Ordering a drink in a Utah restaurant: what to expect

Yes, you can order a glass of wine, a beer or a cocktail in most Utah restaurants. But the rules behind the bar are stricter than in most states, and a few of them show up at your table. Knowing them keeps a dinner from turning into a confusing conversation with your server. Here is how it works in plain terms. The rules have changed repeatedly, so check the state's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABC) for the current text.

Why is Utah different?

Utah is a "control state": the state itself, through the DABC, runs the wholesale trade in wine and spirits and operates the retail stores that sell them. Restaurants buy their wine and liquor from the state, not from private distributors the way they would in many other states. Licenses are also capped in number. In 2024, the legislature passed House Bill 548, which the state summarized as increasing the number of bar and full-service restaurant licenses available for a given population and allowing canned cocktails at eligible licensed places. Most of its provisions took effect on May 1, 2024.

Do you have to join a club to get a drink?

No. Older Utah law required people to join a private club, or be the guest of a member, to be served in a bar. That membership system was eliminated years ago, and the reform also drew a clearer line between restaurants and bars. You can walk into a licensed bar or restaurant and order, as long as you are of age and carry valid identification. Expect to be asked for ID even if you look well over 21.

What was the "Zion curtain"?

For years, many Utah restaurants had to hide the preparation of mixed drinks from diners behind a barrier, nicknamed the Zion curtain. In 2017, a reform made the barrier optional. A restaurant could keep it or use another layout. Some restaurants removed their wall, some kept it, and the layout of the bar may still look unusual to visitors. It is worth asking if you want to sit at the bar, since seating rules vary by license and layout.

Can you order a drink without food?

It depends on the type of license. A restaurant license is built around serving meals, and a bar license is built around serving drinks. Utah restaurants have long served alcohol alongside meals. Rules differ by license type, so ask your server or host when you sit down. If you want a drink and not a full meal, a bar or tavern is usually the simpler route.

What about wine lists and cocktails?

Changes over the years let diners order flights and larger formats with a meal. The details vary by license and by year, and drink menus in Utah can be shorter than in a city with an open market. Restaurants often make up for it with careful cocktails and a short, well-chosen wine list. If a bottle you want is not on the menu, the state's purchasing system may be the reason. Canned cocktails became an option under the 2024 law, and you may see them on some menus.

What should you know about beer, strength and driving?

Beer at lower strength is sold in grocery and convenience stores, and stronger beer, wine and spirits come from the state-run stores. Drink strength can matter when you order from a restaurant menu, and your server can tell you what a pour contains. Utah also set one of the strictest drunk driving limits in the country, 0.05 blood alcohol content, which took effect at the end of 2018. That is lower than the 0.08 limit in most states, so one drink can matter. Use a ride service, the TRAX rail in Salt Lake City, or a designated driver.

How do tips, tax and checks work with alcohol?

Alcohol is taxed as part of the meal, and Utah counties may add a restaurant tax. Many diners tip on the full total including drinks. If you are splitting the check, ask for separate checks for drinks at the start; one person's cocktail is another person's iced tea. A guide to splitting the check in the US covers the etiquette.

Can you drink alcohol with a meal on a Sunday?

Yes, in licensed restaurants and bars, and Utah's rules apply every day of the week. What changes on a Sunday is not the legal right to a drink but how many places are open. Plan a Sunday dinner around the restaurants that are open, and book it. If you want a cocktail with brunch, ask when the bar opens, because some restaurants start alcohol service later than the kitchen opens. The state's wine and spirits stores are closed on Sundays, so buy a bottle for the hotel room on Saturday. Beer in grocery stores follows the stores' own hours.

What should you ask your server about drinks?

Three questions save time. Ask what the house pour is, because Utah restaurants buy from the state and the selection can be tight. Ask whether a drink comes with the meal or is ordered at the bar, since some layouts separate them. And ask how the restaurant handles checks: separate checks for a group are easiest if you ask when you order the first round. Servers handle these questions every night.

How do you remember the Utah dinner you want again?

A Utah dinner comes down to details: the dish that went well with a flight, the room that seated you without fuss, the cocktail worth ordering twice. Mosey is a food app for finding, rating and sharing places to eat, so rate the dish you ate, tag the places that suit your table with Date Night, Cocktails, Wine List or Non-Alcoholic Options, and share the list with whoever is traveling with you. Rate tonight's dinner and your next Utah booking is easy.

More guides to read next:

• Are Utah restaurants open on Sundays? What to expect and how to plan
• Utah scones, Navajo tacos and honey butter: what to order and what they are
• Where to eat during ski season in Utah: Park City and the canyons

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.