Penny Ann's Cafe: Mom & Pop Establishment with Homemade Food

While I was out of town last week, a good friend texted me that we needed to go to Penny Ann's Cafe; and soon. Typically, he and I go to lunch about once a week. He has gotten into the rhythm of what is a "Jeff" place. Upon sitting down at Penny Ann's, he knew that this would be one. I truly appreciate his surveillance on my behalf.

As I drove up, I knew that this would likely be a joint that I would enjoy. Most often, I go by the feel of a place. Penny Ann's Cafe had some temporary banner signs advertising their hours. Not the type of place to draw in tourists but you are not going to find tourists on this block of Main St. anyway. This is a joint for locals. It's very close to another great restaurant, Grove's Market.

The food here is homemade and you can definitely tell it is good quality. I ordered the Corned Beef Grill: corned beef, caramelized onions, cole slaw & Swiss cheese on grilled sourdough bread. I was in Heaven. The corned beef is thinly sliced, tender, and very moist & flavorful. The cole slaw is creamy, crunchy, but not overpowering as you find with most cabbage. They put a very lite amount of Swiss cheese in the sandwich. This was perfect as you got just enough Swiss taste, but didn't feel like you where choking on a glob of cheese.

As a side, I ordered the Caesar salad. The dressing was amazing. It's easy to tell that it was homemade as you could taste the anchovies in the dressing. This gives it an "earthiness" component; absolutely delicious.

I was stuffed but my friend ordered a slice of Key Lime Pie for dessert. I took a bite. The pies are also homemade and taste as if they were made in a fancy bakery. It was fabulous: sweet & tart.

I will be back soon. The question is, who is coming with me?

Penny Ann's Cafe

1810 South Main Street

Salt Lake City, Utah, 84115

Get a free slice of pie at Penny Ann's by texting "PIE" to 42828. Well worth the effort.


Happy Eating