Vessel Kitchen — Restaurant in South Snyderville Basin

Good food, flawed concept and defensive management.

Since I’ve lived in PC (about 2.5 years), I’ve probably eaten here several dozen times. The food is good and on the healthier side so it’s a nice weeknight option.

However, in the same time span this place has changed their menu / in-store ordering format at least three times and it’s very confusing. Seemingly every time I go in there’s a new process and nobody knows where or how to order. The most recent iteration has you “take a menu” as you walk past the glass and build your meal in your head (if there are menus in the basket) and then remember what it is you want when you get to the cashier to order. The result is an awkward “line” of people who don’t know what they want and then if you happen to come in and do know what you want it’s unclear whether you can skip this line or not. The cashier probably doesn’t have an answer to your question either. You can try to put up signs to explain this overly complex system but no one will read them, it’s just needs to be more intuitive and simple.

The most common order, the “protein plate” also is confusing. It’s one protein + 2 sides and it’s just too much of only three things, especially the sides. I don’t want half a pint or more of cauliflower. I want to be able to build my plate/bowl as I walk down the glass and be able to put whatever I want in it and just pay the associated price. Also funny that if you add a protein and/or side (forget the exact format) this same protein plate is now a family meal? Maybe a family of 2.5 people…the single plate portion is improperly proportioned and the “family meal” seems like too little food. Maybe this option makes sense for hungry couples but it’s still not intuitive on the menu especially when you’re stressed trying to figure out the menu in-store.

Ownership / management also seems quite defensive based on their responses to reviews. Seems like they’re more interested in appearing invested in customer feedback than actually listening to it and making sensible changes. There’s a reason chipotle and other healthy-ish fast casual spots have been successful - the menu and ordering process is intuitive and you can be in and out in less than 5-7 mins, even in a busy city. The differentiator vessel has is its food. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel with a novel in-store experience. Because of all of this I usually just order DoorDash so I don’t have to deal with the headache of ordering in person, only to have one of the staff members forget an item on my plate or not bring silverware when they bring out the food. Side note: if you’re going to serve the food just bring silverware and buss the trays too. This place just makes you think and do too much.

I write this review out of frustration but also in hopes this place makes simple improvements to make a more sensible menu and ordering format so that they can succeed. Currently, I believe it’s as successful as it is because there are little to no healthy fast casual alternatives in Park City. As soon as chipotle opens in the outlet malls I may never return in person here unless...

My husband and I travel often for work and we haul a 5th wheel so options can be slim. This restaurant is located in a plaza and finding parking was not a problem for us. Also in traveling, it can be hard to find quality meals. Often we're left with slim options for healthy eating...as in not processed, made fresh, in house with vegetarian options.

Vessel has several homemade sides available, and, as our first time we were unfamiliar with the ordering. They have menus that you can look at before ordering, but you place your order before you walk past most of the food, which causes a delay and a little bit of chaos if you want to go back and add or change something you already received an order receipt for. Both my husband and myself agreed that we would have chosen different options had we seen the food first. I don't see them changing their system, but for the customer, especially first timers, it would have been nice to see the options before ordering. As one of the employees suggested when we commented on this, you can look before you order (considering no one's offended that you're cutting in front of them as there is a wall leading to the register where you pay), but anyways.

At Vessel, we had a good lunch. My husband had the falafel with the quinoa and basmati rice and hummus. He added a side of tofu. I had the yellowfin tuna, avocado (guacamole), and spaghetti squash. We also bought bread. Most everything was ready good and made with quality ingredients. However, we don't recommend the tofu as it was incredibly dry and gritty. The rice needed oil, as it was also a little dry, and the spaghetti squash was good but had a tad too much ginger in my opinion.

Aside from that, we did go back and buy another loaf of bread (it really is that good) to take with us, and a few other sides to eat later on the road.

We also noticed that they use sustainable materials for to go meals, and if you dine in, you're using real forks and knives, not plastic.

Highly recommended (just cruise through your options first before placing your order) as a place where you can get a quality, guilt free lunch at...

I was really disappointed with the food after reading so many positive reviews about Vessel kitchen. First, the format doesnt lend itself to new visitors who arent familiar with the food. We walked in, ordered sight unseen (because there aren't any pictures of the food on the menu) and then walked around the counter where the employees were serving up the food. Well, upon seeing the selections, we both regretted parts of our orders because other dishes looked more appetizing than what had already been plated. We both ordered the braised beef, with side dishes including the beets and yukon gold potatoes and the chick pea stew.

When i paid, the cashier flipped the screen over for me to sign and choose whether or not i wanted to provide a tip. This is a huge pet peeve of mine: that employees of fast food and fast casual restaurants (and even food trucks!) are now expecting tips for doing nothing more than serving the food out of the bin onto a plate - the most basic function of their job. Its ridiculous. Anyway, i signed and the receipt printed, and the employee took my receipt and literally took several seconds looking at it to see if i had tipped!!! Super tacky and offensive. Here's a hint: if you want a tip, try working at a restaurant where you bring me my food and refill my drinks and clear my table for me.

After that, the braised beef was incredibly salty. So salty that the only way i could eat it was to mix it wih the potatoes. The potatoes were good, but the beets were flat out disgusting. They were so gross i stopped trying them after just a couple of bites. My wife was also disappointed because she wasnt expecting faux Indian curry when she ordered. In all, a vey disappointing experience. We will not...