When it comes to excellent restaurants, Utah has plenty to choose from, but with a few exceptions, the most famous spots tend to be in our more populated towns and cities. There’s one restaurant in the Beehive State that people just can’t stop talking about, and it’s located in a town with just over 200 residents.

The teeny, tiny town of Boulder is far away from Utah's cities. It's in one of the most remote parts of the state, just north of Escalante, along Highway 12. Around 225 people call this place home, but thousands visit every year, just to dine at Hell's Backbone Grill.
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Welcome to Hell's Backbone Grill. You might not expect to find a nationally-renowned restaurant in Utah's most remote town, but here it is!
The Scenic Suitcase /Tripadvisor
Find the restaurant at 20 N. Highway 12, Boulder, UT 84716.
Step inside and you'll start to see why this restaurant consistently wins awards of all kinds.
Chris Ballam/Google
It's been named "Best Restaurant" by Salt Lake Magazine so many times that they finally inducted Hell's Backbone Grill in their Hall of Fame, and it's been featured in numerous national magazines. The restaurant has also been a James Beard Finalist for the last two year. Pretty much from the moment it opened in 2000, it's been gathering praise from all corners of the country.
So what makes this place so special? Its two owners, Blake Spaulding and Jen Castle, for starters.
Hell's Backbone Grill/Facebook
These two talented women bring their own histories of cooking and kitchens with them, and each has her own role in the restaurant. You'll usually find Blake running around in the dining room, while Jen lends her talents to the kitchen and back-of-the-house sphere.
The other reason this restaurant shines? Obviously, the food. But the food's origins are just as important as its recipes.
Hell's Backbone Grill/Facebook
Hell's Backbone Grill gets much of what it serves right from its very own 6.5-acre farm in Boulder, and the rest from local sources. You'll find only organically-grown produce here - no pesticides or chemicals. The chickens that produce the fresh eggs are hormone-free.

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The result? Incredibly fresh, delicious food.
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When you take fresh, locally-grown ingredients straight from the farm to the plate (with a quick stop in the kitchen to add a little something, of course), you get delicious meals. It's kind of a no-brainer, but very few restaurants are as dedicated to this practice as Hell's Backbone Grill.
The restaurant is open seven days a week, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A day that starts with a hearty breakfast at Hell's Backbone Grill is a great day, indeed.
Denise Keen/Google
From a light breakfast of fresh fruit and yogurt, to hearty pancakes and downright decadent biscuits and gravy, you'll find something on the menu to please your palate.
The menu here changes according to what's fresh, but you'll always find a wonderful assortment of offerings inspired by the region.
Brooke Rupp/Google
What you won't find here? Bland, uninteresting food. Every plate leaves the kitchen as a pure work of art, and every dish is perfectly seasoned with unique flavors.
Don't forget to order dessert! Like everything else served here, it's homemade right in the kitchen, and it's always a delicious end to your meal.
Chris Ballam/Google
The tiny town of Boulder is nestled right up against the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The restaurant closes during winter months, but re-opens for a new season in mid-March.
Hell's Backbone Grill Photo by © Ace Kvale
Hell's Backbone Grill opens for breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., serves lunch from 11 a.m. t 2 p.m., then opens up again for dinner service from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.. Because this restaurant is so popular, reservations are highly recommended. Click here for online reservations.

Visit the Hell’s Backbone Grill website to see the full menu and read all about the mission and principles of the restaurant’s owners. You’ll also want to head on over to its Facebook page and follow so you won’t miss out on the latest announcements.

Ready to plan your trip to Boulder? Check out our article about Hell’s Backbone Bridge.

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