Escalante, Utah
Arid. Desolate. Badass.
Escalante surprised the shit out of me as far as food goes. It may be a speck of a town on Scenic Byway 12 in the middle of nowhere Utah, but it's got some damned fine food.
Downtown Escalante is a mile long stretch of quaint businesses, restaurants, and homes amid the sandy wastelands of Southern Utah. The air is as hot and dry as it gets. The locals are hard folks. Think Dune. Stillsuits. Spice. If you didn’t get that, then don’t worry about it, just keep on reading. Escalante is an oasis in an unforgivable land.
I used Escalante as a basecamp for an unforgettable backpacking trip (Coyote Gulch), so I didn’t get to explore the town all that much. I was able to check out these restaurants, though:
Breakfast: Magnolia's Kitchen
Lunch: Escalante Outfitters
Dinner: Circle D Eatery
ESCALANTE OUTFITTERS
SCR Rating = 4 out of 5
Escalante Outfitters is exactly what the sign says it is -- an outfitter. They just happen to also have really good food.
If you come to Escalante and forget a piece of adventure gear, then go here. They'll probably have what you need. If you're hungry, then also go here. They've got a wide selection of food, from cookies, to salad, to pizzas. I had the Homesteader’s Delight Salad (Mixed greens, Bocconcini mozzarella, tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh basil, tossed in balsamic vinaigrette & reduction) with added chicken, and it was FANTASTIC. Full disclosure, this was the first real meal I’d had after three days in Coyote Gulch, so it’s possible that influenced my experience, but I doubt it.
The first words that came to mind when the salad bowl hit the table in front of me were FRESH and BIG. The portions here are meant for the adventurous type. Those brave souls who either just burnt a bajillion calories out in the desert and need to refuel, or those who are about to head out and similarly need to fill up on calories to help them get after it.
Did I mention they have beer here? They've got a fantastic selection by the can, bottle, and tap. This is definitely a place to kick back and have a few with your mates.
This place gets a 4 out of 5 rating for its fresh food, great beer selection, and unbeatable ambiance.
MAGNOLIA
SCR Rating = 3 out of 5
We went here for breakfast twice. That's how good it was. The kimchi breakfast tacos were really damned good. House made kimchi -- can't pass that up. I’m doing the keto thing, so I passed on the tortillas and went straight for the guts. A killshot for sure. It was good. Comes with a side of salsa, which was unnecessary, but I ate it anyway. The taco filling had plenty of flavor on its own without the salsa. A warm mug of coffee completed the breakfast meal and I was completely satisfied. Will go back.
CIRCLE D EATERY (alas, no pics)
SCR Rating = 3 out of 5
This place surprised the hell out of me. The food was good, fancy, fresh. I had the brisket burger without buns. I forgot to tell them to keep the fries, so it came with thick, freshly cut fries that looked absolutely amazing. My non-keto dinner mates said they were damned good. I really picked a bad year to be keto. The burger was great. Perfectly cooked, clearly fresh and home made. My one complaint about this place is that the service wasn't as attentive as I would have liked, especially at the price point. Either they were understaffed, or didn't give much of a shit. It was hard to tell, but I got the feeling it was the latter. Will it keep me from going there again next time I'm in Escalante? No. The food was good, and the atmosphere chill. I’ll brave it again
