Let me preface this review by saying this restaurant is not for people who want a traditional restaurant dining experience. Buffalo Trails/Cactus Room is a place for the adventurous, the courageous, and the patient. This is the kind of establishment where a French family of tourists walked in, took a quick look and immediately walked out. This is a restaurant that only has a hand written signboard for a menu and doesn't have a dessert menu at all. Instead, the proprietor announces the available desserts (all handmade by him) during the meal to the whole restaurant. This is a direct quote: "I made this pie for the first time ever today and I thought it was great" in reference to a lemon meringue pie if I remember correctly. This is a restaurant I'm not sure deserves a 1 star review or a 5 star review. We were not intending to eat dinner here at all but we saw the "Bob's famous buffalo burgers" sign in the window and Nick at the smoothie place in the parking lot convinced us to go after we asked about the burgers. The Trading Company/Restaurant is run by chef/owner "One-eyed" Bob (he unfortunately lost an eye in a car accident) and his one "waitress", dual citizen and possible felon* AJ, who, 5 minutes after we entered the establishment, had to run out to settle two arrest warrants relating to overdue traffic infractions. She provides basically no service - we never got water during our meal, she put in an extra burger order for us that we never ordered, and she disappeared for multiple long stretches (with Bob asking us where she went), etc. But I suppose that's forgivable given how flustered she was? Bob, on the other hand, is exceptionally friendly and talks to every customer like an old friend. There were two other groups in the restaurant with us, one from the Netherlands, another from Michigan, and he treated all of us like old pals. With all that being said, the food here is absolutely delicious. Everything is made fresh to order - the potatoes are hand cut and fried, the burger patties are hand shaped and charred, the vegetables are sliced to order, etc. Buffalo Burger ($16.50) - Crisp lettuce, fresh sliced tomato and onion, and mayo makes a simple burger. The buffalo patty doesn't taste like any buffalo meat I've had in the past. It's barely gamey, but instead is mixed with seasoning that enhances the umami qualities to the max. It's served literally with a puddle of rendered fat/grease right on top of the patty. It's surprisingly great for dipping the fries in. The fries are hand cut, single fried, and are surprisingly good. They are pale but have a lightly crisp exterior and tender interior. I don't normally like single fried fries (ala In-N-Out), but these are superior to those sad and limp fries. The fries are salted perfectly and have a flavor that can't be beat. I'm thinking Bob fries these in rendered beef trimmings or something because they are delicious. (5/5) Wagyu Burger ($16.50) - We did not order this, but it was forced upon us and ended up on the bill afterwards. Everything in this burger is the same as the Buffalo other than the burger patty, which size-wise is smaller after cooking due to much of the fat rendering out. I was originally very skeptical of the concept of a wagyu burger - why waste such a perfectly good cut of steak just to grind it up into a burger? What happens to all the fat? Well now I know. This burger is super turbo charred, similar to the kind of charring that can be found in a perfectly lacy smashburger. The seasoning is different from the Buffalo burger, giving a superb umami and meaty quality that isn't too salty. It's a beefy and amazingly flavorful seasoning. I'm not sure what's in it but it gives so much umami and a huge burst of flavor with every bite. (5/5) To be honest, this entire experience was so bizarre I'm not sure if it was actually real or just an act. Kind of like that restaurant that insults their patrons. But AJ's distress seemed to be too real to be an act. Do not visit expecting normal table service. The burgers for all 3 parties arrived at the same time. We actually saw the party from Michigan walk into the restaurant 15-20 minutes before us while we were waiting for smoothies outside. The first party from the Netherlands went in even earlier. It took us 30 minutes to get our food, so those first customers were probably waiting close to an hour. With all that being said, these were honestly some of the best burgers I've eaten in my entire life. I have no idea what Bob does to them to make them so delicious. Bathrooms - One unisex room in the trading post/art section. I don't think it's cleaned very often. *Note: According to her outbursts through the meal, and this is a direct quote: "I can't go back again, orange is not a good color on me" read more

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We picked this spot because they are rated highly for gluten free options! Little did we know, all of the food was absolutely incredible. Bobby and AJ ran the business tonight and they were fantastic hosts. The energy is exciting and you feel like you're at home. Give yourself some time to enjoy the meal and hangout with your friends! This isn't a spot to order a quick bite, they put love into their food and environment and the time flies by while you're here! We had the Waygu burger, spicy steak sandwiches, and the chicken with spaghetti western potatoes. Then we all ordered different desserts, coconut cream pie, apple cake, pumpkin pie and keylime pie! read more

I think it was one of the most delicious burgers I had in my life. The home made pies were also amazing. The restaurant is so cute and has so much personality. Service was very attentive. It is a perfect meal for anybody who is there to visit the national parks read more

My husband wanted a good burger for dinner. After reading other reviews we decided on Buffalo Trails Trading Co. Let me start by saying, this is definitely a "don't judge a book by its cover" lesson! Bob greeted us immediately when we walked in and asked if we were having dinner or shopping. When we said having dinner, he explained the menu in detail including the daily specials. My husband had the buffalo burger with fries (which appeared freshly cut and fried). He commented that the burger was great and perfectly cooked. I had Rosemary/Raspberry chipotle glazed chicken with spaghetti western potatoes and garlic bread. It was awesome! I am so glad we walked thru the door! Real, fresh food! The flavor of the chicken was surprising. Not overwhelmingly raspberry, a nice tang, tenderized and grilled to perfection. The vegetable medley was grilled and a wonderful accompaniment to the chicken and the deliciously seasoned and steamed potatoes. I get tired of going to restaurants that dump things out of a box! I felt like Bob prepared this meal with great detail to flavor and he hit the mark 100°! We shared a piece of Key Lime pie and got a F**king Brownie for the road. We arrived about 5:25 and had no wait at all. The prices might be higher than fast food. You get what you pay for. We had two meals, 2 desserts and a beer. The price we paid was similar to that of any chain restaurant and the taste was superb. If I were in town longer, I'd be returning! Bob was friendly and had tips for a local sunset viewing. In my opinion, Buffalo Trails Trading Post is a diamond in the rough!! Try it out! read more

Buffalo Trails Trading - Rosemary/Raspberry Chipotle Chicken w/spaghetti western potatoes (steamed & seasoned) & grilled veggie medley. Fresh garlic bread. - Antiques Near Me - Virgin, Utah

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This place was delicious! It's very mom and pop, and comfy. Our food was delicious and the service was kind and entertaining! You need to try their chocolate m-effing pie and the strawberry-apple pie. Yum!!! read more

Had a lovely time! The burgers were amazing, the server was very friendly, and we got to play cards while overlooking the beautiful scenery nearby. 10/10 would refer a friend. read more

We came here for dinner on a trip out to Zion. Really wonderful place and very nice owner. The food was solid, but more importantly, we genuinely felt the owner cared about the patrons having a good experience. It was also cool that they had card games at the table that we could play while we waited. Plenty of different options on the menu for main course & dessert. We didn't have a chance to try a dessert, but we will next time! read more

Family run business and Staff is very kind. Food was absolutely terrible and service was very slow. It's a miracle we didn't get sick. Food was expensive and very mediocre. The building is in disrepair and I have no idea how this place was rated 4.7 stars when we went. I feel bad as the owner tried very hard to be helpful but salad was wilted and steak was terrible and painfully salty. Couldn't finish our meals the food was so bad. read more

Get yourself a buffalo burger, better than the overpriced make believe bougie bars, and much better than the hatchinn garbage Burgers down the road read more

They were short staffed however did not tell us, we waited almost 1.5hrs for fish n chips, when it wasn't busy. Waitress was running around yelling and loud, swearing, super obnoxious and unprofessional. Had to get our own second drink while waiting so long. She didn't even check on our table. Definitely wouldn't recommend. A little communication a d professionalism would have gone a long way while we were waiting read more

Reading the latest comment from 5 months ago I'm glad to hear Bob is doing well. I stumbled upon BTT in 2015 when my car got stuck while camping at the BLM up the road. Got into some good conversation with Bob. Found out he was originally from CA. Came back 2 weeks later with friends and another time in 2020 during the pandemic. The buffalo burgers and fries were what I got every time. Hope to make it back up for the meal and conversation again soon. read more

I always enjoyed stopping by here to look around their antique store and of course-- to eat! The owner always provides excellent customer service. read more

Buffalo Trails Trading - Buffalo Burger - Antiques Near Me - Virgin, Utah

This was exactly the experience we were looking for. We're obsessed with Bob and AJ, such characters, who made us feel like welcome locals. They whipped up AMAZING Wagyu burgers and mouth watering homemade pies. The whole thing was an experience and we have a new place we need to stop whenever we're in the area. read more

This is my favorite spot to eat at when I'm in Utah. Bob, the owner, is charismatic, funny, and very welcoming. I'm from Cali and this is overall one of my favorite places to eat at. The burgers are delicious. The ribeye is the best I've ever had. The pies were just phenomenal. It's worth the hype. Please come and enjoy it. Support Bob. The man is one of a kind. :) read more

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The service is horrible here. I came in with no one in line and waited 15 minutes without anyone helping me. This place did not deserve my business so I just left. read more

Do yourself a favor and get the Buffalo burger. You will not be disappointed. It was amazing. I seriously wanted to start my whole meal over again. We split a wagyu burger and a Buffalo burger. The wagyu is as amazing as well, but the Buffalo was out of this world. No ketchup needed. The fries were amazing. The key lime pie omg yes please!!!! Stop and eat here for sure. read more

Buffalo Trails Trading - Key lime pie - Antiques Near Me - Virgin, Utah

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Service was horrible!! We went to eat for dinner after hiking the narrows. We spent 2 hours waiting for our food after constantly asking for it. We were so disappointed because I had tried the bison burger before and it was good but we left after seeing that the person in charge worked on someone else dinner whom had arrived 1 hour after us! We left hungry, wasted 2 hours and had limited places to get food from at 9:50 pm. You have been warned. read more

My husband was DYING to go to this place when we were traveling through Zion. He finally was able to stop by and he was BLOWN away by the service and hospitality by the owner. He ordered a couple of cool jerky sticks and homemade peanut butter and chocolate pies! YUM!! We wish we went here for dinner - they had unmatched prices for the area and the food was delicious. GO HERE. you won't regret it!! read more

Bob and his restaurant/store were a great surprise on our travels after visiting Zion National Park. A unique menu that proved to be delicious, and plenty to browse and shop through while we waited. Bob runs everything himself so go in with patience and you'll receive excellent service. Perfect pit stop to take a break and find some one-of-a-kind meals and souvenirs for an affordable cost. Would highly recommend! read more

The best burger I have ever had in my life, this place is a little hidden gem and anyone who is going to Zion should stop in

Great freshly cooked food with an interesting trading store attached to it. Really great service too

We were on the hunt for some quality local eats, when we came across this gem. We were greeted by Bob who got us settled, provided menu suggestions, and told us a little about the place. We ordered meat loaf, bison burgers, Waygu burgers, and the Hawaiian salad. We also managed to stuff so of his homemade pies in to our bellies as well. After dinner Bob and his daughter gave suggestions on local adventures and even broke out a map to ensure we knew exactly how to get there. All the food was amazing! This was only eclipsed by Bob and his daughter's warm hospitality. Highly recommend this spot! read more

you must stop here. top notch hospitality. best burger i have ever had. great jerky. great desert. don't think twice. just stop in.

LOVED IT! Burger was fantastic and the staff was super kind and funny. You won't regret going here!!

I had a buffalo burger and my wife had the American wagyu burger. Excellent taste. We had key lime and lemon meringue pie for desert. The key lime pie was one of the best I have ever had. Recommended for lunch/dinner. Can't believe the food was this good from a hole in the wall off the hwy. read more

We stopped here for lunch after a half day canyon trip and were starving! Was told chef wasn't there (it was about 1:00 PM) and all we could order were burgers, which was fine, we were hungry and frozen burgers and fries were good. However, my son's Rootbeer had several ants in it. He then got a water that also had an ant in it. read more

Rip off!! Jewelry is not what he says it is and falls apart. Don't do business here!!!!!!!!!