Blue Iguana

He said:

You won’t accidentally stumble upon the Blue Iguana while driving through Salt Lake City. It isn’t visible from the street. Sandwich signs on the sidewalk direct foot traffic down a pedestrian alley to the restaurant. The restaurant occupies the basement of a building behind the Capitol Theatre, so we had to navigate a flight of stairs to reach it¹.

Despite its hidden location, it didn’t seem to lack patronage. We had returned for lunch after stopping by for dinner a few weeks ago only to discover a wait time of 90 minutes for a table. While we didn’t have to wait to get in for lunch, its location across the street from the convention center meant they still had plenty of customers. Indeed, we saw many event passes hanging from patrons’ necks.

The hostess took us to a table in the back of a vibrantly colored dining room. Soon, a waitress brought us a bowl of tri-color tortilla chips with a delicious, velvety, mild salsa served in a bowl shaped like a jalapeño pepper. We asked for a mole sampler, so she brought a plate with four small pools of mole: poblano, verde, negro, and amarillo. We sampled the flavors with our tortilla chips.

Each mole had been blended into a pasty sauce, but the menu shed some light on their ingredients. The Poblano Mole—my favorite of the bunch—had red chiles, peanuts, pecans, cinnamon, chocolate, and peanut butter. A close second on my list, the Negro Mole had an interesting, complex flavor. It included dark chile ancho, peanuts, chocolate, banana, anise seeds, fennel seeds, and peanut butter. We didn’t expect the yellow (Amarillo) mole to be the spiciest, but the menu explained why. It had almonds, veggies, and habanero chiles.

They were all great, but I was glad we had sampled them before ordering our meals. When I ordered the Puntas de Filete, the waitress asked which of the moles I had preferred. As I had enjoyed the Poblano Mole, she had the kitchen use it instead of the normal Mole de Almendras for the dish. The result was wonderful.

The Puntas de Filete arrived looking much like Steak Fajitas, albeit on a red stoneware platter instead of on a sizzling cast iron skillet. After passing the avocado slices to Kathy, I decided to eat my meal like I would eat fajitas. I assembled some of the refried beans, rice, and the rest onto the provided corn tortillas, almost too hot to handle. The mixture included grilled sirloin, bacon, onions, serrano peppers, and the Poblano Mole sauce.

When I read the description in the menu, I wondered why it would need bacon. Bacon’s fine, but I don’t go crazy for it like some people do. However, when I tasted it, I was converted. The bacon was soft, as I like it (not crispy), and though it lacked a strong smoky flavor, it possessed a deep, salty-yet-sweet flavor.

The dish contained enough of the Poblano Mole to give it a rich, sweet, exciting flavor, but not so much to drown the dish or detract from the other ingredients. The result was a great, satisfying dish in perfect balance. The portion was so generous that I didn’t quite clean the plate.

She said:

Stepping into the Blue Iguana was like joining a party already in progress. Stucco and beadboard walls painted gold and orange were warm and welcoming. The piñatas dangling from the ceiling advertised various beer brands (Corona, Modelo, etc.). Also, colorful banners sporting pink, blue, and green flags were strung from wall to wall above our heads. The thick red stone wall set with gray mortar added a rustic touch and is probably original to the building. Beyond the wall and through an exterior door, patrons enjoyed dining on the outdoor patio. Star-shaped decorative lights in shades of yellow, red, and blue hung here and there across the restaurant. Peppy Mariachi music played from speakers throughout the space. The lively beat almost made me feel like getting up to dance around. The festive surroundings made me feel welcomed, relaxed, and as though I was amongst friends.

For lunch, I ordered the Shredded Beef Chimichanga. It was served with refried white beans, mixed rice (corn and peas), guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream. Everything was flavorful and delicious. The shredded beef had been prepared with a slightly sweet tomato-based sauce. It had a very pleasing taste, and the beef was tender enough that it felt as though it was melting on my tongue. Personally, that’s the way I think it should feel like to eat shredded beef or steak. Tough meat just doesn't cut it. The accompaniments served on my platter rounded out my meal quite nicely.

I agree wholeheartedly with Brian about the mole sampler. Tasting four different flavors was a treat. I, too, preferred the Poblano Mole over the others. It was rich, nutty, and earthy. The Amarillo Mole wasn't merely spicy; it also left a fiery aftertaste in my mouth for quite a while.

Also, like Brian already mentioned, the salsa was tasty. However, the tri-color chips were disappointingly on the stale side.

Conclusion:

Hidden away from the downtown traffic, the Blue Iguana is indeed a gem. The festive atmosphere provides a great space to enjoy the restaurant’s delicious preparations.