Flanker Kitchen + Sporting Club — Restaurant in Salt Lake City

Update - March 2025 - Hidden Boot Saloon:

We’ve done Flanker’s pop-up bar experiences a few times now, and they always go all out—Hidden Boot Saloon was another fun, well-executed theme. It honestly looked like they tore the place down and rebuilt it from the ground up, complete with a mechanical bull and a massive Dolly Parton wall that’s impossible not to love.

We made a reservation for Thursday night, and the place was moving smoothly—we were guided straight to the back through a themed “bank” entrance. Of course, we had to stop and grab some pics in the “jail” for Insta—perfect setup. We scored a corner table with a great view of the bull and the lively bar scene. The energy was high and very western (in the best way).

It was great to be part of the theme—people were dressed up, the vibe was fun and immersive, and we had some good laughs people-watching, especially when it came to the mechanical bull riders. There were even moments to cheer and applaud when someone managed to hang on for a while and really put on a show. It added a layer of community fun that made the night even better.

Our server Eve was fantastic—welcoming, upbeat, and full of great suggestions. We kicked things off with cocktails: I had the All Girl Rodeo, while others tried Buckaroo Water and Bowlegged Swagger. The drinks came in clever themed mugs, which Flanker’s has done before—and once again, they didn’t disappoint. It’s a fun, creative touch that makes the whole experience even more Insta-friendly and adds to the cheers-and-photo moments. Round two brought the Cowboy Colada—a whiskey spin on the classic piña colada—and it was surprisingly delicious.

We shared a few appetizers: the giant pretzel, tailgate nachos, and spinach artichoke dip. Portions were generous and definitely enough to fill me up before even thinking about an entrée. Others at our table tried the chicken tenders, fish tacos, and carne asada tacos—all hits, and everything looked and smelled amazing.

We definitely couldn’t skip the mechanical bull. It’s free to ride after signing a quick waiver, and so much fun to watch (and attempt!). Eve was right there to keep the party going, even suggesting a round of celebratory shots after our rides.

The bar seats themselves looked like the place to be—lively, full of personality, and a perfect perch to take in all the action. Maybe next time we’ll skip the table and grab a spot at the bar to soak in more of the vibe as the evening rolls on.

If you’re looking for something fun, unique, and full of personality—Hidden Boot Saloon delivers. We’ll absolutely be back for the next theme!

December 2024 - Christmas Parlor:

We visited Flankers for the Christmas parlor, and it's hands-down a great festive spot for the holiday season! The Christmas vibes were on point--twinkling lights, cozy seating, and holiday music that made you feel like you walked into a Hallmark movie.

The highlight? The make-your-own s'mores! They provided everything--perfectly fluffy marshmallows, chocolate, kit kats, and graham crackers--and let you toast your marshmallows over mini tabletop fire pits. Such a fun and nostalgic touch!

The drink menu was just as festive, featuring creative moive themed cocktails that tasted like Christmas in a cup. The staff were super friendly and really added to the cheerful atmosphere.

This place is perfect for a festive night out with friends or even a casual date. It's Instagram-worthy, fun, and full of holiday cheer. Book ahead for sure. We will be back next year. ...

If I could give zero stars, I would. I was very excited to find a place for the boxing fight on Saturday 09/14, I paid for three tickets which totaled to $40.17.

On arrival, the hosts, one of them Stephanie, were so rude. They informed us that the fee only covered entrance and a table would not be included. Fine, we were only planning on buying drinks. We were given a table regardless but Stephanie told us we would only be able to sit for about one hour and a half because the table had already been reserved. After which, we would have to either leave or find a spot to stand. My guest needed to use the restroom so she asked where it was from the moment we checked in, Stephanie told her to wait until she showed us where we would sit. Once there, my guest asked for the restroom again, Stephanie physically touched her back and rudely said; “I will take you and show you!”. Stephanie walked my guest all the way to the restroom and went in with her and even opened the stall! Very rudely again she said; “Is this what you need?”, put my guest in the stall and even closed it for her. Who does that?!!! The level of uncomfortable that we both felt was insane!

Once back at our table, the server immediately asked what we were having, and came back twice in less than 7-8 minutes. We were so uncomfortable by this point, we asked if the bar was open seating. The server said yes, so we gave back our menus and found one open seat, there were three of us, so we took turns on the bar stool. We opened a tab and my guest started with one draft beer, we were not sure when the fight for the main event would start so we all wanted to pace ourselves with the beverages. My guest asked for another draft within 30 minutes or so. Soon after, a very rude female bartender, literally yelled out at me to tell me my card was declined. She made it everyone’s business so the other guests could hear her as well. I told her no, it’s just locked, because typically you are asked if you are ready to close out. She did not ask. She very rudely said; “Are you guys planning on getting more drinks? Or consumimg more? Your card keeps declining, do you have another one? We are closing out tabs from customers who aren’t consuming enough to be able to sit at the bar, we rather have someone who is consuming more and constantly than someone who is only getting one drink here and there!” Mind you, we were pacing ourselves and had full intent on dropping some money once the main event came closer in time. By this point, I was over the poor service and refused to give this establishment any more of my money. I refused to tip, closed out the tab with my very much full of money card and my guests and I proceeded to stand within the bar area until the main event began.

During this time, I talked to three other people of also LATINO background, that clearly looked it, and they had had the same treatment from the servers, hosts, and bartenders.

It’s ludicrous that in 2024, racism is alive and well within this establishment. We will never be returning and every opportunity I and my guests get to share our experience; we will very willingly share. Avoid this establishment like the plague! I paid an overall total of $55.53 to stand around, drink two draft beers, and be...

I have never felt inclined to write a review, but my our dining experience was one of the worst services we have ever received and feel it would be a disservice to other diners as well as restaurant management to not inform others.

I am in the service industry myself and get the ins and outs of the restaurant industry and am typically very patient when it comes to things going wrong. We made a reservation at 7:30 on a Friday during March madness, but the restaurant did not look busier than a typical Friday night would bring. We got seated immediately which was a plus, and our server Brandon Jay took our drink and app order within 10 minutes. After about 20 minutes, our drinks came out and we placed our order for dinner. About 30 more minutes went by and our apps still hadn’t come out (about 45 minutes at this point) and our server had disappeared. After about an hour our main courses came out and we enquired where our apps are as it has been an hour since ordering and we were now getting our mains instead. The food runner checked and got us our apps after another 25 minutes. Our table as well as three or four other tables had to flag our server down to get another drink and everyone seated in his section seemed very frustrated at the long wait, lack of attention, and he was nowhere to be found.

Throughout our entire meal, he stopped by two times, but only after being flagged down or even approached by a member of our party but never came to check on us or his other tables around us. The only redeeming quality was that the food was absolutely delicious but our meal lasted almost 3 hours. When we recieved our check, a “late night fee” of 20% gratuity was applied to our check. Now we are NEVER bad tippers and typically don’t mind automatic gratuity, however the quality and lack of service did not warrant this fee nor were we informed of it prior to sitting or ordering and it felt extremely disingenuous on the part of the restaurant. When we asked what the charge was, we were informed any bills after 8:30 had the fee applied to it. We questioned this because if the service had been redeeming in any way, we would have finished our meal before that and were also seated and ordered prior to 8:30. The server simply removed the fee supposedly after talking to a manager, but we never got confirmation if this was something that was applied to all bills as a standard or ours. The table next to us made conversation with us about the lack of service as well and were quite frustrated too. They were seated at the same time as us and did not receive their food until we were getting ready to leave.

Overall, the food was wonderful, but the lack of service needs to be addressed on a management level. Either staffing appropriately or staff morale is clearly an issue and requires severe attention. We are unsure if our server was new or simply just did not care, but these issues are something we felt should be shared with other people thinking about dining with them as the service did put a damper on our night and dining...