Shades Taproom adds to SLC's newest foodie corner
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T-Rex pizza and cocktails at Shades Taproom. Photo: Erin Alberty/Axios
A new taproom by Shades Brewing brings a sizable addition to 300 West's burgeoning entertainment scene.
The big picture: With apartments and condos popping up along the onetime industrial corridor, restaurants and breweries have nestled between big-box stores to make the area more of a neighborhood.
Catch up quick: The Granary District has made 300 West a place to live and play close to downtown — but farther south, the newly rebuilt thoroughfare remained mostly the domain of Walmart, Costco and Lowes.
The latest: With the opening of Shades Taproom last week at 1388 S. 300 West, that part of the neighborhood is changing too.
- Fillings & Emulsions, the James Beard-semifinalist bakery, had its grand opening across the street last month as the new centerpiece of the Block Party 300 Food Hall.
- A kombucha taproom and wellness shop is nearby, and Top Taco is coming soon.
Inside the room: Shades Taproom is enormous, with multiple rooms and patios.
- The patio faces 300 West, signaling hope that the busy street has truly become more human-friendly since it was rebuilt to add sidewalks and a bike lane that put some distance between the cars and cafe seating.
Drink up: 50 taps line the bar's backsplash, with about 20 operational as of this week.
- Shades is known for its broad selection of flavored beers, like pastry stouts and fruity sours.
- The cocktail menu is solid. My favorite was the Ladder to Nowhere ($15) — a fruity vodka concoction with rhubarb and absinthe to cut through the juice. The smoky, mezcal Yellow Iron Beam also was good, and bartenders say the Cherry Stardust is a big hit.
Chow down: The food menu is a fairly straightforward lineup of pub standards, but with more veggies than you might guess.
- The T-Rex New Haven-style pizza ($19.75) was excellent.
What we're watching: Whether the city and state will prioritize walkability in the neighborhood as housing there continues to develop.
- It's still a big road. A pedestrian bridge and trees would make a real difference.