Cafe Shambala — Restaurant in Salt Lake City

There are not many great breakfast places in Salt Lake City - which is why The Park Cafe is such a gem. This place is solid:

Good customer service by friendly, down-to-earth staff Good food Clean bathrooms Nice ambiance - great Star Wars and Parks and Rec decorations. Also good taste of music - cool Pearl Jam picture. Not insanely expensive ($60 for 5 people) GREAT portion sizes

We came here on a cold, snowy Saturday morning around 11:45am. The place was busy. Our wait time was 25 minutes or so, not too bad. The wait was actually pleasant. The first thing I noticed was that the waiting area was not in the actual restaurant, but it was outside in a tent which was connected to the restaurant. Inside the tent they had an open flame and a heater to keep us all warm. There were tables in there as well and people were eating. Such an awesome little area to hang out in. I really liked this concept. People were having a good time in the waiting area....that's a first!

We were seated in the main eating area after a 25 minute wait. Nice seats right next to the windows. The windows overlook Liberty Park - beautiful.

I ordered the "Odelay" omelette. Really good. I would definitely order it again. Check out the picture for more info. The potatoes were really good and flavorful. They are super generous with portions.

I spoke to the owner about our hobbies and he was fun to talk to. I'll give you a clue as to what the owner is into - look on the walls! If I had a restaurant, I imagine it decorated very similar to his. Good taste all around. He's also a hard worker. Not only was he serving tables, he was outside shoveling snow. Good stuff.

If you want breakfast or a good lunch, this is the place. Come here and you won't be disappointed. This just might be my go-to...

This is my favorite restaurant in Salt Lake, period. I love it so much, I literally took its location into consideration when moving to the Salt Lake area. Call me obsessed.

The food is tasty, quickly prepared, and priced incredibly well for how much high-quality food they give you. And their lunch buffet is one of the best deals I've seen. They have a great variety of options, including vegetarian and vegan. Additionally, the family who owns it is so warm and friendly--customer service is just so well understood here.

And their ginger sauce. Don't get me started.

As a vegan who has recently become sensitive to gluten, I seriously appreciate their wide options and flavorful vegetarian & vegan dishes. Some of my favorites are:

-Vegetarian Plate (a classic; has gluten) -Spinach & Mushroom -Spicy Potatoes -Eggplant Saute -Tomato Egg Drop Soup (pre-vegan, but it is vegetarian) -[Ginger Sauce on Anything and Everything] -Tofu & Veggie Phingsha -Steamed Veggie Momos (has gluten) -Veggie Chow Mein (has gluten)

I've taken people here who aren't inclined to eat anything but American food they have absolutely loved it as well. It is a crowd-pleaser for sure. For the gluten-eaters out there, GET THE MOMOS.

Basically, I can't think of many things that could happen to this area that would be worse than this restaurant not being here. Go there and just love it and order an extra plate for me because I'll...

I think I'll regret making this review, but here it goes. The space inside is fairly small and tables can fill up quickly. You may even have the opportunity to find yourselves sharing a table with other patrons. The place gives off a morning deli/coffee shop vibe with the faint aromas of noodle, rice and curry culinary delights in the air. Come at a prime time and you may find yourself needing to wait for a while as your meal is being prepared from scratch. With limited staff, the wait may feel lengthy so be prepared to chitchat with your meal partner. The ambiance is very conducive to a mellow evening and relaxed time. Don't show up in a hurry as you're going to need a bit of time to soak it all in.

The food is the star of the show. Their vegetarian offerings are plentiful and absolutely delicious, along with the non vegetarian dishes. Portions are big and prices are small which is a rarity these days, so come hungry and leave stuffed. All of this leaves plenty of pocket room to tip well. If you're looking for bland and flavorless then you should consider other places, but if you're looking for some of the best comfort food at a spot with mellow vibes and even mellower prices then you'd be hard pressed to do better.

My regret is that now the next time I go my wait may be even...