Restaurants in South Jordan Heights

The menu boasts pizzas made with fresh dough and nontraditional sauces, with predetermined specialty combinations for those reaching for their blankies when faced with the daunting task of choosing from more than 20 toppings. Specialty pies are grouped by sauce, including original red, such as the Yellowstone (cheese, canadian bacon, and pineapple), white garlic, such as the Pikes Peak (cheese, pepperoni, ground italian sausage, sliced mushrooms, ripe black olives, tomatoes, and green onions), and others, such as the Evergreen (pesto sauce, cheese, artichoke hearts, sliced zucchini, black olives, tomatoes, green onions, and chopped garlic). A large specialty pizza is $18.35.

Rib City in American Fork is owned and operated By Ron and Toni Jorgensen

As its name suggests, NY Pizza Patrol specializes in Big Apple–style slices. Each of the four locations slings 8-inch to 18-inch pizzas, ranging from the classic meat lover's pie to the boundary-breaking spicy Marshall masala layered with a foundation of Indian garam-masala sauce. The menu supplements the traditional hand-helds with calzones, heroes, pastas, and other specialties, each of which pair well with cold brews, bottomless fountain sodas, and milk, which grows healthy bones when poured on teeth-planted top soil.

"A lot of our recipes come from family," explains owner Adam Wheaton. "Alicia's cheesecake is my wife's sister's, our italian stuffed mushrooms come from an aunt, my wife's mom…has probably put her hands or ideas into everything we serve." Working from these recipes and others, the chefs grill up steaks, broil lobster tails, and make tortilla chips, crab cakes, and barbecue sauces in-house. Additionally, they help to accommodate restricted diets by forging a number of dishes devoid of gluten and chicken thighs that show too much skin.

This commitment to family is a recurring theme for the steak house. When the Wheaton family's daughter, Madeline, was diagnosed with severe epilepsy at age 3, doctors said the condition would steadily worsen over time and would likely claim her life in her teens. To say she proved medical professionals wrong is an understatement—she has only demonstrated improvement since then and continues to exceed expectations. The Wheatons, of course, wholeheartedly rallied behind their daughter, naming the family's restaurant after her and partnering with local charities to help raise awareness of and fight against epilepsy.

The cooks at Thai Basil take diners on a culinary tour of Southeast Asia, bringing them the traditional flavors of Thailand, Vietnam, and China. Fluffy mounds of jasmine rice soak up the bright red and yellow sauces of thai curry dishes, and vietnamese pho beef noodle soup steams nearby. In the vegetarian section of the menu, fulfilling stir-fry options such as Buddha Delight—fresh veggies with tofu, soy chicken, or soy beef ($10.99)—bounce off the page with the verve of a child who's eaten too many pixy stix.

Modern Asian decor rich with reds and yellows sets a proper backdrop for travel-seeking taste buds, illuminating them with crimson pendant lighting and surrounding them with ornate room dividers. A friendly, attentive wait staff makes guests feel as though they are snuggled in first class, where water refills are limitless and peanuts are only rationed within reason.

A vine-laced trellis arches over the sidewalk that leads to Tiburon Fine Dining, an unassuming space that once housed a fruit stand within its brick confines. Subtle lighting and polished wood floors imbue the dining room with an understated elegance that extends to the menu. Chefs drizzle international meats and seafood with savory reduction sauces, and serve all entrees with a dollop of homemade sorbet garnished with a single snowman tear.