caused me to wait 20 minutes for a drink. Truthfully I think just having one busser on the floor to assist the server would make the service significantly better. With all that being said my server gave wonderful suggestions and was very friendly made a great margarita and you can tell she does her job in an efficient manner so the issue was only being obviously under staffed.

First the food was amazing ! The menu is pretty short and Asian fusion. We chose the masala cauliflower as an appetizer to share. It was rich in spices but not hot spicy. Then I ordered the jackfruit jerk plate. It was really well cooked but not as spicy as I was expected. The coconut milk rice ware really good. The place is pretty chill and casual However, the service was not the best : none of the tables were cleared of the dirty dishes straight after the guests left. Fortunately, it was not busy but most of the tables were covered of dirty dishes. Without it, it would have being a five star

If you are looking for a healthy restaurant look no further. This adorable restaurant serves vegan & gluten free options. The stuffed mushrooms were delicious & the grilled cheese & avocado sandwich were a refreshing lunch option.

Visited on New Years Eve for brunch. Didn't care for the brunch menu. Shakshuka was too spicy and the chickpeas were out of place. Jalapeño poppers were also not very good. The dinner menu is much better! Thai sunrise dish is my favorite here. This dish used to come with black forbidden rice and it was incredible! It now comes with coconut infused jasmine rice - please bring back the black forbidden rice because it blew my mind! I have also been impressed with the tiramisu, and the mixed drinks here! Love that everything on the menu is gluten free and vegetarian, with lots of vegan options! I've visited a small handful of times here over the year and service has been great each time. Ambiance is nice with an industrial meets urban green art vibe. Only complaint on ambiance is that the floors are a bit grimy and could use a power wash.

First off it's great they shoot for the healthy and gluten free option. I wanted to like it more than I did. Nachos were average and the vegan sour cream they used was off putting. The grilled cheese had good flavor but wasn't "cheesy"

Unfortunately, the menu options were limited. The food wasn't that great. I ordered the jalapeño poppers and the nachos. The poppers were decent and very spicy. I have had better nachos and would not order again. One staff was working and he was nice and helpful. The restaurant has a nice ambiance and plenty of seats. I was surprised with the high ratings but I think SLC has different tastes to what vegan is.

Well. My friend and I had high hopes, but maybe we're just spoiled from the vegan food since we're from SF. Appetizers: We ordered the Brussel sprouts and stuffed mushrooms. The brussels were sautéed (?) with a nice kick, but overall, the flavor was very salty and seemed to be quite powdery, I'm assuming from the spice blend. The stuffed mushrooms were decent but a little dry. Entrees: A complete mess. I ordered the Mushroom Risotto, which was basically a coconut paste that was overcooked and completely lacking in mushroom taste. The mushrooms on top saved the dish. My friend (vegan of 10+ years) ordered the SPO pizza, which was quite sad. The sausage was a patè consistency, and the cheese was gummy. Really disappointed since this restaurant had good reviews! Drinks: I ordered the Lavender 75, which was very nice and refreshing. It had a very mellow limoncello aftertaste that stuck to the taste buds. My friend ordered a Darn n Stormy, which was quite nice as they used a hoise-made ginger syrup that was nice & strong. The drinks saved our meal... lol. Side note: we felt pretty rushed & made to feel like we were in the way as they were closing at 9pm instead of the 10pm that is advertised.

Even though they were short staffed on a Saturday night, we felt taken care of and everything came out super fast. Had the jalapeño poppers which were filled with a nutty pate and not spicy at all but quite tasty. Then the nachos, which were great. Next time I'll ask for more pico de gallo because that had a great flavor. Last we split a margherita pizza that was surprisingly delicious. Drink was a tequila soda and it was nice and not weak. Can't wait to go back.

Yummy vegan and vegetarian food. Love pretty much everything on the menu. Drinks are pretty good, too. Attentive service and vibrant ambience.

My friend recommended this restaurant because she is gluten free and dairy free, and this restaurant is gluten free and vegan. There was a variety of food options. I wanted to try something different and came here. I almost walked past the restaurant because I didn't realize where the front door was. There is an industrial feel to the building and decor. The service was normal where the servers were helping each other out when food was ready.

We haven't eaten here in a very long time, definitely need to come more often!! We got takeout during Covid but haven't dined in, in probably 4 years. I think Zest has greatly improved!! I got the Ruby Red cocktail and my husband got a non spiked lemonade. For dinner I got the Superfood protein salad, definitely my favorite!!! Husband got the Traditional cheese pizza. I splurged and also got the carrot cake for dessert as it's the only one with nuts. I know I've had it before and didn't like it. It was absolutely delicious tonight!! Very impressed!! Service was great and it's just a nice vibe!! Can't wait to come back and enjoy more Gluten Free Vegan food!!!

Hats off to our server Johnathan. He was the real bright spot here. He was fast and friendly, knowledgeable about the menu and made great suggestions. We enjoyed the nachos and the jack fruit bbq sandwich, also a zesty tomato soup which was quite tasty Honestly, Zest serves very competent vegan food. It was good but not exceptional. The potato based cheese on the nachos was inventive but kind of missed the mark. Give them a try and decide for yourself.

I'm not vegan but went with friends for a birthday dinner. I wasn't expecting much and ordered the arancini to play it safe. They were pretty good and you honestly would know they were vegan, but almost anything fried is good. I tasted some of my friend's dishes and wasn't really wowed by the curry or the nachos. The masala cauliflower wings were pretty good, and whatever desert they sent over for my friend's birthday was great and again you'd never know it was vegan. Place was small and busy but service was on point. Not too noisy either.

Not good vegan food (I like vegan food) Save yourself time and do not go. The restaurant served poorly prepared food I thought.

My first pizza came out undercooked... the cheese was not melted and the veggies were still raw on top.. they did make another and it was cooked. The pizza was but not for $20. I wont come back. Staff was nice..but server should have noticed the pizza wasn't right.

Zest has a really creative vegan & gluten-free menu. I had the samosa burger - really delicious! My partner had the nachos, also delicious and a very generous portion. I had the Invasion cocktail which was so good, I've never had a tamarind & almond-flavored drink but it was so good! Servers were good & friendly. Zest is great for a special occasion! The one downside is the restaurant is not well-insulated so it was uncomfortably cold for dinner in winter. All the diners were wearing their winter coats. The cold made it so I didn't really want to stick around for another cocktail or dessert (but they were also out of the dessert I wanted to try most). Parking is typical of downtown - look for street parking because the lot right by the restaurant is very expensive.

Haven't written a review in years, but felt compelled to issue a warning, lest this happen to anyone else. We have a vegan restaurant we love near our home and thought this may be similar - it's not. I can only attribute the positive reviews to the fact that there are limited vegan options in this area and so people choosing this lifestyle are grateful to have a dining option at all. My husband ordered a buffalo ranch pizza, which I can only describe as a savory chewing gum. It tasted like a packet of hidden valley ranch mix blended into paste. I've been GF for about a decade and it's the worst crust I've ever had. I ordered the jackfruit tacos. The texture of the jackfruit was good and the salad that came with it was decent but the flavor of the tacos overall was pretty bad. Like some other reviews have mentioned the spice mixes create a powdery texture- I should have listened. We are both sitting here with nearly full plates and my husband is telling me that I'm not under any obligation to keep eating and I'm telling him how bad I feel about the waste involved. I'm sure one day we'll look back and laugh. That's just the food- other notables- no free parking or dedicated lot, no paper menus (heard a lady at a nearby table ask for one and when the waiter told her that it's just a QR code, she replied, "well, that's not helpful." The sense of camaraderie I feel with my fellow diners is something I can take with me since I won't be taking any leftovers.). When you click on the QR code, the menu allows you to order online but there is also one waiter walking around taking orders- it might be a good idea for them to upgrade their system so that it isn't one menu for orders and those eating here. Literally could be fixed by making a PDF. It's chilly inside so bring a jacket if the weather is cold. Redeeming factor is that there is no cruelty to animals- just patrons. You've been warned.

My group of 3 visited for lunch, and although there wasn't a single other customer there when we arrived, the place filled up quickly later, so it might be wise to get reservations. We tried the breakfast pizza (my personal favorite), the shakshuka (had a tad of spice), and the superfood salad which looked enormous, but we were able to finish almost all of it. Total came out to be about $60 (not including tip). The staff were very friendly and checked in on us to make sure we felt taken care of. The place is a bit hidden, tucked behind PF Changs and accessible only on 200 W.

We hosted a gathering with these folks during a March conference at the convention center and were very pleased. They shut down the whole place, actually for longer than we originally had planned. Had great food, great apps, great drinks. Super friendly service. Very easy to coordinate the event with the owners of Zest, despite some hoops from our organization to jump through. They made this easy. Prices were good and everyone had a great time. Highly recommend!

Nice little vegan spot, just stopped in for some dessert to go. Tried the carrot cake, was very good. Would like to try entree next time, menu looked intriguing.

Was excited to try this vegan lunch stop. Small salad drenched in dressing. Explained that I was not able to eat it because of all the balsamic vinaigrette. Waiter did not offer to replace it. Ordered a cup of soup with it, which was mediocre. When I went to pay my $20 tab, it was $40. They did not remove the salad for my bill. And they charge nearly $20 for each item. I'm still stunned and disappointed.

It's absolutely refreshing to have vegan and gluten free options that are appealing to the general public who may or may not follow those dietary restrictions. My friend and I dined here tonight-both of us carnivores who eat our weight in bread, and both us us thoroughly enjoyed our meals. Our server, Joyce was wonderfully attentive and gave us excellent recommendations. Everything we tried from the protein packed salad to the margherita pizza was delicious. The hazelnut torte dessert was a favorite as well. My friend ordered the coconut almond lavender tea and I'm still salivating over that one. Regardless of your dietary needs or palate preferences, you're sure to find something here to your liking. Branch out and try something new, I bet you won't be disappointed. One thing to note-this restaurant used to be 21+ but is no longer that way. They are open to all ages and want to encourage everyone to visit. So bring the whole family!

This was my first time at Zest and i was not disappointed. Their menu showed a Thai Sunrise Curry that sounded great, and that was what got me in the door. It was as good as I hoped it would be - rich curry flavor, vegetables cooked to perfection, and the coconut milk jasmine rise was fantastic. To go with dinner, I ordered one of their signature cocktails - 'Keep your gin up", which is essentially a tall gin & tonic with cucumber garnish and lime zest. Also very cool and refreshing. For dessert I had the fig & cherry cheesecake - date & cashew crust with cashew custard, layers of fig and berry cheesecake, topped with berry compote & chocolate brittle. This was really good as I love figs and have been looking for a good non-dairy cheesecake option. Again, did not disappoint.

Zest's menu looked so scrumptious I had to give them a try. Service was quick & the persons I engaged knew the menu well; helped a lot with making meal choices. Decided to try the BBQ Jack Sandwich, Zesty Nachos & ended up ordering the Tiramisu Cheezecake because, surprisingly, they were completely out of carrot cake. ...should've stick to my guns & opted for no dessert at all because I did NOT enjoy the tiramisu one bit. :-( Not a fan of nuts in certain foods so that was a major turn off for me. The jackfruit sandwich was okay. Very good portion/size so it is filling. Side salad was also a good portion; that I did enjoy! As for the nachos...oh boy! (very big grin) It was delicious! That almost made up for the other two not-so-yummy trials. If I visit Salt Lake City again any time soon I'll be sure to order the nachos again.

Zest is an absolute delight! They have an adorable atmosphere, extremely comfortable chairs, and the service is quick and cheerful! Their side salad is huge, and absolutely worth it! The cauliflower wings are good--definitely eat them while they're warm! If you're in SLC, this is a great place to go!

Stumbled upon Zest, thanks to Yelp. Placed a takeout order for the Stuffed Avocado Salad on 7.25.23. You can place an order online (which is preferred) but I was driving so I called (I had just landed at SLC Airport and was really hungry). Thankfully they took my order over the phone. My order was ready for pick up in 10 minutes. The salad was delicious and flavorful. It was huge, so it justifies the $20 price point. The service was fast, friendly and efficient. There's a parking lot (need to pay) adjacent to the building. I definitely want to come back and see what it's like to experience dining in... the design is minimalist and modern in décor. Zest seems like a fun spot to have apps and drinks.

My husband and I came here to try out the vegan food. We got nachos, a pasta plate, and a buffalo pizza. The pizza was by far the best thing, but everything else was also very delicious. The waitress who attended us was very cute and said she was a fairy (Fran), and was dressed very appropriately, which I really liked. The restaurant had a lot of seating and it wasn't too busy when we went, so we chose to sit by the window up a couple stairs, which we liked. I also tried the lavender berry lemonade and it did not disappoint. Next time we're in the area we will definitely make an effort to return because we really enjoyed the vegan food and feel of the restaurant.

Excellent service (thanks, Alex!), yummy food, good selection, cute atmosphere, and beautiful drinks.

Great food, many choices and friendly staff! I loved their pizza and burger. My all time faves are the mushrooms and stuffed jalapeño!

Ordered delivery, missing two desserts. Charged 22$ and weren't delivered. Calls to the driver and zest don't get answered. Why not? Scam. Do not order delivery if you want your whole order. Not answering is inexcusable.

Obsessed with the interior. I really like the curry, however, I felt it was a bit overpriced. Not enough to keep me from visiting again though.

Sad bar Not much to work with in terms of cocktails. Their drink list is on their virtual menu and there aren't many descriptions. Lots of wine out of stock. They had a single Cab Sav and a single Malbec. They are a restaurant so you have to order food to get drinks.

Great food options, fabulous service and the ambiance is ideal. The portions are huge everything we ordered was enough to share. I'm not vegan or a vegetarian but my friend I went with was and I was pleasantly surprised at oh good everything we ate. Stuffed avocado salad was the best and I want to eat it every week. This is a must. Avocados were fresh and the flavor was balanced. Brussel sprouts is an app and you could of eaten it as a main. Super filling. Zesty nachos had a lot of flavor and were good as long as they were hot. Once they got cold, as most nachos aren't great. The menu is changing often so look it up to see what's new and fresh.

By far one of the best gluten free and plant based places my wife and I have been to. This place reminded me so much of home and I liked being able to choose from the menu instead of being limited to one or two items. I had the nacho dish which was fantastic, they even added extra sour cream which I liked. I finished with the fig cheese cake and it was divine. Service was fantastic. Our server was pleasant and patient. Th ambiance is great, laid back with a bit of quirk but very family friendly. Would highly recommend Zest. Much love to our server and cooks for allowing us a great dinner after a long day of being tourists.

I love a good salad. You would think that a vegan restaurant could supply one. This is a prime example of someone trying to reinvent the wheel and destroying it in the process. The dressings that were offered were over invented as well. If you can't stand cilantro, don't eat here. The other option is raspberry. The tap water was room temperature and I had to ask for ice. I guess it was appropriate for the dismal warehouse ambiance. The host was a saving grace. They are the reason I gave it a star instead of no stars. In a nutshell, this place is overpriced and over promised.

We stopped here for a conference lunch since one of my friends is vegan. Having eaten out a lot all week, one friend and I each opted for dessert-for-lunch (cheesecake for me and beet-chocolate pie/cake for her) and both were amazing. I snagged a broccoli ball from another friend and was blown away. Everyone seemed happy with their meals. Tea was great too. Would happily recommend when in the area, and we appreciated the kind service and calm atmosphere.

So disappointed with this place. I have heard good things and the reviews were good but we had a really bad experience. We went on 4/4/24 had a reservation for 6pm because we had a show at 7:30. Walked in and waited at the hostess stand for over 5 minutes before even being acknowledged. We waited 15ish minutes before our server acknowledged us and took our drink orders. We then waited another 10 or so before he came back to take our food order. ( no shade in the server, he was the only server there and probably had over 11+ tables and he was hustling). The bar tender was helping but her pace was unhurried. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms and they were good but we were pretty hungry by that time. Our entrees came out shortly after and were NOT good. We ordered the a mushroom Alfredo, green curry, and tandoori tacos. To say food was disappointing would be an understatement. The flavor was not good, it was bland and something just didn't taste right. We each only had a few bites of our entrée before opting not eat it. This is especially frustrating because each meal was $16-$18+. I realize this is a vegan and gluten free restaurant which was part of the draw but the food was just terrible. Eventually, two of our three ordered drinks finally ( long after our entrees and after waiting 45 minutes). We were then informed they didn't have the ingredients to make the third drink. We opted not to order something different. I will say the drinks did have a good flavor but the wait was insane. This place was not that busy We spent over $120. Worst of all we all had up upset stomach the rest of that night and ended up with food poisoning in the subsequent days. I can't say for sure this is where it came from but it seems most likely. It's the only place we all ate and we did share food that night. We have all worked in the restaurant industry and feel our expectations are well informed and reasonable. Unfortunately this place did not meet expectation at every turn.

Delicious food, the portions were small thought they would be bigger especially for the price. Ex. Stuffed mushrooms

I always look at the menu of a restaurant before visiting and the entree I wanted to order wasn't available that night so I was sad about that.(Vegan pho). Anywho I started with the cashew walnut dip which was great! Then I ordered the Alfredo and added some mushrooms and bell peppers to it. It was okay, it lacked flavor and could've been more saucy if that makes sense. My husband ordered the stuffed mushrooms and the jerk jackfruit platter. He liked both things, he said they were an 8/10. Overall good dinner. Slightly overpriced but not too bad.

Service: They were out of guacamole but didn't tell us until our food came out, so we got plain avocados instead. For the other plate, we ordered breakfast tacos but got another dish instead. The server didn't want to bring it back, so gave me taco shells to eat with this Arabic dish. I didn't order this as I wasn't craving something like this, so I was very disappointed. I didn't eat my dish as I didn't even like the flavour. I don't know why they wouldn't make my breakfast tacos. However, the zesty toast was very fresh and delicious (even without the guacamole). I just wish it was slightly bigger!

3 coworkers and I were in town for a conference and decided to try out this location. None of us are vegan but we were intrigued by the options. Everyone at the table enjoyed their food and commented on how satisfying the portions are. My tomato bisque had a great curry flavor - the food seemed to have Indian flavors that really made the veggies tasty. The service was also friendly although we waited a little long for our food. The overall space was darker and more intimate, really great for small groups or a date night.

It's rare to find an establishment in which everything on the menu is gluten free. Even more rare is a place where everything we taste is delicious! The cocktails are on point! There was a tart elderberry and absinthe delight as well as the berry bubbly to start. I ordered an iced blue green tea with coconut and a little sweetness: heavenly! For lunch I tried the egg sandwich with house made zausage. It's came with slightly spicy tomato soup that my daughter loved so I gave it to her. The sandwich was very good! The favor and textures worked well together. My daughter ordered the stuffed avocado salad, which I ended up with bc she preferred the soup. It was a great trade! There was so,e kind of nutty filling and a taco style feel to it. Definitely a lot of food for us... but we are traveling so couldn't really box up salad for later... what we did take to go is the chocolate cake which I can't wait to have later! Finished the meal with Tha nutty Ex cocktail that tasted like a warm hug! Coffee liqueur for the win! The carrot cake is delicious- the frosting was so good and comes with an orange glaze or some kind of sauce that was dynamite. Service with a smile, was a little slow, but kept it moving with a very full dining room. Very, very good and I feel,great after eating here!

I was so excited to try zest when I visited SLC! It did not disappoint at all! Well, our server was a little overwhelmed but it was still great! The stuffed mushrooms are delicious! FYI- the zesty nachos are enormous. This is a starter to share. The Korean Burger was delicious.

Solid vegan dinner place! I do think the dishes are overpriced (coming from someone used to DC prices) and the ambiance could be a bit better (our mains weren't staggered after our appetizers and it felt a little like we were being rushed), but the food was great. My husband and I got the jalapeño poppers, stuffed mushrooms, super foods protein salad, buffalo ranch pizza, and Salted Caramel Chocolate Hazelnut Torte. All were amazing and highly recommend. I was bummed that a lot of the menu items were sold out. I initially came here because I wanted the mushroom pho and they were out, along with a lot of other items. All in all I would come back and love to try some other options!

The food is always great! Vegan or not I def let ppl know this spot is dope! The tacos always hit!