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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.
Open for lunch and dinner, this casual café at Bright Angel Lodge serves basics like salads, sandwiches, and burgers. Harvey House favorites like strip steak and spaghetti round out the menu. For dessert try the flourless chocolate lava cake or the more casual ice cream sandwich with whipped topping and chocolate sauce. Be prepared to wait for a table: the dining room bustles all day long.
Tucked in the back of the Raptor Ranch gift shop, this order-at-the-counter eatery is the area's best option for a quick bite on the road. Pizza dominates the menu, but chicken tenders and wings are options, too. The restaurant serves a limited selection of pitchers of beer and bottles of wine.
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.
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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