Spotted Dog — Restaurant in Springdale

The meal was delicious, Mike, our waiter was very friendly. That being said. My wife and the couple we were traveling with received their meals in an expected amount of time. My meal however was somehow missed with the order and after patiently waiting about 10 minutes for my meal to arrive I finally flagged down another person on the staff, because Mike was busy with other tables (it was busy) to inquire about my meal. They were surprised/apologetic and said they would check into it. After another wait for about 5 minutes another staff member came by to offer more water and asked how our meal was so far, to which myself and the other three mentioned again that my meal hadn't arrived yet and we already asked another on the staff about it. THAT person asked who our waiter was and after telling them it was Mike, he came by pretty quickly and was extremely apologetic that somehow he missed my order. He told me he would 'Take care of me' for missing it and having to wait, meanwhile he offered the others an additional drink order. By the time my meal arrived the others had finished their meals and I felt like I needed to gobble my meal down while the others were having their second cocktails, waiting for me to finish. Upon finishing my meal Mike offered the lemon pie to me. It sounded like, in addition to the cost of my meal, this would be an additional comp for the wait on my meal. To my surprise that was the ONLY comp. I still paid full price for the rest of my meal, plus Mike explained when dropping off the invoice that they automatically add a 20% gratuity, which we all felt was a bit ridiculous that we couldn't determine what the gratuity should be, especially considering the wait for my meal. Add in the fact that there was no intention for a second drink for the others while they were waiting for my meal to arrive and the 20% gratuity increased the gratuity as well. Not being the kind of people to make a scene about the whole thing, we all paid our bills and left knowing we would never be back as we were leaving Springdale the next day to continue our vacation. As mentioned, the meals were very good so no complaint there, but we all felt my meal (instead of the desert) should have been the compensation. Their profit on the second round of cocktails for the others more than offset their cost of the slice of lemon pie so the comp really wasn't a comp at all. $124.34 for my wife and I should have been at least $23.00 less for the Pear and Ricotta...

What to say about a little eatery that’s been tucked into the hillside at the entrance to Zion National Park for 41 years?

The Spotted Dog, at Flanigan’s Inn Resort & Spa, is farm to fork perfection. Unfussy yet sophisticated in its flavorful presentation, we went back the very next night so we could try more menu options and were again delighted from start to finish.

An appetizer of locally caught and smoked trout paired with an arugula mix and freshly pickled onions started us off. Loved the gently smoky flavor. My husband’s ribeye was cooked to perfection and my pesto pasta with meatballs was the best I’ve ever had.

Stop to highlight the MEATBALLS because as good as the pesto pasta was it was the meatballs that stole the show. It’s their own in-house juicy mixture of Wagyu, wild venison, boar and other red meats that they use for the meatballs, their meatloaf (amazing!) and their burger patties (again, amazing!) and it’s simply, flavorfully awesome! Do not miss this item! It’s a standout and uniquely theirs.

The serving sizes are generous and the plentiful staff is excellent, communicative, knowledgeable and honest in their advice regarding dishes and ingredients. We loved the dessert offerings so much we requested and received a specially prepared tasting platter of all the desserts on our second night there and started our meal with dessert first! The lemon cake, cheesecake, gluten free chocolate cake all to die for and NOT overly sweet. Again, flavorful and light.

Besides being one of the National Park service’s stars, Zion, for us, is home to Flanigan’s and The Spotted Dog. THAT combo is why we are planning a...

Made reservations for this restaurant to make sure we didn't have to wait too long, as it's usually packed—and good thing I did, because that night was no different. The place was buzzing, and for good reason. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted warmly by the host, setting the tone for a fantastic evening.

Kohl took great care of us throughout the night, anticipating our needs and making sure everything was just right. And shoutout to Kiola, who kept the drinks flowing with some truly delicious cocktails—perfectly balanced and creative.

We started with the smoked trout and the brie cheese with chutney appetizers. Both were excellent. The trout was smoky, tender, and fresh, while the brie was rich and creamy, perfectly complemented by the sweet-tart chutney and crisp crostini.

For mains, we tried the wild game meatloaf, ribeye steak, and the sage butter pasta purses. The meatloaf was hearty and flavorful—comfort food elevated with a gourmet twist. The ribeye was perfectly cooked and well-seasoned, and the pasta purses were a standout—delicate, rich, and bathed in a fragrant sage butter sauce that tied everything together.

Overall, The Spotted Dog exceeded expectations. Great food, friendly service, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere right outside Zion National Park. Definitely worth the stop—and the...