Snowbird Dining: Tips, Logistics, and Recommendations
Snowbird may be remote, but it offers some incredibly unique dining facilities, including The Summit pictured here.
Snowbird, Utah is one of our top ranked mountains, placing 2nd in Utah and 3rd across the entire board. Located in Little Cottonwood Canyon outside Salt Lake City, the resort is known for its incredible snow quality, expert terrain and efficient lift infrastructure. In fact, as of last week, they had their first official snow day—perhaps signaling a promising start to a powder-filled season!
However, Snowbird’s isolated location may pose challenges to a potential visitor. While Snowbird is just a short drive from Salt Lake, there’s very little infrastructure directly onsite—and one facet of this isolation is limited on-premise dining. In this piece, we’ll walk you through how to navigate Snowbird’s remoteness and make the most of your Snowbird meals without putting a damper on your vacation.
The Cliff Lodge at Snowbird.
Is it worth it to stay onsite at Snowbird?
To get the most out of your Snowbird vacation and avoid potential frustrations, you’ll want to book your lodging directly on the mountain. While there are lodging options in Salt Lake City, it takes about 30-60 minutes, with no traffic, to get from Salt Lake City to Snowbird. The two lane access highway leading you into Little Cottonwood Canyon can get very backed up on holidays, weekends and powder days. During intense snowfall or extreme weather, Snowbird will close the road for safety purposes.
What is Snowbird’s onsite food scene like?
While staying in Snowbird takes a lot of the hassle out of transportation, you are limited to onsite dining if you aren’t cooking. You are even more limited in the event the road closes if restaurant supplies are impacted.
Onsite options include a handful of restaurants as well as some grab-and-go options during the ski day.
Bringing your own food up to Snowbird
To get the most out of your ski day on slopes like these, consider enlisting a grocery stocking service!
There are several ways to avoid food limitation. Though Snowbird does not provide grocery stocking services, they recommend three private companies to guests:
Amazon
Susie Mills (435-659-1896)
Wasatch Mountain Services (801-347-3430)
If your lodging has a full kitchen, give them a list of items you like, and they will have the groceries waiting for you when you arrive! This will allow you freedom to fuel up in the ways you need, especially with breakfast being the most important meal of the ski day. No need to wait in the long cafe line staring at lucky skiers already out or glance over unsatisfying options!
Another option is picking up your own groceries on the way from Salt Lake City. Plan ahead for the grocery store that is most convenient to your driving route.
And even if your hotel does not have a kitchen, it’s always a good idea to stock up on snacks and non- perishables—and plenty of beverages to cope with the altitude. Mountain food is expensive, and trust us, you’ll be hungry throughout your day on the slopes.
Must-Try Restaurants at Snowbird
The Lodge Bistro at Snowbird. Image Via: Snowbird
If you don’t want to cook, Snowbird does offer some outstanding food for both day visitors and overnight lodgers, ranging from fine dining to quick bites. There are a number of fine dining restaurants, such as the Aerie or the Steak Pit. But a couple of options especially stand out.
The Lodge Bistro
This intimate French restaurant is particularly geared towards couples, or the family wanting a proper dining experience. Thanks to a well-appointed, candle-laden ambience, the vibe for a fancy dinner is top-notch. Refined palates will be satisfied here; one of the starters boasts an ingredient list of elk, fennel, wine, cream, orange thyme, pernod, chili flake and saffron butter toasted sourdough.
The Summit Restaurant at Snowbird. Image Via: Snowbird
The Summit
If you can only make it to one spot, go to The Summit. Aptly named, this casual dining area at 11,000 feet is located at the top of Hidden Peak. It is accessible for any Aerial Tram passenger, even those on foot. Guests can choose to sit at either of the two floors. Either way, this huge, airy space is wrapped in gigantic floor to ceiling windows, so you can’t miss the breathtaking views of wind howling up the mountain sides and surrounding forest. The food is served on the first floor, fresh, hearty and diverse. The Mediterranean Focaccia Panini and Pulled Rotisserie Chicken Sandwich are superb. Its location also allows you to shoot down on either side of the mountain.
Final Thoughts
While onsite dining at Snowbird isn’t as simple as at many other resorts, guests can take logistical steps to make the most of their dining experience at the resort. Food choices may be somewhat limited, but the best restaurants are certainly noteworthy, providing some of the highest-quality remote service one can find anywhere.
