The Red Iguana - Salt Lake City

The Red Iguana was everything that I am looking for in a triple-D restaurant.  The food was original and amazing and the atmosphere was really enjoyable.

The service was exceptionally friendly even though I showed up during their peak dinner rush. I came in and got seated up front.  I initially thought that the restaurant was really small because I only saw about eight tables.  I later found the other 80% of the place.  There was even one table for two wedged into a former closet big enough for 1 1/2.

The mole plates caught my attention.  I had never heard of it before.  A quick wikipedia search says that mole is "Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl mulli or molli is the generic name for a number of sauces used in Mexican cuisine, as well as for dishes based on these sauces."  They had seven different types of mole plates.

They let me try a dish with a sample of all of the mole sauces. They were all quite excellent.  The yellow Mole Amarillo sauce was kind of hot, the mole colaradillo was kind of nutty-chocolatey, the mole poblano was more like regular mexican sauce, the mole verde tasted like avocado, the mole negro had a banana chocolate taste, the red pipian was pumpkin and the lomo de puerco en mole de amendras tasted good but like 
The pumpkin sauce was the most original to me so, I tried it

The pumpkin red pipian mole was really excellent. It is tough to describe the taste because it didn't really taste like anything else I've ever had.  The pumpkin flavor was really evident but, not like pumpkin pie or a pumpkin muffin either.  You'll just have to try it.

The place seemed to be a hit with the locals because it was pretty much packed and there were people flowing through for their take-out orders.

I'm giving the Red Iguana a 9.8 on the triple-D scale.  I liked it that much.

The Red Iguana
736 W N Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84116
(801) 322-1489
www.rediguana.com