Red Iguana — Restaurant in Salt Lake City

We came here due to the popularity and high reviews. The food was good and margaritas were delicious, but for the high level of the hype, we were slightly underwhelmed.

Food: 4/5 Drinks: 5/5 Service: 4/5

We ended up driving by and reserving a table on the spot on a Sunday night. The parking lot didn't seem overly full and we were quoted an hour wait (around 715 at night). The wait ended up being about 50 minutes, so not too bad; it was amazing how big the space was on the inside, but not that many tables. Maybe this is on purpose to keep food quality up without just churning out mass produced food; not a negative, just an interesting observation.

Our waitress was nice but seemed rushed (was 8pm on a Sunday..). We got waters quickly, as well as chips (cold, but tasty) and salsa (nice and tomato-y and spicy...delicious). We ordered a guac appetizer and it was a tad thin/watery, like it has mayo or something else added, but good. Not the best guac I've ever had, by any stretch, but it was tasty after a day of hiking.

We both ordered the Ramon Jr's Caddie margaritas and they were the best part of the meal. They tasted like fresh lime juice, had a great ratio of tequila and Cointreau and Grand Mariner. They weren't overly orange tasting, not overly sweet, or watered down. One of the best Caddillac-style margaritas I've had. Only downside was the small size for the price. I also tried a margarita that was a special and not on the menu. Not sure what was in it, but it was recommended by our waitress and it too was a fantastic margarita. Absolutely recommend trying the margaritas if you go.

For food, the table got the Fish Tacos and a mole dish. The fish tacos were nothing special. They came with pickled slaw/onions that were good but not very crunchy, a cucumber salsa (think like a tzatziki sauce without the dill), and limes. The fish was a decent amount, seemed like flash fried (grilled in heavy oil?) white fish, but lacked any good seasoning. Standard tortillas. I ended up adding guac and extra limes to jazz them up. They weren't bad by any means, they were good, but I've definitely had better fish tacos. The side rice was salty but well flavored and cooked. The mole was a hit and the mole was a tasty, distinct sauce. Had hints of cinnamon and cloves without being cloyingly sweet or overspiced. The best mole? Maybe not. But still good.

Overall, for the hype, we're just glad we didn't wait for more than we did. Suggest making a reservation in advance, but if you can't get one, don't feel like you're missing anything...

In the six years I’ve lived in Utah I have heard that Red Iguana has the best Latin/Mexican food in the state. I cannot believe I didn’t try this place sooner. EVERY PART of our experience was absolutely top tier. The homemade salsa and chips were divine, to the point that when we were about to leave. I poured the last bit of salsa into my mouth. It was that good! I didn’t want to waste a single drop. Our server whose name escapes me, but he immigrated from Venezuela deserves a raise. This man was so pleasant, funny, got everything we needed, answered every question we had. We almost forgot our leftover boxes on the table and he ran to find us before we left it there. He was marvelous! I wish I remembered his name so I could shout it out for the owners to recognize how great he is. All of the staff was so wonderful and friendly!

And then, the food- I AM STILL THINKING ABOUT MY MANGO MOLE ENCHILADA. The chicken was so perfectly cooked and tender. The mango mole had such a wonderful complex flavoring. We got a mole sampler and I truly wish I could have had a meal with each different mole. All of them tasted so amazing. I truly think my heaven would be bathing in Red Iguana’s mole (a different one each day) with a mountain of their tortilla chips and soft flour tortillas by the side. The rice and beans were delicious. My partner’s dish was equally delicious. The killer nachos was our appetizer and I swear those pickled jalapeños are crack. I have craved them at least three separate times since we went. We also had the fried ice cream which again, was absolutely fabulous. I loved that it isn’t your traditional fried ice cream. The chef has put their spin on it to make the shell this delicious fried flour tortilla.

There is such passion, warmth, and a welcoming atmosphere in this restaurant that imbeds itself in the food and the staff. Every single detail has been refined. For example they could have just put plain jalapeño bits on the nachos and that would have been perfectly fine. But they instead go the extra mile to pickle them and add that extra flavor and texture. The respect the chefs clearly have for their patrons is so evident. They are working their hardest to make every single aspect the best it can be. Truly wonderful place that I now can say, is the best Mexican food I have ever had the...

I recently visited this restaurant while passing through Salt Lake City, as I was in search of Mexican cuisine and it was one of the few nearby options. Upon entering, I placed an order for a burrito combo to-go, as my family and I initially planned to eat on the road.

However, while waiting outside for our food, my daughter suggested that we dine in since we had been traveling for an extended period. We returned to the register to inform the staff of our change in plans. The employee informed us that in order to dine in, we needed to order something from the menu. We agreed and decided to order a flan so we could enjoy a meal at the table.

After being seated, a server approached us, and after explaining our situation, she contended that we could not dine in because we had initially placed a to-go order. I clarified that we had ordered the flan specifically to enjoy our time at the table, and I simply requested to have it served in a to-go package since we were still on the road. The server raised her voice, causing our conversation to draw the attention of nearby patrons, and she left with an apparent attitude, presumably to discuss our situation with the staff.

At that moment, the atmosphere became uncomfortable as we felt increasingly unwelcome. The energy surrounding us shifted, and it led to a distinctly unpleasant dining experience. another staff member approached us with plates and explained that he misunderstood our dining situation, believing we were merely adding the flan to our original to-go order. After explaining to him again we wanted to dine in he finally said that we could stay and enjoy our meal.

Despite this effort to clarify the situation, my family and I felt uneasy and decided to leave. In the end, we tipped generously, despite the overall experience being far from satisfactory, particularly considering the quality of the food itself, which I found to be mediocre at best.

While I appreciate the manager, Kevin, who attempted to remedy the situation by comping our flan and genuinely listening to our concerns, I regret to say that this experience has left a negative impression of both the restaurant and the hospitality in Salt Lake City. Based on our treatment, I do not anticipate returning...