Utah’s very own Slackwater Pizzeria recently received the honor of being listed on Yelp’s top 100 U.S. restaurants of 2026.
The popular Utah chain was listed at No. 9 on the list.
“It’s a testament to the hard work of everybody, right?” co-owner Blake Hirschi said. “Like I always say, restaurants is a team sport. Not any one person can do anything. You have to have everybody working together. It’s a testament to how many great people work with us that care about the food and care about the community and the guest experience.”
Yelp reviews are all about that guest experience, and Slackwater’s reviews are high — that’s what landed them on the list. One reason for that is because of the atmosphere of Slackwater, according to Utah’s Yelp community manager.
“Slackwater is very intentional in the way that they offer their atmosphere,” Lo Mekkelson said. “It’s become such a cool community hub for people. So I think that they have really nailed that as far as their high ratings on their yelp page goes. People always have glowing things to say about just the space itself and how welcoming it is.”
The list is compiled of the highest-reviewed restaurants all ranked by the Yelp community, so it’s a big deal to have a Utah restaurant on the list.
“It’s really cool to see a Utah spot ranked this high on the list and getting that No. 9 spot out of 100 is really special for Salt Lake,” Mekkelson said. “I think that we are booming as far as food and entertainment is really accelerating in Salt Lake.”
Slackwater’s pizza crust offers a somewhat sweet, crispy taste, along with providing a loaded menu of unique pizza options.
“And the secret to Slackwater’s ‘absolutely yummy,’ ‘melt-in-your-mouth,’ craveable pizza crust? A 15-year-old yeast starter that they cultivated and continually propagate," the article says.
The origins of Slackwater
The first location of Slackwater opened up in Ogden, Utah. Then locations in Salt Lake City, Sandy and Herriman opened up, soon followed by a spot in Provo.
“The community really supports us,” Hirschi said. “I mean, we wouldn’t be anywhere without our guests, and they continue to help us grow. And the demand, obviously, is there, so that’s a part of why we continue to grow.”
At Slackwater, the food is “almost 100% made from scratch,” according to Hirschi.
One of his favorite things to do when showing someone around the restaurant is to take them to the freezer to see how small it is, so they know the food is fresh.
“It’s a very tiny, little, single door freezer,” Hirschi said. “Because, you know, everything’s fresh. Everything’s fresh, made from scratch.”
What I ordered
I’ve been to Slackwater many times. It’s a personal favorite of mine. I love the chill atmosphere and the welcoming vibe, and the pizza is delicious.
Here are a few of my favorite menu items:
- Hot Honey DP pizza: It’s a pizza loaded with double pepperoni, drizzled with hot honey on top. It’s a sticky, delightful mess of a pizza. (This one is also one of Hirschi’s favorites.)
- Check your garlic breath: This appetizer is a favorite if you love garlic. It’s oven-roasted whole garlic heads, paired with gorgonzola cream cheese spread and pico de gallo, served up with slices of warm, soft focaccia bread.
- Tikkachu: If you’re looking for a little different pizza experience with an Indian flair, this is a treat. It has masala sauce as the base and comes with marinated chicken, basmati rice, red onions and a three-cheese blend on top.
It can get pretty busy around dinner, so be sure to check wait times or reserve a table through Yelp if you go.
“We love our community, we love our mountains, and we’re just grateful for the people that work for us or with us in the restaurant that define the culture that people feel when they come through the door and then the community that comes in to dine with us,” Hirschi said. “We’re just beyond grateful.”