This article is excerpted from the Utah Eats newsletter. To get the full newsletter every Wednesday, subscribe at sltrib.com/newsletters.
Hello, Eaters!
Old Cuss has been a part of the Salt Lake City area food scene for about five years in various iterations, and now, it’s back — in a brick & mortar downtown called Old Cuss Cafe.
Last week, I visited the vegetarian restaurant/cafe at 325 W. Pierpont Avenue, where I had a nice chat with Old Cuss founder and co-owner Brent’Lee Williams (pictured at top, left).
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Old Cuss Cafe, a new vegetarian restaurant on Pierpont Avenue in Salt Lake City, is pictured on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.
The origin story: Williams started Old Cuss as a coffee trailer during the pandemic. Then in 2021, he opened a physical location in South Salt Lake called Old Cuss Coffee & Market, which began with a vegan menu.
His customers kept asking for eggs and dairy, though, so he switched to a vegetarian menu better suited for omnivores. That brick & mortar closed about a year ago, and the business returned to its coffee trailer roots while Williams worked on Old Cuss Cafe, which opened in January.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) A Fisher Price barn set is pictured at Old Cuss Cafe, a new vegetarian restaurant on Pierpont Avenue in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.
The vibe: A cozy restaurant filled with antiques and vintage objects, where you can sit down for a full meal or camp out with your laptop and one of Old Cuss’ specialty lattes or craft sodas.
All of the decor was collected by Williams and reflects his home state of Missouri and his adopted home state of Utah. At Old Cuss Cafe, Williams hopes guests “feel like they can get love and get cared for by us.”
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The cherry crumble at Old Cuss Cafe, a new vegetarian restaurant on Pierpont Avenue in Salt Lake City, is pictured on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.
The menu: Williams said Old Cuss started out by making “vegan food for nonvegan people and we’ve kept that, but now it’s vegetarian food for all people.”
The menu, created by chef Chandler Bailey (pictured at top, right), is homey, Southern-influenced comfort food — think biscuits & gravy, “chicken” & waffles, fried green tomatoes, country-fried “steak” and more.
All of the substitute meats on the menu are vegan, and made from scratch. Williams said Old Cuss Cafe has the second-largest vegan menu in the city, but there’s also real eggs and dairy for the omnivores. Most of the menu items can be made gluten-free. To read about my order, scroll down to “Dish of the Week.”
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Old Cuss Cafe, a new vegetarian restaurant on Pierpont Avenue in Salt Lake City, is pictured on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.
The hours: Old Cuss Cafe is open Sunday-Thursday for breakfast and lunch from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday-Saturday for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. There’s live music every Friday from 7 to 8 p.m.
Live deliciously,
Kolbie
Food News
(Adalberto Diaz) Desserts shaped like the Wasatch Mountains at Fillings & Emulsions.
• Remember those realistic-looking fruit desserts that have gone viral on TikTok and Instagram? Well, chef Adalberto Diaz at Fillings & Emulsions made one to look like the Wasatch Mountains, filled with milk chocolate namelaka (chocolate cream), caramelized almonds, marshmallow and chocolate cake, according to an Instagram post. Pick up yours at Fillings & Emulsions, inside the Granato’s building at 1391 S. 300 West in Salt Lake City.
Openings
• An Eater let me know that the Daybreak location of Eclair French Pastry has opened at 4690 W. Boardwalk Road, Suite A101, next to Harmons. This cute shop offers an array of baked goods, including tarts, cookies and, of course, eclairs. Eclair French Pastry also has locations in Sandy and downtown’s City Creek Center.
• In other Daybreak news, the community’s Instagram account posted that the following restaurants are coming to the development this year: Rockwell Ice Cream, Nomad Eatery and Naraya Thai. I already reported in this space that Taste of Red Iguana is also opening in the area.
• Sip N Dip is a new Middle Eastern-influenced cafe that opened around the end of the year at 1749 S. State St., Suite 106, in Salt Lake City. This spot offers Turkish coffee, boba, tea and Middle Eastern desserts.
• Joy Pops, known for its made-from-scratch Mexican paletas (cream- and fruit-based pops), opened a new location in Provo last week at 1283 N. University Ave., Suite 101. Joy Pops also has a location in Sandy.
• Beaumont Bakery Cafe opened a second location in Lehi at 2701 N. Thanksgiving Way, Suite 100, according to an Instagram post. With a menu focusing on pastries, coffee and light eats, Beaumont Bakery Cafe also has a location in Millcreek.
• Mo’Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food is opening a new location in Bluffdale at 1646 W. 14000 South, and celebrating with a “Friends and Ohana” event on Thursday, according to a news release. An official ribbon cutting will be held at 4:30 p.m., and dinner will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Guests will receive a free mini plate and drink. The Bluffdale restaurant will be Mo’Bettahs’ 39th location in Utah, and 76th overall.
• Correction: Last week’s newsletter published an incorrect address for Taverna. The correct address is 427 N. 300 West in Salt Lake City.
• Has a restaurant opened or closed in your neighborhood? Let us know at food@sltrib.com.
Booze (and Drink!) News
(Dan Campbell | High West Distillery) A bottle of Bourye whiskey from High West Distillery.
• High West Distillery is celebrating the limited return of its jackalope-themed Bourye whiskey with a party on Feb. 28 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at High West Saloon at 703 Park Ave. in Park City. Enjoy a DJ, appetizers, High West cocktails and a Winter Games vibe, culminating in a tasting of Bourye. Wear your best retro winter gear. Tickets are $63 for this 21+ event, and can be purchased online.
Dish of the Week
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The fried vegan chicken sandwich at Old Cuss Cafe, a new vegetarian restaurant on Pierpont Avenue in Salt Lake City, is pictured on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.
As a daily eater of chicken, I’ll admit I was a little afraid to try vegan chicken. But I ate the entire “chicken” sandwich ($17.50) at Old Cuss Cafe.
The “chicken” patty was made with “secrets,” seitan and jackfruit, which captured the meat’s slightly stringy nature, and the whole thing was battered and fried. It wouldn’t fool a regular meat eater, but if you were trying to eat more plant-based food, this “chicken” would give you a meaty, savory bite.
My favorite part of the meal was the vegan strawberry-raspberry pie ($6) — Williams said Old Cuss Cafe is one of the only places around that offers pie by the slice. With a creamy cereal milk latte (made with Cinnamon Toast Crunch) to sip alongside, with its lovely warming spices, I was in heaven.