2 Best Restaurants in Gila National Forest, Southwestern New Mexico

Come here to see 1860s Western decor and stay for the food—including some of the best steak and seafood in the region. The bar is a friendly place to gather; the dining rooms are cozy, the tablecloths white, and the walls replete with photos from the last 140 years of the area's history. The property also includes the Opera House, where live music is performed (on Friday and Saturday at 8).

Here's a great little place to stop on NM 12 in the northwestern reaches of the Gila National Forest. Not just because of the spicy enchiladas and chicken-fried steak, but because once you leave the hamlet of Reserve, New Mexico (population about 500), dinner options are scarce—Quemado is about 55 miles to the north. Alma and Glenwood are about 40 miles south.