This post was updated September 2024
One of the fun “down time” aspects of traveling is, in my humble opinion, eating! That’s why we went on the search for the best Moab restaurants. I am never shy about admitting my love for food and we found some super delicious, fun and interesting spots to eat while we were in Moab.
Best Moab Restaurants + Cafes for Breakfast/Coffee
SNAKE OIL COFFEE: It took many years, but I finally discovered the best coffee in Moab. This drive-up/walk-up coffee stop has the best coffee in town. Once I discovered it, it was a daily stop for me. I also love that their coffees all come with a chocolate-covered coffee bean.
MOAB DINER – I love diners. This diner has been in this location for 60 years. After changing names and owners, I think these new owners have it all figured out. Matt and I agree that this was one of the best diner breakfasts we’ve ever had. The ham is the meat of choice in my opinion and if you love biscuits and gravy you have to try theirs! My ultimate recommendation is #7 Jeep Safari Special – you get the best of everything!
DOUGHBIRD – I cannot express enough my love for Doughbird’s donuts. I went back multiple times for their raspberry donut. It was like a typical glazed donut – a delicious one, of course – but the glaze had fresh raspberry puree in it. It was heavenly. This funky little donut shop does donuts in the early hours and fried chicken later, a seemingly unlikely duo.
LOVE MUFFIN – Love Muffin makes the most beautifully decadent muffins. They’re massive! Like, if you’re a light brekkie eater, you could totally split it with someone. My favorite was a classic: blueberry. Their coffee is also quite delicious. My one grievance with Love Muffin was that their Facebook hours and hours on their door were vastly misleading.
JAILHOUSE CAFE – This is my least favorite of the breakfast places we’ve visited, but I still really like it. I love the atmosphere, and the Swedish pancakes with lingonberry sauce is so good! I just like the food the other places.
MOAB GARAGE CO. – Admittedly, we only got coffee here. But the coffee was super yummy. Matt does hot cocoa instead of coffee, and wasn’t as impressed. It was in his words, “Fancy, dark chocolate cocoa.” So if you’re with kiddos, or a husband who’s a child at heart, skip the cocoa.
Best Moab Restaurants + Food Trucks for Lunch and/or Dinner
DOUGHBIRD – I know I briefly mentioned Doughbird’s tasty fried chicken above, but I didn’t tell you just how delicious it is. There are varying levels of heat on their chicken, and I have to say that their chicken sandwich was out of this world. This is a must for a lunch in Moab. Be sure to plan it for a day you’re in town for lunch since they’re not open for dinner.
THAI BELLA – We love Thai food. Truly love Thai food. So when we discovered there was a Thai restaurant right behind where we stayed it was the first place we ate for dinner and it did not disappoint. The cashew nut chicken and chicken satay stole the show!
MOAB BREWERY – I’m pretty picky about burgers, but I have to say the patty melt I had at Moab Brewery was actually one of the stand-out meals I’ve had in town. It was so delicious! My father-in-law said the pulled pork was amazing as well! Plus, delicious craft beer!
QUESADILLA MOBILLA – This food truck is another great stop for lunch. Be sure to get there as early as you can around lunch because they have limited supply of certain items – especially meats and they close early when they do. It took us three tries to get to eat here, but I highly recommend the ‘Enchanted Chicken’ and the ‘Dirt Bag’.
ZAX – Zax is a casual eatery with super tasty food. I had the pulled pork and most of the rest of the family had pizza. We all greatly enjoyed it and they had a really good beer selection as well!
MOAB DINER – I wrote about Moab Diner in the breakfast section, and the breakfast is unreal. So unreal, that I’m unashamed to say Matt and I had breakfast for dinner as well. Their lunch/dinner menu is looks delicious. I’ve had a meatloaf meal, a burger and had a bite of the fajita stir fry – all of which has been so good too!
GLORIA’S – The food here is really tasty – genuinely feels overpriced for what it is, but it is tasty. That said, their smoothies – especially the watermelon burst – are worth every penny! We get them for a light lunch or to go with sandwiches we make at home pretty often when we’re in town.
RED WOK KITCHEN – This was perfect for a quick lunch that you can even grab to take with you en route to a hike. We really loved the orange chicken, sesame chicken and noodles. It’s quick easy and affordable.
BONUS: Best Desserts in Moab
HŌKŪLIA SHAVE ICE – I have a soft spot in my heart for Hawaiian shave ice. It always takes me back to our honeymoon and this was some of the best I’ve had on “the mainland”. It was the perfect amount of flavoring, great texture of ice and just the ultimate combo of refreshing and sweet.
MISS GELATO – We got gelato here twice the last week we spent there. It’s so stinking good, and I love that the flavors change out frequently. We had everything from Mango sorbet to peach cobbler gelato to tiramisu gelato. Every single thing I tried was spectacular!
MOAB DINER – Even at breakfast time, we couldn’t resist treating ourselves to their delicious milk shakes, but they’re obviously available anytime they’re open! We got chocolate every time just because they were that good that we couldn’t bring ourselves to order anything else. They even sweetly put a couple cherries on top for me.
MOAB COFFEE ROASTER – It may seem odd to recommend a coffee shop for dessert, but they have a sweet little ice cream and gelato counter in this shop. After those hikes you definitely need something cool to enjoy.
PANINIS PLUS – While a smoothie might not be everyone’s idea of dessert, sometimes you just crave a healthier, fruitier option. Paninis plus had delicious smoothies that hit the spot after a day of hiking. They’re not cheap, but when you’re looking for a treat, it’s easier to splurge a bit.
One grievance I had with Moab restaurants is many have funky hours. And even those who posted hours clearly, some weren’t open during those hours. We tried to give them a little grace because we know these are odd times, but it was frustrating when we returned to a couple day after day only to find they were closed. That said, they were almost always worth the wait.
Looking for a Place to Stay in Moab?
Products That Will Help Make Your Takeout Experiences More Sustainable
Of course, sustainability is a major priority for us. As such, there are a few things you can purchase one time to help make small changes to create less waste. These products help eliminate single-use waste: reusable silverware that come in this container – which I love for carrying them with you, a reusable coffee cup, a tote bag that’s easy to wipe out for to-go meals, reusable straws, and a reusable cold drink cup.
While you might not have thought of Moab as a destination for foods, there are many great things to eat here. So be sure to stray from the chain restaurants and try the local places. Because local restaurants are the Best Moab restaurants.
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