Zion, GCNR, Bryce and Vegas... need restaurant advice!
 

I didn't get much feedback from my other topic (thanks tomfuller) so I decided to change the title...

Staying at the lodges so we'll be dining there (except maybe Zion, go to Springdale), but how about lunch en route between parks? On those days I'd rather make a late lunch the big meal of the day. Anything good in St. George?

How is the cookout at the GC North Rim lodge?

And in Vegas, we'll be at the Signature at MGM the first night, need good reasonably priced Italian food within walking distance. Then 3 nights at the M resort for the end of the trip, looking for seafood, steaks and maybe Chinese or Thai.

Hoping to NOT spend a fortune, family of four (two teenagers).

Your link to all the Las Vegas buffets. http://www.vegasbuffets.com/goldennugget.htm

You can choose any buffet on the left side. The Golden Nugget is not substandard in any way and before 3PM is a great place to eat for cheap. "The Deuce" is a good way to get from MGM up to Fremont Street.

The restaurant at the Zion Lodge was really good when we ate there last summer. We had three dinners there. I'd reconsider your choice not to eat there. We visited the same parks as you and stayed at the lodges and ate exclusively at the lodges and we thought the place at Zion was the tastiest, least formulaic and most reasonable of all them.

I loved Zion Lodge for both dinner and even eating lunch under the big tree right in front of the lodge. Everyone gets ice cream or lunch and eats outside.

In Springdale we liked The Whiptail Grill, especially the butternut squash enchilada. This is served under an old gas station canopy.

This is certainly going better than before... thanks folks for your replies. We are going in July, what's it gonna be like outside at lunchtime in Zion?

This is certainly going better than before... thanks folks for your replies. We are going in July, what's it gonna be like outside at lunchtime in Zion?

There are good restaurants at the M, their buffet is wonderful but I think pricy. It was 24.00 per person during the week. Luckily, my friend that lives in Hendersen had a "twofer". I don't know if you get any kind of a deal if you are staying there.

We stayed in Springdale at the Desert Peal Inn, a great place to stay! Enjoyed a yummy Thanksgiving dinner at the Zion Lodge, our favorite casual eating was Pizza Noodle, and had a nice meal with an amazing view at the Majestic Inn (I think that's the name). Have fun!

After coming back down from Angel's Landing and taking a stroll along Riverside Walk, my daughter had had enough of hiking (I could keep going and hike Emerald Pools but I've been there before) so we picked up a snack and ate outside on the lawn.

A ranger was giving a talk so we sat in. Eventually we left for Vegas and our return home.

It will be hot during the day in July, but if memory serves me, during our late June trip there, there always seemed to be a breeze blowing up or down the canyon that kept things nice. We also ate lunch under the big tree in front of the Lodge. Great shade and fun people watching. We did most of our hiking in the morning early or early in the evening. We'd break for a few hours of a/c comfort in our room during the peak heat or we'd take a drive or something.

Wrongfoot,

The only place I always eat when I go down to Zion is Zion Pizza and Noodle. Fun casual place with beer on tap and wine too. CASH ONLY. Excellent pizza and pasta with fun names. In the old green church building.

I also liked the Switchback. Didn't care for Oscar's, but I know lots of other people really like it.

Zion will be HOT, over 100 usually in July and August.

Try tubing down the river. Hiking tip - hike the west side of the canyon in the late afternoon - then you are in the shade.

Have fun

http://www.photoworks.com/slideshow/...CS_003=4433951

There is a link to our photos. This was in Oct 09. The hikes we did were Emerald Pool, Canyon Overlook, The Narrows, Angels Landing, and a couple of really short hikes. There are pictures of us in front of the lodge and in the lodge restaurant(to give you an idea of what it is like). Zion reminds me of Yosemite Valley(if you happen to have been to it). They are both in a narrow valley that is a few miles long. The waterfalls are awesome at Yosemite, but the contrast of the green trees against the red rocks at Zion is pretty cool too.

Which parks are you going to? Zion, Bryce, and North Rim? We picnic most days for lunch, btw. There are two or three places in springdale to pickup some great sandwiches.

Thanks folks for the restaurant and hiking ideas. I will reconsider our plans for dining while at Zion, maybe try the lodge once and the pizza and noodle. It's tough to please wives and teenagers...will investigate the Switchback, Oscar's and the Majestic Inn.

Thanks for the link spirobulldog... great pics and yes it is similar to Yosemite Valley which I have only seen in pictures. I saw your daughter had a Hershey t-shirt... are you from PA? We are in the middle of NJ.

crefloors... we have some discount package at the M, not sure if it includes the buffet.

Any ideas for on the way to North Rim or Bryce?

That was a Hershey Track and Field shirt. She ran in that every year when she was in Middle School. We are in Oklahoma.

Leaving tomorrow on this trip... will report back when I return. Ready for some semi-serious hiking, if my back holds up!

Have Fun! Whiptail Grill. It's Great.

Have lunch on the lawn or at least an ice cream and drink. Everyone just kinda gathers around under the big tree out front. There were at least 50 people eating when we were there. You can look up and see people standing at the top of Angels Landing.

The Painted Pony restaurant in St. George was great - eclectic menu, wonderful food.

Thank you folks... we will try as many of these as we can.