Restaurants

Yellowstone

Food in Yellowstone is a controversial topic. For years visitors have complained about Xanterra, the company that runs the lodges, restaurants and gift shops in not only Yellowstone but also Grand Canyon, Glacier and Death Valley National Parks.

To be fair, Xanterra has an almost impossible job. It has to prepare food for 30,000 guests a day in Yellowstone alone. The park is isolated and far from places where fruits and vegetables are raised. So it's expensive to ship produce in, and expensive to keep it refrigerated. Guests come from all over the world, so have an incredibly wide range of tastes. Some want to eat Steak, Bison, Elk, Antelope, Venison, Trout and Salmon, while others are vegetarians or vegans. Their ideas of Medium or Well Done, or Salty or Lively or Bland, or Juicy or Dry, vary wildly. Many want everything fried and others think frying food is a cardinal sin. So it wouldn't matter what Xanterra did, it would hear complaints.

However, Xanterra doesn't do itself any favors. At the feature dining hall at Old Faithful Inn, its menu only has seven entrees. They offer one Ribeye but no Bison, no Trout, no Elk, no Venison, no Walleye and no Antelope. They obviously have no one on staff from the South because what they call Grits are not Grits at all. Their Buffet (photo below) costs an outrageous $50 and is the equuivalent of a good high school cafeteria line. Instead of offering Trout and Prime Rib on the main menu, Xanterra offers them on the buffet line, but they don't know how to fix them. Both are way overcooked, dry and tasteless.

On the dinner menu, the star is the 12 oz. hand cut Prime Rib. It's way overpriced but very good. The Grilled Salmon, Herb Rubbed Chicken and Braised Short Rib are decent and worth ordering. But the Shrimp & Grits are spectacularly bad; the Shrimp are OK but these are not Grits. The Potato Gnocchi are mediocre. Gnocchi are dumplings made from mashed potatoes, flour, eggs and salt. These are pretty tasteless. They serve them with sauteed vegetables which help liven the flavor up a little. The Tofu Bowl contains tofu, charred pineapple slaw, pickled onion and cilantro. It's worthless.

On the positive side, they do a pretty good job with their Salads : House, Caesar and Wedge, topped with either shrimp or chicken as you choose. The Roast Red Pepper Gouda Soup and the Charcuterie Board are outstanding. Their Dessert Menu is probably their greatest success, especially the Cheesecake, Eleven Layer Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Truffle Tort.

We know many long time Old Faithful guests who eat an Appetizer, a Salad, the Soup, and a Dessert and feel like they got a pretty good deal.

The bar does a good job with Old Fashioneds, Margaritas and Martinis.

The Lunch Menu offers Walleye, Bison Chili, Barbecue Pulled Pork and Bison Bratwurst, all very good. The Soup Of The Day is also usually good. Why Can They Not Offer These Items At Dinner???

Many people prefer the full service restaurant over in the Snow Lodge, the Obsidian Dining Room. It's cheaper than the one in the Inn, has more entrees, and is the favorite among employees. It doesn't take reservations.

The Obsidian's signature entrees are the Bison Short Ribs, Bison Empanadas, Quesadillas, Trout, Duck Ravioli and Wild Alaska Salmon.

But there's also the Geyser Grill, which serves burgers, soups, salads, deli sandwiches and several chicken items.

And there's the Old Faithful Lodge Cafeteria. It offers Chicken Tikki Masala, Lamb & Beef Gyro, Beef Brisket, Barbecued Chicken and Pulled Pork. This is actually a pretty good cafeteria. How can Xanterra offer this high quality reasonably priced cafereria and the overpriced low quality buffet over in Old Faithful Inn??? It makes no sense. But they should still be offering Bison, Elk, Trout, Venison and Antelope in every restaurant.

However, you'll spend each day exploring a different part of the park. Each part has a full service restaurant, and they're very good. You can linger late in the afternoon and eat an early dinner, then drive back to your room at Old Faithful before dark.

Shown at left is the Mammoth Hotel Restaurant. It's in the village of Mammoth, close to the north entrance at Gardiner, near Mammoth Hot Springs, the Lamar Valley and the Beartooth Highway. The menu includes Trout, Bison, 6 oz. Filet Mignon, 8 oz. Hanger Steak, very good Salads, the park standard Roast Red Pepper Gouda Soup plus a Soup Of The Day, often a Wild Rice or Tomato Basil. The Goat Cheese Salad and Garden Salad are particularly good. Among Appetizers the House Smoked Trout Dip and Montana Beef Sliders are unique. There's a great Dessert menu, but the basic Huckleberry Ice Cream is hard to beat. You don't need reservations at dinner, and if you're eating early you won't have a wait. This is a four star Certified Green restaurant. Many long timers think this is the best restaurant in the park.

The Grant Lodge Dining Room has the best fish menu in the park. There's Salmon, Trout, Cod and Crab Cakes as Entrees, plus Calamari, Steamed Mussels, Tuna Tutaki, Smoked Trout Dip, Crab Salad and Shrimp Cocktail for Appetizers. Clam Strips are on the lunch menu and you can usually talk the waiter into letting you order them for dinner. Soups include Chicken Gumbo and Roast Tomato Basil. The Tuna Tutaki is lightly seared with a ponzu sauce and seaweed salad added. Their Salads can be topped with either Shrimp, Chicken or Trout. If you're in a pasta mood they offer Linguini In Smoky Tomato Sauce. There's a very extensive American wine list.

That big window in the photo at right looks out on Yellowstone Lake with the Absaroka Mountains along the distant shore.

You need reservations here. This has been good for a long time. Many people from Jackson drive up here for dinner and many people staying in Grand Teton National Park stop here on the way back to their own lodging after a day in Yellowstone.

Many long timers consider Yellowstone Lake Hotel the elite lodging in the park. The restaurant is very classy, with live music and upscale service. You need reservations and you need to make them as soon as you make your room reservations, wherever in the park you're staying. Only overnight guests in the park can make dinner reservations.

The dinner menu is excellent. It includes Lamb Chops, Quail, Trout, Halibut and Steak, plus the usual excellent Salads, Soups, Appetizers and Desserts. Sometimes --- but not always --- they have Bison. You eat looking out over Yellowstone Lake.