Johnny Kolache

900 South 248 West
Salt Lake City
(801) 326-8376

It’s been two months. I’m back! Here is my first stop back after a long break from Peng’s Palate

Quick, convenient, and tasty. That best describes the wonderful bun and pocketed delights at Johnny Kolaches.  According to the web site, ” Kolaches are a traditional Czech pastry, popular in the immigrant communities in Oklahoma and Texas. Pronounced ko-lah-chee (or ko-lah-key), kolache is the plural of kolach. The individual pastries were originally made with a fruit or poppy-seed filling baked into an indentation in the center of a fluffy, sweet, yeast-risen dough.”

Think potato bun  or roll filled with anything from Cheesburger, philly cheesteak to pulled pork. The bun concept reminds me of Chinese Baozi or BAO which are steamed buns usually filled with a pork mixture or BBQ pork in hybrid areas of the US such as Hawaii. They’re steamed instead and are usually white buns. Kolaches on the other hand are baked from handmade dough.   For my visit I had the cheeseburger and the philly cheese steak. The cheeseburger Kolache was a bit dry but the philly was exceptional. It’s only a buck eighty for one and the Kolache fills you up but you could easily eat 3-4 (well I could) in one sitting.  With something as fast and convenient as this I like to compare it to a food product of equal price. The challenger? A regular cheeseburger at In and  Out.  Now I know that many of the Utahns who pack In and Out’s new franchises would swear by their dead ancestors that In and Out is God’s gift to the obese and drugged. But my bias’ aside the winner is Kolaches. The bun is light but had a smooth and simple taste that isn’t overpowered by grease, oil, or fat.  But once you bite into the bun, the flavors compliment the bread perfectly. It’s a simple snack that’s more portable and most certainly healthier (not that it’s a big concern). I enjoyed Kolaches because it was a comfort food and there was no hassle about it. I would suggest the philly cheesesteak for any first timer. It’s a win.

Friend Meter: Tony, Elisa, Preston, Spencer, Justin