June arrived in Salt Lake like it had somewhere to be. The city is already deep into summer mode — Pride week reminded us why this town knows how to show up — & we've been keeping pace behind the bar. This month we're pulling back the curtain on a few things we've been working on: the Wonders menu is here, nine cocktails built around the Seven Wonders of the World, each one mapped, measured, and worth the trip. We've also got some dishes from the food menu that we think deserve the spotlight & we hope you order next time you come in.Consider this your expedition briefing.
CELEBRATING PRIDE MONTH RIGHT
We try not to play favorites with our months — but Pride has a way of making that difficult. Salt Lake showed up this last weekend in the best way possible, and we were grateful to be part of it. The Pride energy in Salt Lake is something else entirely, and if you’ve come through and celebrated with us, thank you. The good news is we're not ready to let it go, the same spirit that made this weekend what it was is exactly what we're carrying into the rest of the summer. Consider the bar set. We'll be here.
FATHER’S DAY AT LAKE EFFECT
Father's Day is two Sundays away, and we'll be open for brunch and dinner — plus everything in between for whatever dad's been drinking lately. Whether he's a bottomless mimosa guy or more of a neat whiskey with dinner kind of person, we've got him covered. Tables fill up fast, so if you're planning to bring the family in, do yourself a favor and reserve now before the good spots are gone.
NEW COCKTAIL MENU HIGHLIGHTS
The Seven Wonders of the World took centuries of human ambition, a few wars, and one very contentious global vote to finalize. We built ours behind the bar with some sweat, tears, & seasoned taste buds. This spring we set out to map each wonder into a glass — not as a gimmick, but as a genuine exercise in place and ingredient. The result is a menu that travels from the highlands of Peru to the rose-salt air of Agra, from the carved stone facades of Petra to the jungle heat of the Yucatán.
You don't need a passport. You need a seat.
Brazil's most recognizable silhouette, arms open, perched above Rio at 2,300 feet. The cocktail meets it there. Novo Fogo Cachaça brings the grassy, funky backbone of sugarcane at its most honest — softened by the stone-fruit warmth of Rothman & Winter Peach and the tropical weight of guava. Dry Curaçao keeps the citrus clean and structural, while vanilla yogurt rounds the mid-palate into something almost creamy, unhurried. Orange and lemon pull it back to the light. The result is a drink that feels like late afternoon on a hillside — bright on the surface, with something warmer underneath.
Built in the clouds at 8,000 feet, invisible to the Spanish, undisturbed for centuries. The drink earns its altitude. Logia Peruvian Pisco anchors it with the floral, grape-driven clarity that makes the spirit worth seeking out — lifted immediately by the strange, custard-edged brightness of soursop and the ripe tropical depth of Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane. Pineapple cordial and ginger push it forward with sweetness and heat in equal measure, while lime and mint keep everything honest and alive. Soda opens it up. Chuncho Bitters — indigenous to Peru, bitter and aromatic — close the loop, grounding the whole thing back in the soil it came from. Refreshing in the way that elevation is refreshing. You feel it.
SOME OF OUR FAVORITE EATS HERE AT LAKE EFFECT
Let's be clear about something: we are not a bar that happens to have food. We have a full Latin-inspired kitchen running from 11am to 1am, every single day — brunch, lunch, dinner, and late night, no exceptions. Some of what's coming out of that kitchen right now has been quietly leveled up, familiar favorites with a little more intention behind them. The kind of food that holds its own against the cocktail menu, which is saying something. And if you've been under the impression that Salt Lake doesn't have late night dining worth seeking out, we'd like to formally introduce ourselves.
A dish that doesn't need meat to make a case for itself. Roasted poblanos stuffed with melted Monterey Jack — mild, creamy, with just enough pull — set in a pool of mole amarillito that does what good mole does: layers heat, earthiness, and a faint sweetness into something that takes a moment to fully understand. Queso fresco crumbled on top cuts through the richness with a clean, salty brightness. Crema ties it together, cooling the whole thing down just enough to make the next bite inevitable. Vegetarian by design. Satisfying by every other measure.
Not your basic avocado toast. Seeded wheat bread as the foundation, sturdy enough to hold what's coming: a layer of beet hummus bringing earthy sweetness and that deep, almost jewel-toned color that makes you stop before the first bite. Avocado on top, creamy and calm, seasoned with za'atar that adds a wild, herby complexity most toasts wouldn't dare attempt. Two fried egg yolks, rich and barely set, break into the whole thing and pull it together. Radish for snap and heat. Sprouts for freshness. Pepitas for crunch. Lemon vinaigrette cutting through all of it with just enough acidity to keep every bite tasting like the first. If your downtown lunch routine has felt a little uninspired lately, this is the intervention you didn't know you needed.
THANKS FOR STICKING AROUND
That's June at Lake Effect — a new menu worth exploring, food that runs until 1am, Pride energy we're carrying straight through summer, and a Father's Day worth reserving your seat for. However you find your way in this month, we'll be ready for you. The bar is stocked, the kitchen is open, and the door is always unlocked. Come see us.
