The Best Bars in Park City

If you moved to Park City in the ‘70s or ‘80s, the No Name Saloon was your living room; where you hung out every night to tell stories of the day (“untracked powder, man!”) and meet everyone in town. It was the official “office” for the local rugby club, and you’ll still see plenty of team portraits lining the walls of this cluttered-with-paraphernalia, rustically charming place. Girls in Levis and figure-hugging tees are still known to dance on the bar occasionally. You haven’t lived the real Park City local bar scene until you’ve tossed one back at the No Name, and broken into song with the crowd singing a hit from the ‘70s at some point during the evening. They’re also known for their delicious buffalo burgers, so use them to soak up the cocktails. Located in an intriguing historic building that used to house the local phone company back in the day, their motto is “Helping People Forget Their Names Since 1903.”

At the height of the winter ski and tourist season, Park City bars can be packed and parking tough on Historic Main Street. The best-kept imbibing secret if you’re looking for a place with a full bar and plenty of parking? Our local bowling alley. The Black Diamond Bar at Jupiter Bowl overlooks 16 bowling lanes, three pool tables and lounge, offering local craft beers, a decent wine list and signature cocktails like the Jupiter Tea (spiced rum, amaretto, and lemonade). Munchies are satisfying too. The boneless chicken wings and the drunken green beans (crispy fried green beans in a beer & vodka batter) are favorites. And if you feel like bowling a few frames while you’re there, you can bring your drinks lane-side.

With about a dozen freshly brewed beers on tap with awesome names like “Chasing Tail Ale,” “Provo Girl Pilsner,” and “Polygamy Porter” (Squatters is owned by the same company that runs Wasatch Brew Pub on Main Street), you can always find a seat at the bar or at a table in this spacious venue, and great beer-absorbing eats like the pub pretzel, Roadhouse nachos, or the bourbon burger. The building housed one of Park City‘s first diners, the Mt. Air Café, for years, but Squatters took over and renovated nicely to provide an airy brewpub experience. The ample parking off Main Street is a bonus.

Red Rock, in the Redstone shopping area, across town from Historic Old Town, is an airy and easily accessibly pub with six homemade brews on tap, like the Elephino IPA or an Oatmeal Stout, and lots of casual eats like daily fish and pasta specials, a chopped salad, burgers, pizzas, and appetizers like fried calamari and fried green tomatoes. A great place for families – lots of kid-friendly food, and Dad can watch the game on the multiple TVs.

Maxwell’s has truly become the neighborhood pub of the Newpark area of town. With multiple TVs and a family-friendly vibe where Mom can watch the hockey game and the kids can run around on the outside patio, you’ll find this place filled with local ski bums at the bar and families in the booths. Add in the huge NY-style pizzas they’re famous for (try the Italian Stallion, with pepperoni, Italian sausage, and grilled chicken), and you have a winning combination. The boneless chicken wings and the Sunday Bloody Mary bar with all the fixings are local faves.

Even though Butcher’s is a nice steak house (“elegance without arrogance” is the owner’s motto), with one of the most appealing bars in town (a full wall of gleaming bottles behind the bar, views of the Town Lift just outside the door), they double as a great place to go and watch the game. The late night menu is offered until midnight. Order the housemade potato chips topped with melted Monterey Jack and aged blue cheese.

Drafts is only just over a year old, but already a locals’ favorite. Right on the plaza at Westgate Park City Resort, it’s a popular après-ski spot. The food portions are humongous; their appetizers like the “tachos” (like nachos, only with tater tots underneath the melted smoked mozzarella, bacon, tomato and scallion) is football-player-filling; and they offer unique food pairings to top both burgers and pizzas (one pizza has a fried egg on top). With 20 beers on tap and 30 bottled choices, you won’t go thirsty at halftime.

When you’re ready to call it a day on the slopes, take Park City Mountain Resort’s Quittin’ Time run down to High West, the world’s only ski-in gastro-distillery. Tour the space, then try the 36th Vote Barreled Manhattan, made from a pre-Prohibition cocktail recipe that calls for aging the drink for 90 days in white oak barrels. The food goes down pretty easily, too: A bowl of elk chili will warm you right down to the toes of your ski socks. For lighter fare, the popcorn tossed with bacon, caramel, and cashews is sweet, salty, and a nice counterpoint to a glass of double rye.

Located in Park City‘s renovated Masonic Hall on historic Main Street, the Riverhorse caters to a high-end fine-dining crowd. Seth Adams, the executive chef and co-owner who drives the seasonally appropriate creative menu, has brought home prestigious awards, including a few that were firsts in the state of Utah. While the Riverhorse has a great selection of wine, it does allow patrons to bring in their own bottles for a $25 corkage fee. The restaurant is family friendly, with healthy selections on the kids’ menu. Dress is “mountain casual,” and reservations are strongly encouraged.