CO2 Cafe

Friday 1−18−13
12:50 PM On our way to Robins Nest for some sandwiches, We see the interesting hand built sign at CO2 and decide to check it out.
12:51 PM — After entering through the piss ice lake in the entrance, we navigated through the cavernous interior which was devoid of customers and approached a slightly confused woman at the register. She informed us that they were out of the fish and we would be required to order one of the 4 remaining items on the menu, 3 of which were variations of burgers. We ordered burgers and sodas and sampled the 3 flavors (which was nice although they really should have more) The sodas were ok, but a bit too sweet, and without enough carbonation.
1:20 PM — The waitress brings us two of the five burgers and informs us that someone was going to the store to get more burger and the others would be out soon
1:35 — The waitress Brings us the rest of the burgers and some complementory fry bread due to the wait (Thats 45 min and there was no one else there)
Anyway they food was pretty poor, fairly bland and definitely not worth the price.
I hope that this was just an off day for the folks at C02, but our visit today was…
«interesting»
I will have to try again to see if that is the case
Best luck, –Tymer

I walked by last night, and saw chains on the doors and a for sale sign in the window.
I was impressed by the food, and the craft sodas were nice. I hope the owners find another, perhaps more marketable, venture.

Great food, great service. The food is quality, tasty, and fun (I love their classic burger). I’m not a soda person (I don’t like carbonation), but their sodas are awesome! The carbonation is subtle but the flavors are bold. The server was friendly and the kitchen got our food out quickly. The layout will make for a great summer spot, especially when they get their liquor license. Keep them in business and stop by!

Delicious food, innovative sodas and unique atmosphere, all in the heart of SLC. Check this place out!

I tried out C02 Café while I was in town for the holidays — definitely recommended!
This is a counter-​style place, so don’t be confused when you’re not greeted by a hostess. Walk on it, check out the daily menu, and order at the counter.
I got to try a little of the four sodas they had that day — ginger ale, cream soda, bitter lemon and raspberry hibiscus. I ended up ordering the raspberry (the most popular choice), but I’ve been dreaming about the lemon one since I passed it up. They were all tasty.
I opted for the combo — entrée + side + soda. I ordered the short rib sandwich and funeral balls. The short rib was really juicy and delicious. Funeral balls hit the spot, especially with the garlic aioli.
My friend ordered the O’Malley burger with jalepenos and an egg. I didn’t try it, but it looked good. Also ordered the carrot dish that was not on the menu that day, but ask and see! It’s a cooked carrot dish with this great glaze. One of my favorite veggie dishes that I’ve had anywhere.
Also ate some Utah scones for dessert with honey butter and fresh raspberry jam. You can never go wrong with some fried dough!
If the weather’s great, grab a seat outdoors, or hang out in the lounge area in the back.
The décor is fresh and modern, even the bathrooms are nicely done.

Re-​visited CO2 this weekend with my visiting SO for food this time.
Both of our entrees (Salmon Byrek and The Foghorn Leghorn) were rich and mouth watering, with appropriate portion sizes (rather than the bigger than big, 3 serving messes that most places serve).
I tried the funeral balls, and with the garlic dip they really were the definition of «comfort food».
The soda was, as before, crisp and delicious.
For desert I think we had scones, and the berry and honey butter dips were perfect.
Service was great. Prompt and kind. The owner takes pride in this place and it shows.
Too bad there isn’t one in Park City! (I imagine it would be a great apres ski hang out).
Will definitely do my best to be back whenever I find myself in SLC. Worth a try (or two!).

Try the raspberry hibicus pop and short rib sliders were awesome!

Unique Selection is the main drawing point for Co2 for me.
Salmon wrapped in Phyllo paper? Rabbit? You got it. Heck, they even served goat for a little while. Their House Salad had this thick dressing unlike anything I’ve ever had, but it was quite delectable. The big draw going here was the «Funeral Potato Balls,» which were great, don’t get me wrong, but were not the best taste to tantalize my tongue. Folks, the Short Rib Slider/​Sammy is where it is at! I’m a pretty paranoid meat eater (any sign of fat pieces makes me queasy and I’m not very adventurous), and this sandwich could do no wrong. The bread, the meat, the everything. MWA!
I tried several sodas and the Fresh Orange pleased me most. $ 3/​glass is a little steep considering most restaurants give you a soda with free refills for $ 1.79 — $ 2.59. I would suggest they begin a «drink til ya drop» deal where you can pay $ 5-​$ 7 and try whatever you want. Or do like the Coke Factory and have a «sampler» option where you get miniature portion sizes of every flavor on the menu. People simply aren’t going to go spend $ 4 on 8 – 12 oz. of soda when they can get a substantial smoothie or some libations for that price… unless you offer a deal they can’t refuse.
The owners are fantastic! I asked if I could special request a blend of the fresh orange and the sweet strawberry and she said, «No problem! I actually call that mix the strawberry shortcake.» I love places who not only take special requests, but welcome them happily.
This is the type of place I can see featuring drink and meal creations from patrons.
The seating arrangement is unlike any restaurant I’ve seen before, but it added to the unique feel of the place. There are sitting areas for lounging at the rear entrance (which opens entirely to the outside in the right weather) and the front (which also opens entirely to the outside). The feel is clean and warm. You will notice frames around several simple flower paintings on the walls which are actually frames around paintings they found ON the walls when they were renovating — originals from the 1800s I think they said. I love little touches like this making a new place intriguing while all at once adding a touch of familiarity, wonder, and history.
Give CO2 a try if you like unique selections. It may not be your favorite, but then again it may be your new go-​to craving.

Cute «bubbly» new place with a quirky little menu!
I came here for one of Unilocal’s Thirst Quencher events and I think it is safe to say I’d return. They have an small but flavorful menu of food for both adults and kids and the prices are reasonable. They also make fresh sodas with fresh ingredients and they are yummo! Not super sweet and truly, they are what they say they are. My favorite was the Raspberry Hibiscus which was pressed raspberries and hibiscus, some cane sugar and CO2! The space is big and the booths are comfy. They also have super comfy sofas and chairs in the back that you can sit in and make it more of a coffee shop type feel. A good place to meet friends for a bite and keep it casual.

i went here expecting great drinks, and was pleasantly surprised by everything else they had to offer. the atmosphere and food was great! however the soda were not the main attraction of this place. perhaps if they had more flavors, or just flavors that were a little more creative i would have been happier. All in all it was a fun place to go.

Attended « Unilocals’ Thirst Quencher» last night. What a great time, CO2 is relatively new on the scene. They did participate in the most recent Dine’O Round. Being a NON soda or POP drinker, wasn’t driven to give this concept a whirl. But with Unilocal subtle encourgement, I’ll get down. Let me tell you, fresh juices mixed with the CO2, I believe that a scientific equation! Science or not, I like the not syrupy sweet beverages, a bit of libation would really rock my socks. But those events are coming up later this week. CO2 provided fun nosh bites, with the ubiquitous Utahn «funeral potatoes» amped up by deep fried bites and a dip that definitely wasn’t your Mommas’ ranch. Sweet sounds of an angel filled the space. All that’s needed is some local artwork to line the wall opposite a way cool tribal influenced elongated wood sculpture. I measure any place I visit by the restrooms, with exacting standards my bar is held celestial by the Grand America, and CO2 is top notch! Please ADD Unilocal’s Thirst Quenchers to your calender, awesome people great vibe.

I think it’s a cool idea and the samples of food that I tasted were great! Maybe a few other options of beverage choices that aren’t fruit related would give it the edge it needs. A fun Unilocal event!

Service: Casual but good. Yes you order up front, yes you might wait a tad longer than you may like for your food but everyone is nice and accommodating.
Sodas: I agree with most folks on here, the sodas are good but not good enough to make me part with nearly $ 4 each time I go there. I save it for a special treat.
Food: I’ve been twice and loved the food both times. The first time I got a basket of their fries which are incredibly yummy (skins on) and come as a huge portion. I also had their house salad which had bacon on it and came with a tasty house dressing. I tasted a friend’s burger which was very good. Thick, high quality beef. I’ve also tried the funeral balls the shrimp Cesar, alphabet soup and the mixed seafood tacos. All of which were fantastic aside from the soup which was not hot enough and perhaps too tomato-​y. They aren’t on the menu but ask for their chocolate chip cookies. Oh. Man. Perfectly melted milk chocolate inside a 90% baked through yummy cookie. This might be the best CCC I have ever had.
Atmosphere: I agree that the seating is a little unusual… I imagine once they get their liquor license and this place becomes a night time hotspot it will fit better. The lounge areas in the front and back are very nice in warm weather.

I’d heard good things about this new place from a few friends so I decided to try it out for lunch with my boyfriend. We were greeted at the wide-​open front entrance by a woman who told us that the menu was at the back and that we order at the counter. She then walked back with us and took our order.
The menu changes often, so some of the choices were hand-​written on paper in marker and taped to the menu board, which is fine. My boyfriend ordered the O’malley Burger with funeral balls and a bitter lemon soda. He had a choice of «runny or hard» fried egg on top and was given the option of how well he wanted his burger cooked. I was surprised and intrigued to see deep fried rabbit on the menu, so I decided to be adventurous and try it with the Funeral balls and a Raspberry hibiscus soda.
It was an adventure alright. The breaded deep fried rabbit was… confusing… I don’t know where the bones are on a rabbit piece (I also didn’t know if there would be bones it it in the first place) so after attempting with the butter knife I was given and failing at cutting through, I eventually had to pick through with my fingers to find the meat. I had a thigh/​leg and a… breast piece? The girl at the counter said that she wasn’t sure if the rabbit was good because she is vegetarian, but that it sells out every time it’s on the menu. I don’t see how people would get it more than once, personally. The breading was thick and not very flavorful. It needed more salt or spices, but there was no salt or pepper on the table. I probably won’t get it again. My boyfriend ate his whole burger without a peep so I’m guessing it was good. He said he didn’t understand the Irish sounding name for a burger with eggs, fry sauce and jalapenos on it, but I think that was his only complaint. The funeral balls, dipping sauce and the sodas were delicious though, so I’m sure I’ll go back and try something else.
A note about the service and atmosphere:
If the girl hadn’t been up front when we walked in I would have been confused as to what to do: sit and wait, go to the back? I think it would be very helpful to have a few signs up front to help the customer understand that it’s an «order at the back, take a number and find a seat» kind of place. Also as others have mentioned, nobody really followed up and asked how our food was after we had started eating. That’s a basic part of good service in my opinion.
I really liked the open atmosphere of the restaurant. Some say the booth seating is awkward and I can understand that, but really the only part where you are «awkwardly staring at other people» is right in the middle. The rest of the booths face outward toward the walls. I really like the natural lighting of the skylights, the couches with plants in the front and back, and the huge beautiful carved wood art that runs along the entire south wall of the café. I imagine the place could use more large art pieces to look at on the other walls. There are a few small pieces but they don’t do those huge walls justice.
As others have said, it’s a brand new place and I’m sure they will be working out the kinks with time. Overall, this café has great potential and I’m happy to come back and try them again.

Food is really top notch. Still too much $$ for a soda. Especially without refills

My friend and I went here hoping to order some fresh, seasonal, handmade sodas. We were not disappointed.
I tried both the Bitter Lemon and the Raspberry Hibiscus. They both exceeded expectations. The bitter lemon was a sophisticated take on traditional citrus sodas. The lack of artificial sweeteners was noticeable and far and above, from a taste standpoint, the high fructose corn syrup of most sodas. It was refreshing to drink and didn’t taste heavy like other sodas.
The Raspberry Hibiscus had a sweeter, more impactful taste to it, but was not quite as refreshing as the Bitter Lemon.
All said, we were very pleased. Especially when we were treated to free Funeral Balls (a fried, ball shaped twist on the Utah classic of funeral potatoes) as part of Funeral Ball Friday! They were delicious, crunchy, and homey while still staying true to the feel of the restaurant.
I do have a few complaints, however. The seating was awkward. Strange shaped booths were placed in the middle of the room making it difficult to walk through the restaurant without interrupting diner’s meals and making awkward eye contact with someone eating away. The prices were also somewhat steep, but some time and adjustment should fix that.
I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for something unique and tasty in downtown Salt Lake.

This place looked cool from the street so we decided to try it. That was a mistake. We will not be back.
I ordered off the dine-​a-​round menu and my salad was good but small. My boyfriend’s salmon salad was okay but bland. The frybread that I had was just bad. It had two scallops on it which were cooked perfectly. The egg and millions of onions must be for people with different tastes than mine. I didn’t eat much of it.
The service was terrible. The girl who took our order was not very friendly or helpful. When the server went to take my frybread away, she never asked how our meal was. I was surprised that given that I only ate a few bites that she didn’t say anything.
I had ordered a dessert with my meal and the server never said anything about how this would be served. I assumed after our plates were cleared that it would come out. It did not. We then went to the counter to ask about it and were told it would be brought out. We waited 10 minutes and then gave up. Based on the rest of the food we had, it probably wasn’t worth waiting for.
The booths here are very strange. The seating in general is awkward. We were staring at another couple at the booth across from us.
I would not recommend this place to anyone. The food is not worth the cost and the service will only frustrate you.

When you hear the name you think Oxygen bar — nope.
You hear handmade sodas, you think 50s soda jerk — nope.
What you get is a funky space with custom wood carvings on the wall and tri-​shaped seating areas.
CO2 touts their line of homebrewed syrups for sodas which are really really tasty but I think their secret lies in their food. They have a different selection than the restaurants downtown. They do a Utah Fry bread (aka Utah style scone) to rabbit, yes rabbit. I can’t wait to try that. To a filet mignon sandwich.
I tried the Foghorn Leghorn (cool name eh) frybread. The chicken was juicy and tender. The fry bread was crispy on the edges and soft inside. It was recommended to fold it like a taco and have it that way. That was not a talent I had. The components tasted fine on their own but it is best with everything taken all at once. The best bites were the ones that had goat cheese in them, they really helped with the flavor. I kinda wish they had more of it. I also felt like the dish needed some crunch with all the soft/​mushy ingredients, but that’s just me.
The drinks: I tried the bitter lemon and it was very refreshing and good. It was so clean tasting that it reminded me of how I have gotten used to artificial sweeteners. I also tried the seasonal raspberry hibiscus and it was very good as well. The saying is true, you get what you pay for. At $ 3.50 for a pint, I felt it was a bit steep, maybe they could include one refill for that price. But you should be daring and try one of their sodas. I hear their sassafras syrup is amazing. Hoping they will add it to the menu soon.
Just an observation: the space is big and nice. The booths are interesting, no sure if that’s good or bad. Just sayin’
The best thing I took from this experience is when I do my own Utah scone is to schmear it with goat cheese, that is a good combination.
I hate giving any stars to a new place because that are working things out so I’m putting them in the middle for now. I hope to elevate them when I try more dishes.