Bayou, The
645 S. State St., Salt Lake City ; 801-961-8400
(see
map)
An impressive beer list and groovy atmosphere make The Bayou a popular place. Now, if only the menu weren't so huge and unfocused.
| Overall |
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| Food |
 |
| Mood |
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| Service |
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| Kid-friendly |
NO |
| Noise |
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Cuisine: American, Brew Pub
Price: $$
Hours: M-F, 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m.; S-Su, 5-11:30 p.m. (ltd. menu until 12:30am)
Liquor: Full Service
Corkage: $ 9
Reservations: Not accepted/necessary
Accepts:    
Website: http://www.utahbayou.com
Recommended Dishes: Bayou burger, sweet and French fries, beer, beer and more beer.
April 15, 2009
In 'Beervana,' food comes second
By Lesli J. Neilson
One step into The Bayou and you feel the energy immediately. There's a satisfying hum -- which becomes a roar in the later evening hours - that comes from conversant diners, quick-moving servers and jovial barkeeps, and live jazz music on many nights.
"Welcome to Beervana!" says the beer menu. Indeed. Wine and liquor are also available, but I can't imagine coming here and not taking advantage of a list of nearly 300 offerings.
Categorized by style, beers from around the world are represented. If you like pale and amber ales, choose from about 20 mainly American selections ($5-$9 a bottle). There are about the same number of Belgian-style beers ($5-$15 a bottle), while Pilsner-style lagers take up a large portion of the list. Here you'll find Corona, King Fisher, Pilsner Urquell and Red Stripe, among others ($3-$7 a bottle).
The surroundings are also meticulously thought-out. The owners revived the old building by highlighting the exposed brick and original wood rafters, and installed lighting that gives the place a real warmth. A long bar hugs one side of the expansive space, while most of the remainder is used for a couple of pool tables and dining space.
Like the voluminous beer menu, the Cajun-Southwestern-Italian themed menu -- yes, you read that right, there are three cuisines -- doesn't skimp on selections either; there are 64 items in all. It left me wondering why the 7-year-old restaurant doesn't stick to just one cuisine, pare down the menu and give the kitchen a chance to excel at the food, too?
Straightforward items were the most successful, including a garlic Bayou burger ($7.99) with caramelized onions, stout mustard and chipotle aioli, thin-cut sweet potato and French fries ($5.99) with more of that great aioli and side salads (included with entrees). Other dishes had flaws.
Entrees of jambalaya ($13.58), étouffée ($12.99) and Hoppin' John ($10.99) had nice spice levels and tasted good, but arrived lukewarm. Squeeky and metallic-tasting green beans detracted from a plate of chicken fried chicken ($12.99) and a "gaucho" steak ($16.99) with cilantro-laden chimichurri. (Is that a fourth cuisine?) Gumbo with chicken and sausage ($6.99, with crawfish, add $2.50) had an acrid and burned taste.
As for desserts, the bread pudding ($6.99) was a dense, unpleasant blob. Not even the bourbon sauce could save the texturally challenged dessert. And, I'm pretty sure there's nothing Cajun, Southwestern or Italian about chocolate-Kahlua cheesecake ($6.99), ginger snaps ($3.95, with ice cream, $5.99) or deep-fried Twinkies ($6.99), though the stout float ($6.99), made with vanilla ice cream and Guinness, does sound intriguing.
I look forward to returning to The Bayou, sticking with the uncomplicated menu items and ticking another beer off my list -- only 229 to go.
Tribune's rating system
Overall rating
1 star Good
2 stars Very good
3 stars Excellent
4 stars Extraordinary
Entree price
$ Entree under $10
$$ $10-$18
$$$ $18-$25
$$$$ Above $25
Restaurant Noise
1 bell Quiet (under 65 decibles)
2 bells Can talk easily (65-70)
3 bells Talking somewhat difficult (70-75)
4 bells Raised voices (75-80)
A bomb Too noisy for normal conversation (80+)
The Tribune covers the cost of all meals at reviewed restaurants. Star ratings are based on a minimum of two visits. Ratings are updated continually based on at least one revisit. There is no connection between reviews and advertising.
November 29, 2002
A Heady Array of Lubricants at the Well-Seasoned Bayou
By Nancy Hobbs
Beer nuts have replaced the grease monkeys at 645 S. State in Salt Lake City. It was bound to happen sometime. Del Vance and Mark Alston, entrepreneurs in suds -- Vance as a founding partner in Uinta Brewing and Alston as owner of the Beer Nut home-brewing store -- were individually shopping for property on the same block of State Street when mutual acquaintances suggested their plans were so similar, they should consider teaming up.
Vance was one day farther along in the process, having just purchased the old Felt Auto Works building. Meanwhile, Alston was finalizing details to lease a building across the street.
They met, they talked and they conspired.
One year and several layers of auto grease later, their vision of "beervana" -- ample beer, live jazz and good food -- is now complete, and already gaining notoriety as The Bayou.
Inside the cavernous building, where cars used to be lined up on risers, perhaps waiting for custom parts being manufactured in the back, the walls have been scoured to expose beautiful, century-old brick. Admire the original wood rafters high overhead, with simple, black track lighting for illumination. Lower-hanging fixtures are a nice touch along the length of the 40-foot bar, where several bartenders were setting a fast pace on a recent Friday night.
Their job can't be easy. Thirty beers on tap; another 120 varieties, give or take a few, by the bottle. Plus a full bar, for those who prefer whiskey to ale.
The bar takes up only a quarter of the seating area; most of the remaining space, except for a couple of pool tables, is for dining, with the kitchen offering several Cajun specialties, as well as menu items influenced by Southwest and Italian cuisines. Alston, The Bayou's executive chef, sums it all up as "spicy regional American."
No matter the label, it's pretty darn tasty.
The starters, from $5.95 to $7.95, are reflective of The Bayou's diverse offerings, with spicy buffalo wings, chicken quesadilla and artichoke cheese dip presenting the Southwest influence; a fusion of southwest and Mediterranean in a smoky chipotle hummus; a pinch of Italy with crostini or crisply fried ravioli; or Southern comfort with a tasty mix of sweet and white potato fries, complemented with a "fry sauce" of delicious homemade chipotle aioli.
Generous portions make the appetizers easy to share or good to order as a small entree, perhaps in addition to a bowl of gumbo ($6.95) or a Cajun chicken Caesar salad ($7.95). The crostini, for example, comes with eight toasted bread rounds, each piled high with tomatoes and capers, all circling a small pile of greens drizzled with a rich balsamic dressing ($5.95).
For lunch, choose from a wide selection of sandwiches, pasta or grilled pizzas. For dinner (after 5 p.m.), complicate the difficult decision-making process by adding half a dozen interesting entrees, including jambalaya, blackened catfish and ahi tuna tacos.
We went with the crawfish etouffee ($12.95) and weren't disappointed. The creamy and spicy sauce, peppered with several small, shelled crawfish tails, is delicious served over a bed of seasoned white rice. Like all of the entrees, it comes with a side salad of spring greens and, in this case, a sweet and tangy balsamic pesto dressing.
The ahi tuna tacos ($14.95) also were a big hit, with chipotle-peppered ahi seared, sliced and served in corn or flour tortillas. A spicy corn and black-bean salad comes alongside.
The "Fettuccine Kileene," created by (and therefore poetically named for) Mark's wife, Kileen, is a sumptuous combination of pasta, artichoke hearts, pine nuts and flavor-packed roasted tomatoes, all in a perfectly seasoned alfredo sauce ($12.95).
Kileen Alston also makes all of The Bayou's traditional desserts, including super spicy ginger snaps (a tamer version is available for children), served with an exceptionally creamy vanilla ice cream ($5.95); and a rich and moist chocolate kahlua cheesecake ($6.50).
Also on the dessert menu is a "stout float," which Alston unashamedly admits is "a total ripoff" from a bartender at The Pub who initially persuaded him to try it. But Alston says he was a big fan of root-beer floats as a kid, so it didn't take much talking. Now that it's his turn to do the convincing, he joked that he often has to buy the first one before making any converts.
In order to actualize their beervana vision, the owners had to make The Bayou a private club, which means patrons have to buy an annual membership ($17) or a temporary two-week membership ($5), or ask a member of the club to "sponsor" them for the evening. (The owners throw in a Bayou t-shirt to anyone who buys the full membership.) But being a private club also means that adults who are eating dinner can bring children along, and a children's menu is due out this weekend.
With its extensive food menu, and a beer menu almost twice as long, making up one's mind is the most challenging aspect of a visit to The Bayou. If you like spicy, you are not apt to miss on the food. The harder job might be finding the perfect beer to pair with it.
The Bayou Private Club
645 S. State, Salt Lake City; 801-961-8400
Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Saturday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. (Full kitchen open every day to 11:30 p.m.; some items available until 12:30 a.m.)
Prices: $7 for sandwiches and burgers to $20 for a 10-ounce baseball steak
Liquor: Full liquor service, extensive beer menu
Reservations: Yes
Child's Menu: Yes
Takeout: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Outdoor Dining: Seasonal
Parking: Small attached lot and/or street parking
Credit Cards: All major
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