Best Food in Gardiner, Montana

Town Cafe overlooks the entrance to Yellowstone, and as such is pretty much the last stop before entering the park - which means that during the summer months, it’s one of the busiest breakfast joints in the West, with staff serving corned beef and rye, huge stacks of pancakes, and some of the thickest bacon you’ll ever encounter. A solid choice if you’re looking to avoid the madness of breakfast or lunch in the park proper.

We drove most of the way across Montana to get a taste for the bison burger at Helen’s Corral Drive-In, and we were not disappointed. The burger paired perfectly with a frosty milkshake, and we were excited to hear that 2014 may bring with it the return of the Drive-In’s famous elk burger - so there’s always that to look forward to.

Once you’ve finished snapping a dozen photos of the exterior of iconic K-Bar, you’ll eventually wander inside, where you’ll find yourself at the mercy of some fine Montana pizza pie. Enduringly popular with Yellowstone lovers, K-Bar has a happy, lively vibe, and some seriously delicious ‘za; the Fireman’s Supreme, with sausage, sauerkraut, and jalapenos, is a spicy taste of the West, while the Crazy Woman is another zest favorite. Check the web for winter hours.

If you’re en route to Yellowstone via Gardiner, chances are that you’ll zip past the Yellowstone Grill’s cute little patio, and wonder to yourself when you’ll see another like it - after several long hours in the car, you’ll wish you had stopped for a drink, a bite to eat, and a selfie with the sleeping grizzly. The Yellowstone Grill’s Western Breakfast is delicious, and perfect prep for a long day in the park.

Cafe! Books! Bakery! Internet! Hiking Tours! Cross-Country Skiing! Grizzly Bears! Ah, Tumbleweeds Cafe - is there anything you don’t do? Outfitter, diner, curio shop; Tumbleweeds really shouldn’t be missed the next time you roll through Gardiner on your way to Yellowstone. Tucked up against the river, you’ll run into outstanding views, interesting locals, odd visitors, and maybe something special to read while you explore the park.

The Two Bit Saloon is one of those iconic buildings you pass every time you stop in Gardiner to stock up on supplies for your Yellowstone expedition, but when you finally do venture inside, you wonder what took so long. Two Bit features live music and country dancing, breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, and an old wooden bar in the throwback saloon.

For the best views in Gardiner, pop down onto the big patio at the Iron Horse Bar & Grill and gaze out over the river, mountains, and unspoilt terrain of Montana and Yellowstone National Park. Order up a heaping pile of elk nachos, a few craft beers, a hulking bison meatloaf, and perhaps a mulberry margarita or two, and chill on Gardiner’s only real cowboy pation. Keep an eye out for bears on the banks of the river.

What could be better than pulling into pretty little Gardiner after a long day on the road, ordering up a fresh pizza, and staring out over Yellowstone National Park while the sun goes down? Yellowstone Pizza Company is a great dining option whether you’re staying in Mammoth, at a campsite inside the park, in Chico, or Gardiner itself.