This article is excerpted from the Utah Eats newsletter. To get the full newsletter every Wednesday, subscribe at sltrib.com/newsletters.
Hello, Eaters! Square Kitchen Eatery, a “mini food hall” for emerging chefs in South Salt Lake, has a new food business on its lineup.
Rusty Birds, founded by Rusty Bartolay, had its grand opening inside Square Kitchen Eatery at 2435 S. State St. on June 12. Bartolay’s specialty is moist, flavorful rotisserie chicken served either on its own, or in a wrap, salad or sandwich.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Chickens are cooked to perfection at Rusty Birds in the Square Kitchen Eatery at 2435 S. State St. in South Salt Lake is featured on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.
Bartolay is originally from the Philippines but has spent time working in Utah’s hospitality industry, as a server at Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley and as the owner of Hugo Coffee in Park City, he said.
After a job offer took him to Austin, Texas, Bartolay said he found himself looking for business opportunities there. Discovering that the population of Austin is quite health-conscious, he said he wanted to start a concept that was built around the “three anchors” of “affordable, healthy and fast.”
Last October, Bartolay started Rusty Birds in a gas station in South Austin. He centered his new business around his rotisserie chicken, which is brined for 24 hours in a mixture of water, salt, sugar, lemon, herbs and pepper before it’s roasted, he said. By this year, “people started to know us over there,” he said. “... But I always wanted to move back to Utah.”
In April, Bartolay moved back to the Beehive State, and found space inside Square Kitchen Eatery for the new incarnation of Rusty Birds.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Rusty Birds in the Square Kitchen Eatery at 2435 S. State St. in South Salt Lake is featured on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.
Bartolay said his most popular items are the Buffalo wrap, the Caesar wrap and the Chinese Crunch wrap, which are all made with housemade dressings. People have also gravitated toward the chicken club sandwich, which comes with peppered bacon, provolone, avocado and more.
I tried the Caesar wrap ($12,75), but I found that the best way to get the full flavor experience of Bartolay’s chicken is to try one of the plates, where the chicken is served with roasted potatoes drizzled with chicken drippings (!!!) and warm pita bread. To read more about my order, scroll down to the “Dish of the Week” section of this newsletter.
Bartolay has plans to add coffee to the Rusty Birds menu, based on his experience running Hugo Coffee. He said he also hopes to open more locations of Rusty Birds, but for now, you can find him behind the counter at Square Kitchen Eatery.
Live deliciously,
Kolbie
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Rusty Bartolay, owner of Rusty Birds in the Square Kitchen Eatery at 2435 S. State St. in South Salt Lake, is featured on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.
Food News
• Costco is switching from Pepsi to Coca-Cola products in its food courts, after the retailer’s CEO announced the change in January. Several Utah Costco locations have already made the change; others will be switching in the next few months.
• Utah small-batch chocolate maker Ritual Chocolate is holding a chocolate-tasting experience on Thursday, July 31, at 7 p.m., at their tasting room in Heber, at 2175 W. 3000 South. This event will “teach guests how to truly taste chocolate like a connoisseur,” said a news release. Spots are limited, and tickets are $25 per person. Email Ritual at info@ritualchocolate.com to make a reservation.
Openings:
• Camelot Cafe & Baklava is now open at its new location at 1952 E. 2700 South in Salt Lake City, according to Instagram. This cute portable cafe concept serves Turkish tea and coffee, along with baklava.
• A new location of Dunkin’ is now open in South Jordan at 11429 District Drive, according to Redditors. This chain serves beverages and baked goods to more than 3 million customers each day, its website says.
Dish of the Week
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The 1/4 Bird Dark plate, with a Green Day smoothie at Rusty Birds in the Square Kitchen Eatery at 2435 S. State St. in South Salt Lake on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.
To be clear, the photo of this dish has an extra piece of chicken in it, but the ¼ Bird Dark plate is still a fantastic value at only $7.75, which typically comes with one leg, one thigh, roasted potatoes and pita bread.
The chicken was just perfect, with the peppery, herby skin giving way to juicy, flavorful meat. Eat a piece of chicken and a chunk of potato together for a sensational bite.
I also ordered the aptly named Green Day smoothie ($8.50), with mango, pineapple, banana, spinach, agave nectar, chia seeds and coconut water, and the tropical flavors were just out of this world.