THE ROOF

Where: The Roof Restaurant, Joseph Smith Memorial Building, 15 S Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah

Who Went: Chelsey & Devynne

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Standard Buffet

What It Cost: $97.17

What We Thought: 

The theme of the day was Treat Yo Self 2015. I had just finished my very last day of actual classes ever, so my sister and I hit up Salt Lake with a treat yo self mentality, which of course needed include dinner with incredible views. 

And what better way to treat yo self than STARTING WITH DESSERT? Yep, I did it. I mean, how can you resist an itty bitty eclair and tiny slice of your favorite pie, when its sitting on two GIANT tables of desserts? It's impossible, I tell you. And since it's time to treat yo self, go for it.

The menu options were quite expansive. On the chopping block the day we went were ham (meh) and slow-roasted prime rib. But if that didn't suit your tastes, there was poached fish, chicken roulade, pasta with a cream sauce and sundried tomatoes, and sooooo much more!

Basically it's the fanciest buffet you've ever seen, and this isn't even half of the desserts...by the way...

We thought that this little chocolate mousse was funny, because the chocolate piece had a cross on it, and we were at Temple Square (LDS joke..ha. ha...)

Um yeah, I was a bit too ambitious with my additional dessert plates. I basically was so full I only took one bite of each thing. But they were all FREAKING AMAZING. Especially that mini creme brulee!? I had two of them. The cheesecake was just okay, but the carrot cake was really moist and delicious, and the chocolate cakes were so rich!

Plus, I mean, can you beat this view?!

The other creme brulee, spotted here. Their interpretation of "salads" was interesting in the salad bar, but it was fun to try different combinations of "salad" and the fruit and cheese plates were pretty good too.

I know it might seem boring to end on a picture of soup, but this French onion soup was probably the best I've ever had, and I'm totally craving its simple, rich and wholesome flavor right now, even though its supposed to be 102 degrees today!!

What You Should Do: Yes, it's expensive. Yes, it's a buffet. But it's a dang good buffet, and can be a lot of fun if you go into it with that mindset. I'm not even a buffet lover (by ANY means) but we really enjoyed our visit at the Roof - it was special, the hot rolls were from heaven, the servers were fun, you got free unlimited soda, and THERE WERE SO MANY DESSERTS! I basically would have thought it was worth it just for the rolls + mini creme brulees + views. I would not take children here, but for a fun and special night out, it was awesome. I think maybe we caught it on a good night based on other people's experiences, but I would certainly try it again.

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CANNON CENTER

Where: The Commons at the Cannon Center, BYU Campus

Who Went: Every freshman at BYU practically, plus my family :)

What It Cost: $10.75 for adult dinner 

What We Ordered: Ummm...anything and everything (its an ever-changing buffet). And you can always count on Jello...

What We Thought:

Ohhhh....the BYU Cannon Center. I mean, what blog called "Eat BYU" could get away with not talking about one of the most classic university establishments. So many wonderful freshman year memories were made here, not to mention those come by during summer sport camps or Women's Conference. But --- how is the food?

I have to admit, the excitement of all of the many food stations and the possibility of eating as much as you want caused a memory lapse, and I totally forgot to actually take pictures of the food. Shame, I know. But, there is this adorable picture of me and my not-so-little brother above that can give you a pretty good idea about the Cannon Center highlights. Here they are:

1. BYU CREAMERY CHOCOLATE MILK
There is no other chocolate milk on this earth that is as worthy of your stomach as this BYU Creamery delight. It is seriously soooo crave-worthy. And at the Cannon Center, you can get as much chocolate milk as you want. It's true. You can put just twenty cups of chocolate milk on your tray and GO FOR IT. There is nothing I miss more from freshman year than this chocolate milk.

2. Unlimited Waffles and Soft-Serve Ice Cream
Even better when you put the ice cream on top of the waffles, as seen above.

3. Constantly rotating menu
Which they oh-so-kindly post online for you to see, which is pretty great. If you are just a random visitor, like we were, you can check their website and go on a day when the food stations offer items that sound delicious to you. They almost always have some sort of burger, a pasta dish, a couple of soups, one exciting type main dish (it was chimichangas for us! But I've also had salmon, chicken cordon bleu, fajitas, and a whole bunch of other things) and also an extensive array of desserts (some better than others...)

4. Unlimited pre-cut fruit and you don't have to do your dishes
Things you really don't appreciate until you move out of the freshman dorms.

What You Should Do: If you're a freshman who doesn't like to cook and/or likes to eat a lot, you gotta stay in Helaman Halls and get the Cannon Center meal plan. You'll probably get tired of it by the end of the year, but it's pretty great, with an awesome salad bar at every meal, and THE CHOCOLATE MILK! And if you're just in the Provo area, there really is no more quintessential BYU eatery than the Cannon Center, so you have to try it at least once!

BRICK OVEN PIZZA

Where: Brick Oven Pizza, 111 E 800 N, Provo, UT (just east of the tennis courts on BYU campus)

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen, Devynne, Mom, everyone from BYU...

Number of Visits: Many 

What We Ordered: We've tried a bunch -- buffalo pizza, meats-a-pizza, BBQ chicken and pineapple, make-your-own. Also, spinach & artichoke dip, lasagna, and something amazing which we will get to later...

What It Cost: ~$40 for three people

What We Thought: 

Brick Oven - a BYU-classic since 1956! I know a lot of people think that Brick Oven isn't that great, and that's it's a little overrated and just has a good location. Though they may not have the best pizza in the whole world, I love the classic and cozy environment, friendly staff, consistent food and great memories at Brick Oven.

Um yeah, a pile of cheese and spinach and artichoke. YUM. I have to be honest, I don't think that there has ever been a spinach and artichoke dip that I ever didn't like, so this may not be the most discretionary dish to order. But if you're looking for comfort food that's close to campus because that organic chemistry test didn't quite go as you were hoping...yeah, this fits the bill.

I normally refuse to order any type of pasta at a restaurant because it's so easy to make pasta and always seems insanely overpriced. But lasagna is the one exception, since it's such an ordeal to make at home! Their lasagna is pretty great - I mean, it has mushrooms (not a personal favorite), but I still like it! Also, look how much lasagna that is. Yeah, definitely good for dinner and lunch the next day.

One thing I like about Brick Oven is their flexibility and how nice (usually!) their staff is. They are always willing to substitute out a topping if you don't like mushrooms (or anything else :) and the service is generally pretty quick, even though it can get super busy. They have a great blend of cheeses on their pizzas, the sausage is super flavorful, and I'm a big sucker for fresh tomatoes on pizza!

Obviously none of these pictures are very great, since I took them on my phone, but this one above especially does not do proper justice to the amazing dessert that it is. So on their menu, they have a baked cookie with ice cream on top (a pizookie, for those who like the funny term), and it's pretty good. But, after talking with a friend who used to work at Brick Oven, I learned about the Sasquatch, a secret menu item which is the ultimate dessert -- two cookies with a brownie baked in between. Yeah. Its so, so, so amazing. And super intense, so get it to split!

What You Should Do:  Like I said before, I'm not going on the record saying that Brick Oven Pizza is the best in Utah County, but I have to admit, every now and then I get a craving that can only be satisfied by this classic BYU campus establishment. Even though its so close to campus, I love that it's big enough that you can almost always get a table within 15 minutes, even on a busy Friday night. They have a ton of cozy booths, they don't ever rush you, and they have great options if you want to share a meal (check out the pasta and pizza meals for two -- it's enough food for at least two meals!). Another perk -- nearly everyone knows where it's located, so it's super easy to meet here with friends! Plus, the Sasquatch. I'm telling you. I have dreams about the Sasquatch.

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The Skyroom

Where: The Skyroom, 6th Floor, WSC, Brigham Young University, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey & Devynne (plus Owen once)

Number of Visits: 4

What We Ordered: Buffet

What It Cost:  $30 for 2 people

What We Thought: 

Basically, the Skyroom is the "fanciest" place that you can eat on BYU campus. First off, you have to figure out how to get up to the 6th floor in the Wilk (take the elevator that is just east of Taco Bell). Then you get up there and they ask if you have a reservation (recommended, but usually they aren't super busy, so you can just go). Then you have a server who comes to your table and asks what you want to drink -- a server, on BYU campus? Well, sort of. Mostly they just function to bring you a drink (all soft drinks are included in the price, but you have to pay more if you want a special lemonade) and clear your plates, but it does feel kind of nice.

Once they take you drink order, you get to go to the buffet! Woo! Stuff yourselves people! Honestly, I haven't really been to many buffet places because from a young age, my mother instilled a deep fear of buffets within me (all those people touching the same food...yikes!), but the Skyroom is not bad for a BYU location. The food is obviously all prepared offsite beforehand (those beans look way too from-a-can...), but as far as on-campus food goes, it's pretty dang good. One thing I have to warn you about - the buffet menus they post on the website are almost always wrong. The day we went was supposed to be Chinese day, but instead we got Carne Asada tacos and enchiladas. Oh well. Just don't get your hopes up too high for any particular food.

They have a pretty good selection -- a regular salad bar on one side, a side with fruit and mixed salads (use caution when choosing here, I've had bad luck with a couple. The chicken curry salad and California salad are pretty good though), one side with soups, one side with entree-type items (rice, beans, enchiladas, tacos, carrots for us). And then they have another table with the meat cut of the day -- ours was BBQ ribs (seemed kind of strange), and they also had a little salsa bar which was fun. And then...the dessert table. This my friends is the #1 reason I come to the Skyroom. BYU knows how to do their sugar right!

Of the food we had, I felt like the tacos were better than I expected. The carne asada was surprisingly meaty and juicy, and the chicken ones were average. The enchilada was a little too greasy for me (but I'm not a huge ground beef fan), but the BBQ ribs were actually alright! Devynne didn't like her tortellini salad, and the tortilla soup had a strange flavor. But they always have a great selection fruit and the BYU cottage cheese is THE BEST!

Yeah that's a lot of desserts. Don't worry about it. We mostly only grabbed every kind just to sample them all, not to eat the whole thing...

Of all the desserts, I think the cheesecake bars were my favorite. The breads I had were a little dry, and the fruit crumble bars were not super flavorful. But the rocky road and 7-layer bars were both heavenly, and I actually really liked the coconut cake! Plus there were even MORE options that we didn't even try! Yeah man. Dessert Central.

What You Should Do: Go for a special school day. If you don't have a car, but want to eat somewhere with service and lots of options, then the Skyroom is the place for you. It certainly is not cheap, but you WILL leave feeling quite full, since you can eat as much as you want. It's only on-campus food so it's not anything super gourmet or unique, but they always have many choices, and usually at least 3/4ths of them are pretty tasty. Plus -- DESSERTS! Yay!

Shakey's Pizza Parlor

Where: Shakey's Pizza Parlor, 496 N 900 W, American Fork

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen, and all Owen's family

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: "Bunch of Lunch Buffet"

What It Cost: ~$8.00/person (for lunch)

What We Thought: 


After experiencing (and loving) the buffet pizzas of Pizza Pie Café, we were excited to try this new pizza buffet restaurant with Owen's family in American Fork. I really need to stop getting my hopes up so high for every place we go to...

It was surprisingly busy, so we first sought out a place to sit while we waited for the line to go down a little bit. Then we got in the buffet line and were presented first with pasta options. This is the secret of buffets -- fill you up and fill up your plate first with cheap pasta. Then they had some other choices - "mojos" which were like big steak fries, macaroni and cheese, salad, these little garlic bread things (best part of the meal), and then finally what we came for. The pizza. Yay for carbs, carbs, and more carbs.

The pizza itself was a huge disappointment, especially since it was the "main highlight" of the buffet. The pizzas were relatively small in size, and the crust was horrible! Hard and dry, it was like eating canned sauce on a piece of cardboard. They were skimpy with the toppings, and there were only 4 choices out a time while we were there, a huge lack in variety for a "pizza buffet." If you are vegetarian, like Owen's brother Jarom, you'll pretty much be stuck with cheese - only 1 veggie pizza came out while we were there, and it's a race to get a slice. The only pizza that was somewhat tolerable was the buffalo chicken pizza, probably because the buffalo sauce actually gave it some flavor.

What You Should Do: Don't go here. There are many other better choices for pizza buffets in the area for the same price (even Pizza Factory is doing a lunch buffet special now), and you will be so much better off avoiding this inflexible and flavorless pizza.

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