This Utah Restaurant Was Once A Firehouse, And It's Simply Charming
By Catherine Armstrong|Published July 19, 2019
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Catherine Armstrong
Author
Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
No matter what kind of cuisine you crave, you’ll find plenty of great Utah restaurants serving it up. There’s one restaurant in Salt Lake City that has some serious historic charm – it was once a firehouse. Check out Porcupine Pub and Grill:
Porcupine Pub and Grill got its start in 1998, with its Big Cottonwood Canyon location. It added another downtown Salt Lake City location in 2014, and it's located inside a fire station from the 1930s.
The 9,000-square-foot building was home to Fire Station No. 8, and it's the second oldest fire station in the city that's still intact. The station closed in 1980, then served for 30 years as the home to Market Street Broiler.
When Canyon Culinary Inc. purchased the building in 2014, it underwent an extensive renovation, but many of the original fixtures were left intact. You'll love the ambiance of this historic gem.
This pretty patio is the perfect place to dine during summer months, but when they raise the garage doors on the main floor dining room, you'll enjoy fresh air inside, too.
Not only is this restaurant charming, but it also serves up some of the best food in the Beehive State. The nachos are listed on the menu as an appetizer, but they'd serve as a full meal for two!
Blue and white tortilla chips are piled high on the plate, along with scallions, tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and tons of cheddarjack cheese. You can also add black beans or chicken for an even bigger meal.
The Cottonwood Burger is a long-standing favorite. The one-third pound beef patty is graced with bacon, grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, tomato, lettuce, Swiss and cheddar cheeses, BBQ sauce, and herbed aioli.
The pizzas, fish and chips, enchiladas, and burritos are also delicious. Basically, you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu, and you'll want to come back a few times to try everything that looks tempting.
You'll definitely want to save some room for the signature dessert here. The Porcupine is a decadent chocolate treat that looks like an adorable, wide-eyed little porcupine. It's served alongside vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce.
Visit Porcupine Grill's downtown location Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
What’s your favorite meal at Porcupine Grill? Tell us in the comments! See the full menu and learn more about both Porcupine Grill locations on its website. Follow the restaurant’s Facebook page to see what’s new there.
