The Annex by Epic Brewing

Our server Mike R. was super helpful and knowledgable about both the beer menu and the food menu. He we was efficient and fast paced, but pleasant. We had the Mountain Ale and the Peach Saison, both were well balanced and under 5%! This was some of the best food we had on our road trip. We had salmon with wild mushroom risotto and the steak with gorgonzola potatoes, both were amazing and fresh. I would recommend to anyone traveling, they do accept pets on their patio but may request they be tied up outside.

After half-​heartedly thinking about getting back to this place on and off for the better part of the roughly 2 years since my last visit, this is officially the review where I officially write this place off, for good, unless I happen to pop in to pick up a pint of one of their libations, but given the availability in pretty much any grocery store I can think of in the immediate area, that idea seems pretty remote, particularly having to fight for somewhere to leave the car while I ran that errand. Most of the previous review still stands. Beers are ok to good, but nothing world-​shattering. Restaurant is as confusing as ever.
Inside, I still hate the layout, which does not even approach feeling warm and inviting for yours truly. This time we happened to be somewhere we could see both the kitchen and the bar/​tv screen area, which was kind of neat, but the overwhelming feeling we had was not one of hanging in there, best epitomized by my son’s insistence that we leave well before we were close to being done eating. In that case, he spoke for us all, but I wound up spending a good amount of time puzzling over exactly what they were trying to do with that place. I didn’t know then and don’t know now and it seems unlikely to me that the restaurant does, either. Even with a more simplified, much less adventurous menu, the kitchen staff still does not have the skill set of executing to the levels that whoever dreamed up the food choices had in mind.
Let’s take… say the potatoes or the papas bravas, which are a fancy way of saying seasoned potato cubes (more or less cubes). They were flavored well, looked fantastic but inside were very firm, much closer to raw. So, great color, but requiring of far more force than necessary to eat. Taste was pretty good, but they needed to be notably softer. The Swedish pancakes, likewise, tasted fine, but the syrups that came with were dreadful and they were a lot thicker than what I consider reasonable for that food. This trend also extended to the biscuits and gravy. Here, they totally went off the rails.
Look, if someone comes in ordering biscuits and gravy, they generally are expecting a few things. First and foremost is a white country gravy, preferably with a good amount of ground pepper and breakfast sausage crumbles in it. This was a gravy that had a very off-​flavor to it, which did not meld well with anything and its sort of tannish color was far from appetizing. My wife thought it was from a powdered turkey gravy mix, which is possible, I suppose, but I’ve yet to have one that bad. The gravy was inedible and the biscuits, characterized as jalapeño cheddar, were not far behind, about the same shape and density of hockey pucks, though they tasted more like a mass of dough than of vulcanized rubber, thankfully. No discernible jalapeño or cheddar flavor and most of this entrée was a total misfire. My wife’s veggie burger was more veggie mush and I suspect they needed to use much higher heat when firing it instead of whatever method they wound up using.
On the plus side, bacon, while a bit bland, was cooked well enough and they are the first restaurant in recent memory to actually delivery me eggs over-​medium when I order them that way instead of over-​easy, which was a nice surprise to see. Still, it’s hard to see this as a viable option, if one element of a breakfast is all they can execute correctly and even though my effort was admittedly half-​hearted, I’m done trying entirely. This place has seemingly been troubled since it opened and I’m really not sure this place is salvageable, but they definitely need to scale back their loftier menu ambitions until they can get/​retain someone with the skill set to reliably accomplish it.

I have been to Annex a couple of times and I have been overall very pleased with my food, beer and service. I love their Epic Brewery beers on tap and the fact that they offer samples– and food wise I have had the Mahi burger and the Annex burger both of which were quite delicious. Their fries and fry sauce are solid and I have no complaints, either. I have also gotten their wild mushroom risotto, and although I have a bit of an issue paying $ 14 for mushroom risotto– it is really, really reeeeallly freakin’ tasty. So besides the slightly expensive pricing and a sip of a bad whiskey mule cocktail, I’m sold! Good job, Annex!

I’ve never been so offended in my life. $ 14 for a burger with a frozen patty? What makes you think this was a good decision? You’re catering to a higher end clientele. You guys brew good beer but can’t seem to get the resultant business figured out. Time to shut the doors and move on or relinquish control and hire a GM that runs the show. It’s even obvious to your customers that ownership is the problem here.

We (my wife and my kids) were visiting from Princeton, New Jersey. I had questions about the beer and Utah’s seemingly eccentric alcohol laws. These were patiently explained to us by the friendly and welcoming staff.
I’m a big craft ale drinker and love visiting breweries and hasten pubs. The menu at The Annex was overwhelming. There was so much available we opted to drink samples instead of being limited to drinking one or two.
I ordered the lamb burger. Awesome but messy. I didn’t care. The beer and the burger were heaven. My wife had a salad and my kids had chicken. They both enjoyed their meal. My daughter insisted that I leave a positive review on Unilocal

Epic makes the best and most interesting beers in SLC by a long shot. If you’re into beer and visiting this town, you need to come here in a major way.
I can’t speak for the food, but the people we saw eating looked happy enough, and portions were large. The service was nice enough and attentive, and the general atmosphere was great. The space is beautiful and nicely decorated. Epic’s beer is really fantastic — inventive, experimental, perfectly executed. I’d tell you to bring the beer geek in your life here even if the food was crappy and the waitstaff smelled. Fortunately, it ain’t and they don’t.

I do like this place. The open and spacious set-​up creates some good vibes. If you come here with a group of friends you will be able to enjoy some good beers and some authentic American food.
There is a really good choice of beers, ranging from self-​brewed ones to international ones. The issue is just, it’s hard to choose sometimes what to drink. I can recommend their Lager.
Their burgers and steaks are tasty and the salmon is fresh. But having that said, the food has a lot of flavor enhancers and artificial additions. Also, waiting over 30 minutes for 2 entrees to come up when the place was only half full is just not ok.
Service is ok and trys their best but they certainly have an opportunity to step up their game.
After all a place with great vibes, average food and solid beers.
Get a reservation for a Friday and Saturday night.

Go for the beer … Wonderful beers !!
Great to go in and taste different ones.
Eat before you go so you don’t have to waste money on their food
The food is not worth the price. The nachos were chips with fake cheese bagged cheese and some pico on top. The burger was ok but not great. Fries are regular fries you are just paying extra.
The cake was good
This has potential if they improved their food and prices

I keep telling myself that I’m through ordering $ 14 burgers when places like Lucky 13 and Crown get the job done better for less, but there I was at The Annex on New Years Eve, perusing a menu full of expensive and uninteresting entrees. The burger was affordable and palatable, so I went for it. Medium rare.
We started with poutine and beer samplers, and the poutine was excellent. The gravy was so good, we scraped the bowl clean. I wasn’t a fan of the beer, though to be honest, my beer palate isn’t very sophisticated (YOU might like the beer).
The burgers came and they were a-​okay. Both were well done; why do restaurants even give you the option if they’re just going to cook the shit out of their burgers anyway? Nothing worth writing home about, and I’d like to reiterate the fact that I think it’s pretty presumptuous for establishments to charge exorbitant rates for food that doesn’t even approach the high bar set by cheaper restaurants.
$ 14 for sitting in your cool restaurant, drinking your neat beer? Nope.

Deviled eggs are my favorite appetizer ,
Lamb burger is a must try !
I like their various selections of cold and hot food available.
I also love that they offer 1 – 3 0z sample sizes of the beer.
The hostess is always pleasant and upbeat

Great lazy Saturday afternoon. Beermosas are the way to go! Daily selection with good flavor combination and only $ 4! So good and definitely not light on the EtOH. The charcuterie board was amazing. And they were nice enough to give it to us free of charge because the kitchen was down and they couldn’t make the peppers we had ordered. A little pricey but the portions aren’t skimpy.

Solid beer pub.
Beers:
Wit beer — 3 stars (not my style)
Sour Apple Saison — 5 stars (my favorite)
Sage Saison — 4 stars (interesting)
Appetizer:
Korean chicken wings — 5 stars (spicy spicy spicy, tasty tasty tasty)
Entrée:
Burger — 4 stars (mainly because the beef patty was delicious)
Service:
Waitress was nice and efficient. Someone always came by to make sure our water was replenished.
Ambience:
Outdoor seating highly recommended for people watching & getting some sun. Also we came in our gym clothes and we didn’t feel out of place. It was a low key vibe even on a Saturday evening.

The Saturday brunch was a delight. Knocked straight out from the Maple-​Brined Ham Biscuit. Hefty portion of thinly shaved ham and a fried egg on top to boot. So good!
It also came with these amaze potatoes on the side. Not like any other potato in SLC. One bite and I was like, whoa.
Great addition to Sugarhouse. We will be back. Looking forward to how the dinner menu taste!

I first went to The Annex when it had just opened and at the time I found that the main dishes were disjointed in flavor e.g. the sides served with the fish didnt match the flavor of the fish. However, their menu has since changed and resembles more typical brewpub food, including lots of burgers, herb fried chicken, chicken wings etc. The entrees are a little more expensive than some other brewpubs in Salt Lake City ($ 15 for a burger) but the food was well cooked and tasty. I would like it if they served gluten free buns with the burgers as I can’t eat the bread, or at least offer lettuce leaves or another gluten free alternative.
Epic beers are high quality and The Annex offers tasting sizes for $ 1 which is a great way to sample the beer menu. The Annex also has a limited range of cocktails ($ 9) and wines. The cocktails are strong and a lot of attention to detail has gone into the recipes. I recommend the one with high west and bitters.

The Annex is located in a pretty trendy area of Salt Lake City (my local friend said it’s an area near a cool neighborhood called Sugar House) on a fairly main street. Inside you’ll notice that it has an open interior full of industrial touches that seem to fit the area well.
As for food, I get the feeling that the meal experiences at The Annex are pretty hit or miss depending on what you order.
We of course, started with a beer each, she grabbed a pint of their 828 Stout, and I gave their Sage Saison a go. My saison was light, but pretty bitter (that sage seemed replaced the hop quality you’ll get in most beers).
For starters we both gravitated towards the steak tartare, and a shared order of pickles. For my main, I decided to get their seasonal app Spring Pea Ravioli which was perfect since I didn’t have the hugest appetite that evening. My lady friend decided on the fried chicken (she’d previously tried a couple of bites when she dined with her man and loved it).
Sadly, the tartare was grossly under seasoned. We finished what we could, and then anxiously waited for our entrees. I hope that the Raviolo is something they revisit on their menu often because it was exactly what I wanted. It was a single large piece, but tucked inside was a perfectly silky egg yolk and pea purée. The dish also had more peas and some kind of cured meat I’m pretty sure was coppa. The fried chicken was so-​so, not bad but not as she remembered either, cooked darker and with different sides than she was hoping for.
I would definitely considered a revisit to The Annex because my entrée was so stellar, but I would set my expectations a little lower in case what I got wasn’t as amazing as that raviolo I had the first time.

This place is simply amazing now. I’m a little starry eyed right now with their menu items. Some unique dishes and some seemingly basic, like fried chicken, but done extremely well.
Appetizers like the revamped poutine and mussel dishes won’t disappoint. The seasonal desserts make me wish they were year round. When they have a dessert special, it truly is special.
If you haven’t been here in awhile, it’s worth another visit.

Come try the beer. It will exceed your expectations. I tryed the Rye Lager and the Sour IPA. The Rye was as expected, and the Sour IPA was a real treat. I am not an IPA fan, but I typically like sours. After a recommendation from the bar tender I gave it a try. It was sour, which was perfect because it smoothed out the bitterness of the hops. I also tried the curry croquettes as a side to the beer. They were scrumptious and a fun combination inspired by Indian, French and Greek (tzatziki) cuisine. Next time I must try the. main dishes.
On a side note, this place was empty till after 5:30 pm on a Saturday. If you are looking for a lively crowd, come later in the evening.

Craft Brew scene in SLC… who knew?
Huge selection of tasty craft brews with 2oz tasters ranging from 50 cents to $ 2. I was kinda buzzed already, but I’d say everything I tasted was quite good!
Our waitress was super awesome and had a fun time explaining all the quirky alcohol control laws in Utah. Cool Chic interior full of hipster looking people merrily drinking beers. .yes folks, not everyone in SLC is a sober Mormon ;)

Three stars for the food & extensive beer list (plus a bevy of cocktails and wine by the glass) + one star for the rad people who work here + one last star for the killer ambiance and perfect locale in the heart of Sugar hood.
The menu has done a complete 180° since the first time I dined at Annex. Word on the street is that they brought on a new chef this year, as well as an in-​house pastry chef. I repeat: in-​house pastry chef. Some things on the current menu that you must try: the fried chicken, short ribs, beet salad, and local cheese plate. In that order. For dessert, the deconstructed s’mores are both beautifully presented and a delight to eat when it’s too cold outside to camp.
Some other things to keep an eye out for:
— Every Monday the chef doctors up a specialty burger. While I’m more of a burger traditionalist myself, these are worth a try if you’re feeling adventurous. Last night’s burger was Niman Ranch beef with pepper jelly and Gorgonzola.
— Geoff taps a firkin every Wednesday around happy hour and it’s firkin awesome. For those not in the know a firkin is a mini keg. I didn’t know what this was until they told me…
Last but not least, a special shout out to Krystle — the vegetarian server who stopped being a vegetarian to eat the fried chicken at Annex. She has served us on a couple of occasions and knows how to take care of business. She’ll make sure you leave full, fat, and happy.

5 stars for the fried chicken. My oh my. Best fried chicken EVER. Did I say get the fried chicken? I don’t know what they brine it in, but the meat is so moist and perfectly seasoned. The breading was very crispy. Everyone at the table was raving about this dish. Now, three days later, I find myself thinking about it…
And the s’mores. Why did I not try the s’mores dessert? Me thinks I need to come back.