Last Updated on April 20, 2023 by admin
After a busy day hiking at Zion National Park, you’ll definitely be famished and ready for a good meal! The last thing you’ll want to do is sit around hungry while you look for a place to eat. If you make a plan for your hikes, you should also make a plan for your meals! When we visited Zion National Park, we ate at some amazing restaurants. In this post, we’re sharing our picks for the best restaurants near Zion National Park.
(For a full list of all our posts about things to do in Utah, click here!)
(Zion National Park was one of our stops during our three-week road trip to Utah and Arizona. You can read more about our trip highlights here!)
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Eating in Zion National Park and in Springdale
While you’re visiting Zion National Park, you have two options:
- Eat inside Zion National Park
- Eat in the nearby city of Springdale, Utah
In the sections below, we’ll share our favorite restaurants for both of these locations.
Restaurants Within Zion National Park
If you’re looking for a bite to eat within the park, you have two options: Red Rock Grill and Castle Dome Cafe. Both restaurants are located at the Zion National Park Lodge. To access these restaurants, just take the shuttle to the Zion Lodge stop.
The Red Rock Grill is more formal, but the dress code is casual. The restaurant has views of the floor of the canyon. This restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Dinner items include options such as the Kolob Rosemary Grilled Chicken and the Red Rock Bison Cheeseburger. Before your visit, you can check out their breakfast menu, lunch menu, and dinner menu.
The Castle Dome Cafe is more casual and serves food like burgers and hot dogs. It’s a quick service restaurant and fairly affordable. They are open for breakfast and lunch. There’s no indoor dining, but there is some outdoor patio seating. There’s also a beer garden cart that is served on the patio. The Castle Dome Cafe is a seasonal restaurant, so check their hours of operation in advance.
Tips for Eating Inside Zion National Park
The first thing you have to consider is taking the shuttle. Stopping for a meal at the lodge may not be convenient depending on your hiking plans. Once you hop on the shuttle, you have to ride in the route’s single direction. (You are required to get off the shuttle when you arrive back at the park entrance, and then you’ll need to wait in line to get on the shuttle again.)
So if you want to complete a hike at the Temple of Sinawava shuttle stop and then eat at the lodge, you can’t just go backwards a few stops to the lodge. You’ll have to ride the shuttle back to the entrance, wait in line (if there is one), and then ride the shuttle up to the lodge again. That might take an additional 45+ minutes to get to the lodge.
Keep the shuttle direction and schedule in mind as you plan your day! If you won’t be near the lodge at meal time, we recommend you bring a sandwich with you to the park. It might help to keep your food in a backpack that has a compartment for cold foods along with an ice pack. (So helpful in the summer!) Just be sure to leave no trace and pack out what you pack in.
Best Restaurants in Springdale, Utah
Most dining options for Zion National Park are located within the town of Springdale, which is the town right outside of the park entrance. When we visited Zion National Park, we got to eat at a lot of the restaurants in Springdale. Here’s our list of some of the best restaurants near Zion National Park to check out. These restaurants are all located within two miles of the park entrance to Zion National Park.
We created this map to easily view all of the recommended restaurants:
Zion Pizza & Noodle Co.
Distance from the park entrance: 1 mile
Address: 868 Zion – Mount Carmel Hwy, Springdale, UT 84767
Zion Pizza & Noodle Company was once an old church and is now an awesome place to grab a pizza and a pint! Their menu consists of homemade pizzas and lots of pastas. We ordered the White Sun Pizza (garlic infused olive oil, spinach, pineapple, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, cheddar & parmesan cheeses) and we thought it was delicious! Our server was also super helpful with our toddler, so we found this restaurant to be very kid-friendly. Their menu is linked here.
If you’re visiting during peak season, you’ll find that this is a very popular restaurant. They consistently had long wait times during our week in Zion, so we made a plan to go right when they opened for dinner in order to get a table right away.
If you do find that there is a long wait for a table, you can always grab ice cream next door at Zion Park Gift & Sweet Treats. (It’s okay to have ice cream before dinner when you’re on vacation, right?)
Blondie’s Diner
Distance from the park entrance: .9 mile
Address: 736 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767
Blondie’s Diner has tons of comfort food! If you’re a meat-eater, they have some unique options like the elk burger or buffalo burger. Their menu is linked here. We went there for lunch and enjoyed our meal.
Meme’s Cafe
Distance from the park entrance: 1.2 miles
Address: 975 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767
The crepes at Meme’s Cafe are delicious! They offer both savory and sweet crepes, and all of their food is made from scratch. We went for lunch and tried the Meme’s Veggie Delight Crepe (seasonal vegetables, spinach, cheddar, & roasted red bell pepper aioli). It was the perfect way to sneak in some veggies while eating out on vacation. If you have a sweet tooth, their Very Berry Crepe looked amazing. Their menu is linked here.
Cafe Soleil
Distance from the park entrance: .3 mile
Address: 205 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767
Cafe Soleil is located super close to the park entrance. We stopped by the cafe on our way back to the hotel after a long day of hiking in the hot sun. We grabbed a cold fruit smoothie and it was very refreshing. Cafe Soleil emphasizes healthy and organic ingredients, so it’s a great spot to refuel after a day full of hiking. They offer a lot of sandwiches and wraps, so it’s also a good place to stop by to pick up a to-go lunch to bring into the park. Menu linked here.
Oscar’s Cafe
Distance from the park entrance: 1.1 miles
Address: 948 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767
Oscar’s Cafe is a great place to stop by if you’re looking for Mexican. Their Pork Chili Verde Burrito looks amazing. They also have a good burger menu. (I’d like to try the Garlic Burger.) They have outdoor seating on a beautiful patio. Menu linked here.
Sol Foods Market
Distance from the park entrance: 1.2 miles
Address: 995 Zion – Mount Carmel Hwy, Springdale, UT 84767
We ate at Sol Foods Market multiple times during our trip! It might not be on your radar as a “restaurant”, but they have a deli counter in the back of the store that sells paninis, pizzas, sandwiches, and soups. When all the restaurants were packed, we would go to Sol Foods and have a yummy meal within 15 minutes of ordering. They even have a microwave you can use if you purchase any frozen dinners and want to eat it there. Menu linked here. We also liked that they have outdoor patio seating, so we were able to eat right there. A couple of times we also ordered our meal to-go and brought it back to the hotel. We visited Zion with our toddler, so we definitely appreciated being able to have a quick meal when everything in town was so busy.
King’s Landing Bistro
Distance from the park entrance: 1.8 miles
Address: 1515 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767
If you’re a foodie, you’ll want to check out King’s Landing Bistro. They are definitely one of the best restaurants near Zion National Park. They specialize in creative cuisine and they utilize seasonal foods. Currently (at the time of this posting) they are open Monday through Saturday. An example of some of their menu items includes:
Starter: Puff Pastry Tart (caramelized onions, roasted mushrooms, burrata cheese, red grapes, basil pesto, & vincotto)
Entrée: Pork Porterhouse (duroc pork, roasted cauliflower, brussel sprouts, bacon lardons, seasonal chutney, & basil pesto)
Dessert: Affogato (espresso, vanilla ice cream, & spiced cookie)
They have an excellent wine menu too. This restaurant would be perfect for a date night! Their menu is linked here.
Bit & Spur Restaurant and Saloon
Distance from the park entrance: 1.4 miles
Address: 1212 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767
The Bit & Spur Restaurant and Saloon‘s menu focuses on Mexican and Southwestern flavors. Everything on the menu looks good, and I’d especially like to try the sweet potato tamales and the carne asada. They also have an excellent margarita menu! Their full menu is linked here.
Whiptail Grill
Distance from the park entrance: .5 mile
Address: 445 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767
The Whiptail Grill is conveniently located close to Zion’s park entrance. It was an easy place for us to walk to for a meal. We asked our server what was the most popular dish, and she pointed us to the Famous Goat Cheese Chile Relleno. It’s a roasted anaheim chili stuffed with jack cheese and goat cheese. It’s fried in bread crumbs and served with roasted tomatillo sauce, cucumber salsa, and pico de gallo. This was one of our favorite foods of our entire road trip! Order it! Their menu is linked here.
Thai Sapa
Distance from the park entrance: .2 mile
Address: 198 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767
The menu from Thai Sapa includes foods from Thailand, Indochina, and Japan. They are also located incredibly close to the park entrance, so it’s really easy to walk there after leaving the park for the day. Their menu is linked here.
Zion Canyon Brew Pub
Distance from the park entrance: <.1 mile
Address: 95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767
This is one of the most popular restaurants in Zion National Park. The Zion Canyon Brew Pub is located literally right next to the park entrance. It’s super convenient to grab a beer and meal here after a day of hiking and exploring. They are also Southern Utah’s first microbrewery. With the canyon walls as a backdrop, you can’t get a better view while sipping a cold beer. They have burgers, sandwiches, and salads. Their menu is linked here.
Switchback Grille
Distance from the park entrance: 1.5 miles
Address: 1149 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767
The Switchback Grille is an American Steakhouse. They only use USDA beef, and they offer a variety of delicious sides (like au gratin potatoes or creamed spinach). They also have a complete menu of dessert wines, so I pretty much can’t think of anything better to polish off a day at the park. Their menu is linked here.
Where to Get a Quick Meal Near Zion National Park
When we visited during peak season, the restaurants near Zion were flooded with people. Many of the restaurants were quoting more than an hour wait time to be seated! On multiple occasions, we went to Sol Foods for a quick meal. At the very back of the grocery store, they have a complete deli that has an excellent sandwich menu and a lot of hot food options. We had paninis, pizzas, and soups. They also have some patio tables, so it made it a really quick place to grab a bite. Whenever we were in a hurry, we would go there to eat!
Cafe Soleil also had a solid sandwich menu and they were located closer to the park. We found it easy to stop by there on the way in or out of the park and get something quick to eat.
Preparing for Your Trip to Zion National Park
Eating well is only aspect of an amazing trip to Zion National Park! Be sure to recreate responsibly and keep yourself safe as you hike and explore the park. Some basics include comfortable hiking shoes that have been worn in (nobody likes blisters on vacation!), a day pack, an insulated water bottle, a first aid kit, and sun protection.
If you’re hiking with young children, you’ll also want to bring the right gear to transport them. We recommend the following products below.
Where to Stay Near Zion National Park
The following hotels are located within walking distance of Zion National Park’s main entrance:
- Zion National Park Lodge: This is the only hotel within the park itself. If you’re lucky enough to stay here, you’ll bypass a lot of the crowds. I would recommend this option if you are able, as it’s definitely the most convenient!
- Cable Mountain Lodge: Located 500 feet (2 minute walk) from the park entrance.
- Cliffrose Lodge: Located .3 miles (6 minute walk) from the park entrance.
- Desert Pearl Inn: Located .8 miles (16 minute walk) from the park entrance.
- Best Western Plus Zion Canyon Inn and Suites: Located .9 miles (18 minute walk) from the park entrance.
We personally stayed at the Best Western Plus Zion Canyon Inn and Suites. It was easy for us to just walk to the park in the morning. Plus, we really enjoyed the nice pool and free breakfast. Their pool had a shallow area with an umbrella that was perfect for our toddler to enjoy pool time without us having to worry about too much sun exposure.
For a full list of hotels in Springdale, Utah, click here.
Guided Tours of Zion National Park
One excellent way to see Zion National Park and other sights in Utah is to take a guided tour. You won’t have to worry about planning the travel details, and your guide will be knowledgeable about the local history and geology. For example, this half-day tour will take you Zion National Park and Kolob. It’s a great way to see sights that most tourists don’t see because they are off-the-beaten path.
Summary: Best Restaurants Near Zion National Park
We spent nearly a week in Springdale and enjoyed many of the restaurants in town. We thought Springdale was a really walkable city, so it was great to have so many restaurant options within walking distance of our hotel. We hope this list was helpful in planning where to eat while you are visiting Zion National Park!
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If you enjoyed this post, you might also be interested in the following posts:
- 3 Stroller-Friendly Hikes in Zion National Park
- 7 Family-Friendly Hikes in Zion National Park
- How to Spend a Day in Springdale Without Going to Zion
- How to Visit Zion National Park Without a Car
- 9 Hikes in Zion National Park that You Can Reach Without the Shuttle
Disclaimer: We always strive for content accuracy. Since the time of publishing, travel-related information regarding pricing, schedules, and hours may have changed. Please look up such information directly from each vendor or institution for the most current information.
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