4 Best Restaurants in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

The Old Faithful Inn's original dining room—designed by Robert Reamer in 1903 and expanded by him in 1927—has lodgepole-pine walls and ceiling beams and a giant volcanic rock fireplace. Note the whimsical etched-glass panels that separate the dining room from the Bear Pit Lounge; the images of partying animals were commissioned by Reamer in 1933 to celebrate the end of Prohibition. The dinner buffet favors quantity over quality, so it's wiser to order from the à la carte menu, which features dishes like wild sockeye salmon, New York strip steak, and pork osso buco, and at least a couple of vegetarian options.

Although the passable food here isn't the main event, the floor-to-ceiling windows of this waterfront restaurant provide dazzling views of Yellowstone Lake through the thick stand of pines. The pine-beam ceilings, cedar-shake walls, and contemporary decor lend the place a homey feel. Entrée choices at dinner range from pasta and trout to pork carnitas and elk meat loaf. Breakfast is also served.

A wall of windows in the handsome art deco–style restaurant overlooks an expanse of green that was once a military parade and drill field. While enjoying breakfast, lunch, or dinner you might catch a glimpse of elk grazing on the lawn. Montana beef, bison, boar, and trout receive pride of place at dinner, which always includes a few vegetarian entrées. Dinner reservations are not taken in summer, but are essential in winter.

From the wood-and-leather chairs etched with animal figures to the intricate lighting fixtures that resemble snowcapped trees, there's ample Western atmosphere at this relatively intimate dining room inside the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. The huge windows give you a view of the Old Faithful area, and you can sometimes see the famous geyser as it erupts. The French onion soup will warm you up on a chilly afternoon; among the main courses, standouts include pasta with house-made elk and bison bolognese sauce, and pecan-cornmeal-crusted Montana trout. It's one of the only full-service park dining options open in winter.