Where can you eat at Grand Canyon and which place is best?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ย. 2024
- Here are the dining options, ordered from least expensive to most expensive.
The names of some of the restaurants change regularly, I am not sure why, especially the one that I will generically call the Bright Angel Coffee Shop, which I think is the most descriptive name. Recently, it has gone through a lot of name changes a few weeks ago it was called Fred Harvey Burger, and when I looked online preparing this video, it has changed again to Fred Harvey Café. I will just call it the Bright Angel Coffee Shop. So some of the names I used here are generic, but adequately descriptive. So, here we go:
Probably the least expensive option is picking up a sandwich, drink, including beer or wine, and a dessert at the General Store. You can then sit at one of the tables out front, or in the snack bar and enjoy a meal for $10.
Next is the snack bar at the front of the general store. They have typical menu, including freshly prepared pizza and both an indoor and outdoor sitting area.
About the same price, but on a much grander scale is the food court at Maswik Lodge. They have various food stations and a generously sized eating area with soaring ceilings and a pleasant atmosphere.
The Yavapai Cafeteria is currently being remodeled and certainly will be renamed, but will likely be very similar to Maswik Food Court. Both Yavapai and Maswik were built by the same company in about the same era, so similarities abound, despite the fact they are currently managed by different companies.
Yavapai has a tavern, where you can get pizza, beer, wine and liquor. The food is prepared at the nearby Yavapai Cafeteria. Maswik has the pizza pub, where you can get beer and wine, and watch sports on big screen TV’s. If the Maswik pizza pub atmosphere is not to your liking, you can take your food and drink to the more quiet open seating area beyond.
Yavapai is unique in that it has outdoor seating both at the Tavern and at the General Store. Maswik does not have this option.
Moving up the, ahem, food chain, is the Bright Angel Coffee Shop. They keep changing the name and it is currently called “Fred Harvey Café.” It is kind of like a Denny’s. The restaurant was built in 1935 and designed by Mary Colter, and has a pleasant atmosphere. They do not accept reservations, and you sometimes need to wait to be seated.
Next up is the Arizona Room, well, that is what it was called for years. It has recently been renamed the Arizona Steakhouse. It is right next to the Bright Angel Coffee Shop, but has a separate entrance and takes both reservations and walk-ins, but reservations are recommended. It is only open during the high season. The Arizona Room is moderately upscale and leans toward a steakhouse or chophouse menu.
At the, ahem, top of the food chain is the El Tovar restaurant. This is the flagship eating establishment at South Rim. Reservations are required for every meal but breakfast, and in the busy season you may not get a seat without a reservation. Dressing for dinner is encouraged, they have a Maitre d’, white tablecloths, and an upscale atmosphere. El Tovar was build in 1905 and was once considered the best hotel West of the Mississippi. Xanterra does try to maintain this upscale atmosphere to this day.
Let me also comment on reservations and crowds. I strongly recommend that you make reservations, generally available online a month in advance. First, there is always a crowd around the entrance of El Tovar seeking a table without reservations. Second, people love to see the sunset on the rim and then mob the restaurants. That’s when delays in seating and service are the worst. If you plan to see the sunset, you might want to have your dinner first to avoid the mob scene after sunset during the peak months.
My favorite place to eat is none of the above. I first started by bringing my own breakfast to Grand Canyon, because I get up early and hit the trail well before the restaurants have opened. I eat my lunch from my backpack on the trail. That leaves dinner as the only meal I would eat out. Even before covid, I grew frustrated with the cost, quality, inconvenience and variable efficiency of the service at the sit- down restaurants. I gave them up. Similarly, the pizza pub I liked so much could range from serving a decent pizza to one that was almost inedible. And that meal would cost about $60 including a couple of beers. I started bringing my own food. On a two night stay, I have a salad with tuna on the first night, and I have a hearty soup on the second night.
This allows me to have healthy food, prepared the way I want, when I want it, at minimum cost. I can pop open a beer for 1/4 the cost of a draft at a restaurant, play some jazz from the internet and pay less than five dollars per person per meal, served when I want it, with no wait, and prepared to my satisfaction. It is healthier, cheaper, faster and made to my satisfaction.
I think the whole point is to see the canyon, the goal of eating is to refuel and get back to the rim. I agree with you, the cheapest is the best.😊
Agreed! I like to spend my time in the Canyon.
A comprehensive guide from somebody who knows what they're talking about. That is a rare thing to find on youtube.
Thanks, you are so kind.
I am a big fan of the cheapest option, eating in your room. I appreciate your endorsement of this option.
Thank you!
A useful and comprehensive guide to food at Grand Canyon. I agree with your ultimate conclusion.
Glad you enjoyed it, many thanks.
Thank you for posting the menus, they provide very useful information.
Happy to do so, I try to provide the information that I would seek myself.
That is probably the video with the best conclusion I have ever watched. Thank you!
Thanks for watching all the way through, I sometimes worry people will quit before getting to which is best!
Great information.
I agree with the eating in the room and starting your hikes early.
After the hike, we would grill outside of the room. On days we aren't hiking like arrival & departure days we usually eat at the food court.
That makes perfect sense. Thanks for your comment.
Boy am I glad I found you. Will be doing some serious watching of your videos and taking notes! Thank you.
Thank you for your kind comment. I am happy to be able to share what I have learned.
Thank you for covering all of the options.
Thanks for watching!
Great comprehensive guide. It's great they have so many different options depending on what you are looking for. We usually pack our own food for the most part. My husband still remembers a hot dog he got at the Yavapai Cafeteria many years ago - it was not even heated up. Haha, they served him one that someone had probably just put on the roller and hadn't had time to warm up.
Thanks for watching. Unfortunately, I think the chances of having bad dining experiences at the restaurants is increasing. I am a big believer in the convenience and savings of bringing your own food.
Thanks, it is great that there are many choices and I hope you find the option that works best for you.
Beer and some Charlie Parker on the speaker sounds like an incredible night to me. Can’t wait to make this happen one day and appreciate your insights.
Aw, thanks. There are so many things about the modern world that I do not like, however, the portability and flexibility of music is one I really appreciate! I really like your channel name!
Great information and thank you for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
If I ever come to the Grand Canyon I will definitely be cintacting you , for route informative and food choices.
Now I do love ice cream so that place might be on my list.
Let me know if you plan the trip, I would be happy to help out. They have downgraded the ice cream selection this year, I guess they think they will make more money year-round on a broader range of food products. Personally, I thought the ice cream emphasis was a lot more fun!
It's so sad to hear that the North Rim restaurant is a nightmare! We had a wonderful lunch there back in 2017, and it was incredible!
That being said, I enjoy the way you set this up. It's great to have an insider's opinions on dining options. I am one who enjoys good places to eat while traveling. We have not had a meal within the park, on the south rim. However, back in 2011, the steak house in Williams was pretty good.
We had some of the same issues with the quality of food and service at the restaurant at the lodge. We actually found better food quality over in Curry Village. I wish we had known about that before our visit.
Watched with all ads 😊
They changed the vendor at North Rim last year, and it was a real mess. There was talk that the prior vendor sabotaged the transfer, and that may be true, but the bottom line was that it was a mess for guests. I will be there next week and will be able to report on how they are doing.
It is a shame that the lodge meals are really hit or miss, but they have a captive customer base and there really seems to be little regulation of quality by the Park Service.
You might think about putting hotel and restaurant reviews into your busy travel video schedule, as viewers seem to really like them.
As always, thanks for your ongoing support and viewership.
Excellent video and thank you so much.
Thanks for watching!
As always, very useful information for tourists and visitors to the canyon. I prefer your way though. While I'm hiking, I mostly eat and drink what I prepare in my backpack, and after hiking I can possibly go out to eat something.
I think the treat factor of a meal out after a hike cannot be ignored, but I also personally factor in cost and convenience. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the information. During our last two trips to the Grand Canyon (2023 and 2022) we found both the quality of food and service noticeably better at the Arizona Steakhouse than at El Tovar (for each trip we ate two dinners at either place, plus a breakfast at El Tovar and a lunch at Arizona Steakhouse). The ambiance at El Tovar was better, and having the bar next to the restaurant to imbibe while waiting for dinner is nice, but our go to place at the Canyon is definitely Arizona Steakhouse (and neither of us eat beef).
Great to hear. I have not been to the Arizona Steakhouse for a couple of years, so it is likely they have improved their game. Thanks for your recommendation.
@@RationalTalk I think you've already hit the nail on the head with the variable quality of each eatery over time. Maybe we'll think differently come our trip next May.
Don't eat out much, but I do see that you brought a banana for Otis!! LOL Some pretty fancy places there! Wow!!
I would be pleased to sacrifice my banana for Otis. In the end, I recommend bringing your own food, eating out is not what it once was. . .
Great video, thank you 😊
Thanks for watching!
Good review. We had been eaten in El Tovar, Bright Angel, Maswik and Yavapai lodges and general store.
Thank you. Which did you think was the best?
@@RationalTalk Bright Angel
@@derbywinner6316 They do a pretty good job there!
Mmmm, food, it becomes the most important thing in the world after a few hours!
Keeping your guests fed is an important mission on a trip!
Wonderful information ❤ but l may bring my food and eat on the hiking road 😂
Thank you, I agree that bringing your own food is the best strategy.
Great info to have thanks as always
Thanks for watching!
My favorite meal I've had a Grand Canyon is breakfast at phantom ranch! Remind me to meet you at el tavar next time your brother is there! I need to get that deal from my brother!
LOL. The meals at Phantom are really special, maybe the long hike and the novelty of a full meal has something to do with it. My brother is pretty cheap, so I am unsure how long the "dinner for life" will last, even for me!
The bars look awfully good to me!🍺
I can't disagree!
They all sound good, but I can see your point about the cheapest being the best.
I am glad you agree!
I'll take the ice cream on the wall.
That is always a fun experience!
I really found El Tovar offensive, and wished I had eaten somewhere less expensive. I would have enjoyed it more.😮
I agree, the cost is hard to stomach. I think the least expensive options offer the best value.