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Great Basin National Park
Great Basin National Park/Facebook

Where to Dine Near Great Basin National Park

Eat here after hiking Wheeler Peak or staying in Baker or Ely, Nevada

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Great Basin National Park
| Great Basin National Park/Facebook

Given that more than 75 percent of the state’s population resides in Las Vegas, Nevada looks a lot less crowded on the other side of the Clark County line. For those craving the kind of stark desert wilderness that only the Silver State can provide, Great Basin National Park is a worthy destination. Located about 300 miles from Las Vegas, the 77,180-acre park features ancient bristlecones, limestone caves, the second highest mountain in Nevada, the state’s only glacier, and most importantly, solitude. When one compares Zion National Park’s visitation numbers (almost 4.3 million people in 2016) to Great Basin’s (only 144,846 that same year), it’s easy to see why the isolated high desert locale is worth the longer drive.

And while the remote location might mean fewer dining options, it also results in rustic cafes and the kind of quirky roadside diners that define rural Nevada. Whether Great Basin travelers are camping in the park or staying in nearby Baker or Ely, these restaurants are worth checking out.

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Mr. Ginos Restaurant & Bar

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Western spirit meets Italian comfort food at this Ely outpost. The menu here includes stuffed chicken Florentine, chicken Parmesan panini, chicken Vesuvio, and a small selection of Italian wine. There’s also classic American dive bar fare — curly cheese fries, jalapeño poppers, and burgers.

Exterior of a green restaurant with the words Mr. G’s on the front
Mr. Ginos Restaurant & Bar
Mr. Ginos Restaurant & Bar

Cellblock Steakhouse

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Cellblock Steakhouse offers fine dining with an Old Western twist. Located inside the Jailhouse Casino, this steakhouse is a kitschy experience that serves some seriously good steaks. Diners can settle in for wine, a shrimp cocktail, and prime rib with au jus all from behind bars.

Several restaurant tables inside a jail cell
Cellblock Steakhouse
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Racks Bar & Grill

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This locally loved bar and grill, which self identifies as the only smoke-free bar in Ely, serves an extensive menu of tavern specialties. Diners can stop in for a cold beer and a plate of honey garlic wings or sit down for a hearty dinner of grilled swordfish, lamb chops, or rib-eye steak with a baked potato. On sunny days, an inviting patio makes for an excellent post-adventure watering hole.

Margarita’s

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True to its name, this Mexican restaurant and steakhouse serves frozen mango margaritas (along with other varieties) that are perfect after a day of hiking. The restaurant also serves sizzling fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, and Mexican-influenced steak specialties including diced rib-eye grilled with jalapeños and onions. Early risers can swing by for steak and eggs, Tex-Mex skillets, and biscuits and gravy starting at 5:30 a.m.

Interior bar with red lighting
Margarita’s
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Great Basin Cafe

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This cafe located at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center inside Great Basin National Park allows hungry hikers to enjoy a casual meal among pine trees. Visitors can fuel up with three-egg breakfast burritos stuffed with cheddar, hash browns, and salsa before hitting the trail. At the end of the day, they can return for hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, nachos, salads, soup, and caramel apple ice cream floats.

487 Grill

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This assuming (and easy to miss) takeout spot in Baker is known for its build-your-own burgers. Diners can start with a simple beef patty and customize the bun, cheese, toppings, sauces, and even add on unique items such as grilled pineapple, cranberry sauce, and bacon relish. The menu also includes breakfast sandwiches, cheesesteaks, and berry breakfast toast.

Exterior of small, drive-through restaurant
487 Grill
487 Grill

Sugar, Salt & Malt Restaurant

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Run by a pair of longtime chefs — one who formerly worked for Wolfgang Puck in Las Vegas — Sugar, Salt, and Malt serves breakfast panini, mushroom Swiss tarts with egg custard, braised lamb, and, true to its name, sugary treats such as berry pie, brownies, and cheesecake.

Kerouac’s Restaurant

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The Stargazer Inn’s on-site restaurant is both rustic and hip — it’s the kind of place where travelers listen to live music on the porch and drink craft cocktails out of Mason jars. Open seasonally (typically May through October), Kerouac’s serves cocktails, wine, and beer and upscale bar snacks. The menu is subject to change seasonally. Opens May 21 in 2021.

Restaurant exterior at night with people sitting on the front porch
Kerouac’s Restaurant
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The Border Inn

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Located on the border of Nevada and Utah, Border Inn is more than just a place to stay — it’s also a place to gamble, play arcade games, do laundry, take a shower, gas up, or grab a meal. The Border Inn’s restaurant serves diner staples — burgers, fries — plus specialties such as fried chicken.

Interior of convenience store with snacks and drinks on display
Border Inn
Border Inn

Mr. Ginos Restaurant & Bar

Western spirit meets Italian comfort food at this Ely outpost. The menu here includes stuffed chicken Florentine, chicken Parmesan panini, chicken Vesuvio, and a small selection of Italian wine. There’s also classic American dive bar fare — curly cheese fries, jalapeño poppers, and burgers.

Exterior of a green restaurant with the words Mr. G’s on the front
Mr. Ginos Restaurant & Bar
Mr. Ginos Restaurant & Bar

Cellblock Steakhouse

Cellblock Steakhouse offers fine dining with an Old Western twist. Located inside the Jailhouse Casino, this steakhouse is a kitschy experience that serves some seriously good steaks. Diners can settle in for wine, a shrimp cocktail, and prime rib with au jus all from behind bars.

Several restaurant tables inside a jail cell
Cellblock Steakhouse
Website

Racks Bar & Grill

This locally loved bar and grill, which self identifies as the only smoke-free bar in Ely, serves an extensive menu of tavern specialties. Diners can stop in for a cold beer and a plate of honey garlic wings or sit down for a hearty dinner of grilled swordfish, lamb chops, or rib-eye steak with a baked potato. On sunny days, an inviting patio makes for an excellent post-adventure watering hole.

Margarita’s

True to its name, this Mexican restaurant and steakhouse serves frozen mango margaritas (along with other varieties) that are perfect after a day of hiking. The restaurant also serves sizzling fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, and Mexican-influenced steak specialties including diced rib-eye grilled with jalapeños and onions. Early risers can swing by for steak and eggs, Tex-Mex skillets, and biscuits and gravy starting at 5:30 a.m.

Interior bar with red lighting
Margarita’s
Website

Great Basin Cafe

This cafe located at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center inside Great Basin National Park allows hungry hikers to enjoy a casual meal among pine trees. Visitors can fuel up with three-egg breakfast burritos stuffed with cheddar, hash browns, and salsa before hitting the trail. At the end of the day, they can return for hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, nachos, salads, soup, and caramel apple ice cream floats.

487 Grill

This assuming (and easy to miss) takeout spot in Baker is known for its build-your-own burgers. Diners can start with a simple beef patty and customize the bun, cheese, toppings, sauces, and even add on unique items such as grilled pineapple, cranberry sauce, and bacon relish. The menu also includes breakfast sandwiches, cheesesteaks, and berry breakfast toast.

Exterior of small, drive-through restaurant
487 Grill
487 Grill

Sugar, Salt & Malt Restaurant

Run by a pair of longtime chefs — one who formerly worked for Wolfgang Puck in Las Vegas — Sugar, Salt, and Malt serves breakfast panini, mushroom Swiss tarts with egg custard, braised lamb, and, true to its name, sugary treats such as berry pie, brownies, and cheesecake.

Kerouac’s Restaurant

The Stargazer Inn’s on-site restaurant is both rustic and hip — it’s the kind of place where travelers listen to live music on the porch and drink craft cocktails out of Mason jars. Open seasonally (typically May through October), Kerouac’s serves cocktails, wine, and beer and upscale bar snacks. The menu is subject to change seasonally. Opens May 21 in 2021.

Restaurant exterior at night with people sitting on the front porch
Kerouac’s Restaurant
Facebook

The Border Inn

Located on the border of Nevada and Utah, Border Inn is more than just a place to stay — it’s also a place to gamble, play arcade games, do laundry, take a shower, gas up, or grab a meal. The Border Inn’s restaurant serves diner staples — burgers, fries — plus specialties such as fried chicken.

Interior of convenience store with snacks and drinks on display
Border Inn
Border Inn

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