8 Best St. George Restaurants (2024)

Welcome to our guide to the best restaurants in St. George, Utah. Home to one of the best outdoor scenes in the country, we’ll take any excuse to escape to this college town– especially if that means fleeing the cold weather and inversion in SLC from November to April. But the million-dollar question: where should we eat? Cue: our guide to the best St. George restaurants.

Anyone who has spent even a small amount of time in St. George knows that it’s no foodie destination. In fact, contriving eight St. George restaurants for this guide was arguably more challenging than selecting restaurants for almost any other post we have ever published. Rest assured, there still are good places to eat in this pocket of Southern Utah.

Similar to any Female Foodie guide, all restaurants were selected with high-quality, worth-going-back-for food as the qualifying factor. We included places we’d easily send our closest friends and family members, and we left out restaurants that we felt were overhyped, underwhelming, or simply not worth your hard-earned money. For this guide alone we sampled over 30 restaurants for consideration. If you’ve been to St. George before or are somewhat familiar with the restaurants in town, you’ll notice plenty of obvious omissions (this was not by mistake). Thank you for reading and enjoy our guide to the best restaurants in St. George!

SEE ALSO: 15 BEST RESTAURANTS IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

8. Riggatti’s Wood Fired Pizza

There are plenty of St. George restaurants that serve pizza (old and new), but Rigatti’s has the best-tasting pizza in town. It’s cooked in a wood-fired oven, which gives the crust and entire pizza great flavor. They have two locations in town- the Washington location is ideal for a sit-down meal and the Main Street location is perfect for takeout (or dine-in if there are only a couple in your group). Plenty of topping choices here but our go-to order is the classic margherita with red sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil, and olive oil.

7. Morty’s Cafe

St. George can often seem like the land of burgers, with a burger option on seemingly every corner. But our favorite stop for a juicy burger is Morty’s Cafe. Cache Valley born and bred, this fast-casual cafe makes great, hand-pressed burgers. Our favorite menu item here is the Iconic Burger, topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, and Morty’s sauce, all between a flour top potato bun. Ordering fries? Get the sweet potato.

6. Viva Chicken

Viva Chicken is one of the best restaurants in St. George for an unfussy, healthy bite. Don’t get us wrong- there are plenty of less-than-healthy options here but above all other menu items we love the Tacu Bowl. It’s made with cilantro-infused rice, Salsa Criolla (lime-marinated onions and tomatoes), avocado, green onions. Always add chicken and always enjoy with copious amounts of their aji amarillo sauce.

5. Red Fort Cuisine Of India

Good news: one of the best restaurants in St. George is an Indian restaurant. And it’s owned & operated as the same family that runs Bombay House in SLC so you know it’s going to be good. The menu at Red Fort has your conventional Indian menu items like Tandoori-cooked entrees, curries galore, flatbreads, and even vegan/vegetarian options. Our favorite menu items are the butter chicken and lamb coconut kurma. Don’t forget a side or two of garlic naan.

4. Xetava Gardens Cafe

Xetava Gardens Cafe at Kayenta isn’t a restaurant you’ll likely pass while trapezing around Southern Utah, but it’s definitely one of the very best restaurants in St. George. Don’t let the location deter you, just a 20-minute drive from Main Street, the food options here are a significant step above many of the other offerings in town. The menu items are simple but all prepared with locally sourced, wild, and organic ingredients. Favorite things to order are the Xetava classic burger and the chicken caesar wrap.

3. Mad Pita Express

Never judge a book by its cover, especially when you pass by Mad Pita Express, one of the best restaurants in St. George. Situated inside of an inconspicuous strip mall, this fast-casual spot serves fantastic low-key Mediterranean dishes including appetizers, salads, pitas, and rice bowls. If you want something substantial, order any of the pitas. The rotisserie gyro or spicy chicken are our top two picks, both absolutely delicious. And if you leave without ordering fries, then shame on you.

2. Angelica’s Mexican Grill

Formerly known as Irmita’s Mexican Grill, Angelica’s serves the best Mexican food among all of the St. George restaurants. You’re here for no-frills, delicious, flavorful Mexican food. The menu here is simple and straightforward. The tacos are our top suggestion (get the “street tacos” if you want your tortilla crisped). All of the meat offerings are top-notch, from the carnitas to the carne asada to the pollo asado. And if you’re into spicy the chile verde is fiery delicious. Not feeling tacos? Get a quesadilla or torta for something just as satisfying. Make sure to enjoy their delectable homemade salsa with your tacos (no chips here, sorry!).

1. Wood Ash Rye

Nestled inside the Advenire Hotel downtown, Wood Ash Rye serves the very best food you can find in town. It is the perfect spot for an elevated dinner experience, or stop by for breakfast or lunch for something a little more casual with a fine-dining feel. If you’re coming in for breakfast or brunch, it is criminal not to splurge on their laminated biscuits, and as far as entrees go we are head-over-heels for their Croque Madame (rich, salty, delicious) and their flaky, buttery Fish & Chips.

Bonus: Best Desserts in St. George, Utah

Because every great meal from our guide to the best St. George restaurants deserves a sweet dessert to go with it! Here is a list of our favorite places for a treat in St. George.

4. Twentyfive Main Cafe & Cake

Twentyfive Main is a cute cupcake parlor on Main Street in St. George. They serve a variety of cupcakes that are moist (thank heavens) and delicious. The parlor has several flavors to choose from daily but the coconut cupcake is our go-to!

3. Dutchman’s

We don’t mean to stir the pot, but if you want the OG pink sugar cookie in St. George, then Dutchman’s is the place to go. Don’t let the gas station location detour you- the cookies at Dutchman’s are melt in your mouth, homemade deliciousness. They have so many great options for delicious homemade cookies, but we love the classic sugar cookies or coconut sugar cookies. Don’t forget a diet coke with a squirt of lime, too.

2. Nielsen’s Frozen Custard

If you’ve been to a Nielsen’s Frozen Custard in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, or Virginia, you can expect the same, delicious quality from their St. George location. The custard is seriously addicting and perfect on a hot summer day or even in the dead of winter. If you’re ready for a hefty and large helping of custard, order one of their concretes for a mixed dessert of custard and filling of your choice. Looking for something smaller? Order a scoop or two of the custard and always ask what the flavors of the day are!

1. Farmstead

Filled to the brim with delectable pastries, Farmstead Bakery hits the spot when you are on the hunt for baked goods. Everything in their bakery is made from scratch, and their laminated dough pastries are our favorites. Their spin on the cream cheese danish is absolutely to-die-for, but the best thing here is easily their twice-baked almond croissant. You’re welcome.

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