Whether you’re a foodie or just trying to feed your family on a budget, food is a HUGE part of planning a vacation. So if you’re visiting the Grand Canyon soon, this article will give you all the details you need to know, along with a super-simple map!
The South Rim of the Grand Canyon has MANY restaurants inside and outside the park as well as grocery stores. Dining inside the park includes coffee shops and fountains, grills, grab & go, a food court, fine dining, and lounges. The El Tovar Dining Room has views of the Grand Canyon and is the highest-rated restaurant with the rest receiving luke-warm reviews.
Outside the park in Tusayan, AZ visitors can expect to find several chain restaurants, and in Williams, AZ, several locally owned restaurants with higher reviews.
We are Matt and Cheryl and we travel 70 days a year, mostly visiting the national parks in the West. We believe that trying local food is an important part of travel so we try to eat out one meal a day. We’ve eaten at several national park restaurants, including many at the Grand Canyon.
Read on for the best places to eat (including budget options!) and our top tips for dining at the Grand Canyon.
For many more Grand Canyon trip-planning resources, see our Grand Canyon page.
Visiting the Grand Canyon and need a game plan? Check out our itinerary.
![Where to Eat at the Grand Canyon [Groceries to Fine Dining]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/M3ckoEFMerQ/0.jpg)
FOR THE BUDGET CONSCIOUS: buy groceries in Tusayan, and eat picnics in the park.
FOR QUICK FOOD: try Fred Harvey Food Truck or Bright Angel Cafe
FOR FINE DINING AND A MORE MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE: you must try El Tovar
FOR A MORE CHILL EXPERIENCE: eat on the outside porch at Yavapai Tavern
FOR SOME GREAT ICE CREAM: try Desert View Tower
FOR FOOD THAT ACTUALLY TASTES GOOD AT A REASONABLE PRICE: head to Williams, AZ
In our opinion, packing your own breakfast and picnic lunch is best if possible. You’ll be busy and won’t want to stop what you are doing to track down a meal. Plus the counter service restaurants are not anything out of the ordinary and often have long lines. The food at the general store is pricey so pick up these supplies prior to entering the park.
| Cost Breakdown | |
| $ | Inexpensive (under $10) |
| $$ | Moderate ($11-$24) |
| $$$ | Expensive ($25-$40) |
| $$$$ | Very Expensive (over $40) |
This is the most famous place to eat in Grand Canyon National Park.
El Tovar offers fine dining; it’s more upscale than Bright Angel Lodge, and so are the hotel accommodations.
El Tovar Dining Room and Lounge offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Reservations are required for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is first come, first served.
HANDY TIP: Breakfast at El Tovar is similar to what it would cost to eat breakfast elsewhere in the park making it an affordable option to get a great meal with great views!
Our family enjoyed breakfast here. You’ll want to arrive as close to the opening as possible to get a table with canyon views. We loved our French toast with prickly-pear syrup and Huevos Rancheros.
We recommend eating a meal at El Tovar, as it is one of the popular things to do. El Tovar has hosted famous guests such as Teddy Roosevelt, Bill Clinton, and Paul McCartney.
The dining room is classy with linen tablecloths, charming flatware, and large windows offering views of the canyon. They serve intriguing dishes including the pancake trio (buckwheat, cornmeal, and buttermilk) served with prickly pear syrup, roasted duck, braised lamb shank, Navajo Tacos, sautéed trout, and a variety of sandwiches.
NOTE: Reservations can be made 30 days in advance. If you are staying at the El Tovar Hotel, you will get preference and can book more than 30 days in advance
The Fred Harvey food truck is located in front of El Tovar, between El Tovar and the Hopi House. Don’t confuse this with Fred Harvey Restaurant, which is inside Bright Angel Lodge (below).
It serves lunch and snacks from 11:30 pm to 3:30 pm; hotdogs, sandwiches, and ice cream; items cost around $8 making it the most affordable place to get something to eat at the South Rim. However, it’s still hard to stomach paying $8 for a hotdog and having to wait in a long line to boot!
Bright Angel Lodge has quite a few options just inside this one place! Here is a quick run-down.
Honestly, we got in line here once to get a drink and got out because the line was so long… and we were visiting when the park wasn’t crowded. We recommend packing your own snacks and drinks to help you avoid wasting your time (and hard-earned cash). Just pick up some essentials.
We ate here and really enjoyed our meal. This sounds kind of obvious but just order the Fred Harvey Burger. It’s delicious. We also liked the tater tots.
Their breakfast is also pretty good.
We are yet to eat here but people are pleased with the quick service and variety of dishes, including plant-based options. There are also some views here, just not quite as nice as the El Tovar Dining Room.
Download our Free Quick and Easy Guide to the Grand Canyon’s 4 Areas!
This is also located in the Bright Angel Lodge and serves lunch and dinner. It’s a casual family-friendly restaurant serving burgers and salads. Reservations recommended. They also serve Harvey Burgers and they are the best thing on the menu.
Learn the story of Fred Harvey in our Grand Canyon Audio Guide!
This is located within walking distance of the restaurants above and is still considered part of the Village. It also has a lot of parking nearby. There are a few options here:
This is a 5-minute drive from the Grand Canyon Village and shares a parking lot with Market Plaza (below). Most of the other restaurants are owned by Xanterra, but Yavapai Lodge and the restaurants within it are owned by Delaware North. It has a different website than the others.
We haven’t had a meal here yet but Cheryl’s parents have eaten at the tavern. They said the food was great and they loved the atmosphere. I want to try their nachos!
There are also a few options here:
This is located ¼ mile from the Grand Canyon Village in the Market Plaza. It also has a post office, bank, kennel, and RV park.
This is a nice spot to pick up groceries or grab-and-go sandwiches for a picnic. It also serves produce, liquor, and general staples.
It’s more expensive than grocery stores in Tusayan, so we recommend stocking up in Tusayan before entering the park. But this is still a cheaper alternative than eating out every meal.
This is located next to the visitor center. Don’t get this confused with Bright Angel Lodge, which is in the Village.
Bright Angel Bicycles and Cafe serves grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, and pastries made with local ingredients as well as coffee and a variety of drinks.
The last time we visited, we ordered boxed lunches to pack with us on our eBike ride. It was nice to be able to reserve both things ahead online, but you can also rent a bike and get a lunch the day of if you are a last-minute planner.
Our boxed lunch included a water bottle, chips, fruit, and a sandwich and cost around $20 each. Matt about died of shock, especially when we discovered that sandwiches were less expensive at Hermits Rest.
However, his chicken salad crescent and my veggie wrap were delicious and I’m glad we had spent a few extra bucks to get something yummy to eat on our 28-mile bike ride. Plus, I’d been hearing for years about how good their food was and I’m happy to report that it didn’t disappoint.
We highly recommend doing a bike ride at the Grand Canyon and you can rent both bikes and eBikes at Bright Angel Bicycles and Cafe
Don’t Miss: 16 AWESOME Things to Do at the Grand Canyon
Hermits Rest is located at the end of Hermits Rest Road, about 7 miles from the Grand Canyon Village. During the busy season, you must take the free shuttle to get there.
The building contains a gift shop and snack bar, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Also grab-and-go sandwiches, ice cream, drinks, and cookies. Even though we packed our lunch from Bright Angel Bicycles, we did get an ice cream sandwich here. It was great.
Desert View is located at the East entrance of the park, 23 miles from the Grand Canyon Village. There are two options here:
The last time we visited, we enjoyed getting an ice cream at the Trading Post Coffee and Ice Cream. It was a little pricey for what it was but it was great to sit on the rocking chairs on the deck and enjoy the view of Desert Tower.
We were there in mid-April when crowds were light. The employee working there told us that the ice cream line can get really long. I’m not sure it is worth a big wait, but on a mild day, it’s a great choice.
Tusayan is just 7 miles (a 12-minute drive) south of the South Rim.
There are quite a few restaurants here where you won’t be dealing with the crowds as you would at the Grand Canyon. There are some budget-friendly chain restaurants including Wendy’s, McDonald’s, and Pizza Hut.
You can also visit some local favorites including Plaza Bonita (Mexican food) and The Coronado Room (American/International food) for a nicer meal, as well as a few steak houses.
Warning: We looked at the reviews online and honestly, they weren’t great. None of them seemed to stand out.
Tusayan also has the Grand Canyon Chocolate Factory, which offers gelato, fudge, and other goodies. There were so many great things to choose from. Cheryl settled on a caramel apple and the rest of the family tried the ice cream and gelato. We really enjoyed this place!
Although we don’t recommend driving an hour from the Grand Canyon just to get something to eat, if you are already staying in Williams, AZ, this might be your best bet to get something good to eat.
To be 100% honest, I have only gone inside these places or talked to locals about their favorites. Since we stayed at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, we ate all our meals at the Fred Harvey Restaurant. We enjoyed the dining room atmosphere and thought the breakfast and dinner buffets were ok. Next time we head to Williams, these are the places we are going to check out.
Red Raven is the local favorite. It’s possibly the fanciest restaurant in town and serves steak and pasta. You can count on a meal costing you around $30.
If you are looking for your morning coffee or need something for breakfast or lunch, Brewed Awakenings is another local favorite.
Cruiser’s Route 66 Cafe is the most visually appealing building in Williams. There was fun decor outside and the neon lights drew us in. They serve soups, salads, burgers, and sandwiches and you can count on your meal costing around $18. Their pulled pork sandwiches looked divine!
If you’re visiting the Grand Canyon for the first time, it’s best to have a good game plan. That’s why we’ve designed one for you!
Our game plan is not just a travel book or guide — it’s like having a tour guide in your pocket. We tell you where to go, how to get around, and what to do each hour of the day. Each Grand Canyon guide also comes with an audio guide so you can listen to stories about the Grand Canyon as you’re driving from place to place. Check it out!
GRAND CANYON GUIDE: To read or watch all of our content about the Grand Canyon, check out our Grand Canyon Homepage
AREAS: The Grand Canyon is divided into 4 areas: The South Rim, North Rim, Grand Canyon West, and the East Side of the Grand Canyon (Page, AZ). Learn about the 4 areas of the Grand Canyon with our Free Printable
THINGS TO DO: There is much more to do than hike and look at viewpoints. Explore Antelope Canyon, ride a mule, or take a ride on the Grand Canyon Railway
WHERE TO STAY: Learn all about where to camp or stay when visiting the Grand Canyon.
WHERE TO EAT: Check out the best places to eat and get groceries at the South Rim
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Discover the best and worst times to visit the Grand Canyon
WATCH: Enjoy videos of the beautiful Grand Canyon while learning our best tips for visiting by watching our Grand Canyon YouTube Playlist
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