Posted in Utah Nature, On The Water May 02, 2020 by

There’s A 33-Foot-Long Iguana In Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah

If you love Mexican food, Utah is the place to be! The Beehive State has tons of great Mexican restaurants, but the most popular is Red Iguana in Salt Lake City. This beloved, family-owned treasure always has a huge line on weekends. In fact, the restaurant is so busy that in 2017 it opened a second location, Red Iguana 2, just a few blocks away.

Red Iguana 2 has the same delicious menu as the original location, but it has one feature that the first restaurant doesn’t — a huge iguana in the parking lot!

Red Iguana 2 has some of the best Mexican food in Utah, and you can find it just a few blocks away from the original restaurant.
Malhar Desai/Google
The address is 866 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City.
You'll definitely want to stop in soon for some delicious enchiladas, but before you head inside, check out the huge, 33-foot-long iguana in the parking lot!
ASA224/Tripadvisor
The iguana was created by Utah artist Stephen Kesler. It took him two years to complete it.
William Brassette/Google
The process included a 1/16th clay model, a larger 3-D model, sculpting with 600 pounds of clay, fiberglass molds, and months of painstaking detail work, including hand-sculpting and painting.
The completed iguana stands 12.5 feet tall and weighs 1,000 pounds. It includes 80 hand-painted spines, and 120,000 scales. The vibrant colors are similar to the real hues of red iguanas in the wild.
Trevor Miner/Google
The iguana's name is Xochitónal , and once you've taken a selfie or two with him, you'll want to go inside for some chile rellenos, enchiladas, or a combo platter.
Clint Morris/Google
Make sure to try the mole - it's Red Iguana's most popular menu item. If you're not familiar with mole, get the sampler so you can try all the different varieties.
Brad Bullough/Google
Say goodbye to Xochitónal on your way out!
Paul Inkenbrandt/Google

Check out Red Iguana 2’s menu on its website, and follow its Facebook page for the latest news.

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Address: Red Iguana 2, 866 W S Temple St, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, USA