The Copper Onion
The Copper Onion's ricotta dumplings, sauteed in butter and topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano, have been on the menu since the day it opened in 2010.
Why go
Ryan Lowder grew up in Salt Lake City and trained at the Culinary Institute of America. He cooked in New York at Jean-Georges and at Mario Batali's Casa Mono and Mercat, then at the Michelin-starred El Raco d'en Freixa in Barcelona. Colleen Lowder worked at the Four Seasons in New York and managed the Grand Central Oyster Bar (Utah Stories). They opened The Copper Onion downtown in 2010. Lowder's former staff have gone on to open places of their own, Ted Scheffler wrote in 2026 when he reviewed one of them, Jaimie and Justin Buehler's Table Twenty Five in Ogden (Utah Stories). Salt Lake Magazine named The Copper Onion a Utah Classic in its 2024 Dining Awards (Salt Lake Magazine).
Jenny Willden gave the order in her Infatuation review of October 2025: Always start with the dumplings, then move on to the housemade pastas, like the fettuccine carbonara or the wagyu beef stroganoff
(The Infatuation). Ted Scheffler of Utah Stories begged Lowder for the dumpling recipe years ago and got it. The kitchen made its own ricotta from whole milk, buttermilk and heavy cream and mixed it with lemon, egg, parmesan and nutmeg. By 2021 thyme had replaced the sage or spinach in the mix, and Scheffler liked the change (Utah Stories). Of the cacio e pepe he wrote: It's cacio e pepe perfection: outstanding homemade pasta, perfectly cooked al dente and tossed with brown butter, Pecorino Romano cheese, black pepper and green onion slivers
(Utah Stories). His stroganoff came on thick, wide house pappardelle with Snake River Farms Wagyu, mushrooms and crème fraîche.
In October 2021 the dumplings cost $12, the pastas $16 to $24 and the mains $25 to $37. The vegetable sides came at $6 each or three for $15 (Utah Stories). The Infatuation marks it $$$$ in 2025. Willden sends readers here for dinner before catching an indie film at Broadway Centre Cinemas
(The Infatuation).
Order this / avoid
- Order: the ricotta dumplings (Jenny Willden, The Infatuation, 2025, and Ted Scheffler, Utah Stories, 2021).2
- Order: the cacio e pepe (Ted Scheffler, Utah Stories, 2021).1
- Order: the wagyu beef stroganoff, Jenny Willden's pick in 2025. In 2021 Ted Scheffler found it
an extremely satisfying Stroganoff
.1 - Order: the corn side with smoked butter, duck fat aioli and cotija, if it is on. Ted Scheffler's table especially enjoyed it in October 2021.1
What locals & experts say
- Ted Scheffler, Utah Stories (2021), on the room:
The Copper Onion is a bustling and busy eatery that is loud and lively in the best way
1 - Stuart Melling, Gastronomic SLC, in its opening season (2010):
With the addition of The Copper Onion Salt Lake City welcomes another newcomer, one which may just top them all.
3
Good to know
- Noise: ask for the sidewalk patio if you want a quiet table (Ted Scheffler, 2021).1
- Waiting: if there is a wait, Scheffler's advice is a drink at the bar, such as the Commodore, bourbon with orange juice, ginger and bitters.1
- When: dinner every night, lunch on weekdays and brunch on weekends.6
- Booking: reserve on Resy through thecopperonion.com, or call (801) 355-3282.
- Where: 111 East Broadway, Suite 170, downtown.
Verdict
could-visit — Book it for dinner before a movie and build the meal around the starters and the fresh noodles. It is a noisy room with a big bill.