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Gracie's
326 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City, 801-819-7565, GraciesSLC.com
Booze Brag: The Miami Vice (half piña colada and half strawberry daiquiri, a long pour of Mount Gay rum, garnished with a pair of sunglasses for $11).
In Their Own Words: "A large, fun downtown bar with great food and live music. We offer something for everybody."
Inferno Cantina
122 Pierpont Ave., Salt Lake City, 801-833-8838
Jackalope Lounge
372 S. State, Salt Lake City, 801-359-8054
Jam
751 N. 300 West, Salt Lake City, 801-382-8567, JamSLC.com
Booze Brag: The Stumbling Missionary and the Power Bottom.
In Their Own Words: "Club Jam is Salt Lake's premier gay club, with one of the best patios in town, the sexiest bartenders, monthly drag shows with The Ladies of Marmalade, and the best and most current electronic dance music."
Keys on Main
242 S. Main, Salt Lake City, 801-363-3638, KeysOnMain.com
Booze Brag: The best mojito in the state of Utah.
In Their Own Words: "We're Chuck E. Cheese's for adults."
Kristauf's Martini Bar
16 W. Market St., Salt Lake City, 801-366-9490, MartiniBarSLC.com
Booze Brag: Kristauf's Mule, a house twist on a Moscow Mule.
In Their Own Words: "Fun, friendly with great drinks and a DJ on the weekends."
Lonestar Saloon
3153 W. 2100 South, West Valley, 801-972-0506
Booze Brag: Neon Cowboy (rum, Midori, melon liqueur, vodka, pineapple juice and Sprite) for $7.
In Their Own Words: "Basically a neighborhood bar—kind of an old-school bar."
Lucky 13
135 W. 1300 South, Salt Lake City, 801-487-4418, Lucky13SLC.com
Booze Brag: The house Bloody Mary ($4), best Bloody Mary in the valley.
In Their Own Words:"Lucky 13 is a bustling Utah roadhouse with a huge patio and lots of character. We focus on using fresh, local ingredients in our made-from-scratch American dishes, and have become famous for our signature gourmet burgers, as well as for our house-smoked bacon, fresh-roasted chiles and innovative Sunday brunch."
- Austen Diamond
Lumpy's Downtown
145 W. Pierpont Ave., Salt Lake City, 801-883-8714, LumpysDowntownSLC.com
Booze Brag: More than 80 beers: 10 on tap and 70 high-point beers, plus more than 30 whiskeys and vodkas.
In Their Own Words: "Three levels and three full bars with TVs everywhere—if there's a game, we show it!"
Manny's Too
1704 S. Main, Salt Lake City, 801-467-6289
Booze Brag: Known for Flaming Dr Peppers, a concoction of Amaretto topped with 151-proof alcohol dropped into a shot of beer.
In Their Own Words: "A good little local neighborhood dive bar."
Market Street Oyster Bar
54 Market St., Salt Lake City, 801-239-2412
Metro Bar
615 W. 100 South, Salt Lake City, 801-652-6543, MetroBarSLC.com
Booze Brag: Drink menu features one-of-a-kind cocktails.
In Their Own Words: "There's absolutely something for everyone."
The Moose Lounge
180 W. 400 South, Salt Lake City, 801-739-3337
Booze Brag: $3 Cosmos
In Their Own Words: "Time to Moose out and enjoy Salt Lake's newest lounge, with service that makes you feel like you are in your own living room."
Murphy's Bar & Grill
160 S. Main, Salt Lake City, 801-359-7271, MurphysBarAndGrillUT.com
Booze Brag: Irish beers and whiskeys.
In Their Own Words: "A quaint, old-style pub with a great atmosphere and good food."
The Penalty Box
3 W. 4800 South, Murray, 801-590-9316
Booze Brag: Slap Shot: Pinnacle Whipped Vodka and Red Bull
In Their Own Words: "A neighborhood bar with sports-bar flair."
Poplar Street Pub
242 S. 200 West, Salt Lake City, 801-532-2715, PoplarStreetPub.com
Booze Brag: A variety of beers and cocktails.
In Their Own Words: "Locals rave about our food."
The Puck
3396 Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City, 801-975-7825, ThePuck.org
Booze Brag: Cheap Fireball.
In Their Own Words: "A nice, casual sports bar with more than 20 TVs and a big screen in the middle."
The Red Door
57 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City, 801-363-6030, TheRedDoorSLC.com
Booze Brag: The Wrath Martini (Sauza hornitos tequila, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, orange liqueur, fresh muddled cilantro and jalapeño).
In Their Own Words: "Award-winning crafted martinis and cocktails, finest bourbons, whiskeys and wines; sultry, intimate, delicious."
Sandy Station
8925 S. Harrison St., Sandy, 801-225-2078, SandyStation.com
The Spot
870 S. Main, Salt Lake City, 801-355-7768
Booze Brag: 10 beers on tap and 65 beers in the bottle.
In Their Own Words: "We are a very clean and chill place to hang out, with four pool tables, Golden Tee, darts and foosball. We even have a chocolate Labrador as security."
- Niki Chan
Tap Room
2021 S. Windsor St., Salt Lake City, 801-484-6692, SLCTapRoom.com
Booze Brag: Handcrafted cocktails are made using whatever is ripe and fresh. Right now, there's a blackberry mojito for $5.50.
In Their Own Words: "Catering to the Sugar House neighborhood for four decades."
Swede Town Pub
1461 Beck St., Salt Lake City, 801-355-0534
Booze Brag: Coors, Miller and Budweiser in bottles, and Coors original on tap.
In Their Own Words: "Just a friendly little beer bar."
- Austen Diamond
Totem's
538 S. Redwood Road, Salt Lake City, 801-975-0401
Booze Brag: Lime-aritas are popular.
In Their Own Words: "A casual club with good food."
The Vault
202 S. Main, Salt Lake City, 801-595-0000
The Westerner Dance Hall, Bar & Grill
3360 S. Redwood Road, Salt Lake City, 801-972-5447, WesternerSLC.com
Booze Brag: Most popular drinks are Wet Pussy and Cowboy Up. 23 beers on tap and more than 75 spirits to choose from.
In Their Own Words: "Over16,000 square feet of endless fun for everyone."
Willie's Lounge
1716 S. Main, Salt Lake City, 760-828-7351, WilliesLounge.com
Booze Brag: Draft beer and Mind Erasers, offering 15 of each.
In Their Own Words: "Willie's Lounge is open 365 days a year, and is clean, cheap and friendly at all times, with the most diverse mix of patrons possible, plus a variety of entertainment every night of the week."
Zest Kitchen & Bar
275 S. 200 West, Salt Lake City, 801-433-0589, ZestSLC.com
Booze Brag: People love to sit out on the patio and sip on Strawbubbly Lavender Martinis (fresh strawberries and peach vodka, topped with Prosecco). Everything is made from fresh, organic ingredients—even the vodka and Prosecco.
In Their Own Words: "A healthy, organic cocktail bar."
UTAH COUNTY & POINTS SOUTH
- Austen Diamond
ABG's Libation Emporium
190 W. Center St., Provo, 801-373-1200, ABGsBar.com
Booze Brag: Most popular drink is the AMF, plus the largest beer selection (63 beers) in Utah County.
In Their Own Words: "We're a rockin' little roadhouse."
Black Jacks
65 W. 100 North, Spanish Fork, 801-798-7530
Booze Brag: Liquid Mary Jane: spiced rum, Midori, Blue Curacao, Malibu rum, pineapple sour.
In Their Own Words: "We are a very diverse bar ranging from the music to all types of drinks being poured. Not to mention karaoke Wednesdays."
| Marge Berger, Club DJ’s When Marge Berger emerges from the back of Club DJ’s, she’s immediately flanked by her staff. “We’re gonna crash in on this,” says one woman. “I’m her manager,” says another. “They’re gonna help,” Berger says. Everybody laughs. Berger, 59, has a tough yet maternal countenance. Her throaty chuckle blends with the high giggles of her staff. It’s clear they’re a family, which is appropriate, because DJ’s is a family business. Berger’s stepfather, Dick Courville, opened DJ’s in Bountiful in 1982. “[The name] stands for Dick and Joanne,” Berger says. Berger has worked in the club from the beginning. “I have twin boys who were 6 months old when I started doing this,” she says, “and they’ll be 36 next week.” Bartending worked well for her, she says, because she could make two weeks’ salary in just a couple of nights a week. Courville moved DJ’s to West Valley City (3849 W. 5400 South, 801-964-8575, ClubDJsUtah.com) in 1993, and it has occupied the same location—near Kmart and Arctic Circle—ever since. There’s also a State Liquor Store nearby, but that doesn’t lessen DJ’s loyal clientele. They come rain or shine for the food, cold drinks and good company—and darts, a main attraction at DJ’s, which hosts a ton of tournaments. And the patrons keep coming even through occasional spats. “One night, we had a fight break out,” Berger says with a laugh. “They were drinking Deep Sixes”—a massive blue drink enjoyed by DJ’s regulars—”and everyone was dripping Blue Curacao. But they all came back and got along afterward.” Berger says if she wasn’t tending the bar, she’d be arranging flowers—a longtime hobby. But she’s more than happy to stick around. Although Courville sold the club 11 years ago, Berger doesn’t want to leave because “it’s a great job. I love the people. I would miss them so much if I didn’t see them.” —Randy Harward |
