We asked multiple locals and resort workers where après ski happened at Snowbasin. They didn’t even know what the term meant, which provided a pretty good indication that “après” is close to non-existent at Snowbasin!
There is no evening dining or nightlife at Snowbasin. The restaurant and bar at Earl’s Lodge only stay open until 5pm, or 6pm on weekends. All other bars and restaurants can be found down in Ogden Valley in Eden and Huntsville.
Ogden Valley Restaurants
In Eden you’ll find Carlos and Harley's Fresh-Mex Cantina. The Mexican restaurant and bar has a diverse menu, and not surprisingly there are various margaritas on offer.
Another restaurant in Eden is Eats of Eden (2595 N Hwy 162, Eden), or dine-in or take-away pizzas are available at Ogden Valley Pizza.
If you’re coming through Eden in the morning, get a caffeine kick-start at the hippie coffee store next to the Valley Market grocery store. They serve “real” coffees, not the type you get from some American chain-store coffee shops.
Snowbasin Bar, Nightlife
The Earl’s Lodge restaurant is open until 5pm, which sells classic under-strength Utah beer. It still tastes good, but doesn’t give you the après beer buzz we all know and love.
The bar next door is Cinnabar, but considering the glitzy décor, it doesn’t really look like a bar. It’s not particularly social because it’s a sit-down affair in opulent chairs, making it difficult to mingle with people outside your group. Like many other Utah bars, it’s not possible to order a drink without also buying food. The law is intended to curtail drunken behaviour, but the bars probably don’t want to get a different liquor license because it makes them more profit. The other downside is the calories consumed every time you want to visit a bar, although you might get away with circumventing the rules if you tell the hostess that you intend to order food. The Cinnabar never gets particularly festive, even when there’s live music on, and it’s only open until 5pm (6pm on Saturday and Sunday), so if you’re keen to continue the carousing, you’ll need to go down to Ogden Valley.
A “real” pub is down in Huntsville where you definitely don’t have to order a meal, although the famous Star Burger is worth ordering. During the Olympics the European skiers taught the Huntsville locals a thing or two about après, so there is a chance you’ll find some merriment at the Shooting Star pub (7350 E 200 S, Huntsville). The saloon-style drinking establishment has so much character that it is a tourist attraction in itself. There are old wooden booths and a mixture of “decorations” including various mounted animal heads that are particularly ugly. The huge St Bernard dog takes the cake, and the US economy has probably gone sour because of the many dollar bills stuck to the ceiling. This pub is the complete antithesis of Snowbasin ski resort, and proudly they don’t serve salads with their meals. If you wore a Prada ski outfit into this pub you’d probably get thrown out.
Another option for a drink is Carlos and Harley’s Fresh-Mex Cantina in Eden.
Otherwise Ogden has various bars and clubs, particularly around the historic 25th street precinct.