The Pub Spirits + Craft Kitchen — Restaurant in Cedar City

We had a couple of gift cards for The Pub and decided to try it out. (We had eaten there once, many years ago but haven't been back since. When we went, so long ago, it was called The Pastry Pub and their pastries were delicious, but we were trying to stay away from yummy desserts.) The Pub has a welcoming eating area. We looked at the menu and it didn't have a huge variety. I ordered the Shakespearean salad, which was their special. It was huge, and, honestly, the best salad I have ever eaten! I really would go back for that salad! My husband had a hamburger with chips-- potato chips. (This was a surprise. He thought he was getting fries.) We also had my son and his family with us. They really enjoyed their meal, as well. They had a salad and sandwich. The salad had been ordered with no onions and feta cheese but came with onions and no feta and my salad had no onions and had feta cheese. (I guess they got mixed up on the order.) They were quick to fix the problem and didn't question. (I really liked my salad and didn't care there were no onions and loved the feta cheese on it.) The reason I have given The Pub a four star rating is for two reasons. 1. There wasn't a huge choice on the menu. (Maybe it just was that we weren't as interested in what they had.) What they offered was a little on the higher end, price-wise. And 2. We had 2 gift cards--both for $25. One, I guess, was from a previous owner. They wouldn't accept the one from the previous owner. I certainly understand the problems of changing ownership and accepting gift cards. If I were wanting to appease my clientele, though, I would say, "I am so sorry. We are under new management and can't accept these anymore. We can, however, offer you (for instance) 10% off your purchase." If they are having such a problem honoring past cards, they should also have a sign stating they are no longer honoring them. There was no "I'm sorry" in the way they handled this with us. We felt like we just had $25 stolen. Overall, it was a nice experience, though. The food was good and portions...

This location used to be called the Pastry Pub. It had a folksy Celtic feel that went along perfectly with the Shakespeare Festival and the "Englishness" of this part of Cedar City. The owner was a nice Ba'hai fellow who would walk you to your seats and clean up your plates when you were done. (And if you liked, you could ask him for a copy of a world unity poster hanging by the soda fountain, Ba'hai-style.)

Then the good fellow retired and sold the place, and it was changed into a generic Utah-themed diner simply called "the Pub." The green Ireland-themed walls were painted over with desert scenes and the Delicate Arch. Sure, people come from all over to enjoy what southern Utah has to offer, but you can get that stuff anywhere south of Beaver. This version of the Pub was decent, but only that. The food was good, the service was fine, but the vibe was dead.

But it has been rebranded once more, now into a sort of English gentleman's manor-house style with an Alice in Wonderland feel. There are bright pink dressers, bronze animal heads wearing pince-nezzes and gold watchchains. There are portraits of anthropomorphic animals in dapper suits. The walls are painted black with pink accents and curious designs. The radio plays the Vitamin String Quartet.

This . . . e'en this . . . is a worthy successor to what was the Pastry Pub. Nothing can ever replace what it once was, but the old fun and slightly whimsical feel is back. The table service is awesome, and the food is spot-on. Welcome to...

A local gem.

Food: Unlike your average soup, salad, sandwich shop.. pastry pub has something for everyone on their extensive & unique menu. There is always something on the menu that sounds good, even when I’m in the “I’m hungry but nothing sounds good” mood. The food all looks, smells, and tastes like grandmas kitchen. They use the best & most fresh ingredients available.

Indoors: The setting is very unique but offers warmth and comfort. It’s a very bright & happy environment topped off with flourishing live plants here and there. The floors are clean and shiny each time I go, as well as the tables. They are quick with orders and haven’t gotten any of mine wrong yet. Very friendly local staff!

COVID-19: Other reviews have stated that Pastry Pub does not enforce masks. This is incorrect. There are signs in the entrance of the store that state a mask requirement. The tables inside are set up to accommodate social distancing, and there are more signs inside asking people not to touch the bad of chips and items on the counters to reduce potential transfer of the virus. They meet all state requirements on their end. They cannot fully control if individuals choose to disregard the mask signs, and quite frankly, in an already struggling economy, I would not blame them if they didn’t turn away customers regardless of their face covering or...