Capitol Reef National Park contains no restaurants inside the park, besides pie at the Gifford House. Even though Capitol Reef is one of the least visited national parks in Utah and is in a remote area, there are some surprisingly great places to eat in the surrounding areas.
I’m Cheryl and I LOVE to visit Capitol Reef National Park. I live in Utah, visit often, and have eaten at many of these restaurants more than once! Read on for my top pics from budget to gourmet dining experiences.
Capitol Reef is long and skinny, kind of shaped like a banana. At its widest, it’s 6 miles across and is 60 miles long. No restaurants are within the park besides the Gifford House- and they only sell pie and cinnamon rolls. Most people eat in Torrey, UT which is only a 10-minute drive outside the park.
There are several scenic drives that people like to do including the Loop the Fold drive, which takes you to the yummy food town of Boulder, UT.
Lastly, people often love to day trip out to Goblin Valley State Park which takes you by Hanksville, UT. Also a great place to grab something to eat.
BUDGET: Capitol Burger Food Truck, Torrey, UT. Try a creative and AMAZING burger!
SANDWICH SHOP: Chuck Wagon General Store, Torrey, UT. Groceries and boxed lunches ( Try the Reuben!)
FINE DINING: Hell’s Backbone Grill Boulder, UT. Vegetables grown on their own farm!
FAMILY FAVORITE: Reef Rock Cafe, Torrey, UT. Large menu. Everyone should be able find something they like!
TREAT: Pie at the Gifford House, Capitol Reef, UT. Peach and mixed berry are our favorites!
LOCAL EXPERIENCE: U-Pick Fruit, Capitol Reef, UT. Pick your own fruit in the orchards of Capitol Reef.
OVERALL TOP PICK: Burr Trail Grill Boulder, UT. They serve burgers, beer, and pie but our very favorite is the French dip sandwich.
| Cost Breakdown | |
| $ | Inexpensive (under $10) |
| $$ | Moderate ($11-$24) |
| $$$ | Expensive ($25-$40) |
| $$$$ | Very Expensive (over $40) |
Cuisine: Pie, Cinnamon Rolls, Jam
Price: $
Google Review: 4.7
The Gifford House is open March-October from 8 am-5 pm and closes every day from 12 pm-12:45 pm for lunch. Don’t worry if there is a line. It goes pretty fast and maybe you’ll meet someone to swap adventures with.
They sometimes do sell out! We love the mixed berry, peach, and strawberry rhubarb. Our kids love the cinnamon rolls! Pies are made at the Broken Spurr Inn and Steakhouse in Torrey, UT.
Cuisine: Burgers and Fries
Price: $$
Google Review: 4.9
Reservations: not necessary.
Not only do they serve AMAZING burgers, but they also will have specials with some healthier options like crispy brussel sprouts!
Since it is a food truck, the location changes from time to time as do the hours. You can stay up-to-date on their Facebook page.
They have a pretty simple menu, only serving 6 burgers. The most popular is the classic cheeseburger but the employee favorite is the Mushroom Blue. It has pulled pork and pastrami.
FUN FACT: They grind their beef every day using cows from their neighbor. They make their own pickles as well!
Cuisine: Homestyle, American, Mexican, Pizza, Italian
Price: $$
Google Review: 4.4
Reservations: not necessary. Check out the menu.
This cute diner has something that everyone in your travel group will like. After a long day of hiking, we came in here for dinner and it was really nice that that everyone could order just want they wanted. We ordered nachos, pasta, and burgers… all under one roof. My 13-year-old still talks about it.
Cuisine: Indian
Price: $$
Google Review: 4.5
Reservations: not necessary. Check out their menu.
What is great about Curry Pizza is that there are unique Indian-flavored pizzas as well as several traditional ones. Their most popular pizza is the Bhinda Special Pizza with mozzarella, garlic, ginger, cauliflower, mushrooms, green & red onion, jalapeños, basil, cilantro, garlic salt, & fenugreek on curry for toppings.
The employee favorite is Tikka Masala with mozzarella, bell peppers, tomatoes, green onions, jalapeños, cilantro on tikka masala curry for toppings.
Cuisine: Grocery and Sandwiches
Price: $
Google Review: 4.4
Reservations: not necessary. Check out their menu.
Capitol Reef National Park has a great picnic area where guests can enjoy the views of the orchards and red walk walls in the shade of the giant cottonwood trees.
The Chuck Wagon General Store has a great deli where you can grab a boxed lunch before heading into the park. One of the most popular is the chicken salad sandwich but the employee favorite is the Reuben!
You can also pick up groceries to make your own picnic lunch as well.
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If you decide to do the Loop the Fold drive ( and you totally should!) stopping for lunch or dinner in Boulder, UT is a must. This tiny, tiny town actually has 3 incredible restaurants that are nationally recognized.
Cuisine: American
Price: $$
Google Review: 4.7
Reservations: not necessary. Check out their menu.
There are few places we go out of our way to stop at, but the Burr Trail Grill is one of them. This is a “must do” every time we visit Capitol Reef.
Their burgers are amazing, but their French dip sandwich is our favorite. Even their fried tofu sandwich is delicious. Their handmade pies are unique as are their seasoned french fries.
Cuisine: Fine Dining, Farm to Table
Price: $$$$
Google Review: 4.7
Reservations: Required. To make reservations and view the menu, click here.
Both take-out and dine-in are offered and it’s only open for dinner on certain days of the week, but people rave about this place. It’s been in business for over 25 years!
What is really cool is that they grow many of their fruits and vegetables on their own 6-acre farm and are constantly coming up with new and creative menus for each season. I haven’t eaten here myself yet, but I would like to someday.
Cuisine: Fine Dining, Farm to Table
Price: $$$
Google Review: 4.8
Reservations: Required. To make reservations and view the menu, click here.
Something special about Sweet Water Kitchen is that their restaurant is on the same property where they source their beef making it the ultimate farm-to-table experience. Guests can choose from steak, trout, chicken, or even a burger if they choose.
The most popular dish is the steak but the employee favorite is the Chili Relleño.
Cuisine: Tacos, burritos and tequilla
Price: $$
Google Review: 5.0
Reservations: not necessary. They don’t have a website but you can check out their Instagram.
This is like the Subway of Mexican food. All the ingredients are fresh, never frozen and they will make your taco, burrito, or bowl how you like it. The most popular dish is the chicken burrito and the employee favorite is the pork burrito.
We were sad to miss it when we crossed through. They close on Tuesdays and Wednesdays so we missed out. The name Outlaw’s Roost refers to a hideout that Butch Cassidy used to use that is near here.
Cuisine: American, Burgers
Price: $$
Google Review: 4.6
Reservations: not necessary. Check out their menu.
Sometimes all you want is a good burger and shake in a chill environment. If that sounds like you, Stan’s Burger Shack is a good bet.
Their most popular burgers are the double bacon cheeseburger and the Duke Burger (Two quarter pound burger patties with cheese, barbecue sauce, jalapeños, and two onion rings). The employee favorite is the Crispy Chicken Malibou.
Cuisine: BBQ restaurant
Price: $$ for lunch, $$$ for dinner
Google Review: 4.7
Reservations: not necessary. Check out their menu.
People love their homemade BBQ sauce and there are so many different types of meat to choose from including steak, beef, pork, chicken, and trout. The local favorite is the smoked brisket.
This place is great because you can grab a burger for lunch or get something a little nicer in the evening like BBQ.
Now you’ve got a plan for the best places to eat in and around Capitol Reef. Do you have a plan for the best things to do including great hikes, drives, and historic sites?
Figuring out what to do once you get to Capitol Reef can be a bit of a challenge. Which are the best drives (and which roads need 4-wheel drive), best hikes, viewpoints, petroglyphs, and where to eat…
Planning a vacation shouldn’t be stressful. We created a step-by-step itinerary so you can visit the best places at the right times.
Stop planning and start having the vacation of your dreams now!
CAPITOL REEF TRIP PLANNER: To read or watch all of our content about Capitol Reef National Park, check out our Capitol Reef Homepage
THINGS TO DO: Don’t miss all that Capitol Reef has to offer including hiking, scenic drives, and, watching a sunrise or sunset
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Find out mistakes to avoid when visiting, and how much time you need to visit
WATCH: Enjoy videos of gorgeous Capitol Reef National Park while learning our best tips for visiting by watching our Capitol Reef YouTube Playlist
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