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Within the park on the South Rim, you can find everything from cafeteria food to creatively prepared, Western- and Southwestern-inspired American cuisine—there's even a coffeehouse with organic joe. Reservations are accepted (and recommended) for dinner at El Tovar Dining Room; they can be made up to six months in advance with El Tovar room reservations, 30 days in advance without. You should also make dinner reservations at the Grand Canyon Lodge Dining Room on the North Rim—as the only "upscale" dining option, the restaurant fills up quickly at dinner throughout the season (the two other choices on the North Rim are a cafeteria and a chuck wagon–style Grand Cookout experience). The dress code is casual across the board, but El Tovar is your best option if you're looking to dress up a bit and thumb through an extensive wine list. Drinking water and restrooms aren’t available at most picnic spots.
Eateries outside the park generally range from mediocre to terrible—you didn't come all the way to the Grand Canyon for the food, did you? Our selections highlight your best options. Of towns near the park, Williams definitely has the leg up on culinary variety and quality, with Tusayan (near the South Rim) and Jacob Lake (the closest town to the North Rim) offering mostly either fast food or merely adequate sit-down restaurants. Near the park, even the priciest places welcome casual dress. On the Hualapai and Havasupai reservations in Havasu Canyon and on the West Rim, dining is limited and basic.
At the end of a row of motel rooms at Cliff Dwellers Lodge, this restaurant is a pleasant surprise with excellent food, craft beer, and a full bar. Order gourmet sandwiches and salads for lunch; rib-eye steak, roasted chicken, and baby back ribs impress at dinner. A small patio is available to dine on out front.
Dining choices are limited on the North Rim, but this deli next to the lodge is your best bet for a meal on a budget or grabbing a premade sandwich on the go. Selections also include pizza (gluten-free or standard crust), salads, custom-made sandwiches, and soft-serve ice cream. Best of all, there is a veranda for dining alfresco.
This no-frills restaurant at the Grand Canyon Inn plates all-American fare like pork chops, fried chicken, and burgers. Pasta and salads are available, too. The restaurant has a limited wine list and beer offerings plus a full bar serving mixed drinks.
This walk-up café offers a casual dining experience at Guano Point. Chow down on barbecue pork or chicken, curried vegetables, and sides like mashed potatoes and corn on the cob as you take in the canyon's views.
Located at Hualapai Point, Gwe Ma'jo is the only restaurant at Grand Canyon West that serves breakfast, although its offerings are limited to an egg and meat plate, breakfast burrito (with or without meat), French toast, and fry bread. At lunch, you can sample Navajo dishes like pinion stew and tacos made with fry bread.
This restaurant inside Jacob Lake Inn satisfies hungry travelers with homemade breakfasts and burgers and sandwiches for lunch. At dinnertime, try the grilled Salisbury steak topped with grilled onions; add hunter gravy and an egg to enjoy it like a local. Or, sample a regional trout dish. The restaurant also has a bakery and an ice-cream counter selling milkshakes, sundaes, and cones.
You can get BBQ, hot sandwiches, hot dogs, or Mexican fare at this food court. The adjacent Maswik Pizza Pub serves pizza by the slice and wine and beer. Lines can be long during high-season lunch and dinner, but everything moves fairly quickly.
The only indoor, sit-down dining at Grand Canyon West overlooks the Skywallk and Eagle Point and serves chicken tenders, salads, bowls, and vegetarian burgers. Beer and wine are also available. Meal tickets for here can be purchased as part of a package.
This café at Eagle Point serves hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, and chili dogs. Dining is outdoors with views of the Skywalk and Eagle Point or within view of the Hualapai musicians and dancers who perform several shows daily.
If you don't have time for full-service, the restaurant in Yavapai Lodge offers cafeteria-style dining for breakfast and dinner, including beef brisket, pizza, baked chicken, and salmon. Wine and beer, including craft brews from nearby Flagstaff, are also on the menu; or enjoy drinks on the patio at the adjacent Yavapai Tavern, which serves lunch and dinner.
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