Five miles up Emigration Canyon, and about two miles farther than Ruth’s Diner, lies a small roadside restaurant called The Sun & Moon Cafe. Walking up to the restaurant one would gather that it is much like Ruth’s Diner with simple but (hopefully) delicious food. However, Sun & Moon tries to be a little more by offering both a basic brunch and an upscale dinner. We hear that they do a great job with the brunch, but unfortunately the same can’t be said for their evening service (at least on the nights we’ve been there). It’s like day and night.

Food

We’ve been to Sun & Moon a number of times for dinner. We typically visit on Thursday nights and have appetizers and burgers. We were drawn to the restaurant because it’s low-key, locally owned, and unusual (they also had 20% off on Thursday “Locals” nights). On those nights the burgers were average, tasting a lot like Costco Angus burgers and the appetizers were above average (the chicken quesadillas are good). This time we decided to go on a weekend night and order from the upscale, special entree menu.

We started with the Goat Cheese and Chorizo Quesadilla and our first few bites were delicious. The goat cheese was smooth and rich, while the chorizo sausage added nice spice to the dish. It would be delightful with a glass of white or red wine. Unfortunately, less than 60 seconds after the quesadilla was delivered, our waitress brought our main course. This was a complete disaster. We were left to decide do we let our main meals get cold or stop eating the delicious appetizer. We decided to move on and try not to let this annoying mistake cloud our judgment.

My wife had the Ono, which is a white fish that was served with rice and vegetables. It was bland and unmemorable. As she stated, she could have made the same or better dish at home. That’s saying something when her specialty is pancakes. The rice had no flavor, leaving the steamed vegetables to be the highlight of her dinner.

I dined on the Blackened Pork Tenderloin. It had a honey and riesling reduction sauce that was delicious. It was both sweet and spicy. Unfortunately it was also extra-crispy; so much so that it felt like it was cutting the inside of my mouth when I took a bite. The inside of the pork wasn’t much better as it was incredibly dry. A more resourceful and demanding diner would have sent their food back, but we would have had to go back into the kitchen to get our server’s attention. Instead, I cut away the crispy edges and dined on the dry center of the meat. It’s not the way you expect your $19 Pork Tenderloin to be enjoyed. The highlight of my meal was the rosemary potato gratin. Not that it made up for my “pork crispy,” but it was edible.

Drinks

Sun & Moon’s beer list is smart and interesting. While it doesn’t rival the Bayou’s selection, it does have over twenty beers, with many pilsners and wheat beers from Europe. We would recommend skipping the familiar local micro brews and trying the Ayinger wheat beer from Bavaria. It is delicious.

We didn’t have wine this evening but have before. On many Thursday nights Sun & Moon offers a wine-flight tasting of 3 or 5 wines and has a wine expert at the restaurant to explain each wine. It’s a nice way to try wines you might otherwise not taste. In general, though, the wine list seems pretty comparable to what you find elsewhere in the city. If you wanted a glass, you would likely find something to meet your needs.

Service

We have had the same waitress each time we’ve been to the restaurant. While she has never been overly friendly, this evening was a new low. We had a total of five interactions with her during our meal: ordering, delivery of beer, delivery of appetizer, delivery of main course, and delivery of check. She never checked on our meal or asked if we wanted another beer. I was parched after that cracker-like tenderloin. She only had one other table and could  be seen chatting and laughing with the cook in the kitchen.

In general there was a complete lack of attention to detail. No plates were delivered with our appetizer, forcing us to eat off the appetizer plate. The meal was delivered so quickly after our appetizer, that I’m surprised the server took two trips. And did I mention that we were parched? When we were ready to pay, we couldn’t even find her to give her our credit card, and this place is small.We have not had this bad of service in over a decade, and when a main course goes for $20, you expect more. When a main course goes for even $5, you would expect more than we received this night.

Ambiance

The renovations to the restaurant, especially the paint, have updated the feel of the restaurant. It looks very crisp and inviting. Local artists’ efforts decorate the walls, and if you like a certain work, it can be purchased. This evening they had live music, which was a welcome change from many SLC restaurants. However, the music was very loud which made conversation difficult.

Recommendation

The moon should set on Sun & Moon. While we haven’t tried breakfast, people say it’s delicious. We can’t say the same for dinner. The food didn’t live up to its price tag. The service was horrible. We won’t go back and would recommend that you save your money. If you do go, try the quesadillas (chicken or goat cheese) and a German beer (if you drink). As they say, if you don’t expect too much, you might not be let down (sincere apologies to the Gin Blossoms).

Tip #1: While our dinner trips have rated from average to horrendous, their breakfast sounds better. Check out this review of breakfast on the Salt Lake Tribune.

Sun & Moon Cafe
5205 Emigration Canyon, Salt Lake City, UT
(801) 583-8331