Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [25]
Where to Dine
There are no restaurants inside the park.
NEAR THE PARK
In addition to the restaurants discussed below, those looking for a foot-stompin' good time and a Western-style dinner will want to make their way to the climate-controlled dining room at the Bar-M Chuckwagon Live Western Show and Cowboy Supper, 7 miles north of Moab on U.S. 191 (☎ 800/214-2085 or 435/ 259-2276; www.barmchuckwagon.com). Diners go through a supper line to pick up sliced roast beef or barbecued chicken, baked potatoes, baked beans, cinnamon applesauce, buttermilk biscuits, dessert, and nonalcoholic beverages. Vegetarian meals can be prepared with advance notice, and beer and wine coolers are available. After dinner, a stage show entertains with Western-style music, jokes, and down-home silliness from the Bar-M Wranglers. The grounds, which include a small Western village and gift shop, open at 6:30pm, gunfights start at 7pm, dinner begins at 7:30pm, and the show follows the meal. The Bar-M is usually open from spring to early fall, but closed Sunday and Tuesday; call for the current schedule. Supper and show cost $22.95 for adults, $11.50 for children 4 to 10. Reservations are strongly recommended.
Buck's Grill House
1393 N. U.S. 191 (about 1½ miles north of town). ☎ 435/259-5201. Main courses $6.95–$25. DISC, MC, V. Daily 5:30pm–closing. AMERICAN WESTERN.
This popular restaurant, among the area's best places for steak, also offers a number of other choices to suit a variety of palates. Exposed wood beams and Western and scenic paintings by local artists accent the dining room's subdued Western decor. The delightful patio out back has a rock wall, shade trees, and a waterfall for peaceful alfresco dining. Especially good is the grilled 12-ounce New York strip steak, either plain or rubbed with the restaurant's "cowboy" spices. We also recommend buffalo meat loaf, with black onion gravy and mashed potatoes. Southwestern dishes include duck tamale with grilled pineapple salsa. Buck's offers full liquor service, a good wine list, and a variety of Utah microbrews.
Center Cafe
60 N. 100 W. ☎ 435/259-4295. www.center cafemoab.com. Dinner reservations recommended. Main courses $14–$28. DISC, MC, V. Daily 5:30pm–closing. Closed Dec to early Feb. CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN.
Not really a cafe at all, this excellent small restaurant, with white tablecloths, a stone fireplace, rich wood colors, and a bright, contemporary look, is the place to come for innovative seafood selections, plus a variety of meat, pasta, and vegetarian dishes. The menu changes seasonally but always includes fresh seafood such as cedar-planked salmon with an applewood-smoked bacon-and-shallot crust, or pan-fried red snapper with tomato-basil crab salad. We also recommend grilled venison rack with huckleberry demiglace and hazelnut wild rice. The "small bites" menu offers lighter fare, such as burgers and red beans and rice. There's also patio dining, and full liquor service is available.
Eddie McStiff's
57 S. Main St. (in McStiff's Plaza, just south of the information center). ☎ 435/259-2337. www.eddiemcstiff.com. Main courses $4.75– $18. DISC, MC, V. Mon–Fri 5pm–midnight, Sat–Sun noon–midnight. AMERICAN.
This bustling, noisy brewpub is half-family restaurant and half-tavern, with a climate-controlled garden patio. You'll find Southwest decor in the dining room, while the tavern looks just as a tavern should—long bar, low light, and lots of wood. The menu includes a good variety of charbroiled meats, excellent pizzas, and a variety of pasta dishes. Specialties include grilled wild Alaskan salmon and slow-smoked BBQ ribs. About a dozen fresh-brewed beers are on tap. Mixed drinks, wine, and beer are sold in the dining room with food only; beer is available with or without food in the tavern. (You must be at least 21 to enter the tavern.)
Moab Brewery
686 S. Main St. ☎ 435/259-6333. www.the moabbrewery.com. Main courses $5.95–$17. AE, DISC, MC, V. Daily 11:30am–10pm