Manoli's — Restaurant in Salt Lake City

My husband and I try very hard to support local business, especially during COVID, so we have purchased several hundred $$ worth of gift cards through Salt Lake’s program. We have a few hundred for Mannoli’s. This is from brunch on 2/28/21.

First, we were seated very near the front door. They have hung curtains to form a vestibule. However, every time the door opens you are blasted with cold air. Ok, it’s a small, local business and they’re trying their best. I can forgive that. We have reservations and we are seated quickly. However it takes our server WAYY too long to take our drink orders (they’re less than 50% capacity). She takes our drink orders but doesn’t inquire if we wish to order appetizers etc. and doesn’t inform us of the daily quiche/omelette specials etc. No bread or anything is brought in the meantime. Our drinks arrive & orders taken. I order the chicken dip which is advertised as “garlic oregano braised chicken, caramelized onions, cheddar, lemon jus, garlic aioli, baguette” for $15 with choice of fries or salad. I chose the fries. The meal was ruined from the first bite. I will get to that. First, what was presented was a sad little sandwich, with bits of dried out dark meat chicken sticking out from an over steamed roll. You know how leftover Thanksgiving turkey meat turns dry and hard on the sliced off bits after 3 days? Like that. And the cheddar? Well, if there was any cheese on it when it left the kitchen it had evaporated by the time it hit the table. The “caramelized” onions were more like the onions from French onion soup but at least had some flavor. The “au jus” added no flavor, just a greasy wetness. But all that pales in comparison to the first bite. Have you ever had a chicken leg and noticed the cartilaginous covering over the joint on the small end of the leg bone? It’s a thick, gristly covering that is fairly difficult to remove from the bone. Not something you want to chomp down on with your first bite of a meal. But that is exactly what happened. I discreetly spit out the bite into my napkin but the rest of the meal was ruined even if it had been delicious which it wasn’t. I mean, really, you’re already using by far the cheapest part of the chicken. Do you really need to throw in the cartilage?? I’ve shredded a roasted chicken myself for both family and guests and I would go out of my way to be sure that those parts do not make it into the final meal!! These are paying customers!! All in all, this should not be a difficult dish to make well let alone edible. We are hoping this is a one off. We don’t want to see Salt Lake lose any more...

I really wanted to like this place, but it was a birthday dinner bust. After eating there, I'm actually shocked by the high ratings.

The Kotopoulaki was zingy and flavourful and was probably the only real highlight of the meal. It's the only thing that gave me pause over a one star food rating. The Dolmades were good but not really a standout.

The entree is where everything went South. My wife and I both ordered Lavraki, and frankly it was insulting. It took nearly an hour for the dish to make it out of the kitchen and the food itself was comical. The branzino might have been the smallest, most expensive filet of fish, per ounce, I've ever paid for. There can't have been more than three ounces of fish per plate. The "pan roasted lemon potatoes" was nothing but one or two fingerling potatoes run through a mandolin slicer and then roasted. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it was two small fingerling potatoes at most. Adding further insult and confusion, the micro serving of potatoes on my wife's dish was inconsistently cooked. It boggled our minds how such a small portion of potatoes could have slices that were essentially burnt to a crisp and others that were literally cold to the touch. The remainder of the dish was a heaping pile of braised kale. Although well cooked and seasoned, the portion was so incredibly out of wack with everything else on this dish that it was impossible to make it though even half of it without feeling like I'd just grazed an entire field. "Kale Bloat" (translated to Greek of course) may be a more suitable name for this dish.

The dining area is modern and clean, but is open and so densely packed with tables that the noise level is almost hard to bear, especially after being there so long. There's really nothing to absorb the sound. We were seated facing each other and even at only three feet apart, we basically had to yell the entire time.

The staff was nice. Our waitress was kind and apologetic for the long wait, but she actually seemed a bit embarrassed by the food as well. Maybe there were kitchen problems or a new chef? Maybe we somehow managed to make all the wrong picks? Whatever the case, we don't...

Manoli's is hands down my favorite Mediterranean restaurant in the valley, and for good reason. We recently celebrated a birthday party there, and as always, the experience was nothing short of exceptional. The service at Manoli's is consistently friendly and accommodating. The ambiance is welcoming and unintimidating, making it a perfect spot for casual diners while still offering a sophisticated dining experience.

Manoli's offers a menu that delights from start to finish. The charred octopus is a standout dish and the best I’ve had in the valley—and I’ve tried a lot! The Yemista, smokey goat cheese filled peppers with volcanic sea salt, is a the best way to kick off a meal at Manoli's and a dish I argue should be mandatory for anyone visiting, even if you don’t like peppers.

The lamb, which I usually find too rich, is perfectly cooked and falls right off the bone. Paired with an incredible chimichurri, it’s a dish not to be missed. The scallops are tender, and the accompanying yellow split pea puree is so delicious I could eat it on it’s own (and I faked an allergic reaction to peas when I was a kid to avoid them.) The branzino is another highlight, featuring perfectly crisp skin, tender meat, and just the right amount of lemon to enhance the flavors of the fish and potatoes. Just be sure to use your fork to remove the meat so you can avoid the bones (as is the case with branzinos everywhere).

Don’t skip the soft serve dessert; it’s one of our favorites and a delightful way to end the meal. The collard greens brought me back to my roots in the South.

Despite the high caliber of cuisine, the prices at Manoli's are more reasonable than most. Their wine list is also commendable, offering a good selection to complement any meal. Manoli's is nothing short of incredible. I’m always surprised it’s not packed 24/7, given the outstanding food and service. I’ve never had a bad experience here, making it our go-to spot for date nights and special occasions. If you haven’t been to Manoli's yet, you’re missing out on one of the valley's best dining...