4 Best Restaurants in Zion National Park, Utah

Folks have been known to drive for an hour or more to partake of the outstanding modern American and Asian fare served in this charmingly intimate dining room just off the lobby of the romantic Canyons Boutique Hotel in Kanab. The small-plates–focused menu here changes often according to what's fresh, but recent standouts have included wok-fry rice noodles with Hawaiian red crab and curry oil, and seared duck-breast lo mein with sambal and jalapeño cream.

Relax after a rugged day of hiking with a flight of ales or a juicy elk burger in the beer garden of southern Utah's oldest craft beer maker, Zion Brewery, which is just steps from the park's South Entrance. The kitchen turns out excellent pub grub, such as stout-glazed buffalo meat loaf and beer-battered fish-and-chips, and there's live music most weekend evenings.

Next to the shuttle stop at Zion Lodge, this small, convenient, fast-food restaurant has a lovely shaded patio but no indoor seating. You can grab a banana, burger, smoothie, or salad to go, order local brews from the beer garden cart, or enjoy a dish of ice cream while soaking up the views of the surrounding geological formations.

The dinner fare at this restaurant in Zion Lodge includes steaks, seafood, and Western specialties, such as pecan-encrusted trout and garlic-rubbed sirloin steaks with a cranberry-wine sauce; salads, sandwiches, and hearty Navajo tacos are lunch highlights; and, for breakfast, you can partake of the plentiful buffet. Photos showcasing the surrounding landscape adorn the walls of the spacious dining room; enormous windows and a large patio (which can be buggy) take in the actual landscape.