The gents over at Water Witch are no strangers to the food and beverage scene here in Salt Lake City. Their newest venture, Acme Bar Co, presents a pop-up called Suckerfish that will eventually lead to their permanent concept. While the food menu is seasonal and changes every few weeks, it is already a solid addition to the current food scene.
Located in Campfire Lounge’s former site, Acme Bar Co’s current iteration is a hip and welcoming tropical bar. These guys know their way around a cocktail, which we happily enjoyed, but we heard such great things about the food that we had to check it out.
When you go, be prepared to be transported to the tropics in vibe and flavor. Co-owner, and cocktail slinger of the evening, Mikey, said they wanted to do something very inclusive with the tropical theme. He says they are hinting at things to come, without diluting the theme, with this current iteration.
The space is decked out in thousands of colored lights, creating a fun and festive vibe and giving everything a reddish beach hut tint. Decorative sea stars, scallops, and other shells hang from the bar top, pescatarian prints line the wall, and the menus are decked out in flora and fauna to complete the tropical vibe.
Truth be told, the menu at Acme Bar Co is a snack menu, but it is well worth the visit. The Korean Fried Chicken was out of this world. Double-fried and smothered in a fermented chili sauce. It was perfectly cooked, crispy outside, and juicy inside—possibly some of the best fried chicken I’ve had in years. And the fries they served the chicken with were excellent as well. But, honestly, I can’t speak much to them as most of them were gone before I returned from the bar with our drinks. Which is probably a sign that they were irresistible.
The “fish and chips” were on another level too. These disappeared so fast we couldn’t even get a photo of them. Roasted rockfish and lotus chips are a great twist on the classic fish and chips. The crispy lotus root complements the flaky rockfish perfectly. And that shitake puree… If you want dinner and a show, get the Zombie cocktail. We promise it will wow.
Mikey says they change the menu every couple of weeks to keep things fresh. During our visit, they had some clever big-game weekend-themed drinks that felt timely and fun. So go now or miss out on the current menu. Or go later and let me know what you think of the new menu. Either way, maybe I’ll see you there.
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