Salt Lake City is a beef- and chicken-heavy place, perhaps given all the protein people want before and after hiking in the summer or hitting the slopes in the winter.
And because the city is far from the ocean, people don’t typically expect to find good seafood.
However, some seafood places in Salt Lake City will make you want to ditch your steak dinner for a fresh catch.
I’ll discuss the best seafood in Salt Lake City so that you’ll know where to go next time you’re in the area.
Market Street Grill & Oyster Bar – Downtown
48 W Market St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Phone: 801-322-4668
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There are several Market Street Grill & Oyster Bars in the surrounding area, but I love the one downtown near the Frank E. Moss Courthouse because of its lively environment.
As the name suggests, oysters are the top food to order here, and they taste amazing!
However, there are plenty of other delicious seafood options, including creamy clam chowder, fried halibut, and seared ahi tuna.
My favorite time to go is brunch because they also have excellent egg dishes.
Plus, they give you complimentary cinnamon rolls, and who can say no to that?
Current Fish and Oyster
279 E 300 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Phone: 801-326-3474
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Another popular oyster spot in town is Current Fish and Oyster, located in the Central City area east of the Salt Lake City Public Library.
This seafood restaurant promises sustainable and regional seafood plates, which is important for environmentally-conscious people who still crave seafood now and then.
My favorite dishes in this industrial-chic eatery include fish stew, black cod, clam dip, and shrimp and grits.
I also appreciate their extensive wine list because I love drinking dry white wine with my fish stew or bold red wine with my oysters.
Harbor Seafood & Steak Co.
2302 E Parleys Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84109
Phone: 801-466-9827
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As its name suggests, Harbor Seafood & Steak Co. is a great spot for both the best seafood in Salt Lake City and the best steak dinners.
This combination is helpful for couples, family, or friend groups who have varied opinions on seafood.
Harbor is further east of downtown, in between Tanner Park and Dilworth Park.
I enjoy the sleek, clean feel of the indoor space and the airy, refreshing environment on the outdoor patio, decked with lovely grape vines.
In regards to the food, you can’t go wrong with the halibut for the seafood and the filet mignonette for the steak.
Other exceptional dishes include the squash blossom stuffed with crab and the crème brûlée, the perfect ending to a great meal.
Bucket O’ Crawfish
1980 W 3500 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84119
Phone: 801-419-0900
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Crawfish boils are one of my favorite ways to eat seafood, and Bucket O’ Crawfish delivers excellent food that comes close to the southern crawfish restaurants I’ve been to.
I appreciate that this restaurant — in Taylorsville near the Redwood Drive-in Theatre — doesn’t try to be exactly like a Louisiana crawfish joint but instead intentionally puts a West Coast Asian twist on their boil.
Still, you’ll get the messy, saucy big bag filled with the favorites: snow crab, Dungeness crab, shrimp, and delicious cajun seasonings.
Freshies Lobster Salt Lake City
356 E 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Phone: 801-829-1032
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You can find Freshies Lobster in Park City, but the one in Salt Lake City is a favorite of mine due to the friendly staff, positive environment, and great location right outside of downtown near Liberty Park.
Freshies is a laid-back seafood restaurant that has a lot of great meals to offer.
I enjoy their lobster bisque, clam chowder, and — most of all — their jam-packed lobster rolls!
They have plenty of non-seafood options as well, such as grilled cheese and mac and cheese, but I highly suggest putting lobster on those items as well.
I haven’t had great lobster since I visited Maine, so I was pleasantly surprised and impressed.
Kimi’s Chop & Oyster House
2155 Highland Dr., Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Phone: 801-946-2079
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If you couldn’t tell by now, oysters are a relatively popular seafood dish in Salt Lake City, and Kimi’s Chop & Oyster House provides another spot to eat some in the Sugar House area, to the west of Sugar House Park.
Kimi’s offers a trendy, elevated dining area with stunning artwork, along with tasty seafood and non-seafood items.
For seafood, their oysters are to die for, and their ahi tuna is incredible as well.
They also have tapas selections, and I can’t resist their east coast calamari, crab cakes, and golden beets.
I enjoy their non-seafood dishes, too, such as pork chop, filet mignonette, and mushroom soup.
Yellowfinn Grill & Sushi Bar
1166 E 2100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Phone: 801-466-2600
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If you’re looking for the best sushi and sashimi in Salt Lake City, look no further than Yellowfinn Grill & Sushi Bar.
This bright, cheery, modern Japanese restaurant is near Kimi’s mentioned above, by Sugar House Park.
It has a splendid atmosphere, and the wait staff is always incredibly friendly and helpful, adding to the welcoming vibe.
I tend to order various sushi rolls and split them with friends, including but not limited to the eel, funky roll, salmon nigiri, and California roll.
The best time to go is for discounted happy hour sushi from 3-5 on weekdays.
But anytime you go, make sure to add the mussels and peppers to your order!
Red Lobster
WEST OF SUGARHOUSE PARK, 2294 S 1300 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Phone: 801-483-1343
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Next up, I have to give a shout-out to the classic seafood restaurant Red Lobster.
While it may not be as hip or trendy as some other places on this list, it’s a tried-and-true spot for seafood lovers in Salt Lake City.
You’ll find it to the west of Sugar High Park, north of the Highland Park area.
This chain restaurant is most known for its scrumptious warm cheddar biscuits, and that is what I love about it the most.
However, if you don’t want to eat biscuits the entire meal, I suggest getting their lobster bisque, as that’s my favorite.
They also have a range of noteworthy shrimp dishes, such as coconut shrimp, sesame ginger shrimp, shrimp linguine, and so many more!
Sawadee (Utah) Thai Restaurant
754 E S Temple St ST, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
Phone: 801-328-8424
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Thai restaurants tend to have plenty of seafood options, given that Thailand is a coastal country so seafood is an integral part of the cuisine.
Sawadee Thai Restaurant also provides plenty of options, even though it’s in Salt Lake City, between Central City and The Avenues.
It has a relaxed outdoor patio that I like to eat at in the afternoons.
The best seafood items on the menu include fried fish cakes, deep-fried crab with cream cheese, deep-fried shrimp with sweet and sour sauce, and fried calamari.
If you’d prefer something not fried, try their salmon curry.
Thistle & Thyme
480 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
Phone: 801-584-3327
Thistle & Thyme is a brunch spot in the University of Utah area, near the Natural History Museum of Utah.
It’s a newer, hidden gem that many people don’t know about, but I highly recommend trying it out due to the friendly service, calming vibes, and delicious food.
My favorite seafood items here include the fish and chips, which uses cod, pan-seared sea scallops with orzo pasta, and pecan-crusted trout, which is harvested in Utah and comes with sautéed squash.
Thistle & Thyme is not yet as popular as some of these other spots, but give it a try if you want something new!
Virg’s
5770 S Redwood Rd, Taylorsville, UT 84129
Phone: 801-968-7180
Virg’s is a casual restaurant near T. John Labrum Memorial Park in Bennion.
It’s a well-trusted restaurant that’s nice for dining in or takeaway.
I go when I’m particularly hungry because they always serve humongous portions of whatever meal you order.
They have excellent cod fish and chips, which is what I usually order, but you can also get halibut, haddock, or fantail shrimp for your fish and chips.
Additionally, they have plenty of non-seafood items, such as breakfast burritos, bacon cheeseburgers, massive omelets, and chicken-fried steaks.
Aquarius Fish Co
314 W 300 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Phone: 801-533-5653
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Directly north of Pioneer Park, across the street from the Downtown Farmers’ Market, you’ll find Aquarius Fish Co, a market catered specifically for seafood lovers.
This is where you can purchase fresh fish to make your own fish dinners, such as salmon, scallops, and more.
They always have reasonable prices for fresh fish and are helpful enough to answer any questions you might have.
So the next time you want to make fish and chips, sushi, or pan-seared salmon, head to Aquarius Fish Co first.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
275 S W Temple St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Phone: 801-363-2000
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Ruth’s Chris Steak House is a famous and fancy chain steak house across the country, and the one in Salt Lake City offers some outstanding seafood options right in the center of downtown.
If you don’t typically like chain restaurants, I would still give Ruth’s Chris a try because it is more upscale and elegant than what you might be assuming.
Plus, their lobster bisque is out of this world, as well as their jumbo shrimp, lobster tail, sizzling crab cakes, and garlic halibut.
But what might be my favorite dish time and time again is Ruth’s lobster mac and cheese, which includes mild green chiles for an extra punch.