The Best Restaurants near St. George (according to Google)

ST. GEORGE — If you’re looking for local classics, hidden gems, and culinary brilliance, this is not the article for you.

But what this article will show is which restaurants in Washington County have the most reviews, according to Google. Some of these may seem obvious but I guarantee you will be surprised, and possibly disappointed, by the top three.

10. Iceberg Drive Inn – 4.2 stars – 2230 reviews

Iceberg Drive Inn is a fast food chain restaurant with locations in Utah, Arizona, and California. From the website: “Famous for our Thick Shakes, Fries, and Hand-Breaded Onion Rings, but also serving freshly cooked hamburgers, sandwiches, and other unique food items.”

This will not be the last fast food restaurant on this list.

9. Chick-fil-A (River Road) – 4.7 stars – 2,273 reviews

Chick-fil-A is… do I really need to explain Chick-fil-A? You know what it is. From Wikipedia: “Chick-fil-A is one of the largest American fast food restaurant chains and the largest whose specialty is chicken sandwiches.”

This chicken sandwich joint is the ninth most reviewed restaurant in the county, but also one of the highest rated with an average of 4.7 stars. It’s not surprising. Have you seen those lines? Even though the River Road location has the most ratings, there are other locations in the Gardner Center at DSU and a newly-opened one on Auto Mall Drive.

8. Sakura – 4.7 stars – 2,318 reviews

According to their website, “Sakura is an authentic Japanese restaurant offering Sushi and Hibachi,” as well as a selection of other Asian foods. You don’t need to be a St. George longtimer to have heard great things about Sakura. It is also the first non-fast food restaurant on this list, although it is part of a *franchise.

(*I think Sakura is also a chain restaurant. Please email me if I’m wrong.)

7. Olive Garden – 4.3 – 2,448 reviews

From Wikipedia: “Olive Garden is an American casual dining restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine.” Olive Garden has locations all over the country, including one in St. George.

Its hard to imagine leaving a review at an Olive Garden after eating there. Couldn’t you just look at the reviews from another location? Nevertheless, 2,448 reviews.

6. George’s Corner – 4.4 stars – 2,639 reviews

George’s Corner is a local original with a long history. It’s been around since the 1930s at least, and claims to be one of the first “air cooled” buildings in St. George. George’s Corner serves a selection of American diner classics all throughout the day, from omelettes to burgers to ribs. It also serves as one of St. George’s few bars, and is the first non-chain restaurant on this list.

5. Viva Chicken – 4.6 stars – 2,854 reviews

From the Viva Chicken website: “Viva Chicken St. George is a Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken joint, specializing in fresh food and authentic Peruvian cuisine… Our menu is fresh, flavorful, and packed with inspired recipes that will transport your taste buds from St. George to the streets of Peru.”

Viva Chicken is another chain restaurant with dozens on locations, but a unique choice for St. George. Along with their chicken and regular menu items, they also feature a great selection of vegan and vegetarian options.

4. Texas Roadhouse – 4.1 stars – 3,385 reviews

A steakhouse chain that has grown to a $5.8 billion empire, famous for mid-priced steaks, ribs, bread rolls, and free peanuts. They boast that everything on their menu is made from scratch.

In April 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, CEO W. Kent Taylor announced he would donate the rest of his salary that year to frontline employees. According to Wikipedia, Taylor ended up donating “$1 million of his own salary to pay workers’ salaries, and he donated $5 million to Andy’s Outreach which is an employee emergency fund.” He passed away in 2021.

3. Cracker Barrel – 4.3 stars – 3,455 reviews

At last, we arrive at the winner’s podium. Taking the bronze medal is the southern themed chain restaurant and gift shop Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. Cracker Barrel is beloved by many. Is it the nostalgia? The food? The cozy environment? Who can say. Whatever they’re doing, we’re apparently loving it.

2. Black Bear Diner – 4.4 stars – 4,192 reviews

Another chain based mainly in the American west, the silver medal goes to Black Bear Diner, a restaurant which I feel confident saying features more bears per square foot than perhaps any eating establishment in the United States.

Their menu (which looks like a newspaper) contains “old-fashioned” comfort foods, including an expansive breakfast menu. Burgers, pancakes, shakes, etc. Maybe the cute bear carvings are what attract so many positive ratings?

1. In-N-Out Burger – 4.6 stars – 6,047 reviews

Finally, the gold medal, most-rated restaurant in all of Washington County: In-N-Out Burger, blowing the second place winner away by almost 2,000 reviews. The Washington In-N-Out, right by the I-15 exit, was the first location of the burger franchise in Utah.

It was a must-visit for Utahns on vacation until the chain built more locations up north. It is still the only In-N-Out in the almost 400 mile span between Las Vegas and Provo. The combination of scarcity, popularity, and die-hard fans make this perhaps the obvious first-place choice.

That concludes the official ranking. What do you think? Do these ten restaurants deserve their spots?