Vertical Diner — Restaurant in Salt Lake City

Wow!!! Such a complete and total fail on every level. Been here before and it was awesome!! This time it was the complete opposite. Walked in with my wife who has gluten allergies and convinced her she would like this place. It was hotter inside the restaurant than outside. No joke!! As a result we decided to eat outside in almost 90 degree weather. Not a big deal but concerning. We needed a bit more time to order and even ordered drinks to relax while we decided. We almost left because the drinks alone took so long to arrive. My wife ordered a burger with fries and I decided to get the green curry tofu with noodles. My food arrived hot, which is nice. But the noodles were way over cooked and the sauce was very runny. Vegetables were awful as well. Sauce was extremely bland and barely any tofu in the dish. I had 5 bites and lost my appetite. (Maybe my wife will let me mooch some of her food out of pity) My wife’s meal was barely warm and the fries were mostly tiny broken pieces but they were at least crispy. The meatless bacon was barely warm including the patty.. The bottom bun of the burger was completely soggy. The (in house) ketchup was so runny that there was 1/2” of water sitting on the top of the ketchup in the plastic bottle.. I walked inside and asked if i could get another one. The waitress said the ketchup is supposed to be runny. (Well it wasn’t last time I was here). The new bottle was also runny. The bun completely fell apart both top and bottom. None of this happened when I ordered a veggie burger last time. We left the table and our food on our plates, quickly paid our bill and left. What a complete 180 degree change from last time. What happened?

Below is my review from the first time I ate at this restaurant.

First visit- March 2024 (wish it was like this every time) Just to be clear, this place is very special. Food was very good. Very well balanced. Fries were 10/10!!!! Nobody knows how to make good fries anymore, but this place hit it out of the park!! I like perfectly crisp fries. Condiments and fixings were great. Sauce was great. Bun was 10/10 and gluten free as well!! Best gluten free bun I’ve ever had!! Now the patty was something to be desired for a meat eater, but I’ve had veggie burgers before and the patty tasted very similar to the patties I’ve had at the grocery store to be honest. I was hoping for a fattier and more savory taste. Still very good. The “tractor soda” was also so good!! Nailed it! If you have a gluten allergy, this...

So tonight I went to the vertical diner for dinner. The food is very good. It may not be the healthiest in the world, (there were healthier options there to choose from if you wanted that) but it was satisfying for somebody who wants plant base Comfort Food.  The menu was quite extensive. There were burgers, salads, eggs, pastas, chicken, wings, etc. I had the buffalo chickun tigers they were really really good.. but was disappointed because they were so cheap on the sauce (only a little of sauce at the bottom of the little basket ..but the flavor was good.

For the main course I had the chicken and potatoes with gravy. It was very good a little bit too salty for my taste..but it’s probably supposed to be a bit salty. The dinner came with roasted brussels sprouts and broccoli that was fried in a butter type flavor sauce./oil. The brussels sprouts and broccoli were definitely a five out of five stars, although I felt a little guilty because they were a little bit oily. 

The server was sweet, but the only thing that bothered me a little was that I felt like she was rushing me.

She kept coming to the table every couple minutes and asked me can I get you something else? Can I get you something else? How is everything? Is everything OK. Can I get you something else? She even interrupted me while I was answering an important text to ask me an again. It was really annoying and I couldn’t even relax even a little . Let me take a bite or two before you ask me how is everything.

For me it was way too much. I felt like I was being rushed. If I was in a mad rush hurry, it would’ve been great( like at breakfast time) if you want to eat and get out in 5 minutes..but for dinner I want to relax a little bit. It was early in the evening so it wasn’t like they were closing anytime soon, but maybe she just was trying to turn the tables quickly or maybe she’s just used to going at light speed. But for me it ruined the experience.

Either way vertical diner is good food for both vegans and non vegans to enjoy 100% plant based menu. It’s definitely worth a try.. but just know that it’ is not all the healthiest menu if you’re trying to avoid salt and added oils, but if you’re looking for comfort food or heavy food, this is definitely the place for you. I hope you enjoy. For me it’s not a place I...

Previously this was one of my favorite places to get Tiger Wings. After my last experience I am apprehensive to ever return.

Let me preface this by stating that I am a disabled, service dog handler. I have been to The Vertical Diner before and had a lovely experience. Howver, my recent experience leaves me feeling pretty poorly. Upon entering The Vertical Diner, I was immediately told I needed to sit outside. I stated that I would like to sit inside and that my dog is a service dog who is necessary for my disability. The staff informs me that service dogs aren't allowed. Bare in mind that my service dog is acting well behaved and hasn't had any infractions that would deem it appropriate for them to deny us service. I then state that I have every right to sit inside with my medical equipment, and that they can't discriminate against me because I have a disability. They let me know that they aren't discriminating, they just want to seat me outside. I let them know that this was segragation and they can't segragate a disabled person, this is a violation of ADA federal law. They proceed to tell me that they have contacted management and management believes having a dog indoors is a violation of health code but that "he is going to look into it".

After about 5 minutes I am informed that I am allowed to stay and dine.

Honestly I am amazed that in 2022 management and owners can not properly educate their staff on disabled customer rights. To say that "you don't allow service dogs" (medical equipment) is obscene. Please please educate yourself and your staff so that you don't cause unnecessary stress for future disabled people.

With so many great vegan options in SLC, it's much better to find another option than The...