Buffalo Grill at Zion Mountain Ranch

Driving northeast from Zion National Park towards Bryce Canyon, The Dutch knew he had to brake soon, lest the hungry girlfriend gets really testy. We rose at 5AM that morning and have been traveling all day, only stopping for coffee in Las Vegas before our two and half hour drive to Zion. While on the road, we spontaneously decided we were going to make the run for Bryce Canyon National Park which adds about three hours to our road trip. This was well past 1PM, we have been in three states (Nevada, Arizona, and Utah) and I was already seeing double. Must. Stop. For. Food.

We already passed the town of Zion where the main drag was lined with local cafes and restaurants. I was getting concerned that that was the last strip of commerce we would see in a while. After descending from the dizzying zigzags of Zion (and its staggering beauty), lo and behold, a ranch stood on the right side of the road and an "Open" neon sign for a grill beckoned. We parked and rushed in and was pleasantly surprised at what greeted us. It was a rustic restaurant the urbanites in New York City or San Francisco were trying to replicate with just barely some degree of success. This was legit. Out here, chickens and geese literally roamed outside. Buffalo Grill sits right on a working ranch, beyond which is a wild and free-roaming buffalo preserve, a little bit outside Zion National Park. Imagine my awe! I LOVE places like these!

Zion Mountain Ranch is located on East Highway 9, Zion National Park, Utah. Apart from the restaurant, you can also stay at one of their cabins, some with full-on kitchens with modern amenities. Albeit on the pricey side, the scenery is breathtaking and it would be a great way to enjoy sleeping within the bounds of the Zion National Park without actually roughing it in a tent. Zion Mountain Ranch's website can be found here.

#adventure #travel #food #hiking