Continuing our camping trip in Zion, my son and I decided to go out for dinner on our last night. Looking back, I should have planned better, or at least done more research into places to visit. The Spotted Dog Cafe was a good place to visit, no doubt about that, but the atmosphere turned out to be classier than I thought.
Dressed in ratty and probably smelly clothes from hiking the Narrows earlier in the day, I felt way underdressed. To my surprise it was a rather upscale spot with white table linens, buttoned up servers and a quiet, elegant atmosphere.
After hearing good things about this spot, I was too hungry and excited to try the food to turn back. The complimentary flatbread and our entrees didn’t stand a chance. The Guiness BBQ ribs ($15) were tender, boneless short ribs in a tangy sauce with subtle hoppiness. The truffle fries accompanying it were skinny, crispy, and heavy on the truffle flavor. There’s a kid’s menu available with spaghetti, meatloaf, chicken fingers, and hamburgers. Although my son’s buttered spaghetti noodles tasted like boxed pasta as opposed to something made fresh in-house, he still devoured almost all of it.
Good sized portions and even better prices left us happy and thankful we dined out. Spotted Dog was a surprisingly good spot that was a huge step up from the camping fare we had the previous couple days. With a menu full of modern American dishes, it’s a worthy dining destination for a night out in Springdale.
4 Stars
428 Zion Park Blvd
Springdale, UT 84767
(435) 772-0700
