Last Updated on April 20, 2023 by admin
Moab, Utah, is the gateway city to both Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. If you’re visiting these national parks, you’ll definitely be spending some time in the city of Moab. After a day full of adventuring, nothing is better than refueling with an amazing meal. In this post, we’re putting together a list of the best places to eat in Moab. We recently visited Moab, and we really enjoyed the dining options the city had to offer. In fact, the food in Moab was one of the highlights of our three-week road trip across the southwest! In this post, we’re sharing our picks for the best restaurants in Moab. We highly recommend that you visit these restaurants during your trip to Moab!
(For a full list of all our posts about things to do in Utah, click here!)
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Map of Best Restaurants in Moab, Utah
We created this map so that you can easily see where each recommended restaurant is located:
List of the Best Restaurants in Moab
Here’s our choices for some of the best restaurants in Moab!
Moab Diner
Address: 189 South Main Street, Moab, UT 84532
The Moab Diner is famous for its signature green chili, and it did not disappoint! We couldn’t get enough of their green chili. We seriously couldn’t stop talking about how good it was! When you visit the Moab Diner, we recommend that you get a bowl of it. Their green chili is also slathered on many of their burritos, sandwiches, and more.
The Moab Diner has been a part of Moab for a long time. It was first named the Poor Boy Drive-Inn in the early 1960s. Since then, it has evolved from a burger joint, to an ice cream parlor, to the diner it is today. It’s clearly a popular place, so plan to get there early to avoid a wait. It was packed when we visited, so we ended up getting our meal to-go and walking back to our hotel to eat. (A really great incentive for staying in town is to be within walking distance of these great restaurants!)
We ordered a bowl of the green chili (pictured below) and the Kokopelli Chicken Dinner ($5.75 and $11.50 as of this posting in 2021). The green chili photo may not look especially beautiful, but trust us it tastes amazing. Next time we go back we want to try the Green Chili Cheese Fries and the Breakfast Burrito. Pretty much anything covered with their green chili would be delicious!
Doughbird
Address: 125 North Main Street, Moab, UT 84532
Doughbird specializes in donuts, chicken sandwiches, and coffee. We visited for breakfast and made sure to return the next day for lunch as well. We rarely go to the same restaurant twice while on vacation, because we like to try different places, but we had to come back to try more flavors of donuts as well as their crispy chicken sandwiches.
When planning your trip, just note that as of this writing, they are closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. They open at 7am for donuts. They start serving chicken sandwiches at 11am.
When we visited, we tried four different donuts over the course of two days: The Red Velvet, Choco Cookie Crumble, Chocolate Glazed, and Cronut (half glazed with chocolate). After a lot of deliberation, our two favorites were the Red Velvet and Chocolate Glazed. The Red Velvet has great texture: crispy on the outside and cake-like on the inside. We liked the Chocolate Glazed because the yeast dough rose higher than any other donut we have seen and it was delicious! If you’re wondering where to eat in Moab, Utah, you need to check out Doughbird!
We came back for lunch the next day to try their crispy chicken sandwiches. You can choose the heat factor that you would like (no heat, mild, medium, hot, and melt your cluckin’ face off). The crispy chicken sandwiches were equally delicious. We were craving those sandwiches long after we left Moab!
Gloria’s Corner Cafe
Address: 20 S Main Street, Moab, UT, 84532
We visited Gloria’s Corner Cafe several times for smoothies during our trip and once for lunch. While traveling on vacation, it can be difficult to find healthy food on the go. We really liked their smoothies because they were packed with lot of fruits and vegetables! We ordered them to-go to fuel before a hike or to replenish when we were back in town. The smoothies were also a good option for our toddler to get an extra boost of nutrition. We liked dining at Gloria’s because they have a nice outdoor patio area.
Crystal’s Cakes and Cones
Address: 26 W Center St, Moab, UT, 84532
We visited Moab in June, when the weather was very hot. We really enjoyed cooling down at Crystal’s Cakes and Cones for ice cream after dinner. They also had a good cupcake selection! If you’re looking for a dessert spot, we’d highly recommend stopping by.
Zax Restaurant
Address: 96 South Main St, Moab, Utah, 84532
We went to Zax for their pizzas! All of their pizzas are cooked in a wood-fired brick oven. We split a large Ramon Pizza (homemade tomato sauce, pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, onion, and mozzarella cheese). We sat in the second floor patio with a nice view of the street. The food was so good, we forgot to take a picture! We did snap a photo, however, of our daughter enjoying the water misters to keep cool.
Moab Brewery
Address: 686 S Main St, Moab, UT 84532
The Moab Brewery specializes in microbrews. They have over a dozen beers. (I’d like to try the Moab Pale Ale!) In addition to some excellent beers on tap, they also have a restaurant that focuses on making their signature dishes from-scratch. Their menu is filled with burgers, sandwiches, and pub food.
Sunset Grill
Address: 900 N Main St, Moab, UT 84532
If you’re looking for fine dining while in Moab, head to the Sunset Grill. The restaurant is perched on a hill and has excellent views of the city and surrounding landscape. This restaurant also happens to be the oldest restaurant in Moab, and you can learn a lot about the local history while you dine there. At the time of this writing, they have dishes such as prime rib and raspberry duck on the dinner menu. Because we were traveling with our toddler, we didn’t do any fine dining, but we would love to come back and dine there just for the views!
Jailhouse Cafe
Address: 101 N Main St, Moab, UT 84532
The Jailhouse Cafe is one of the most popular breakfast places in Moab. Try to get there early to avoid a long wait. We didn’t get a chance to visit during our trip because of the wait times, but we could tell it was a very popular restaurant. It’s temporarily closed as of this writing, but scheduled to open March 3rd, 2022. I’d like to go to try their Old Fashioned Ginger Pancakes with Apple Butter.
Moab Food Truck Park
Address: 39 W 100 N, Moab, UT 84532
If you’re traveling as part of a group, one of the best places to eat is the Moab Food Truck Park. Everyone can order their preferred type of cuisine, so everyone is happy! There are plenty of picnic tables for seating, with many of them covered with canopies for protection from the sun. There are all sorts of food trucks at the park, and each of them are individually owned and operated. At the time of this writing, you can find food items such as paninis, shave ice, tacos, Chinese, and pizza.
Milt’s Stop and Eat
Address: 356 S Mill Creek Dr, Moab, UT 84532
Looking for a burger? Milt’s Stop and Eat is one of the best burger joints in the area. This restaurant is a drive-inn, so be prepared to either eat in your car or bring your food back to the hotel. (Or if the weather is nice, you can head to a nearby park.) In addition to their signature burgers, they also have over a dozen milkshake flavors.
Arches Thai
Address: 60 N 100 W, Moab, UT 84532
There are several Thai restaurants in Moab, and Arches Thai is located centrally in downtown Moab. Arches Thai has a menu filled with noodle soups, curries, salads, noodles, and entrees. The tempura fried banana looks like the perfect dessert to end a day out in the desert!
Mexican Restaurants in Moab, Utah
If you’re looking for southwestern cuisine in particular, there are plenty of options in Moab:
- Fiesta Mexicana: Casual Mexican restaurant with excellent margaritas.
- Miguel’s Baja Grill: Located in the heart of downtown Moab.
- El Charro Loco: This restaurant is located on the outskirts of town and has an extensive tacos and burritos menu.
What to Bring When Visiting Moab
If you are planning to head into the national parks, here’s our list of some items to consider bringing:
- Insulated water bottle: You’ll need to stay hydrated while you’re out hiking. (You’ll need more water than you think due to the heat and strenuous exercise.) We brought an insulated water bottle to keep our water cool. There is nothing more refreshing than ice cold water at the end of a hike!
- Hiking boots: Don’t hike in sandals or flip flops. Proper hiking boots will protect your feet and ankles. I’ve been wearing Columbia hiking boots for years, and they’ve been great!
- Daypack: Keep all of your snacks, safety supplies, and extra layers in a comfortable backpack.
- Power bank phone charger: A power bank will let you re-charge your phone while you’re on the go. We use our phones all the time for navigation and for photos, so we never want to be caught with a dead battery.
- Hiking poles: We have these hiking poles and they’ve been working great for us so far.
- First aid kit: Anytime you’re out in the wilderness, be sure to have some basic first aid items on you.
(Click on any of the above images for current pricing and shipping information.)
| Anytime you go hiking, be sure to bring the 10 Essentials. |
Where to Stay in Moab, Utah
When we visited Moab, we stayed at the Best Western Plus Canyonlands Inn. The hotel was centrally located in Moab, our rooms were great, and we really liked their pool. We especially liked that we were within walking distance to many of the shops and restaurants. We were traveling with our toddler, so it made it very convenient. We would definitely recommend this hotel to others!
For a full list of lodging options in Moab, click here.
| Be sure to see our main posts on what to do in Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park! |
Local Guided Tours in Moab
There are numerous outdoor recreational experiences in the Moab area. Booking a guided tour can give you a new experience, and your guide can you teach about the local history.
Some tours in the Moab area to consider include:
- Half-Day Tour of Canyonlands
- 4×4 Tour of Needles District
- Arches National Park 4×4 Adventure
- Moab Half-Day Rafting Trip
Summary: Best Restaurants in Moab
We traveled all over the southwest, and the restaurants in Moab were some of our favorites! We hope this list was helpful in finding the best restaurants in Moab, Utah!
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If you enjoyed this post, you might also be interested in the following posts:
- How to Hike to Delicate Arch with a Toddler or a Baby: Essential Tips
- Best Hikes in Canyonlands National Park
- How to Spend the Trip of a Lifetime in Arches National Park
- Moab Giants: Dinosaurs in the Desert!
- Our Ultimate 3-Week Road Trip Itinerary to Utah and Arizona
Disclaimer: We always strive for content accuracy. Since the time of publishing, travel-related information regarding pricing, schedules, and hours may have changed. Please look up such information directly from each vendor or institution for the most current information.
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