Downtown Moab

I've shared about a few places we visited while in Moab, now let me tell you about where we stayed and what we ate. We booked a condo on VRBO.com. It was originally an office building that they've converted into a couple units. The location couldn't be more convenient and the accommodations were very comfortable. I positively adored the sink. We really enjoyed it and I recommend it if you find yourself needing a place to stay in Moab. Rates were very affordable, cheaper than the hotels for our dates.









Our first night, we had dinner at the Moab Brewery ($59). The food was underwhelming. I had Blackened Tilapia with pasta with came highly recommended from the waiter, but the pasta was pretty terrible. Fortunately, the fish was edible. Frank had a Turkey Melt that he found decent. Beers on draft are limited to 3.2% abv, anything stronger is only available in cans. We enjoyed the Hefeweizen, it had great flavor.

The next morning we had breakfast at Eklecticafe ($21). It is indeed Eclectic, Frank ordered biscuits and gravy and I had to try the huevos rancheros since they are a favorite on yelp. We sat outside on the patio. Flies were horrendous. We probably should've moved inside, but we stuck it out. Both dishes were nicely prepared. Neither we the best ever, but we were satisfied.





The meals never improved. We had dinner at Moab Grill. It came at a high price ($100) and failed to deliver. I left hungry. We started with a selection of sausages. Elk, buffalo and wild boar. The Elk was so sour, I couldn't even swallow the bite I took. Frank was able to try a bite, the rest remained. The boar was decent still too gamey for my liking, the buffalo was the best of the three. Although, I can't say I liked it.



Frank had the daily special which was a buffalo steak with two sides. He had the succotash and mac n cheese. The buffalo had great flavor too bad it was covered in barbeque sauce. The succotash was the highlight.



I love duck and couldn't resist the duck tamales. I was intrigued by the blue cheese and garlic potatoes so I had a side of those as well. The tamales were dry, any flavor of duck was lost in the adobo sauce and the rice was terribly bland. It wasn't worth the calories. The potatoes had an odd taste to them, best I can associate it with was a poor quality blue cheese. Neither Frank or I was able to eat them.





I chalked this one up to a bad beat.

Another followed... The next morning we had breakfast at Moab Grill ($24), it was too early for the Eklecticafe. Our waitress never brought the Diet Coke I ordered. Frank had a crummy Omelet, I ordered French Toast figuring it was a safe bet. I was wrong. The version that was served was coated in cereal. Think French toast coated in Frosted Flakes. I much prefer savory to sweet, I wasn't able to eat more than a slice. Fortunately, two mystery pancakes were brought over. I was able to eat one and half of those. The other half was drowned in butter and left inedible. Again, I left hungry. Plus, it was another meal with pesky flies.

We grabbed lunch at Pantele's Desert Deli. I thought I'd keep it simple with a turkey sandwich. It was a bit dry, but otherwise ok. Frank ordered a salad that came with brisket. He didn't realize that was the case, it would have been better with chicken.

That night we had reservations at Desert Bistro ($120). I was ecstatic to finally enjoy a meal. We were given the option to dine on the patio or indoors. They made the patio sound lovely so we opted for that, but we should've chose indoor dining. Flies were again an annoyance. Drips of water fell from the misters and the chairs were metal with no cushions about 20 minutes in we were already terrible uncomfortable.

We started with Gyozas filled with tofu and other goodies. We also split the Chipotle Chili Caesar salad. We favored the Gyozas they pack a lot of flavor into a small bite. I expected the salad to have some kick, but it lacked any spice. I found it pretty unmemorable. Though it was crisp and fresh.





Frank ordered lamb chops for his entrée. They were a fine preparation. He didn't care for the sweet potato stack, but I enjoyed it. I opted for the homemade Agnolotti Pasta filled with cheese and mushrooms. It was well executed and the best thing I ate all week in Utah. However, it didn't measure up to pastas I've had here at home.





We couldn't stand to sit any longer so we skipped dessert and begged for the check. We had walked over from the condo, on the way back we stopped at Crystal's Cakes and Cones. We had delicious scoops of ice cream. It was a real win!

Eventually, we resorted to eating at Wendy's for lunch and dinner; and Burger King for breakfast. We kept striking out and we had spent quite a bit on food so it seemed like the easiest solution. This was no small feat, because up until recently the only fast food I would eat is In-N-Out and Cane's. Wendy's came out with the Chicken Apple Pecan Salad. It's pretty tasty and always fresh. Unfortunately, they botched mine and left out half the ingredients. Which made it pretty lackluster. We thought Burger King breakfast would be cheap and quick. It was quick, but certainly not cheap at $17.47.

Moab might be home to some beautiful sights and great Jeep trails, but it lacks in culinary delights. If we ever return, I'd look for a place to stay with a full kitchen and make our own meals.