Drunken Kitchen
Address: 333 W 2100 South Expressway
Telephone: 385-548-3020
Website: drunkenkitch.com
District: South Salt Lake
"I have always had a vision for this restaurant," Tim Rammell reveals. "I put in the work, learned from the best, and took notes. When the opportunity came, I knew I was ready." Tim and his younger brother - by one year and one week - Joe, share a journey to opening Drunken Kitchen that is rooted in determination, friendship, and an unwavering passion for food.
Born in China and raised in an orphanage in Taiwan until they were nine and ten, the brothers’ lives changed forever in 2006 when they were adopted by a loving couple from Jackson, Wyoming. Their parents had originally planned to adopt just one child but could not bear to separate the brothers. They had met on a Mormon mission in Taiwan, and from early on they knew they wanted a large family that included adopted children. They would eventually raise six children together.
Adjusting to life in Wyoming was challenging. Enrolled in an ESL program, the brothers unexpectedly learned Spanish instead of English due to the large Hispanic population in their class. Their parents quickly intervened, hiring private tutors to ensure they mastered English. Amid the culture shock, Tim found comfort in cooking. "I started learning how to make potstickers from my auntie in Taiwan when I was six or seven. That stuck with me. I always knew I wanted to do something in the culinary world."
Tim’s love of food only deepened. His adoptive father taught him to hunt and butcher, and he spent his teenage years working in local kitchens. After high school, Tim moved to Seattle, where his mother’s family lived. He spent seven years there, working at restaurants across a wide range of cuisines - from pizza and bar food, to Chinese, Malaysian, and Indian. He even helped open a gastropub that was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2018. Joe moved out to join him in 2018, and the two brothers lived and worked together, honing their skills.
In 2021, Tim and Joe moved to Salt Lake City. Tim saw an opportunity. He recognized that there was a lack of traditional yet innovative Taiwanese cuisine. "There’s great Japanese food here, but I wanted to bring something different - authentic flavors with a modern twist and a full bar experience. That’s something you don’t see often in Chinese restaurants," Tim explained.
Things did not happen overnight. The brothers took jobs at restaurants - Tim in Park City, Joe in Salt Lake. Whenever they had a moment, they poured everything they had into their own dream. Ultimately, it paid off and they were able to launch Drunken Kitchen as a one-day-a-week pop-up out of a shared incubator space at Square Kitchen. They prepped on Thursdays and sold food on Fridays. “It was exhausting,” Tim said, “but it felt right.” They quickly found that they were outgrowing the space as word spread about their dishes.
Then a turning point came. The owners of Grid City Beer Works stopped by to try the food. Impressed, they offered the brothers the opportunity to take over the bar and food operations at their brewery in South Salt Lake. It was a perfect match: the brewery would focus solely on beer, while the Rammell brothers would bring their vision of a full-service modern Taiwanese restaurant to life. By this time, both brothers had left their restaurant jobs, whether by layoff or closure, and were ready to go all in.
When asked where the name came from, Tim laughed and admitted that Drunken Kitchen came from a late-night brainstorming session with his childhood best friend and longtime collaborator, Sam Schwartz. “I think I was drinking that night, we knew we wanted something with the word ‘kitchen,’ and it just stuck.”
Drunken Kitchen opened in the Grid City location in early 2025, and the response was immediate. The menu reflects Tim’s journey - rooted in tradition but shaped by years of experimentation. The dan dan noodles and pork buns, both handmade daily, are best-sellers. The beef noodle soup, inspired by a beloved Taiwanese dish, takes three days to prepare and uses a rich beef and chicken bone broth. Nearly every dish can be made vegan, and the bold flavors - Tim prefers the word unapologetic - shine through in every dish. “We don’t hold back,” Tim said. “People in Utah are used to mild flavors. I wanted to challenge that.”
Joe now leads the kitchen, overseeing operations, while Tim develops and tests new recipes, trains staff, and steers the creative direction. “I create; Joe executes. That’s how we work.” And Sam? He keeps it all moving behind the scenes. “It’s a real team effort,” Tim said. “We all have our lanes.”
Sam Schwartz, Tim’s best friend of nearly two decades, grew up with the brothers in Jackson, Wyoming. A former professional big-mountain skier, Sam split his time between skiing and earning a business degree at Montana State University. After retiring from competitive skiing in 2020, he focused his energy on entrepreneurship. In addition to co-owning Drunken Kitchen, Sam launched a second business in Salt Lake City called Avant, a sustainable meal delivery service that uses reusable packaging. “I was frustrated with how much waste came from grocery packaging,” he explained. “So, I created a membership-based service with restaurant-quality meals delivered in containers we wash and reuse.”
At Drunken Kitchen, Sam oversees marketing, customer acquisition, compliance, and the overall business infrastructure. “I get butts in seats,” he said with a grin. “We’re very aggressive with our marketing. Tim’s personality is big and fun, and our food reflects that. We want the whole experience - from the food to the atmosphere - to feel welcoming and exciting.”
The results speak for themselves. Drunken Kitchen quickly became a hotspot, with reservations recommended on weekends due to long wait times. “People drive from all over Utah and even Wyoming,” Tim said. “One woman drives up every other week from Provo just to get our food.”
Looking ahead, the team plans to add seasonal menu changes and weekly specials. They also anticipate opening their rooftop patio in the warmer weather, complete with mountain views and a full-service bar.
Reflecting on their journey, Tim said, “We worked every single day to make this happen. It’s not just a restaurant. This is the American dream. We began in an orphanage in Taiwan, and it took a lot of sweat and tears, but we got here. We are so proud that people are willing to come and try our food.”
