Blue Iguana - Salt Lake City

4.4

629 Reviews

$30 and under

Mexican

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 23, 2024

8:30 PM

Booked 29 times today

Charming
Good for groups
Great for creative cocktails

Purchased from the Red Iguana family in 1998, the Blue Iguana Restaurant has provided patrons with delicious, authentic Mexican food for over two decades. From day one, the only goal for Blue Iguana was to create a menu rich with traditional, old-world recipes while pushing the culinary envelope and creating new, one-of-a-kind Mexican cuisine.

Trained by the culinary artists of Chihuahua, our head chef, Chef Castillo, cooks up some of the most mouth-watering and unexpected Mexican cuisine outside of his homeland. After he learned closely guarded recipes created in the tradition of generations-old Aztec cuisine, Chef Castillo began applying these techniques to create everything from classic Mexican dishes to modern cuisine.

Our restaurant is warm, inviting, family-friendly, and full of energy. Dining at the Blue Iguana is more than a meal—it’s a journey back in time to the tastes and sounds of old-world Mexico.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Mexican, Traditional Mexican, Mexican / Southwestern
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu 11:00 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–10:00 pm Dinner Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(801) 533-8900
Website
http://blueiguanarestaurant.net/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Chef Castillo

Location
165 S West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Neighborhood
Downtown
Cross street
165 S. West Temple (below Benihana)
Parking details
Public Lot
Additional
Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wine

Popular dishes

Killer Nachos
Chorizo, chile verde, beans, the works!
Veggie Nachos
Large corn tortilla wedges smothered with black beans, cheese, sour cream, sliced jalapenos and tomatoes
Rajas de Chile con Queso
Roasted chile pepper strips with cheese and sour cream. Served with flour or corn tortillas
Buffalo Wings
Spicy chicken with your choice of mole sauce
Hongos a la Blue Iguana
Sauteed mushrooms with crushed chile pepper and spices. Served with flour or corn tortillas
Encurtidas
Famous Blue Iguana stuffed jalapeños with cheese and bay shrimp
Chile con Quezo
Chile with cheese. Served with chips
Quesadillas
Flour tortillas stuffed with your choice. Guacamole and sour cream on the side
Queso
Chorizo con Papas (spicy pork sausage with potatoes), Rajas de Chile (roasted chiles), Hongos (mushrooms), Camaron (bay Shrimp), Pollo O' Res (chicken or Beef)

Enchiladas

Three Beef, Chicken, or Chile Verde, Cheese
Any of the above in 2 large flour tortillas
Enchiladas Verdes
Chicken and sour cream smothered with mole verde and cheese
Enchiladas Amarillas
Carnitas smothered with amarillo mole and cheese
Enchiladas Suizas
Chicken and sour cream with mole poblano and cheese
Entomatadas
Chicken and sour cream smothered in tomato sauce, accented with jalapeños
Seafood Enchiladas
Bay shrimp, scallops, and yellowfin tuna smothered in a white sauce and cheese

Tacos & Burritos

Tacos (Order of 2)
Res (shredded beef), Asada (charbroiled sirloin), Pollo (roasted chicken), Carnitas (roasted pork), Tinga (slow-roasted pork with chiles – very spicy!), Pescado (grilled yellowfin tuna), Camaron (shrimp), Chorizo & Potatoes (spicy pork sausage and potatoes), Don Manuel (steak and chorizo)
Flautas
Traditional rolled beef or chicken taquitos
Camarones, Pineapple and Chorizo
An incredible combination!
Burritos
Served with sour cream and guacamole. Res (shredded beef), Pollo (roasted chicken), Chile Verde, Carnitas, Chile Colorado, Asada, Tinga Poblana
Burrito Ahogado
Your choice of chile verde, chicken or beef smothered with chile colorado and cheese
Burrito Grande
Beef, chicken, chile verde, rice & beans inside, smothered in Spanish sauce. If you eat it all, dessert is free!

Meats & Seafood

Chile Verde
Made with pork, green chile and tomatillo sauce
Chile Colorado
Cubed beef with red chile sauce
Tinga Poblana
Slow-roasted shredded pork. Spicy!
Steak a la Ranchera
10-ounce New York steak diced, smothered with ranchero sauce and diced potato
Steak Encebollado
10-ounce New York steak grilled and topped with sautéed onions
Shrimp Sonora
Seven large prawns sautéed in a garlic butter sauce
Camarones Iguana
Seven large prawns sautéed in a spicy chile sauce
Seafood Chimichangas
Deep-fried burrito with scallops, shrimp and tuna in a creamy white sauce. Served with sour cream and guacamole
Chimichangas
Deep-fried burrito smothered with tomato sauce and cheese. Served with sour cream and guacamole. Choice of Beef, Chicken, Tinga, or Chile Verde
Molcajete
Grilled steak, chicken, shrimp, chiles, and cactus in a tomatillo sauce and panela cheese. Served in a molcajete stone bowl

Vegetarian

Chimichanga
Vegetarian-style with roasted vegetables. Served with rice and beans, guacamole and sour cream
Chile Rellenos
2 anaheim peppers stuffed with cheese
Vegetarian Tostadas
Bean, Guacamole

Vegetarian Burrito

Veggie Burrito
Roasted Vegetables. Yum!
Bean and Cheese

Vegetarian Tacos

Hongos (2)
Sautéed mushrooms with a side of rice and beans
Guacamole (2)
Homemade guacamole with a side of rice and beans
Blue Iguana Veggie Taco (2)
Black beans, cheese, pico de gallo, avocado, with a side of rice and beans

Vegetarian Enchiladas

Papazules
Two enchiladas stuffed with hard-boiled eggs smothered with mole verde
Enmoladas
Three bean enchiladas with mole negro and fresh onions
Rancheras
Two cheese enchiladas smothered in ranchera sauce topped with mushrooms, onions, and roasted bell peppers
Poblanas
Cheese enchiladas smothered with mole poblano
Rice & Avocado
Smothered in tomato sauce and cheese

Moles

Verde
Green chiles, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and spices
Negro
Chocolate-based black mole with peanuts
Coloradito
Mild chiles, pine nuts, and peanuts give this mole its flavor
Pipian
Roasted pumpkin seeds and guajillo chiles
Amarillo
Almonds, veggies, and habanero chiles. very hot!
Poblano
Red chiles and peanuts, with a dash of cinnamon and chocolate. Deliciously rich!
De Almendras
Original blue iguana almond mole
Camarones en Mole
Seven large prawns with choice of mole

Salads

Taco Salad
Grilled steak or grilled chicken
Guacamole
Green salad topped with generous portions of guacamole
Shrimp Salad
Fresh greens topped with grilled prawn
Verde
House dinner salad
De Pollo
Green salad topped with grilled chicken blue iguana style
Tuna Salad
Fresh greens topped with grilled yellowfin tuna

Kids

Mini Burrito
Mini Quesadilla
Mini Taco
Enchiladita
Mini Burgers
Mini Corn Dogs
Chicken Nuggets

Cocktails & Beer

Margaritas & Shots
Herradura Silver, Tres Generaciones, Jimador, Corralejo, 1800, Hornitos and more. Voted Utah's Best Margarita!

Other Great Drinks

Wine
Rum Drinks
Daiquiris
Kahlua

Real Beer

Bohemia
Corona Extra
Modelo Especial
Negra Modelo
Pacifico

Utah Beer (3.2%)

Budweiser
Bud Lite
Carta Blanca
Corona Lite
Dos Equis
Miller
Miller Lite
Sol
Tecate
Ultra Lite

Desserts

Tres Leches Cake
A white sponge cake soaks up a blend of three milks; evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk & whole milk. Topped with whipped cream & a fresh strawberry
Caramel Flan
Silky custard with a creamy caramel sauce. We then dribble chocolate on top
Xango
Rich, smooth cheesecake rolled in a flaky pastry tortilla then fried to a golden brown
Fried Ice Cream
A large scoop of vanilla ice cream in cinnamon and corn flakes. Topped with whipped cream & chocolate sauce

What 629 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4

4.4 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.5Service
4.5Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Blue Iguana in Salt Lake City offers a vibrant atmosphere with "spectacular" food and friendly service. Known for its "awesome mole" and live music, it's perfect for group gatherings. While some find it loud, others appreciate the quick service and generous portions. Reservations are recommended for a seamless experience.

629 Reviews

J
Jake
Salt Lake City
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We love this place!!! Food was perfect, service was great…again.
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K
Kent
Salt Lake City
24 reviews
4.0
24 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Food and service was great. We needed a table for 8 and had a reservation. Two tables were put together to accommodate that many but the tables were uneven. So it made it difficult for the people in the middle to be comfortable. No effort was made to try and fix it.
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K
Ken and Kate
Salt Lake City
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 1
Solid 2 1/2 stars. The food was ok. Not bad but not great. I’ve had better but I’ve also had worse. Encurtidos (shrimp stuffed jalapenos) menu description was much better than the actual execution. Tasted alright but was much more soggy than expected from the description. We also had tacos and enchiladas. Both plates were solidly mediocre. The complimentary chips and salsa were very good, however. Environment was very loud and we both found the chairs rather uncomfortable. The service was slow. While the bussing staff was great about clearing plates quickly and bringing a box for leftovers, the actual server took 20 minutes to get back to us after she clearly saw our plates cleared and us sitting there with the to-go box. She passed us 7 times over that 20 minutes before we could get her attention and ask for our check. Then it was another 10 minutes before we got the check. We had the card out to pay - in clear view- when she brought the check and she still tried to walk away. I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here again. If I was already downtown, craving Mexican food, and I’d already tried all the other restaurants in the area and didn’t have a fav, I might stop in if it wasn’t too busy.
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ES
ErikS
Phoenix
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great ambience, staff, food, and drinks. This will become my go-to restaurant when staying downtown. Make reservations early in the day.
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P
Patrick
Salt Lake City
94 reviews
5.0
94 reviews
Dined on November 8, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Consistently great food and service. Love the loud decor!
Blue Iguana - Salt Lake CityResponded on November 8, 2024
Patrick, Thank you for the 5 star review! We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed our food and service!. We hope to see you here again soon!.
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L
Lelan
Salt Lake City
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on November 3, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was good at a good price, only a single person bathroom for the mens though and it was locked the entire time I was there. So couldn’t wash my hands or anything. Made reservations to get in, was packed waiting when we showed up but our table was ready. Food came quickly.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York City
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 2, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
I am a frequent customer of Blue Iguana. I love the ambiance and the people. Blue Iguana had a live singer and a Dias Des Los Muertos remembrance table. My date and I loved it. The only downside was the food and service. The server was sweet and patient with us. But, our steaks were overcooked, and unfortunately, the server came by once to give us more water and promptly left. I’m sure it was a one-time thing, though.
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L
Lori
Salt Lake City
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on October 31, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Everything was wonderful about our experience. We will be back
Blue Iguana - Salt Lake CityResponded on November 1, 2024
Lori, Thank you for the 5 stars!. We are so happy to hear that you had a great time and that you'll be back!. Hope to see you here soon.
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D
Dan
Salt Lake City
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on October 25, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 5
The server took our order. It was mostly correct. After that we had to flag him down continually.
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K
Kathleen
San Antonio
23 reviews
5.0
23 reviews
Dined on October 25, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Visiting from beautiful Tennessee, we were missing Mexican cuisine, well, Eureka! We found authentic Mexican and we found 5 kinds of mole, a wonderful find and a truly enjoyable evening. We sampled them all, and had sumptuous dishes; Steak fajitas and shrimp with mole poblano, so yummy. Bottom line, we would come back to SLC, just for the Blue Iguana, their wonderful staff(Maria, you are a star!!!) and all the people and families enjoying one another feasting on the best Mexican fare ever. And no TV to compete with authentic conversation. Love this place!
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FAQs

Blue Iguana - Salt Lake City offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (801) 533-8900.

Blue Iguana - Salt Lake City is rated 4.4 stars by 629 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 23, 2024

8:30 PM

Booked 29 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Blue Iguana - Salt Lake City

165 S West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Additional information

Cross street
165 S. West Temple (below Benihana)
Neighborhood
Downtown
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu 11:00 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–10:00 pm Dinner Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Mexican, Traditional Mexican, Mexican / Southwestern
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Public Lot
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Chef Castillo
Additional
Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wine

Website
http://blueiguanarestaurant.net/
Phone number
(801) 533-8900

Blue Iguana - Salt Lake City

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Seafood Enchiladas

Hongos a la Blue Iguana

Blue Iguana Veggie Taco (2)

Appetizers

Killer Nachos

Veggie Nachos

Rajas de Chile con Queso

Buffalo Wings

Hongos a la Blue Iguana

Encurtidas

Chile con Quezo

Quesadillas

Queso

Enchiladas

Three Beef, Chicken, or Chile Verde, Cheese

Enchiladas Verdes

Enchiladas Amarillas

Enchiladas Suizas

Entomatadas

Seafood Enchiladas

Tacos & Burritos

Tacos (Order of 2)

Flautas

Camarones, Pineapple and Chorizo

Burritos

Burrito Ahogado

Burrito Grande

Meats & Seafood

Chile Verde

Chile Colorado

Tinga Poblana

Steak a la Ranchera

Steak Encebollado

Shrimp Sonora

Camarones Iguana

Seafood Chimichangas

Chimichangas

Molcajete

Vegetarian

Chimichanga

Chile Rellenos

Vegetarian Tostadas

Vegetarian Burrito

Veggie Burrito

Bean and Cheese

Vegetarian Tacos

Hongos (2)

Guacamole (2)

Blue Iguana Veggie Taco (2)

Vegetarian Enchiladas

Papazules

Enmoladas

Rancheras

Poblanas

Rice & Avocado

Moles

Verde

Negro

Coloradito

Pipian

Amarillo

Poblano

De Almendras

Camarones en Mole

Salads

Taco Salad

Guacamole

Shrimp Salad

Verde

De Pollo

Tuna Salad

Kids

Mini Burrito

Mini Quesadilla

Mini Taco

Enchiladita