RFK Rankings · Salt Lake City
Best Restaurants for Brunch in Salt Lake City (2026)
Weekend brunch · Salt Lake City · 6 rooms ranked · Updated June 2026
Compiled by the Restaurants for Kings editorial team · Published May 12, 2024 · Updated June 12, 2026 · Reviewed by Fredrik Filipsson, Editor-in-Chief · How we rank · Corrections
The Park Cafe has cooked big breakfasts beside Liberty Park since 1982, and over in Sugar House Finn's plates Norwegian waffles. Salt Lake treats brunch as a casual sit-down, hot cakes and biscuits over a buffet line, and most of the good rooms are walk-ins. These six, ranked, are where to spend a slow weekend morning.
1.The Park Cafe
The defining Salt Lake weekend breakfast, a Liberty Park diner running big plates since 1982; arrive early and walk in.
The Park Cafe sits at 604 E 1300 South, across from Liberty Park, and has cooked breakfast and lunch since 1982. It opens at 7 a.m. daily, the pancakes and French toast anchor the menu, and the chicken fried steak runs around $14.
The room is small and busy, the kind of neighborhood diner where service moves fast even on a packed Saturday. It is a walk-in only, so come early or expect a wait on the sidewalk; the patio is the table to ask for in summer.
2.Finn's Cafe
A Sugar House diner serving Norwegian waffles and eggs benedict daily; come for the Scandinavian plates and the garden patio.
Finn's Cafe at 1624 S 1100 East has run a Scandinavian-leaning breakfast in Sugar House for decades, open daily 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Norwegian waffles, Jule Kake French toast and eggs benedict set it apart, with most plates landing $12 to $18.
The dining room is cozy and the colorful garden patio is the spot on a summer morning. It is a walk-in, and weekends are busy, so arrive at opening or after 1:30 p.m. when the crowd thins.
3.Oasis Cafe
The full-service weekend brunch in town, a New American room on 500 East with a courtyard patio; reserve ahead.
Oasis Cafe at 151 S 500 East runs the most sit-down weekend brunch on this list, open daily with a New American menu and a proper drinks program. Brunch plates land roughly $14 to $22, with eggs benedict, a tofu scramble and house pastries.
The covered courtyard patio is the draw, calm and green in a way the diners are not. It takes reservations on OpenTable, so book a weekend table rather than walk up, especially for a larger group.
4.Sweet Lake Biscuits & Limeade
Fresh-baked biscuit sandwiches and mint limeade in the Ballpark area; order at the counter and grab a patio seat.
Sweet Lake at 54 W 1700 South grew from a farmers-market limeade stand into a biscuit kitchen, open weekends until 4 p.m. The biscuit sandwiches anchor the menu, the fresh mint limeade is the signature, and plates run about $11 to $16.
It is counter-order and casual, good for a quick weekend plate without a long sit-down. Come before the late-morning rush, take a patio seat, and add a limeade to whatever biscuit you order.
5.Ruth's Diner
A 1930 trolley-car diner up Emigration Canyon with a creekside patio; drive out for the mile-high biscuits.
Ruth's Diner sits at 4160 Emigration Canyon Road, about 20 minutes from downtown, and has served comfort food since 1930, the second-oldest restaurant in Utah. The mile-high biscuits are the draw, and breakfast plates land roughly $13 to $19.
The original trolley-car room is small, so the wait runs long, but the creekside patio makes it worth the drive. It is a walk-in; come early on a weekend, and note it is closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
6.Penny Ann's Cafe
Home of the Heavenly Hot Cakes and a decade of Best of State wins; a no-fuss walk-in for a big breakfast.
Penny Ann's Cafe at 1810 S Main Street is a family diner open daily 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., a repeat Best of State breakfast winner. The Heavenly Hot Cakes are the signature, the pork chile verde burrito is the savory pick, and most plates run $10 to $15.
The room is plain and friendly, built for a fast, cheap, filling morning. It is a walk-in with no reservations, so arrive before the weekend crowd or settle in for a short wait.
Not for everyone
Closed, despite the old lists
Pig & a Jelly Jar. The much-loved 900 South brunch spot has closed, so the older Salt Lake guides that still rank it are out of date. Do not plan a weekend table here; the storefront is dark.
Blue Plate Diner. The Sugar House hangover institution closed in 2021 after the property sold to a developer. It was a Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives favorite, but it is gone, not a morning option.
Current Fish & Oyster. The downtown seafood room has closed as well. It ran a strong dinner rather than brunch in any case, so do not arrive on a Sunday morning expecting oysters and eggs.
How to brunch well in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake's brunch scene is spread across the east-side neighborhoods rather than packed downtown: Liberty Wells and Central City for the diners, Sugar House for Finn's and the Ballpark area for Sweet Lake. Ruth's Diner is the exception, a 20-minute drive up Emigration Canyon that pays off with a creekside patio.
Most of these rooms are walk-ins, so the move is to arrive early and beat the weekend wait at The Park Cafe, Finn's Cafe, Sweet Lake and Penny Ann's. For a planned, full-service table, Oasis Cafe takes reservations on OpenTable and is the better bet with a group.
Frequently asked
Where is the best brunch in Salt Lake City?
The Park Cafe next to Liberty Park is the marquee pick, a Liberty Wells diner serving big breakfasts since 1982. For Scandinavian plates in Sugar House, Finn's Cafe runs Norwegian waffles and eggs benedict; for a sit-down weekend menu near downtown, Oasis Cafe.
Which Salt Lake City brunch is best with kids?
The Park Cafe and Penny Ann's Cafe are the easiest with children, both casual all-day diners with pancakes, hot cakes and no reservation pressure. Ruth's Diner up Emigration Canyon also has a big patio and space for a family table on weekends.
Do you need a reservation for brunch in Salt Lake City?
Mostly no. The Park Cafe, Finn's Cafe, Sweet Lake and Penny Ann's are all walk-in diners, so come early to beat the weekend wait. Oasis Cafe takes reservations on OpenTable and is the better bet for a planned table.
What is a good sit-down brunch in Salt Lake City?
Oasis Cafe on 500 East runs the most full-service weekend brunch, a New American menu with a patio and a proper drinks list. Ruth's Diner in Emigration Canyon is the other dressed-up morning, a 1930 trolley-car room with a creekside patio.
Does Finn's Cafe serve brunch in Salt Lake City?
Yes. Finn's Cafe in Sugar House serves breakfast and brunch daily until mid-afternoon, with Norwegian waffles, Jule Kake French toast and eggs benedict. It is a walk-in, so arrive before the late-morning rush or after 1:30 p.m. on weekends.
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