Midway Mercantile to be featured on America’s Best Restaurants

Cozy farmhouse-style dining at Midway Mercantile, where brick walls, warm lighting and art create an inviting Main Street atmosphere. Photo: TownLift // Rebecca Brenner

MIDWAY, Utah — Midway Mercantile Restaurant will be featured on the national series America’s Best Restaurants this fall, following on-site filming Sept. 11.

The show’s production team will highlight the restaurant’s signature dishes and interview its owners about the business’s place in the community. Chef and co-owner John Platt said the spotlight is both humbling and exciting. “It is awesome,” Platt said. “I’m honored and kind of excited to see where it goes. Obviously, we have a kind of popularity here, and so, when you bring this imprimatur of, you know, America’s Best Restaurants, I’ll be interested to see where that flies.”

Host Amanda Valentine explained that Midway Mercantile was chosen because of its strong reputation and community presence. “Part of the process of choosing restaurants is that they meet certain criteria, one being local, independently owned,” Valentine said. “We really want to highlight local and independent restaurants. We also consider reviews and their standing within the community. It’s kind of a combination of the food, the community, the people, and the ownership.”

During filming, the crew captured Platt preparing one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, Panko-Crusted Fresh Alaskan Halibut, along with additional interviews in the dining room. The finished episode will air extensively across ABR’s Restaurant Network social media channels, as well as on Midway Mercantile’s Facebook page at a later date.

Founded seven years ago, Midway Mercantile has become known for its cozy farmhouse-style atmosphere, stone hearth oven, and inventive New American cuisine with continental flair. Popular items on the menu include Parmesan-crusted pork tenderloin, hearth-roasted Scottish salmon, and Juanito’s fish tacos. The restaurant also hosts events such as clam bakes, wine dinners, and fundraising dinners in partnership with wineries.

Platt, who previously operated a restaurant in Seattle for 17 years before relocating to Midway, said the recognition affirms the restaurant’s mission of bringing people together over food.

The finished episode will premiere later this year on America’s Best Restaurants’ Restaurant Network social media channels and Midway Mercantile’s Facebook page, where updates will be shared.

About Midway Mercantile Restaurant:

Located in an early 20th-century building at 99 E Main St., Midway, Utah, Midway Mercantile offers farm-to-table dining in a family-friendly atmosphere. For more information, visit www.midwaymercantile.com or call (435) 222-8003.

About America’s Best Restaurants:

Based in Florence, Kentucky, ABR is a national media and marketing company that travels the country to tell the stories of locally owned, independent restaurants. With more than 2,000 episodes filmed, ABR connects restaurants with new audiences through its ABR Roadshow and extensive digital presence. Learn more at www.americasbestrestaurants.com