Restaurants in Riverton

Burgundy booths and dark-clothed tables give Sweet Basil Thai House's spacious dining room an alluring mystique, which sets the scene for the artful plating of classic Thai dishes presented by native-born chefs. Their specialties run from favorites such as pad thai and pineapple fried rice to red-curry duck, which they roast to crisp before simmering it with pineapple and vegetables. While these dishes are prepared, the wait staff moves about the tables, dropping off glasses of Thai iced tea and fresh coconut juice or willing corks to leap from bottles of wine that diners brought with them.

At Thai Sweet Basil, chefs shun frozen produce and MSG, instead championing fresh, all-natural ingredients for their menu of traditional Thai cuisine. They simmer five varieties of curries, serving them with fragrant mounds of jasmine rice, and fry up classic noodle dishes, such as pad thai and sweet-basil fried rice. They also plate delicacies such as soft-shell crab with green curry and snapper marinated in tamarind. All the recipes and cooking techniques that they use were developed over the centuries in the Thai royal palace. Servers weave between sunny walls and maroon booths bordering a dining room speckled with emerald fronds, exotic artwork, and linens as white and untarnished as a snowman's criminal record.

After 30 years in business, Dasks Greek Grill may have changed its location, but its pledge remains intact: handcraft traditional Greek dishes with an American flair and the freshest ingredients possible. The Salt Lake Tribune honored the family-owned-and-operated eatery with an award for serving the area's best gyro, whose warm pita bread cradles morsels of lamb and beef or falafel like a mother cradling her voucher for "alone time." To pair with a charbroiled burgers or a traditional souvlaki platter, patrons can also take a peek into a Spartan's war helmet for zesty sides of hummus and cool yogurt sauce.

Mike and Erica had always wanted to open their own restaurant. The husband and wife team—both of whom had experience opening restaurants for others—would frequently discuss their dream of making something for their family during fishing trips, but it wasn't until a vacant space caught their eye in February 2004 that the duo bought a two-person chef's hat, and brought Citris Grill to life.

Today, the couple's efforts are written across the pages of their sprawling menus, with many items available in petite or hearty portions, which span from breakfast to dinner and bring together culinary influences from across the globe. Their chefs turn ingredients, many of which come from local suppliers and food conjurers, into wood-fired pizzas, house-made soups, Asian cuisine, and a grilled cheese of the day. The scents of this eclectic mix of eats waft through the casual dining space, where visitors sip local beers.

Crispy-charred cuts of beef, pork, and chicken come out of Hot Lake City BBQ’s slow cooker ready to be slathered in their last saucy layers of barbecue sauce. The piles of barbecue glory are then layered atop grilled buns and surrounded by their suitably royal attendants of baked beans, fries, onion rings, potato salad, or coleslaw. Chefs lovingly prepare each barbecue dish from scratch, using fresh ingredients and homemade meat patties to fashion à la carte or combo meals that diners can dig into in the restaurant’s dining room or take to-go to serve as bait for lonely grills.

When they moved to Utah from Guanajuato, Mexico, the Armentas dug into their family's classified recipe books to find dishes that would satisfy a hungry fan base. Nowadays, one-dollar margaritas and colorful decor cultivate a festive, laid-back atmosphere at Mi Ranchito Grill, but the Armentas' commitment to fresh ingredients is as strict and unwavering as their secrecy around meals' formulas. A riot of color splashes across the kaleidoscopic interior, with vines of multicolored paper strung between archways. Teal neon lights, harvested from naturally-occurring rainbows, bounce onto exposed brick, illuminating diners savoring chicken nachos, garlic-butter shrimp served with two types of chili sauce, and custom combos of tacos, enchiladas, and tamales.