Squatters Pub Brewery — Restaurant in Salt Lake City

Enjoyable experience with good food and service, would recommend, but I have a few notes.

We ordered the brussel sprouts appetizer, meatloaf, BBQ chicken pizza and a bread pudding dessert. Everything was pretty much as described in the menu except the bread pudding, which should be avoided.

I'll start with dessert then. The bread pudding simply isn't a bread pudding. It's not really even bread. I don't know how they make it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a batter and not a dough that's baked or steamed into dense bricks that taste like uncooked flour. The bricks, might be soaked with whatever sauce is on them, because the center is damp, but so dense as to be hard to tell. That sauce is thin like water and although ostensibly a bourbon sauce, it has very little flavor. Ultimately it's not just not bread pudding, but it's not good. Service was excellent and noticed that we did not eat more than a few bites of dessert. He asked if we wanted to swap out with something else and we said no we were fine. In the end he removed the item from the check just for good customer service. We were very impressed.

With the good service I did not drop a star for the bread pudding, and everything else we sufficiently enjoyed and would recommend... I still have some notes though.

The brussel sprouts were solid. If you like brussel sprouts and Asian flavors it's an easy get. No complaints.

The meatloaf on the other hand I warn that you be aware that the menu clearly states that it comes with a mushroom gravy. That makes this a full savory dish and drops the sweet ketchup and vinegar sauce that mom uses. It's well cooked, nicely flavored, and delivers what is said on the tin. But for me, this is really a loaf of Salisbury steak and not a meatloaf. It comes with asparagus which helps to cut the otherwise one note meatyness of the meatloaf and gravy. I would have liked some more veg on the plate because the asparagus runs out quickly. Or get a brussel sprouts app to compliment.

The BBQ chicken pizza has a porter BBQ sauce, and it shows, in a good way. It's rich and deep and tastes... dark? If you are looking for a bright sweet CPK BBQ you're not going to get it here. This is a different thing and still worthy of an eating. The chicken was nice and not overcooked and cheese was well portioned and did not compete with the other flavors. The onions though were not sufficient. There simply wasn't enough of them. I could barely taste them at all. Still a good pizza, but if the onions stepped up I think it would have been top notch. It needed a touch more sweetness and the freshness that caramelized onions are prefect to provide.

In all we had a great time, and the food was good, but...

Ladies and gentlemen, foodies and fun-seekers, gather ‘round and let me spin you a tale of triumph, taste, and a server so legendary that Shakespeare himself would toss his quill in surrender. I speak, of course, of Essdeee—guardian of good vibes, mistress of the menu, and undisputed queen of Squatters.

From the moment we entered Squatters, we knew we were in the presence of greatness. The air crackled with the energy of a thousand perfectly poured pints. The scent of sizzling perfection drifted through the space like a symphony for the nose. And then—like an angel descending from a celestial brewery—Essdeee appeared.

Let me tell you, this woman knows the menu better than a pirate knows his treasure map. She recited the specials with the precision of a Broadway performer who’s been rehearsing since birth. Every recommendation was a spiritual experience. She could sell ice to an Eskimo, sunscreen to a vampire, and somehow, without breaking a sweat, she convinced us that we absolutely needed to try at least three different entrees. And she was right.

When we asked for a beer recommendation, she didn’t just list them—she curated an experience. I swear, if she had handed me a flight and said, “This one pairs well with discovering your life’s purpose,” I would’ve believed her. Every sip, every bite, every moment in her presence felt like being wrapped in a warm, beer-scented hug from the universe itself. Her knowledge of hops and barley? Encyclopedic. Her ability to read our hunger levels like a psychic? Uncanny.

And let’s talk about the vibes. This woman could walk into a room full of grumpy tax auditors and have them doing the Cha Cha Slide within minutes. You think you’re just here for a burger and a brew, but you leave with a new lease on life and a burning desire to be a better person. I don’t know what Pink Pony Club she trained at, but she graduated top of her class in Charismatic Wizardry.

By the end of the meal, we weren’t just customers—we were devoted followers in the Church of Essdeee. She didn’t just serve us; she orchestrated a gastronomic masterpiece. If Squatters had any sense, they’d replace their logo with her face. Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel. Squatters has Essdeee. Same level of artistry.

So, if you find yourself wandering the streets, searching for meaning (or just a ridiculously good meal), let Squatters be your guiding light. And when you arrive, pray to the restaurant gods that you get Essdeee as your server. Because I promise you, by the end of your meal, you’ll be crafting a five-star review of your own—assuming you can even find the words to do her justice.

10/10. Would follow Essdeee...

This is an iconic spot for Salt Lake with about as rich of a history as it comes to breweries in Utah. That said, there’s been a lot that has happened during that history. A couple years back the energy drink company Monster purchased the Squatters brewing label, meaning the beer labeled ‘Squatters’ isn’t really local craft beer anymore, but managed, produced, and sold at scale by that corporation. That includes it being sold back to this restaurant which bought this location in a separate deal. This location still brews beer locally, but it’s all currently under the moniker of ‘Salt Lake Brewing Co’ which owns and operates this plus a couple other breweries. That’s important context for what I have to say about the quality of this spot.

The beer is the best part about this place. The Squatter’s Juicy is an iconic, popular, go to in the area available on draft nearly everywhere, that has nothing to do with this place anymore. The local draft beers they do have are all fantastic though. They charge a premium for both the Squatter’s and the Salt Lake Brewing Co beers alike with only one being local. The food is perfectly average. I’ve had many an average burger here and a couple of below average chicken sandwiches. I’ve also had as many average fries as I have undercooked and under-salted fries. I have no problems with average food myself unless it’s overpriced, and it is egregiously overpriced here.

The service and atmosphere are great. Bartenders/waitstaff are friendly and professional. The building is a good size and vibrant in a pretty great location downtown. I never have a bad time coming here.

This is all to say that I consider this place as much of a restaurant as a brewery. This is reinforced by their license that requires a food purchase to order alcohol. With that in mind they lack on the most important aspect for a restaurant, that being the food. I love Squatter’s beer, but despite the namesake that has nothing to do with this place. I love the actual locally brewed beer, but it’s unclear on the menu and advertising which is what. I’m glad this place is locally owned and operated, it’s a cool spot with a lot of potential. As it stand however, it’s lacking in a core way and...