This article is excerpted from the Utah Eats newsletter. To get the full newsletter every Wednesday, subscribe at sltrib.com/newsletters.
Hello, Eaters! Since he was 16, Kris Davis dreamed of opening a sandwich shop. He was raised in Camden, New Jersey, just outside of cheesesteak-famous Philadelphia.
That dream is being realized with Beast From the East, where he works with his wife, Megan, to make Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and other food inspired by his East Coast upbringing.
The sandwich shop recently opened its first free-standing location, at 1702 S. Main in Salt Lake City. The new location had its grand opening Nov. 22, and the Davises just closed the shop’s first location, inside the Millcreek saloon Cruzrs.
The Davises first opened Beast From the East there in January, after a false start at another bar in town. It was just the two of them at the time, with Megan working a day job and then helping make sandwiches in the evening. The business grew enough, thanks in part to some good social-media word of mouth, that they were able to hire some staff, she said.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kris and Megan Davis, husband-and-wife team who own Beast From the East, have opened their second sandwich shop near Salt Lake Community College, pictured Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
But the spot on 1700 South, next to Manny’s bar, was one Kris Davis kept an eye on. It was occupied at the time — but when the old tenants decided to move, the couple signed a lease and started renovating.
The first step, Megan Davis said, was to paint over the bright yellow walls with a darker color that said “East Coast.”
The newly black space is long and narrow, similar to what you might find in a neighborhood eatery in Philly or New Jersey. One wall is adorned with photos that evoke those areas — as well as Philadelphia Eagles paraphernalia. (Megan Davis said she grew up a Kansas City Chiefs fan, but is now an Eagles fan by marriage.)
One photo, she said, was taken on the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum. It’s of the moment Kris proposed to Megan, after they ran up the steps like Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky.” (She admitted that she had never seen the “Rocky” movies before dating her husband.)
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The lunch rush packs Beast From the East at their second sandwich shop location near Salt Lake Community College, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
“We got to the top, and then he just got down on one knee,” she said. “I had no idea. I thought I was going to pass out.” They flew back to Utah and got married eight months later, she said.
When they were first dating, she said, Kris made her a Philly cheesesteak sandwich, “and it tasted nothing like I had had in Utah.” No bell peppers, no onions. Just five ingredients — bread, meat, cheese, salt and grilled onions.
“Everybody tries to overthink stuff, like ‘add this’ and ‘add that,’” she said. “He’s, like, ‘it’s simple.’”
The sub sandwiches are loaded with meat — with the exception of the Long Island Eggplant, the one veggie option. The menu also features wings, fries, and cannoli for dessert. (Read down to “Dish of the Week” to see what I tasted.)
Beast From the East (the name and restaurant’s logo referring to the Jersey Devil, the state’s version of Bigfoot) is open daily, minus Mondays. The lunch menu runs from noon to 4 p.m., and the dinner menu will run until they sell out. Note: they’re currently running their shorter lunch menu all day until they settle in.
Live deliciously,
Sean
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kris Davis, co-owner of Beast From the East sandwich shop, works the kitchen during a recent lunch rush on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
P.S. Here’s a question for our Eaters: What’s the one food that, if it were missing, you couldn’t celebrate the holidays properly? Maybe it’s the ham on Christmas Eve, or the sugar cookies your kids decorate. Email me at spmeans@sltrib.com with your name, the city you live in, and a few words about why that food is such a meaningful part of your holiday season. I’ll share some of those answers with fellow Eaters in a future newsletter.
Food News
Openings:
• Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a California-based chain, opened a new location in Saratoga Springs, at 1271 N. Lake Drive. The location will feature several big-screen TVs, a kids’ arcade and an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet, according to a news release. It’s Mountain Mike’s eighth Utah location; the chain also has restaurants in Draper, Heber City, Herriman, Hurricane, Orem, South Jordan and Spanish Fork.
Dish of the Week
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Godfather cold sub loaded with Genoa salami, ham, capicola, pepperoni, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, seasoning, vinegar and olive oil at Beast From the East in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
As a movie fan, I saw the name “The Godfather” on the Beast From the East’s menu and thought, “They’re making me a sandwich I can’t refuse.” (It’s $10.25 for a 5-inch sub, or $16.50 for a 10-inch sub.)
It’s a cold sub that starts with four types of meat — Genoa salami, ham, capicola (an Italian pork salumi) and pepperoni — with provolone, all generously layered. Then it’s topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, a good amount of seasoning (including Parmesan cheese), vinegar and olive oil.
It’s a mouthful, and a savory sandwich that will satisfy any carnivore. The bread barely contains all that’s packed inside it, so have napkins at the ready.