The Ultimate Dining Guide For Yellowstone National Park

The entrance to Yellowstone National Park is an occurrence unlike many left in the world. You pass through the gates, and society, in many of the ways that we know it, falls away. Service is spotty, but the views are grand. As beautiful as it is, most of us aren't hunting, fishing, or eating off the fat of the land. While it's always great to come ready with picnic supplies, it's important also to know what dining options are available in Yellowstone.

Before you can jump into understanding where to eat, drink, and be merry, it's helpful to understand how Yellowstone works. The main roads in the park are set into loops, and upper and lower tracks that each connect to different entrances across park boundaries. Apart from the southern entrance, which comes through Grand Teton National Park, each cardinal direction offers a way(s) into the park that comes through a town: The east entrance crosses Cody, Wyoming; the west entrance is in West Yellowstone, Montana. As for the north, there are two gateway towns: one in Gardiner, MT, another in Cooke City, MT. 

Along with dining options that these towns have to offer, the park has numerous styles of stores, cafeterias, grills, soda fountains, cafés, lounges, and sit-down restaurants to explore across its 3,472 square miles. Some of these establishments are managed by the park and its vendors, while others are operated by hospitality company Xanterra. Another thing that's important to remember is that they all have varying hours, as well as seasonal schedules. Make sure to check online for accurate info regarding your seasonal visit to Yellowstone. 

As the closest town to the park, West Yellowstone is the busiest of the five entrances, and the only one besides Cody, WY, with fast food. The next McDonald's isn't for more than 80 miles. There aren't any major fast-casual shops, either. In the absence of multinational chains, a unique ecosystem has developed. Pancake houses proliferated, with Running Bear running the show for well over 40 years. For dinner, the Slippery Otter Pub is a local favorite, offering long lists of pizza and burgers made from elk, bison, and beef.

If you're looking for global tastes that go beyond the American comfort food cravings, there are some options in the West Yellowstone food truck scene. There's a fine falafel shop called The Falafel Spot, and the newly opened Fuji Teriyaki is serving pan-Asian, Japanese-influenced cuisine. There's also more than a few taquerias and Mexican restaurants with fair portions and fantastic prices, such as Taquería Malverde or La Jungla (formerly Las Palmitas), which serves out of a renovated bus.

For coffee, it's got to be Espresso West. For sweets, the ice cream shops runneth over in West Yellowstone. That said, for a truly iconic experience, visit the old ice cream counter at Eagle's Curios. It's over 110 years old, has all sorts of flavors, and is your last possible stop before the entrance, not including the visitor center.

Cody, Wyoming, is 52 miles east of Yellowstone's Eastern-most entrance — space enough for the place to have become a veritable city, though it mostly still feels like a town. Famously, it's the home of Western menace Buffalo Bill, who founded the town and even built some structures still in use today. Cody is considered the Rodeo Capital of the World, but the food is more than just cowboy cuisine.

For Mediterranean food beyond falafel, Cody has Sitti's Table, which serves a godsend of a Turkish çoban salad for when you finally reach the moment that another bite of red meat is impossible. (If you're not there yet, the lamb kefta is also A-1.) Sitti's is a low-key hotspot for coffee in Cody, too. Some specialty lattes play with za'atar, cardamom, and rose. Considering you are in the far east of the park, it might also be geographically on-brand to check out WyThai. It has a few home-cooked Thai dishes that could stand out even in a more densely populated locale.

The Cody Cattle Company is a unique, family-style, all-you-can-eat buffet that promises a show alongside heaps of succulent brisket. At Proud Cut Saloon, you'll find steaks that seem steeped in the mythos of the westward expansion: baseball cut sirloin, flat iron, and prime rib. Much of the same is on order at Cody Steakhouse, but here, you can also get a 16-ounce bison ribeye. The kitschy yet historic restaurant at Buffalo Bill's Irma Hotel sells buffalo short ribs, which are unique to find even in these parts.

Gardiner, Montana, has the distinction of being the town closest to YNP's first entrance, which portals through the park's northern boundary via the famous Roosevelt Arch. Despite the prestige, Gardiner is significantly smaller than Cody or West Yellowstone — only 800-ish people call the town home. However, the north entrance is the only one open year-round, which means Gardiner has to stay fed in every season.

An east-west passage called Park Street is Gardiner's main thoroughfare of attraction, because it shares a border with the park boundary line. Standing on the street, you're technically in Yellowstone National Park, but enter into one of the restaurants on Park Street — like EAT Cafe or Yellowstone Perk — and you're back in Gardiner. Both of the aforementioned spots are part of Gardiner's boomtown breakfast and scene, alone with other Western java joints Cowboy Up Coffee and Bears Brew, both of which are convenient as a drive-through and coffee truck, respectively. Tumbleweed Cafe, a local bookstore, is another cool stop for your jitter juice.

EAT is a nice cafe for lunch, which, like every place around here, has a creative twist on bison. It's served as a sizeable meatball sub with a savory red sauce that hits a little heavy for lunch in all the right ways. If you want to try some game meat, visit the Antler Pub & Grill for a jalapeño elk brat, elk meatloaf, or a cheesesteak made from shaved bison sirloin.

Cooke City is the closest town to Yellowstone's second northern entrance, about five miles outside the park boundary. It's nowhere close to being a city. Long before you could enter the park this way, Cooke City was a miners' town, and it's here the Beartooth Highway picks up or ends, depending on your direction. It's one of America's most scenic and harrowing routes across the old West. Cooke City still resembles its mining history, with log cabin lodges, stone-masoned motels, and board-battened saloons lining the road.

If you're looking for something classic and comforting, say pizza or burgers, then the Miners Saloon Casino & Emporium is the sort of place to do it. Wooka's Wild Eats is another fun stop with excellent and creative tacos. If you want to pick up your barbecue or picnic supplies, the Cooke City store is the place to go for general goods, supplies, and sundries. They still use hand-cranked cash registers in there, like shopping in a time capsule.

Beartooth Cafe and Cooke City Coffee are your two choices if you want morning coffee, but Cooke City Coffee definitely takes the cake, thanks to menu items like the Sausage Bomb, a biscuit stuffed with sausage gravy. You can get your sandwiches on gluten-free bread or bagels, as well.

Grant Village, built in 1984, is the park's southernmost major settlement, a complex of lodges, campgrounds, visitor centers, general stores, and restaurants. It's the first major place you can stop to purchase food or beverages if you're coming up from Grand Teton National Park. On your way down to the shore, you'll first pass the Grant Mini Store shortly before the Grant Village General Store. The former is beside the Yellowstone Park Service Station, which essentially has gas-station snacks, sweet treats, and drinks. The latter is where your dining options broaden.

Upon entering, head to the back of the General Store, where there's a small, fast-food-esque restaurant. To wet the whistle, order a huckleberry soda, or a range of hot drinks. The grill sells handheld foods: beef or black bean burgers, pulled pork or grilled chicken sandwiches, and grilled cheese or PB&Js for the kids. On the other end of the General Store, you'll find snacks, groceries, ice cream, and grab-and-go options along the line of breakfast bagels, hot dogs, and deli sandwiches. Plus, a microwave to reheat them. 

The big draw to dining in Grant Village are the two restaurants: the fast-casual Lake House, a marina-turned-taco-restaurant; and the Grant Village Dining Room. The latter is a full-service restaurant and bar with breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. A seared Idaho red trout and burnt onion vinaigrette is worth making a reservation for (they're recommended).

The Lake Village campus is on the east side of Yellowstone's lower loop road, and the north point of Yellowstone Lake. It includes the Fishing Bridge RV campgrounds and the Bridge Bay campground. Fishing Bridge, Lake Village, and Bridge Bay all have general stores selling a mix of groceries. Bay Bridge's is a marina store, so along with convenience store snacks, spirits, and grab-and-gos, there are boating supplies, too. Fishing Bridge's general store is even larger. There's a significant wine section and fresh produce in the grocery area. The octagonal Lake Village general store has a soda fountain-style restaurant where you can get a Nathan's hotdog, chili-cheese nachos, and ice cream by the scoop.

Central to the Lake Village area is the Lake Yellowstone Hotel, which has been operating since 1891. The Lake Hotel has two dining choices: the Dining Room, and a breezy deli with continental breakfast, Starbucks-supplied espresso, and craft sandwiches. The white-columned, white table-clothed Dining Room is the more elegant option. (Dinner reservations are required.) The menu changes often, but there's always fun aspects, like a spirits list of local liqueurs, including Montana-made honey moonshine. For lunch, you might try the coq au vin sandwich, while dinner could be duck confit just as likely as seared halibut or elk ravioli.

The Lake Hotel isn't the only non-camping lodge around this area. There's also the Lake Lodge, with rustic and charming Wylie's Canteen. Classic American food is what you'll get, three square meals a day. Order a bagel or biscuits with gravy for breakfast, New England pot roast for dinner. The Canteen specializes in a build-your-own burger menu, with some hot dog options, too.

Canyon Village's proximity to its namesake, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, makes it one of the busiest park stops. Fortunately, the multitude of dining options disperses the crowd. There's a general store, as well as the Canyon Soda Fountain, which shares the same menu as the Grant Village burger grill. Across the parking lot is the larger Canyon Lodge building, which recently finished construction. The quasi-food hall inside Canyon Lodge includes a 1950s-coded scoop shop, café, eatery, and cocktail lounge.

The first one you'll cross is the Canyon Lodge Eatery, a breakfast-through-dinner diner concept. There's a basic morning menu — scrambled eggs served alongside home fries and bacon, for example. For lunch and dinner, you can order from two menus, the "Fresh Woks" page or the "Slow Food Fast Meal" list. At Fresh Woks, you can build a bowl of gochujang tofu or tempura shrimp on rice or noodles; the other menu is park-themed, meaning hot dogs, chili, French dip, rotisserie chicken, and roasted trout. There are also considerations made for vegetarian and vegan eaters, including a Beyond Meat Swiss steak and black bean patty sandwich.

The food hall has a full-service café and espresso bar called the Falls Café, which also sells plant-based milks if you're craving an oat latte. The Ice Creamery counter is 50 feet away, dishing fresh scoops of Montana's Big Dipper Ice Cream. The back of the building boasts the M66 Lounge, a small bar with its own appetizer menu, as well as full beer, wine, and cocktail offerings.

High on the northeast curve of the upper loop, the Tower-Roosevelt area is one of the wilder campgrounds in comparison to places like Canyon or Grant Village. This piece of settlement is named after a 130+-foot waterfall called the Tower Fall, and a nearby Yellowstone River overlook also brings many visitors to this remote end of the park.

At Tower Campgrounds, you'll find a general store, but its relatively small compared to others around the park. All the same, there is a section for a few cold groceries — eggs, bacon, and the like, as well as other grocery, sundry, and commodity produce options. Plus, there are packaged and ready-to-cook foods and a general store snack bar that serves basic burgers, hot dogs, and chili.

If you're looking to eat, the big draw on this side of the park is the Roosevelt Lodge and its accompanying saloon. The Lodge was once a hunting refuge for President Teddy Roosevelt, but now it serves up a menu of Western fare designed to sustain your day on the range, breakfast until dinner. Idaho trout once again appears on the menu, this time crusted with sumac and sunflowers. Circle up the wagons, because there's also a cowboy-roasted chicken, portobello-stuffed burritos, Wagyu burgers, and pork carnitas. Across the room, the saloon bartenders are slinging signature whiskey bevvies from the full bar.

There is no place in Yellowstone National Park like Mammoth Hot Springs. Tall terraces of white, yellow, cream-colored calcium carbonate bubble with water and natural history beside the road. Then comes 1,000 feet of space, often ranged by elk herds. It ends with a line of stout buildings — brick, stone, clapboard — including a former military barracks that stands as  a depiction of recent human history.

Humans have to eat, and there are plenty of dining options in Yellowstone's northmost village. Mammoth has a Sinclair gas station and general store, both of which sell standard roadside snacks and ice cream. Like its counterparts, the general store stocks alcohol and cheese, butter, and bananas, as well as processed meats and other camp cooking staples. The mineral-stacked features of Mammoth may look like forbidden salt, but you can pick up a soft pretzel from the general store snack bar instead. 

Mammoth Hot Springs is where you'll find the Terrace Grill, a cafeteria-like space that serves, you guessed it, burgers and more. (To note: The Terrace Grill often serves one of the better burgers among the park's many vendors, along with a ripping bison brat.) Sandwiches can be customized with gluten-free buns. The bevvies also give a little something — kombucha, nitro cold brew, and local beer abound.

On the other side of the building are the Mammoth Hotel dining room and the Hotel Map Room. The tasteful Map Room offers a full bar for pre-dinner tipples or post-meal wind-downs. In the dining room, guests may spot grazing animals while they eat blistered shishitos or warm goat cheese salad, filet mignon, market fish, or cauliflower steak.

Yellowstone welcomes 4 million visitors a year — and it's safe to say a majority of them visit Old Faithful. The regularity of the iconic geyser's eruptions has made it a huge draw since the park was founded in 1872. Consequently, the area built to service this geologic attraction has developed into a food ecosystem.

Over the generations it has taken for Old Faithful to become a district, three different accommodations grew up around the geyser: Old Faithful Inn (1904), Old Faithful Lodge, and the Old Faithful Snow Lodge (1999). Each has varying options for dining in Yellowstone.

The Old Faithful Inn has been providing room and board to Yellowstone's guests for more than 120 years. To keep today's guests fed, it staffs the historic Inn Dining Room, the Bear Paw Deli, Bear Pit Lounge, and a second floor espresso bar. The Inn Dining Room is log-beamed and features a large fireplace. Breakfast and lunch guests are first come, while dinner requires reservations. A large buffet is available for lunch and dinner, and includes prime rib and huckleberry chipotle chicken at the evening meal, and battered walleye fish or pulled pork for lunch. The quick-serve deli offers something more casual. In contrast, the Bear Pit is Yellowstone's premier place to relax and have a cocktail, and guests can enjoy classics or signatures ensconced in etched glass art stylings.

Old Faithful Lodge is just across geyser terrain from the Inn. Inside is a small bakeshop window, open until lunch, which serves standard baked goods, gluten-free treats, espresso, and soft serve. The real draw is the Lodge cafeteria. There are a wide range of affordable options, from a barbecue station to an "Around the World" counter with gyros, falafel, and tikka masala, which you can take into the dining room and eat while viewing nature's wonder.

Following the Lodge Cafeteria and the dining options at Old Faithful Inn, the last place you might sit down for a full meal around these parts is the Snow Lodge. As the only hotel open in the park during winter, the Snow Lodge has varying dates of operation across the entire year. Reservations are required during the winter season; summer offers more flexibility. Inside the Lodge, the first place you'll want to eat is the Obsidian Dining Room, where a wild game charcuterie plate, bison empanadas, and golden curry lentil soup make up just the small plates.

The Obsidian Dining Room might be the only place to get avocado toast for miles around. Other breakfast choices include buttermilk pancakes, seven-grain flapjacks made from Montana wheat, and diner combos of eggs and breakfast meats, along with a breakfast buffet. The menu changes by season, and the Obsidian Dining Room isn't open for lunch.

Also found in the Snow Lodge is the Geyser Grill, a quick-service lunch/dinner shop similar to many of other delis and soda fountain grills across the park's stops, and the Firehole Lounge, a cocktail bar servicing the Snow Lodge.