Hub & Spoke Diner

Food was very tasty, for the first time in a while my omelet I ordered from a restaurant wasn’t burned is was tender and light the filling for the Salt Lake Omelet was perfect however as tasty as they were the rosemary potatoes didn’t fit well in the dish, my wife had the pecan waffle, simply delicious, now for the bad part the service was horrendous from the hosts to the wait staff, they all seemed very concerned with how they looked, we sat for ten minutes before anyone acknowledged our existence one waitress finally noticed we hadn’t even got water and found our waiter for us.

Was in Utah with my family in February and we discovered Hub & Spoke. The food was great, the space was comfortable, the service was solid, and the prices were reasonable. What more do you want?
I do think having the word «Diner» in the name causes some customers/​reviewers to gripe in part because they view Hub & Spoke through that traditional diner lens. So, yes, if you’re looking for a New England/​New Jersey-​styled diner, with its massive menu, this isn’t the place for you. But if you want a really good weekend brunch place or simply a tasty breakfast or lunch, it’s worth the visit.
My kids loved the French toast and pancakes (they cleaned their plates and wanted more), my wife got the mushroom and onion omelet, and I had the fried chicken salad. The chicken was crispy and tasty, and it was clearly made entirely in house. Lastly, the bacon. Oh, the bacon! It was thick cut and so very good. My 5-​year-​old daughter, who is a bacon connoisseur prodigy, said it was the best she ever had.

I had high hopes after I saw they leave vegetarian items on their menu, but the pancakes smelled awful and the omelette was put together haphazardly. The coffee was fantastic – robust and full of flavor. The service was mediocre and we never received our sides that were supposed to accompany the meal. We asked and the server never apologized, just brought out the wrong item; at that point I was over it.

Location and ambiance is on point. We had to wait about 25 minutes and there isn’t a waiting area. We waiting outside on the curb, but the host gave us coffee while we waited.
I got the Kentucky hot brown and I devoured it, it was so good. The service was a little slower and the bathrooms were gross.

I will start out saying the food looked and tasted good, I just hope I live through the experience after the shit we saw going on in the front of the house! Our meal started out with the waiter greeting us wreaking of cigarettes. Now I’m not one that normally cares but bad first impression, the poor ladies next to us we’re practically begging to get their bill, one guess where the waiter was yep smoking. The very next thing our waiters phone rings he pulls it out answers it on the floor «not the only time we saw his phone «the busboy if you want to call him that was doing absolutely nothing but clearing a few dishes of the table after people left, what he did made my jaw hit the ground I had at this point already eat or I would have got up and walked out! Ok so he was sitting at the counter eating grabbed a bus tub set it on the customer chair grabbed the dirty dishes arranged the condiments then wiped the table of with his bare hands that no he didn’t bother washing prior to bussing after eating. The manager’s sat on the counter completely oblivious to everything around them! Here is a picture starting on the left gm next front end manager next bus boy our waiter one guess where he was during picture yep smoking! I won’t be back I don’t need to get that sick! I could go on and on about the lack of oversight by the mngs about the lazy busboy about our chain smoking waiter who was swimming, his words not mine suffice it to say I you like going to see the three ring circus it’s a good show just don’t be surprised by the food poisoning afterwards. Nobody washed hands ever including our waiter! Wow what an experience it was!

I’ve read a lot of mixed reviews and I’ve even posted a mixed review. I gave Hub and Spoke another try today and it was INCREDIBLE. I’m already figuring out when I can go back.
We went to celebrate a birthday at lunch and they opened up the private space in the back for us, which was really nice. We are a loud group, so it was nice to know that we wouldn’t be disrupting anyone else. There were 13 of us and Julia B. handled us like a champ. We had all sorts of crazy orders with side dishes, some people were splitting, some were paying for others, all separate checks, and she handled it all with grace. :)
Onto the food. I got the fried chicken salad. And I know that breakfast is their thing so I worried about getting a salad, but goodness gracious, I think salads should be their thing too because it was absolutely fabulous. Start with this: a bed of romaine and spring mix, top it with cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced cucumbers, diced beets, thinly sliced radishes, avocados, then add the most delicious fried chicken (that has been pulled off the bone, is moist with tons of flavor, and has the crispiest skin you can imagine) then add a few bacon crumbles, and a homemade buttermilk ranch just for fun. Seriously, the best salad I’ve had in a long while.
I also split the Salt Lake omelette with a friend. The omelet was good, but not necessarily incredible. I liked all the fillings but omelettes don’t usually shine. But the side of potatoes. I dream about these potatoes. They are so crisp that you almost think it’s a french fry and then you bite in and it’s like a soft pillowy warmth. It’s great. So good. And has the perfect amount of salt. The omelette came with your choice of toast (wheat, rye, sourdough). It wasn’t excellent bread but it came with a pineapple basil jam that was pretty fun. I wasn’t into it but I had most everyone else try it and they really liked it.
So moral of the story, I’m going back soon. And I’m ordering all the fried chicken they have and I’m washing it down with Sarsaparilla root beer (because they are one of the few places in SLC that carry this delicious stuff) and I’m requesting Julia B.

The first time we went here the experience was awful. We waited 20 minutes without anyone bringing a menu or water as my baby got increasingly impatient. Everyone else was served quickly so I suspect they objected to the presence of a baby, which is a crazy since this is a diner. It’s designed for family eating. Finally after speaking with the manager we had average service.
The second time the service was good, but the food was unimpressive. My husband’s fries tasted like they made the fries the previous day and then stuck them in the fryer a second time to reheat them. My French toast was fine, but I could make better food myself.
I want to like this place because it’s convenient and has excellent hours, but it’s just not worth it.

So creative! This place is must for brunch, everything on the menu was so unique, it was hard to choose just one option.
We ordered the Kentucky Hot Brown and the Crab Salad Benedict and both were amazing!
I also ordered a Bloody Mary from the bar and it was super spicy, which is great, but they use the small crunchy ice which makes sipping a drink just annoying. I would recommend ordering mixed drinks with no ice. Not a real issue.

This is definitely not the restaurant you want to go to if you have any interest at all in watching your calories or you’re not interested in eating meat. Generally speaking, I can find something I’m really excited about eating at any restaurant at any price point, but at Hub and Spoke this was not the case.
Our waiter suggested the veggie pot pie, which would great if you don’t mind having lots of fat in the flaky pastry crust.
I think diet conscious people are going to have a really hard time eating here. I ended up getting a house salad, which was drenched in salad dressing and had lots of candied sunflower clusters on it. It was soggy and uninteresting. My husband on the other hand loved the special of the night, that was a pork steak.
The atmosphere is hip and lively, décor is masculine and modern. I was really hoping this is going to be a great place that we could both enjoy, the problem is I really couldn’t eat anything here. Interestingly, our waiter told us that several other people had complained about the lack of healthy options on the menu.

Atmosphere, service, creativity, and menu selection get 5 stars. I absolutely love the approach they take, and it’s a beautiful space… but at the end of a day, you have to judge a restaurant on the food, and everyone dining with me had at least one major technical mistake in their meal.
All in all, I think Hub & Spoke is a case of style over substance… and I’ll bet they have very inexperienced cowboy cooks in the kitchen who haven’t paid their dues to learn enough of the basics before running off and calling themselves chefs, because if you go there when it’s dead, you’ll get a great meal, but if it’s busy, it’s wildly inconsistent and standards fall to the floor. No amount of passion, good taste, or creativity can make up for lack of consistency, skill, and good kitchen management. That said, if the cooks there can learn consistency and skill and plate for edibility rather than making sure every dish looks hipster enough, they’ll be golden because they’ve got everything else it takes to be one of the best places in SLC.
(1) The chicken pot pie was served at an entirely inedible temperature, and due to being served in a much-​too-​hot cast iron skillet, it never cooled down enough to eat. This is a rookie oversight. My friend who ordered it had to stave off hunger by picking off our plates because her pot pie was like the surface of the sun. When everyone had finished their meals and dessert, we all were able to take a few bites and it was a unique and tasty take on a classic.
(2) The corned beef hash was very inconsistently cooked, with some bits undercooked, and others overcooked, and the entire thing had a good quarter cup of oil sitting in the bottom. Nothing but lack of foresight and skill there. The ingredients are great, but that dish should have never gone out with a puddle of oil and half-​cooked beets.
(3) The cranberry apple pie was downright disappointing. Bland, dry, difficult to eat due to the crust’s dryness, and is was absurdly tart. Just not well thought out. I doubt the kitchen ever tried that pie.
(4) The chicken and waffles, while tasty, was an incredibly messily put together plate. They need to consider the ratio and presentation of ingredients not just from the standpoint of «does it look good?» but from «will it be good to eat?» Simple considerations like providing a plate that is big enough (!!!) and a decently sharp knife can go a long way, but H&S doesn’t currently bother with such things.

Probably the best service I’ve had at a restaurant in the last year. Very helpful, attentive, and would follow up politely.
I ordered the wood fired burger. The bacon relish was surprisingly good — it’s basically minced bacon and tomatoes. The fries were delicious and well-​cooked.

Do not give a chicken waffles and to go they do not give you potatoes and they already dressed dressed

The food is high quality and creative. Service is great and you won’t leave hungry. The Overnight Chai-​Spiced Farro with coconut milk was to die for. Also the chicken and waffle sandwich was perfect. The perfect amount of maple is used to counter the fried goodness of the chicken.
If you plan on going to H&S on the weekend, get there early or there will be a wait. Can’t wait to go back for more.

We have been to Hub and Spoke many times in the past and absolutely loved the place. Tonight was way below those standards.
They have changed the way some of the menu items are prepared. The macaroni and cheese is no longer fixed in a cast iron skillet. Instead it’s a glob served in a dish with regular noodles rather than spätzle. It also came with a salad. Would have been nice for our waiter to mention a side salad was unnecessary. That wasn’t the case so my wife got 2 salads
The lettuce was in pretty rough shape — wilted and starting to rot. We sent one back but it’s replacement wasn’t much better
The chicken pot pie was great. Served in a cast iron skillet and very hot.
The soup special — cream of mushroom — was also tasty
The service was slow.
Just not the same place as when it first opened. Unfortunate because it could be a great local neighborhood eatery

I had the Salt Lake omelet without the meat and fruit instead of the toast. It was alright. I wish the fruit hadn’t been in some kind of sweet syrup. That substitution cost me $ 2 and I couldn’t eat more than a few bites. The Bloody Mary’s and mimosas are served in what is basically a 2in high ramekin and cost $ 4.
The staff was pretty good. We were a large party of 9 women. And two were giving Sally Albright from When Harry Met Sally a run for her money with their overly specific ordering and requests. And our waiter handled it very well. The other women in my party loved what they ordered so I will likely go back and try more of the menu.

At this point in my young life, I’ve visited Hub & Spoke a total of three times. I usually never have much of an issue with the food while eating IN house, but my most recent visit was a call in order… and everything was just wrong. [Okay saying EVERYTHING is dramatic, let’s just say that MY order was completely wrong and completely disappointing].
On those faithful days in which my boss or I haven’t brought in a lunch, we like to place a pick-​up order from different great local restaurants. Our most recent order was to Hub and Spoke.
My boss called in our order, and said the girl taking it was severely confused about the Salt Lake omelet saying there ISN’T meat in it — when, House-​made Lardo is explicitly stated on the menu. My boss corrected her saying no, there definitely IS meat in menu item and it needs to be removed. The employee said she’d see if the chef could do that, but it probably wouldn’t be a problem.
I should interrupt this story with an important bulletin: Also at this point in my young life, every time I’ve visited Hub and Spoke I have ordered the Salt Lake Omelet… without their house-​made Lardo, as… it’s meat. So I KNOW the SL Omelet. This has never been an issue for me in the past — in fact my waiter usually will ask if I’d like avocado in lieu of meat… and that’s a giant YES from my side. What’s the old saying? Give someone an avocado, they’ll love you forever? I made that up… but new life lesson.
Here is where omelet catastrophe struck:
Once receiving the food, we pulled mine out to make sure it reallllly didn’t have meat on it, and were sidetracked with the fact that none of the advertised sides had been put in the box (potatoes and toast). Since we were still in the parking lot, I ran back in to have this rectified. The employee told me something to the effect of: «Oh it comes with either potatoes or toast, which do you want?» I know from my previous dining in experience that this meal comes with BOTH, but I wasn’t going to argue… in all reality, potatoes are all I ever need… ever. She went back to have them add potatoes and when returning told me she had extra added for my troubles. Okay, that was fine, and appreciated.
But then… once getting back to the office, the actual cutting into and unveiling the inside of the omelet made for one of the most depressing food moments of my life.
There was no meat in the omelet as I had originally feared. Instead. I found out that I had been given the Mushroom omelet. Had I ordered the mushroom omelet that would have been one thing. But that order would have never left my tongue as I. Hate. Mushrooms. One of the very few foods that I cannot easily stomach. MUSHROOMS. And oh, oh, oh! this omelet was not lacking in the Mushrooms. A Mushroom omelet is a Mushroom omelet. It was jam packed full of them to the point that it was impossible to see anything but the fungi. So mushroom lovers, get on this one. But overall this meal was destroyed for me. I picked at the egg part of the omelet, had a few of the mushrooms, but mainly ate the potatoes… at least I had extra of those.
This experience really soured my taste for Hub & Spoke, and I know I will not be calling in any pick-​up orders anytime soon. We’ll see if I’m willing to venture IN again, as I’ve never seemed to have much of an issue there, but at this point I’d probably turn elsewhere for a more simple and fulfilling dining experience.

THE FOOD
Absolutely amazing! Tasted like a completely home-​cooked meal. I got the breakfast biscuit, roasted potatoes, and vanilla latte and I’ll probably get the exact same thing the next time I go!
THE SERVICE
Exquisite! They were friendly, prompt, and knowledgable about the menu.
OVERALL EXPERIENCE
5 stars, no doubt.

I have tried. Three times. First time food was good. Service was bad. Second time food was meh, service was atrocious. Third time food was horrible, service was not good.
Navajo tacos are not burned crackers that can’t be cut. Last night we sent ours back and our friends at another table had the same problem, but she just ate the toppings.
Kids had pancakes. One child’s pancake was cooked properly on one side, but the other side was burned and hidden on the plate. It did not taste good at all. The other child’s pancake was overcooked on both sides and they served it to him anyway. He didn’t want to send it back, but he didn’t eat it.
I really wanted to like this place in our hood, but the consistency is terrible. The consistency is not quality food and good service. I feel like the Pago, Finca, ELTH, H&S group of restaurants suffers from becoming a chain of sorts and quality is gone because owner/​management/​chef cannot be at all places and the staff does not work well without supervision.
Our waiter would tie up his man bun at the counter then carry out plates. That’s pretty bad.
Cook was in the window texting on his phone (does he use it in the bathroom?), then handling food.

What happens when the owner of Pago, Finca, and East Liberty Tap House decides to make another restaurant baby? Voila! Hub & Spoke Diner! In theory, it’s a great concept gathering some of the best known SLC restaurant chefs to serve a large variety of items – alcoholic shakes (yes, EtOH shakes), fried chicken and waffles, breakfast all day, mac & cheese, and choices galore!
Having been here 3 – 4 times, I have to say it’s not bad… but food is rarely consistent (especially the boozy shake). The service has always been good to me though, whether it’s a large party of about 10 people or small group of 4! ^_​^
Irish Coffee ($ 8): Irish whiskey, brown sugar, coffee, ice cream. This was SUPER sweet, but def had a good alcoholic kick. I enjoyed the tasty, but it was too runny for my preference. I’d recommend asking for this extra thick.
Salted Caramel ($ 8): Bourbon, caramel, sea salt, ice cream. This came out a little too liquidy for my preference. There wasn’t enough salt to really contrast the caramel’s sweetness. Boubon wasn’t bad though and definitely came through for the drink. I’d recommend asking for this to be thicker too.
Grasshopper ($ 8): Fresh mint, crème de mint, chocolate liquor, ice cream. I had this the first time I came here and asked for it a little thicker. It came out just right, and I loved it! It wasn’t too sweet or concentrated, while having all the right chocolaty minty flavors. I enjoyed this and couldn’t wait to come back!
Pound Cake French Toast ($ 9.25): Lemon curd, blueberry maple syrup. This cake is more porous and light than what the pound cakes I’ve been used to. Taste had a subtle lemon tangy kick and was lightly sweet. The blueberry maple syrup definitely kicked the sweetness and flavor up a couple notches. I did enjoy this, but I don’t think if it’s worth the price tag.
Spaetzle Mac & Cheese ($ 9.99): Gruyère and cheddar cheese. This dish has been super inconsistent for me. I’ve tried this every time that I’ve been here and the first time, it was moist and ooey-​gooey. The second time, it was dry and was kinda hard in texture. The third time was more like a medium of the two. I personally liked it being ooey-​gooey with the crunch on top most. Flavor has been consistent, so overall it’s never been bad, but it definitely is tough to rate this dish high because this dish always comes out differently.
Chicken and Waffle Sandwich ($ 10.50): Pecan waffle, fried chicken, fermented chile maple syrup, and sunny up egg. This dish came with H&S potatoes, which was really disappointing – it had too much herb, was under cooked, and wasn’t worth finishing. Chicken was SUPER moist with such a crispy batter. I really enjoyed the protein. The pecan waffles was thin and didn’t have much pecans, but taste was overall good. The fermented chile maple syrup was so-​so for me. The sunny up egg was cooked to my preference. My biggest complaint about this entire dish is that everything was just too oily.
FYI, their bacon & sausage sides are HUGE! It’s totally worth it to add it on the side!
Happy eatings!
Tip 1: Go in a small group. They seem to make dishes better and time dishes out much better in smaller parties and when it’s empty. Seems obvious… but still…
Tip 2: If you get the boozy shake, make sure to ask for it extra thick!
Tip 3: Restrooms are by the entrance!

Serve breakfast all day? I am in!!! However, consistency is a problem here.
We were here during the first day of their opening. The booze shakes was watery, my egg white was uncooked, and they forgot to give Tony L’s water and diet coke twice. Since they were trying to get everything together and trying to get more feedback from customers, It was forgivable.
Of course, we had to come back to give them a second chance. The service was on the top! The booze shake was creamy and thick after we requested it to be thicker. Kentucky Hot Brown definitely became one of my favorite dish! Don’t forget about the dessert, their Rhubarb pie is a must try dessert! Ask them to warm up the pie and add some ice cream on the side. Server was so nice that she gave us 2 big scoops of ice cream!
Since last time was great, we invited more friends to try Hub & Spoke. This time the booze shake is more on the watery side. All the food left a greasy oil aftertaste in our mouth. Rhubarb pie was more tart because strawberries in the pie were not ripened. The ice cream with the pie was soupy. I am weird. I actually didn’t mind that my ice cream was soupy because I like my ice cream soupy sometime. Third time experience was not so pleasant.
Spotty food experience is a turn off but I did return back to Hub & Spoke for some rhubarb pie. The fourth experience wasn’t that bad. My pie was not tart. I guess the shake will always be on the liquidy side from now on.
Now I am kind curious about my fifth experience in the future.