A pub opens in Salt Lake City’s Ballpark neighborhood — serving both families and the 21-plus crowd
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Hello, Eaters! After Shades Brewing closed its brewery on 300 West in Salt Lake City, I was curious about what would end up going in the space.
That was Engine Room Pub, at 1388 S. 300 West, and last week I paid it a visit. One of the owners, Biplove Timilsina, told me that he wanted to open a family-friendly spot in the 21+ former brewery. Engine Room Pub is essentially divided into two halves, so families can eat in the restaurant side, or a couple on a date could have dinner in the restaurant and then go hang out in the 21+ lounge.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Co-owners Biplove Timilsina, left, and Prakash Shah sit at a table inside their restaurant Engine Room Pub in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
The origin story: Engine Room Pub is owned by Timilsina, Kurt Micek and Prakash Shah, who also own Taqueria 27, Los Cucos, Big Daddy’s Pizza and Nori Sushi Bar & Grill. They opened Engine Room Pub, named for The Engine Block development it’s housed in, at the end of January, Timilsina said.
The vibe: Timilsina said they wanted to keep the place’s industrial feel, but warm it up. “We wanted to make it cozy,” he said. So, they added red curtains here and there, and a whole lot of moody lighting over the bars and throughout the restaurant. Plus, they added more TVs, so guests always have an opportunity to watch.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A sign is seen outside of Engine Room Pub in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
The menu: Lots of variety. Think small plates, sandwiches, burgers, salads, pizza, soup, pastas and desserts, plus pricier dinner entrees that are served after 5 p.m. Timilsina said their most popular items have been the steak fundido and the bison smash burger, which includes aged cheddar cheese, secret “crack” sauce, lettuce, onion and tomato jam. On the drink side, there’s a large selection of tequilas, mezcals and whiskeys, in addition to other spirits, beer, wine and cocktails. To read about my order, scroll down to “Dish of the Week.”
The hours: Engine Room Pub is open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., but soon it’s going to be open until 1 a.m., Timilsina said.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Patrons sit at tables inside Engine Room Pub in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Live deliciously,
Kolbie
Pizza Madness update
You Eaters made your opinions known about Utah’s pizza places, making for some intense voting in the round of 32 of The Tribune’s Pizza Madness tournament.
Here is how the 16 matches played out, from the widest voting margin to closest:
- Bricks Corner over Victor’s Pizza Co., 83% to 17%.
- Slackwater Pizza over Curry Pizza, 79% to 21%.
- Stoneground Italian Kitchen over Oak Wood Fire Kitchen, 75% to 25%.
- Pizza Bar at Sugar House Station over Fat Daddy’s Pizzeria, 74% to 26%.
- Litzas Pizzas over Tow Jack’s Pizza, 71% to 29%.
- Secret Pizza Club over SnowmoBAR, 70% to 30%
- Nomad East over Pizzeria Tasso, 70% to 30%.
- Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana over Cosmica, 69% to 31%.
- The Pie over Free Wheeler Pizza, 68% to 32%.
- City Creek Pizza over Nico’s Pizza, 63% to 37%.
- Taverna Pizza over Villagio Pizzeria, 63% to 37%.
- The Pie Hole over Sicilia Pizza & Kitchen, 62% to 38%.
- From Scratch over Sicilia Mia, 60% to 40%.
- Baby’s Bagels pop-up (aka Pie Boy) over Maxwell’s, 60% to 40%
- Pizza Nono over Rusted Sun Pizzeria, 52% to 48%.
- Este Pizzeria over Mozz Artisan Pizza, 51% to 49%.
Voting is now open for the next round, the Sweet 16. Click here to find the ballot. The deadline for voting is Sunday, 5 p.m.
Food News
• Actor Zooey Deschanel kicked off a cookie controversy Friday, when she posted a scathing review of Crumbl cookies on her TikTok account. The “New Girl” star nibbled through a half-dozen flavors and didn’t care for any of them. Some seemed underbaked and others overbaked, she said. Deschanel finished her review by saying, “I can’t figure out why people like these cookies, but if you like cookies like this, bless you. You can have mine.” Crumbl, which has its headquarters in Logan, has more than 1,100 locations nationwide.
Openings:
• Perch Coffee is a new coffee shop with Aussie vibes at 1295 Miller Ave., Suite 6, in the Brickyard area of Millcreek, that opened at the end of February, according to an Instagram post. I haven’t visited yet, but folks on social media say it’s a great spot to get a flat white.
• In case you missed it, Oishi Ramen opened a second location near the University of Utah at 2095 E. 1300 South in Salt Lake City around the end of the year. Oishi Ramen is known for its handmade noodles (which they use impressive cat’s-cradle-type motions to make), but also offers steamed soup dumplings, fried rice, chicken katsu bowls and more. Its original location is at 3424 S. State St.
• Argentina’s Cafe is a new cozy place to get coffee and Argentinian food in Salt Lake City, at 655 E. 400 South, that’s in its soft-opening phase after moving from Park City. It looks like it has an incredible selection of empanadas and pastries.
• The Brick is a new restaurant that has opened in the former Cafe Niche spot at 779 E. 300 South in Salt Lake City. It serves breakfast, lunch and brunch, plus dinner starting at 4:30 p.m. The food on their Instagram feed is gorgeous, and beautifully plated.
Closings:
• Chimayo, a high-end Southwestern restaurant on Park City’s Main Street, will be closed indefinitely, according to its Instagram account. KPCW reported that a grease fire broke out in Chimayo’s kitchen at about 4:45 a.m. Thursday, March 5. No restaurant employees were injured, the Park City Fire Department said.
Booze (and Drink!) News
• Dendric Estate, a 20-acre cidery in the Kamas Valley, has partnered with Deer Valley Resort, Park City Mountain Resort and Sundance Mountain Resort to feature its flagship cider, Dry Cut, at more than a dozen restaurants and hotels this winter, according to a news release. The dry, light cider is “perfect for post-ski bubbles when you need a fresh start for tomorrow’s powder day,” said Dendric Estate founder Brendan Coyle in the release.
Dish of the Week
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) The steak fundido dish at Engine Room Pub in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
The steak fundido ($25) at Engine Room Pub is technically a small plate, but it’s hearty enough that it could be an entree for one person. It’s pan-seared steak bites with blue cheese and red wine fondue, with a garlicky chimichurri on top and triangles of pita bread on the side, and it’s a hefty amount of food.
The steak bites were perfectly cooked, grilled to a nice medium, and well-seasoned. I never thought I needed to dunk steak into salty melted cheese before, but here we are, and it was delicious. And the zippy chimichurri did a nice job of cutting through all that richness.
To drink with the steak fundido, I ordered a cocktail called “Don’t Let It Bubble You” ($14), which tasted like a grape juicebox for adults, in a good way. But the reason you order this drink is the bubble filled with passion fruit vapor that the server puts on top — have your camera ready when it pops.
Tribune deputy enterprise editor Sean P. Means contributed to this report.
