Review: At Lehi’s Slapfish, it’s smooth culinary sailing
The Clobster Grilled Cheese sandwich at Slapfish in Lehi.
The Fish & Chips at Slapfish in Lehi.
A Street Taco at Slapfish in Lehi.
There’s a specific moment I seek out, that I yearn for, when trying a new restaurant (or any restaurant, for that matter). It’s that moment when a bite of food tastes so good you have to pause and compose yourself.
Maybe you’ve been there. Your eyes gently close, your chewing becomes elongated. Perhaps you rest your face in your hand. Between chews, maybe you quietly mumble, “Oh my goodness” to yourself. Time comes to a brief halt. It is a reminder: After a lifetime’s worth of meals, somehow surprise and awe is still possible.
I had one of these moments at Slapfish in Lehi. During a bustling Saturday night, with the restaurant practically overflowing with customers, I bit into a piece of battered whitefish. The phrase “melt in your mouth” is overused, but this fish did just that. The fish’s crispy outer collapsed into the buttery, flaky interior with that first bite. A truly serene blend of flavors. I was taken aback.
Now, I’m an expressive eater — more so than most people — but still.
Slapfish comes to Utah by way of Southern California, where the restaurant has opened multiple locations. The Lehi location is its first outside of California. It serves a number of creative takes on seafood classics — this includes lobster-infused burgers, chowder-smothered fries and lobster taquitos. You can also opt for more traditional seafood fare if you prefer.
Slapfish’s chef and founder, Andrew Gruel, told the Herald a few months ago that all of the restaurant’s fish are flash-frozen at sea. (I don’t know how flash freezing works, but it sounds exciting.) The Slapfish in Lehi gets the same fish as the Slapfish restaurants in California. No complaints about the freshness here. And, by the looks of the restaurant’s turnout on Saturday night, complaints likely aren’t an issue. The place was packed.
The aforementioned battered whitefish, which came with Slapfish’s Fish & Chips plate, was pretty emblematic of our entire order. (This included the Lobster Taquitos, Shrimp Ceviche, Ultimate Fish Tacos and Clobster Grilled Cheese.) Not everything we ate was incredible — the Shrimp Ceviche tasted pretty bland, honestly — but that was an outlier in an otherwise stellar dinner. I will absolutely return for another Clobster Grilled Cheese. This sandwich features crab, lobster, chives, melted cheese and Slapfish’s special Jersey Sauce, served on fluffy toasted white bread. I didn’t realize I needed this sandwich in my life until I took a bite, but now there’s no turning back.
The Lobster Taquitos elicited a similar reaction. The taquito shell was nice and crispy, yet perfectly dissolved into the lobster when chomped. Why can’t all taquitos be this accommodating?
The price-point at Slapfish is occasionally higher than the other mid-priced restaurants near it. The Clobster Grilled Cheese, for example, is $15, while the Surf N Turf Lobster Burger is $16. (Note: These each come with a modest serving of natural-cut fries.) The bottom line, though, is you won’t find food quite like this elsewhere in Utah County. It’s the price of originality, and in this case, also quality.
It is likely that someday I’ll review a restaurant with bad seafood. In which case, the headline will definitely read, “Tharrr, she blows.” But alas, Slapfish does not blow. So I’ll hold on to that headline for at least another month.
SLAPFISH
Where: 3320 N. Digital Dr., Lehi
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sundays
Prices: Entrees $7-$16, appetizers $4-$7, sides $3-$4
Info: (385) 455-4110, slapfishrestaurant.com