SAOLA Restaurant and Lounge

Saola is such a vibey place! The staff was very friendly, the food was fast, fresh and delicious! The general Tso’s chicken was sooo good and they gave very generous portion sizes. After devouring the appi’s, I didn’t have enough room to finish my meal. I look forward to my leftovers!

Stayed at the Courtyard Marriot Saola was the best option. Coming from LA they had amazing asian food and amazing drinks. The waitresses and owner were all friendly and we had some of the best conversations on our trip. If your staying at the hotel you have to come to this place and pay it a visit!

My boyfriend and I spotted SAOLA on a Saturday evening when waiting for our table at Eight Settlers across the way. Out of curiosity I googled the restaurant and when we realized they serve pho we knew we had to try it. My boyfriend recently became obsessed with pho! I'll have it be known that it only took me 6 years to convince him to try it, so taking him around to try pho has been a fun experience for the both of us. He ordered the filet mignon pho and I ordered the filet mignon vermicelli salad. OH MY GOSH - where to even start! My boyfriend was sweet in sharing his broth with me and let me just say this is hands down the most flavorful broth I have ever tried. It is no wonder they don't serve it with the traditional add ins (available upon request) - it doesn't need it! As for my dish, there was so much tender steak on my plate I thought 'this is definitely worth $28!' The flavors were amazing and the shiso (purple leaf) had a flavor that I had never experienced before. Our waitress was so kind and gentle with us, she even took the time to give us a little back story about the restaurant and the pho (line of generational pho). We will definitely be returning, and soon!

Gwen is amazing and she keeps this restaurant immaculately maintained. The food is absolutely phenomenal. I will not go to another Thai restaurant since I tasted their banh mi french dip with au jus. I am excited to try their other items on the menu!

Delicious beef Pho, large portion. Much fancier decor than my norm, but see the appeal. Great location at mouth of Big Cottonwood. Great meal after a day on the slopes.

5/5 Grapefruit salad, Peking duck, crab fried noodles, eggplant, fried spring roll, Bulgogi 4/5 Chicken salad, mango salad, fried dumplings 3/5 tofu and bokchoy, tempura shrimp 2/5 Scallop and noodle Beautiful space. Long working hours (esp on Sunday). Food is quite authentic. Lots of parking. Waiting time is too long.

We were greeted warmly upon arriving, the restaurant looks very clean and impressive. All the staff were very professional, attentive and accommodating. The dish - impressive presentation, very delicious and good amount of serving too. They're a bit pricy but it could be due to dinner setting/pricing but well worth it in terms of taste and service. Ample parking shared by other establishment in the area. Very satisfied overall 👌

Perfect anniversary date night spot! Very beautiful location snuggled up against the mountains, easy to find right off the freeway, and lots of parking. They also take reservations online. Our waitress Katia was so incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, she suggested some amazing dishes that we had to try. I was so impressed with the phenomenal cocktails-the Lemongrass Mojito and One Night in Bangkok were our favorites. I loved the garnishing and the flavors were just dreamy. The Tamarind glazed salmon was the highlight of the meal. I loved the spicy oil served on the side and the noodles were delicious. The sushi is SO fresh and incredibly tasty. So glad to have found this spot, looking forward to visiting again and bringing the kids as they have some items that they would certainly enjoy, even the picky eaters!

We went here as a large group for mothers day. The hostess was very very nice . We had 4 toddlers and it was a bit chaotic but the staff was very nice. Our food was excellent. Everything was very fresh and fragrant and on point on taste . The ambiance and seating were very modern and appealing. The location and the views outside are so beautiful. This is my new go to place. Absolutely and highly recommend this place for people who love high quality asian food.

Food presentation is beautiful. Dishes are spiced perfectly, and taste amazing. I had the shrimp, mango basil dish, one of the best dishes I’ve had in Utah. The guava iced tea was delicious, highly recommend and can’t wait to come back and try other dishes.

Gorgeous dining atmosphere. Their food tastes just like my mom's cooking, so I absolutely love it. Will be back.

Absolutely delicious. The atmosphere was so unique, romantic and inviting. Some of the best food I've ever had. My salmon was a bit on the too saucy side, but it was so crispy. The dumplings were delightful. The French dip was so yummy. The drinks were amazing - the lychee cosmo was probably the best vodka drink I've ever had. It was wonderful. Highly recommend for a nice date or occasion.

We enjoyed the Taro Boba and a fresh squeezed lemonade alongside an order of Pho and the pork vermicelli. The restaurant is very clean and elegant. The staff were very friendly. The food and drinks were fresh, longingly assembled, and very tasty. We’ll be back.

We stopped in after a day if skiing on the mountain to be pleasantly surprised with AMAZING Food! Gwen was our lovely waitress, I highly recommend sitting in her section. She paid attention to the details and made sure that we had all we needed to enjoy our delishish food. Hubby enjoyed a shrimp salad, it was super fresh and extremely tasty. I ordered a vegetarian pho bowl 🥣 and Gwen brought out some of the homemade chilli 🌶 sauce, it elevated the senses and I could not stop eating my soup as it was one of the best who's I have had! Very authentic! Hubby even ended up ordering a bowl as it was that good! Our son is a tad picky, bit was pleasantly surprised to receive his rice in a gold bowl!! 😁 the fresh lemonade was refreshing and had small chunks of fresh lemon and mint on top! If you are looking for a great place to eat, stop in, you won't regret it! Thanks for the delish food, we will be back to see you all soon!

The food here is excellent though pricey. I would argue it is worth every dime though! I've been here a few times now and really enjoyed the Chang Mai noodles, spring rolls, lettuce rolls, pho, and French dip banh mi. Everything I've tried has been awesome and very flavorful. The only things I would change are the amount of onions and potatoes on the Chang Mai noodles (way too much onion, not enough potato - but everything else in the dish is great) and the playlist, which has been low-fi, chill, pop covers of other popular songs (nobody wants that, just play Thai or Vietnamese music or just the original songs idk).

Good food with excellent service. Everything we ordered was delicious. Not too busy on a Friday night.

Beautiful restaurant with great service. My husband had the Sea Bass and loved it, I had the Salmon and it was amazing. They have gluten friendly dishes but they have a shared kitchen so might not work for a celiac. This place should have been packed we couldn’t find anything we didn’t like.

We came for Valentine’s Day knowing we’d have the place to ourselves since they are mainly just doing takeout before their grand opening. Beautiful space with classy decor. The food was amazing. We tried the taro spring rolls, the bulgogi cheese steak and the rare round eye pho. All was delicious and well presented. The service was great. They are super upbeat and attentive. Great experience even considering the space isn’t 100% ready for prime time. We’ll be back Update: came back tonight with the kids for first time. They loved it. Had vegan pho, pad thai, citrus slaw and vermicelli salad. Everything was fresh and delicious. I hope they thrive because we need more awesome places like this in Cottonwood Heights. BTW Shawn was a great waiter.

It was a quiet night, but that didn't take away from the service nor the atmosphere. Our server, Veronica, was very warm and welcoming. She knew the menu really well, too. I had the Chiang Mai Noodles and the curry tasted very authentic. We also tried the sea bass, various sushi options and our 3 yr old had the little pho (no kid menu, tho). All the flavors were fantastic! I highly recommend SAOLA!

It was such a cold night. I was in the mood for PHO everything was closed on a sunday night in utah except this place and let me tell you it was for a reason, by far the best pho i have tried hands down. Had some spring rolls and to top my beautiful fine dine night a delicious Lemmon Grass Mojito !! Its such a pleasant atmosphere and my waitress Nita was such a beautiful soul, so attentive and gentle always had a smile on her face this place gets a 10/10.

We live close to this restaurant but I didn’t even knew it existed until the other night when my husband and I happened upon it. And we are so glad we did!! We had an amazing meal. Every bite was delicious. (Highly recommend the wok rice with kimchi-filet mignon!) We will definitely be going back for more.

they made it a special night for us and even went out on all the decor. Will be coming back again, the drink was phenomenal, vibes were great, we were having a good time! Had the chicken but the bbq looked so good, too bad we're a poultry kind of couple

Exceptional meal. Great ambiance. Our server was polite, kind, knowledge, and was able to describe the dishes in a delectable manner. I wanted to eat everything. We got the scallops and the Garlic Noodles - they were delicious! One of the most extensive cocktail menus in the valley. We had an Aviation and Negroni (plain I know, but there were a ton of other options). For the location and decor we expected the prices to be higher, but the bang for the buck was there. I’ve seen some reviews saying it was pricey, but I thought it right in line with what I expected. We’ll be back for sure.

I can't even tell you how good the food is. Seriously, the spicy oil is nutty and adds not only spice, but flavor. The herbs in the dishes are fresh and aromatic. Honestly, I didn't think I'd ever enjoyed a fresh mint leaf in a bite of a cold savory dish... let me tell you - it'll change your life. The atmosphere is quiet and elegant, the service is prompt and kind, and the food is to die for. Just don't all come at once, because I love my hidden gem with a quiet smooth vibe. But if you haven't been here you're missing out.

Ate here a few days ago it was nice and waited for a table for a little bit, not too loud, chic decor, favorite was the garlic noodles!

We wanted to go to Pho Thin, but were unaware of the relocation/dining hour change/unavailable dine in option and already drove out from the avenues so we decides to give Soala a try. The service was great, our server and the hostess were super helpful and patient with us. The decor and ambiance were nice and chic. The food however I didn't really love especially for the price. I got their filet mignon pho, and for almost $30 it was nothing spectacular. Not the best pho I've had in the valley, and for 3x the price of the average bowl I wasn't super stoked (I'm sure the filet was why it's pricier but tbh I didn't taste much of a difference between that and brisket I normally get) I also would have loved if it was served with a soup spoon so I could have more of the broth, and if the hoisin and Sriracha wasn't served in a rationed cup (same cup also... so if you can't handle spice or don't like/want Sriracha good luck I suppose) My husband loves sushi (again wasn't expecting to get sushi tonight we wanted pho) so he opted to try the sushi here and wasn't too impressed either, the spicy tuna roll didn't have much spice or taste and the Vegas roll was very cold and not that flavorful either. Overall wasn't our favorite place but it was nice to try a new place out in the valley.

Diverse menu with many options. Plenty of free parking. Service was great! The fresh squeezed limeade and thigh basil mango shrimp are excellent!

We like how the place is decorated. It could have been better if they had put the pineapple fried rice inside the pineapple like in the photo they have on their online menu. Some other Thai food places usually do style like that. The food got the taste, but the shrimp fried rice was salty. Cocktails looked good from what I saw at the bar. Mine was good, too. We like the rice cake (bột chiên). The chicken salad was ok. I wished they had put more decorations in their dishes when serving the food on plates.

Saola is a bit of an interesting spot right at the entrance to big cottonwood canyon. The prices are indicative of a very high end dining experience for metro SLC. While the food is fairly well prepared, I wouldn’t say that I was overly impressed. The wine and cocktail list is severely lacking, which makes sense, no great bartender is going to work at such a slow restaurant (winter with skiers IDK). If you want a quiet and romantic dinner for two, I’d suggest you try this out. If you want any semblance of energy or vibe, you’re not going to find it here. Overall, it’s a nice spot that is overpriced and somewhat underwhelming. I’d skip dessert and appetizers. If you want a $30 Pho, you’ll find it here. My tip to the restaurant if you want more vibe? Get some serious happy hour vibes and offerings going… your price point is way over even if you have rose gold everywhere.

Get the Vietnamese food, not the sushi and you'll be so happy!! During the day they also do a lunch Pho option on the side and it's the best I've had in SLC!

Do not eat your Pho out of the takeout bowls. The bottoms leak and both my husband’s and mine left permanent marks on our dining room table. I called to tell them and the person I spoke with didn’t sound overly concerned —she told me that the bowls were “decompose-able” and that this hasn’t happened before. I’m pretty sure that the bowls shouldn’t start biodegrading as I’m eating my meal and if it happened to both of us, I doubt that we’re the first or last. The pho was good, but not better than our favorite local Vietnamese restaurant (which also costs less). I’m not sure if/ when we’ll be back.

The restaurant was well decorated, and would likely be a great place for a social night out. The food was decently good and well plated, but was nothing to write home about, and certainly not good enough to justify the high price. Lastly, our waitress left a very poor impression - she hardly spoke to us, opting for a silent stare instead, tried to take the menus away after we ordered a single plate of the Sichuan Dumplings to start, and then left about half the food behind when she boxed a dish for us, though I, unfortunately, didn't notice until I went to eat the rest the following day. All that said, perhaps this was an exception and things are typically better than this. If I get the opportunity to return I will gladly update my review if I have a different experience.

Good food. Coconut stout but no plumb wine.... kind of cold, slow/no bar service, no soap in bathroom, no paper towel in bathroom. Really good green vegan curry, and the Buddha roll is a veggie supreme being, but food quality was eclipsed by the lack of service element.

We went here for Valentine’s Day dinner. They had a set menu, which we didn’t realize while booking. The Valentines dinner for two, $85 each. We paid $270 for two cocktails, a SHARED appetizer, entrees, and two desserts (small). I’ve been to other restaurants in SLC with similar pricing and just felt like this place was doing a Valentine’s Day scam. We saw multiple parties arrive and leave, so I would guess we weren’t the only ones surprised. The whole thing felt scammy and since gratuity was included (20%) I felt as though our waitress didn’t care to serve us properly or nicely. Food was good and place was cute, just didn’t feel like the money was worth it.

I left a 5-star review eight months ago, praising them for having some of the best cocktails around. Went there over the weekend, and the atmosphere and decor were still great, but that’s pretty much where the positives ended. Despite the restaurant being far from busy, the service was incredibly slow. We were left waiting and ignored for most of the night. It was especially strange to see the servers making their own cocktails — no bartender in sight. For the kind of prices they’re charging, you’d expect a full team and at least a decent level of service. But instead, we got long waits, lack of attention, and drinks that felt more like DIY experiments. I’ve been here before and really enjoyed it, which is why this visit was such a letdown. It honestly felt like a completely different restaurant. The food took a while to come out, and while it tasted okay, the prices are now bordering on ridiculous for what you get. If they’re going to charge fine dining prices, they really need to bring back the fine dining experience. Right now, it’s just not worth it.

Chose this restaurant for what was supposed to be a special night out on V-Day and instead walked away feeling completely dissatisfied. From the start, the experience felt misleading and overpriced. Only after being seated did we find out that the entire dining room was locked into an $85 per person set menu. There was no prior notice when we made the reservation, no alternatives, and no flexibility, just a SHARED starter and one entrée and dessert each. We chose egg rolls for our shared starter and were given 2 egg rolls, so we each got ONE egg roll which is comical at that point. For a bill that quickly pushes well over $100 per person with tax and tip (btw 20% gratituity was added automatically), the portions and lack of choice felt unreasonable. Unfortunately, the food didn’t come close to justifying the cost. The flavors were dull, the presentation unimpressive, and the overall quality felt far below what the price point suggests. During the evening we saw multiple parties question the menu setup and decide to leave, which honestly spoke volumes. While the staff interaction was fine and the ambiance was nothing remarkable, neither could make up for the sense of paying premium prices for a subpar meal. In the end, it felt like style over substance and certainly not a place we would revisit or suggest to anyone expecting value for their money.

Valentine’s Day SCAM. We booked a reservation for Valentine’s Day. My boyfriend and I showed up for our reservation and upon being seated we noticed a “Valentines Day” menu. I asked if they were still able to serve other food, and was informed that only the set menu was available tonight. Keep in mind this was NOT something we were informed on when we made the reservation. Additionally, the price per person for this set menu was $85. That’s not necessarily the overall issue though, we came to try entirely different plates. Our bill was $240 with a set 20% gratituity. I am from Scottsdale, and my boyfriend and I have spent much less, for way better food, in much nicer restaurants… The set menu was very limited and we were extremely disappointed. The server was kind, I am sure she had been dealing with complaints all day, but regardless the service was not up to par for the pricing. All in all this was absolutely a Valentine’s Day scam.

The most overpriced meal ever! A set menu for the holiday, that no one was notified of prior to arrival when making the reservation. The quality of the food was very poor. When the table next to us complained about the chicken, which was somehow sitting in a pool of grease, with soggy skin but dry inside, their server told them that “those were things that were outside of her control”. What?? The lady asked her if she could at least pass the feedback onto the kitchen. Other tables around us complained about various things with little success of getting any real results. The multi-course, prefixed menu would imply that the food would be served in courses, but for us and the table closest to us the appetizer and the entrees arrived together. Absolutely dismal. If you are going to add a 20% gratuity to a 2 top, maybe train the servers to actually take care of the customers. And finally, with no soap in the bathroom, how is your staff washing their hands????? We won’t be back.

We came to celebrate Valentine’s Day expecting a special evening, but it was a major disappointment. We were not informed in advance that there would be a mandatory fixed menu at $85 per person. There were no options — we had to share one appetizer, and each person received one main course and one dessert. For that price, it felt extremely overpriced. Unfortunately, the food quality did not justify the cost. The dishes lacked flavor and overall felt low quality. We also saw several tables arrive, ask about the menu, and leave. Very disappointing experience. I would not recommend it.

took my girlfriend out for valentine's day and found out about the valentines menu when we were seated. (not told after res and not on the website). the menu consisted of 2 main dishes to choose from with a shared appetizer (2 egg rolls like cmon) and $85 a head with 20% gratuity. the genuine lack of options and mid tier service is why this is one star the original menu looked great and to not be able to try anything is ridiculous. I hope the owner enjoyed their cash grab they obviously needed the money and don't value returning customers.