- Slackwater Pizzeria ranked ninth in Yelp's Top 100 Restaurants for 2026.
- Yelp praised Slackwater's pop culture-themed menu and 15-year-old yeast starter.
- It's the first Utah restaurant on the list since Little India in 2024.
SALT LAKE CITY — One of the best places to find pizza and other food items, according to Yelp, can be found throughout the Wasatch Front.
The review site named Slackwater Pizzeria as the ninth-best restaurant in the country on its annual "Top 100 Restaurants" list, which it unveiled on Wednesday.
"For those who love their pizzas with a side of pop culture, this popular Utah chain hits the spot," Yelp wrote, referring to Slackwater's menu, which is filled with references to movies, TV shows, musical artists and other pop culture forms. "Rotating monthly specials are suggested by the entire team based on their travels or favorite TV shows. ... If diners love it, it gets added to the regular menu."
The restaurant's use of a 15-year-old yeast starter and vast beer menu also earned praise from the website and Yelp reviewers. It currently holds 4.6 out of 5 stars on the website, with one reviewer calling its pizza combos "really fun."
It's the lone Utah restaurant to crack Yelp's Top 100 this year. It's the first time any Utah restaurant has been featured on the annual list since Little India (987 W. 500 North in American Fork) landed at No. 19 in 2024.
While Yelp specifically highlighted Slackwater's Salt Lake City location, 684 S. 500 West, Slackwater debuted in Ogden in 2011 before expanding to Sandy and then Salt Lake City. It has since added locations in Provo and Herriman.
"We believe in having unique spaces that feed off of the areas they are in," said Slackwater co-owner Blake Hirschi in a press release after the Salt Lake City location opened within the city's growing Granary District in 2021.
Yelp isn't the only one to feature the restaurant in recent history. Sports media tycoon Dave Portnoy highlighted the chain last year, along with several other local pizza spots, as part of his "One Bite Pizza Reviews" social media venture. He ultimately gave Slackwater a 7.3 out of 10, praising the pizza's light and crispy crust.
Meanwhile, other national lists have given Utah restaurants some love. Cosmica, 945 S. 300 West, was named as one of the 50 places in the New York Times' "America's Best Restaurants 2025" in September.
More praise could be on its way, too. Michelin Guide officials announced last month that they've been scouring the Wasatch region for restaurants to feature in its upcoming publication, "The Michelin Guide Southwest." The first publication is scheduled to be released later this year.
