Blatch’s Vegan Barbecue Brings a Backyard Cookout to Salt Lake City

A barbecue meal built around seitan brisket, smoky rolls, mac and cheese, beans and hot sauce does not have to involve meat. At Blatch’s, the entire menu is vegan, but the mood is familiar: substantial sandwiches, piled-up platters, saucy wraps and the easygoing pleasure of a backyard meal that can run long.

The Salt Lake City spot works from a home-like setting, with outdoor seating in a cozy backyard or patio area. It has the relaxed, personal quality of being invited over for a cookout, only the hosts have put a lot more thought into the sauces.

Chris and Joy give the place much of its neighborly character. Regulars and first-timers alike are welcomed into the conversation, and a meal can include a little time spent talking over the menu, sampling heat levels or hearing about what is appearing as a special.

Blatch’s uses barbecue as a broad culinary language rather than a single sandwich format. The menu has included barbecue-style sandwiches, wraps and platters, with plant-based proteins taking on the roles of brisket, burnt ends, Korean barbecue and chicken-style dishes.

Seitan brisket is one of the marquee items, giving diners a meat-free version of a barbecue staple with a hearty texture. Tempeh burnt ends and pork belly-style burnt ends add more options for people who want a sticky, smoky barbecue direction without ordering the same thing twice.

Korean flavors have a notable place here, too. Korean BBQ strips, bulgogi and the KBBQ Mac Daddy Wrap Star show up among the more inventive offerings, bringing sweet-savory barbecue notes into a menu that is not interested in staying in one lane.

The appeal reaches beyond longtime vegans. A mixed table has plenty to work with because the food is organized around recognizable barbecue cravings—smoke, sauce, rich sides and a good deal of heft—rather than asking diners to treat the meal as a substitute for something else.

Some menu names alone make ordering more entertaining. The Korean Wrap Star, Nacho Libre, Cuban Panini, Pretzel Monster, Loaded Pretzel Sando, BBQ Wrapzilla and Mac Daddy all point toward a kitchen that enjoys building a big, fully composed meal rather than sending out a plain protein-and-bun arrangement.

The Cuban Panini is a useful example of the sandwich-and-sides rhythm at Blatch’s. It can be paired with either available side option, turning a handheld order into a more complete plate without making the meal overly formal.

Then there are the larger formats. A loaded platter brings barbecue and sides together for a serious spread, while loaded smoked mac and cheese takes a comfort-food favorite and gives it a more elaborate, smoky direction.

Weekly specials help keep repeat visits from becoming routine. Menu offerings can rotate, so the best approach is to regard a dish name as an enticing possibility rather than a permanent promise. The restaurant has also held a monthly Sunday crepe service, though current special-event plans are worth confirming before making a trip.

A barbecue place lives or dies a little by its side dishes, and Blatch’s gives them proper attention. Slaw, beans, potato salad and vegan mac and cheese are all frequent companions to the sandwiches and wraps.

The mac and cheese is especially central to the menu’s personality, appearing on its own and in more loaded combinations. It is not treated as an afterthought tucked into the corner of a tray; it is one of the building blocks for a meal that is intentionally generous.

Portions tend to be large enough to divide at the table or box up for later. That is useful with the denser sandwiches and loaded dishes, and the barbecue has been known to make a very respectable next-day meal.

House-made hot sauces are a major feature at Blatch’s, with several varieties available to sample while waiting. It is a small pleasure that slows the ordering process down in a good way: try a little, decide how adventurous lunch needs to be, then go back for another taste.

A blueberry hot sauce brings an unexpected fruit note to the lineup. Another sauce goes by the unapologetic name Hot Shit, which at least saves everyone from wondering whether it intends to be mild.

These sauces give the meal room to shift from bite to bite. A smoky sandwich can head in a brighter, sweeter or sharper direction with a dab from the table, and diners who like heat can make a platter their own without forcing the whole order into one flavor profile.

Soft, smoky wood-fired rolls and sourdough rolls have their own following at Blatch’s. They appear alongside meals, but they also make sense as something to bring home—a useful extra when there is soup, hummus or a weekend snack plan waiting in the kitchen.

Bread is an easy detail to rush past at a barbecue meal, especially with so many bigger menu names competing for attention. Here, the house-made roll is one more sign that the kitchen is putting effort into the smaller pieces as well as the showier plates.

Desserts add another reason to look around beyond the barbecue menu. Blatch’s sometimes brings in products from other local vendors, and orange- and peppermint-filled chocolates have appeared among the sweet options.

That changing element fits the overall character of the place. Along with weekly specials, it gives a return visit the possibility of a new small discovery rather than a strict replay of the last order.

The patio is an important part of the visit. It is cute, comfortable and casual enough to encourage lingering after the plates arrive, particularly when the meal has become a shared spread of wraps, sides and sauces.

The house-based setting is unexpectedly attractive and thoughtfully arranged, giving the restaurant a distinct look from the usual storefront barbecue counter. Some ingredients are grown on site, adding another homegrown note without turning the meal into a rustic gimmick.

Blatch’s has developed the kind of repeat-customer rhythm that suits this setting. Many people come back often, and the owners’ personal familiarity with their community keeps the place from feeling anonymous. A dog named Zeus may even make an appearance now and then, though not as a guaranteed member of the welcome committee.

Dine-in and takeout are both part of how Blatch’s works. For dine-in, the backyard patio provides the outdoor seating option; its use can naturally depend on weather and the current setup.

Free street parking is available, with parking often described as plentiful. The operating schedule appears limited and can change, so it is wise to confirm current opening days before heading over, especially if a special menu service is part of the plan.