Visited on 5/12/2026 with my family after a long morning at Mount Rushmore. The location is convenient -- right inside the monument -- but convenience and the view are about the only things going for this place. We ordered the Philly Cheesesteak ($18), a Cheeseburger ($17.50 + $0.75), and the Grilled Chicken Platter ($14.50) for our kid. Total came out to $54.50 for three people -- which, okay, it's a tourist spot, so I expected to pay a premium. What I didn't expect was to pay premium prices for food that felt like it was barely tried. The Philly was overcooked and dry. The meat was dark and tough -- no juiciness, no flavor. For $18, that's just not acceptable. The burger looked decent but tasted flat and underwhelming. The Grilled Chicken Platter for my child was the most disappointing -- it's listed as "grilled" on the menu, but the chicken came out barely touched. Pale, soft, almost like it was steamed and then given a quick pass on the grill just for looks. The mashed potatoes and corn on the side were fine -- nothing special. I'll give credit where it's due -- the ambiance is genuinely great. Eating with a direct view of Mount Rushmore is a cool experience you won't get anywhere else, and the dining area has a nice open feel to it. Service was also okay, no real complaints there. But when you're spending $54 on a family meal and every main dish misses, the view only carries you so far. If you're visiting, pack your own food or eat before you arrive. You'll thank yourself later.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ read more

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This is the cafeteria at Mount Rushmore. There are lots of different stations here, from a pizza, burger, salad, & ice cream station. The best part is there are floor to ceiling the windows. It's a beautiful view of Mount Rushmore. There is indoor and outdoor seating. Our salads were nothing to ride home about, but there were reasonably priced, and the view was wonderful. However, the homemade ice cream was exceptional. Unfortunately the cones were huge & double scoops; no kiddie cups here. The huckleberry cheesecake was sublime! read more

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We were starving after walking around looking at Mount Rushmore. So we stopped by the Carver's Cafe (which is at the monument). The staff was super nice and attentive. And the food options were decent. I ordered the Dakota Bison Bacon Cheeseburger with the fries and both were very delicious indeed. And the space to eat in was huge with tall glass windows so you could see Rushmore not too far in the distance. read more

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It's a must! you need to try the ice cream here! Cookies n cream was actually invented in south dakota, so i had to get a scoop of it. i also had thomas jefferson's vanilla. it was great, i love how it had th specks of vanilla bean in there. i didn't like how you had to get two scoops, i felt wasteful. they should make a smaller size too. there wasn't a line and service was quick. it was seemingly clean in there an we ate outside with a nice view of mount rushmore. read more

Carver's Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

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The only reason we came here to Carver's Cafe was to try Thomas Jefferson's original recipe vanilla ice cream. We actually originally visited Mt. Rushmore a couple of years ago, but the cafe was closed thanks to Covid. This time, we managed to make it when they were open. TJ's Vanilla, Single ($6.75) - I think they either have some issues with the ice cream freezer or perhaps this recipe just doesn't store very well. Even though this is probably the most popular flavor in the cafe, I found a ton of ice crystals throughout the ice cream, giving a distinctively non-creamy texture. In terms of taste, it's full of vanilla flavor with a good sweetness level. The ice cream is not stringy or stretchy at all, which is good. It's churned until decently dense. I wouldn't say it's super premium, but it has decently low overrun. Note: TJ's Vanilla is the only ice cream here that is unique. The rest of the ice cream is sourced from Sysco. Overall the ice cream is just okay. I'm not sure I would get it again, purely because of how much ice was in the ice cream. If not for that, I think it would be a good choice. read more

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It's the fast food cafe inside Mt Rushmore monument park. Regular burgers and fried menu. Nothing extraordinary Yet the place was clean, service was fast. Overall it was good. I ordered cheeseburger and fries for lunch . Again this specifically critic with my experience. read more

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If you're here then you have to. You Stop in for the ice cream and stay for the view. You also get to change scenes from North By Northwest. read more

Carver's Cafe - Huge portions. Get a scoop of vanilla and something else. - Cafes Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

We traveled with kids to the Black Hills area for an end-of-March spring break trip. After a few days of eating picnic lunches around various attractions due to very few restaurants being open this time of year, it was nice to see the cafe was open! We ordered kids' chicken tenders plates for $8.50, a hamburger with fries ($15), and a bison burger (to share). The food was good, as you'd expect at an attraction-based food court. The ice cream was delicious, and the servers were very friendly and helpful. We will definitely plan to eat at the cafe again in the future; you can't beat the view! read more

Awesome scenery in an historic location. Needed a cup of coffee during our chilly October visit. Servers were husband and wife team from our hometown of Pasadena. Just had coffee, but absorbed the magnificent view from inside the café, very reminiscent of the classic scene in North by Northwest by Alfred Hitchcock. See the movie. Come here for the grandeur and a cup of coffee. Food looks pretty good too. read more

Carver's Cafe - View from Carver's Café patio - Cafes Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

The ambience is nice and professional, I expect no less from the park services. The service was meh, one person was training the other person, and they were the entire staff. The food is meh as well, it's basically cafeteria food. The french fries were slightly overcooked. read more

Carver's Cafe - Buffalo Bacon Cheeseburger and French fries - Cafes Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

Our cashier Liberty was awesome when my group came up for food and then a second time for ice cream. There are clear gluten free and vegetarian labels on each menu item. I got the veggie burger with the (surprisingly good) gluten free bun. The patty was southwest style but not too spicy and had many condiments to top it with. Inside was decorated cutely and was another great edition to the historical ambiance. read more

Carver's Cafe - mint chocolate chip - Cafes Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

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The ice cream is delicious, and the view is amazing. Each order of ice cream is two scoops. The scoops are big! Not too many different flavors of ice cream, but enough a variety. If you go for the Evening Lightning Ceremony, get your ice cream at least a couple hours before it starts. It gets busier the closer it is to the ceremony. read more

100% delicious creamy ice cream flavors We were really surprised and loved it Perfect snack walking around my Rushmore read more

There's not much around when visiting Mt. Rushmore. Good thing Carver's Cafe is there! I thought the restaurant was nice with a pretty decent selection of healthy and fatty foods. I had a cold ham sandwich. My brother had the buffalo burger with fries. We thought each of our selections were tasty. I also thought the prices were pretty reasonable. They've got a friendly staff willing to assist you. read more

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Carver's Cafe is located on site at Mount Rushmore and dinner there was included with our tour. We each had a voucher for our choice of Entree, Side, Drink, and dessert; after dinner we wandered outside waiting for the lighting ceremony to start. It's about an 8-10 minute program and I thought it was well done and inspirational. With respect to the restaurant itself, our group consisted of two full buses and we were each given a voucher as part of the tour for an entree, side, roll, drink and dessert. I assume that they deal with large groups arriving every day and should be pretty good at handling them. But our experience was a long wait in line followed by confusion when orders were coming out. We were not given an order number so we just had to listen for what you ordered. Do you know how many orders of Buffalo Stew were placed while we were there? When an order comes out and is announced as Buffalo Stew, everyone who ordered it thinks it is their order. Using order numbers would be a simple fix. As for the food, the Buffalo Stew was OK if you added salt. The baked fish my wife ordered was too salty. I picked a large Cinnamon Roll and my wife chose Pumpkin Pie for our desserts and both were very good! The staff were friendly but they were operating inefficiently. read more

Good selection of soup, salad, sandwiches and entrees. Prices reasonable. We had the pot roast plate, grilled chicken plate and crispy chicken sandwich. All were good and more than enough food. Good amount of seating with views of the presidents. The ice cream place is attached but doesn't open until 11:00 but when we were here a few days ago (the 1st time was in the morning and the 2nd time at night) we noticed that they have a little stand in the main restaurant where you can get ice cream before 11:00 and once the ice cream place opens, they get rid of the stand. We were able to have ice cream at 10:30 am! I wanted to try Thomas Jefferson's recipe which was only vanilla which isn't my favorite flavor but it was pretty darn good. I typically do not eat at cafes attached to attractions but I do recommend this place as it's good and very convenient especially if you go to Mt Rushmore early and late as we did. Service was friendly. read more

Had the cone from America's first ice cream recipe. Simple, unadulterated and delicious; all from a patio with a great view! Great way to end the Rushmore experience! read more

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Carver's Cafe is a cafeteria style restaurant located on the grounds of Mount Rushmore Park, where you order/pay first through a line and then pick up your food when your number is called. I was expecting a typical food experience from a tourist area (high prices, not so great quality), but was pleasantly surprised. Our group of 4 ordered a Chicken caesar salad, a bison burger plate with fries, a regular hamburger plate with fries, bowl of broccoli cheddar soup, and a pot roast plate with mashed potatoes and vegetables. All the dishes were really good, and none of it was over $15 (most was $10 - $12). The portions were big and the food came to us still hot. I originally thought that we were given meat loaf, but then realized that we had been given two big slices of tender beef for our pot roast plate. The meat was very tender, but because it had no fat, it did end up being a bit dry. Next time, I would ask for more gravy and tear it apart with a fork to create 2 - 3 servings. But still for $13, it's a steal. The burgers were great (fully dressed with well done but still juicy mean), and it came with shoe-string french fries. The salad was premade with the caesar dressing on the side, but the lettuce was fresh and the portion again was huge (enough as one full meal, or enough for 3 people to share as a side salad). They have a self-serve drink station and also have a free water dispenser to fill up your water bottles. The have plenty of indoor and outdoor seating , with tables to sit 4 - 8. The outdoor seating is well shaded, and the indoor is well air-conditioned. If you are hungry, I would highly recommend the pot roast plate. read more

Not able to handle big crowds well. The cashiers are friendly. Worst chili dog I've ever had. Cheeseburger was ok, my daughter loved the buffalo chili. read more

DO NOT buy the Mount Rushmore or Presidents bottled wine. They charge you $24 for the worst tasting wine we have ever tasted. It is a crime to call it wine. read more

Waited over 30 minutes for lukewarm chicken strips and soggy fries. Great view, awful food

Dry buffalo burger with stale fries. Disappointed. The walk up and order was nice and easy though.

Visited Mt Rushmore in mid October 2018. Before we left home on our vacation, I searched the web for a detailed menu and prices so we could be prepared. I could not find any. Not sure if the menu changes, but I took photos of the menus. Will try to post. We had a hot dog, New England Pot Roast plate, chicken strips with fries and ice cream. All was pretty darn good. read more

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Even by "park food" standards this was so bad. I had the chicken tender meal which included, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetables, and a dinner roll. Everything was so cold, except for the vegetables were were somewhat warm. The best part of the meal were the free pickle spears found in the condiment section. read more

We stopped in here after checking out the monument. I'd read online that they have gf options and was not disappointed. This place actually has really good reviews on tripadvisor, tho it appears the few yelpers who have reviewed have not been as pleased. This cafeteria like cafe is really clean and has a nice feel to it. There is a burger and hot dog area, a place to pick up pre made salads and sandwiches, a salad and soup bar and another area to get a variety of different hot foods of the day. We decided on burgers and got bison burgers with gf buns and fries which were also gf. The bison burger was tasty and the gf bun not at all dry like they can be. Their bison chile was gf and also really good. As you would expect the cost was a bit pricey, about 10 bucks per burger but that is typical for any restaurant situated in a national monument area. Overall, food was pretty good, a lot of the individuals working there were aware of what was and wasn't gf, and it's conveniently located with a view of Mt. Rushmore...I'd def recommend it. read more

Carver's Cafe - Buffalo chile, bison gf burger and gf fries - Cafes Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

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I really liked this place. It was clean, the ice cream was good, they used a lot of eco friendly stuff, and the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. I didn't exactly have a lot of food so I can't comment on that but I did have the fries and liked them. read more

Enough variety to include my picky daughter. Decent food. Good prices. Convenient since it's at Mount Rushmore. We enjoyed eating there

The food was definitely more home style quality - namely the pot roast and bison stew. The chicken noodle soup was great portions and tasted homemade. The downside was the buffalo burger - over cooked and dry. Prices for a location like that are reasonable and the same, if not cheaper, as in town. read more

Staying in the Keystone, SD area to spend some time looking at Mt Rushmore on the way to Yellowstone. It wasn't easy to find a good reasonable place to get a bite to eat for breakfast in this area. Happened to just be looking at the website for Mt Rushmore when I saw the breakfast info for this place. What a deal to be able to get a decent breakfast of eggs, bacon, breakfast potatoes, and a biscuit/gravy for such a reasonable price. The place was pretty empty when we arrived and had a great view of Mt Rushmore from our table. As a plus both soft drinks and coffee have unlimited refills while you visit the National Historic Site. Would highly recommend this before the over-priced breakfast deals in the Keystone area. read more

Carver's Cafe - Breakfast with the Presidents. - Cafes Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

Park cafeteria food - given there is nothing else around the park unless you go into town this is not a bad option. If you have time to go into town there appears to be some better options both in quality and interest. But if you are at the park and want to sit by the window and watch the billy goats (which are not really goats - I'll post once I get them downloaded from my camera) go by then this is one of your only options. There are big windows and plenty of seating so enjoy. The prices are not crazy given they have you captured. There is a big gift shop nearby (prices there are a bit high but how many times do you visit the monument?). Definitely eat after you've had a chance to hike the trail and work up an appetite. read more

Carver's Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

Good food. You walk up and order and the cashier brought us our food to our table because we had to wait for the buffalo to be cooked. Everything came to is hot and the food was decent. Free drink refills if you buy a fountain drink, water or ice tea. The building is green certified. The seats were comfortable considering it started raining so we waited inside until the rains stopped. read more

Good food in a convenient location for anyone visiting Mount Rushmore. Food took a little longer than expected to get to us, but all things considered, definitely a solid place for a meal. read more

Overpriced? Yes. Not very fresh? Sure. A touch better than the complimentary breakfast at the Best Western up the street? No doubt about it. I guess my 3 stars *could* be a bit generous, but hey, you get to look out the window while you dine and see Mount Rushmore. The setting alone is worth AT LEAST two stars. Let's not mince words, though. This place is a cafeteria. Plain and simple. Best part? The cashier watched us get our food and had our order rung up before we got to the register. And he was friendly and smiling on top of it. Our cook? A Bulgarian exchange student who felt at home in the Black Hills. If you come here knowing you're going to pay amusement park prices and get cafeteria-quality food, you'll be fine. And full. read more

As seen in North by Northwest! Grateful to find healthy options on the road. Great view.

Food better than average for this type of place while viewing the Mount Rushmore ome from the ceiling to floor windows great ice cream shop next-door read more

Carver's Cafe - Chili buffalo hot dog - Cafes Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

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Wow, I'm not even sure what I had would qualify as a chicken sandwich. It was about 12 steps below a fast food grilled chicken patty, and that's pretty darn difficult, and a soggy veggie burger for my husband and a chicken sandwich (if that's what it was) for me with cold fries and one fountain soda split between us was a whopping total of $19.50. I don't think our Presidents would approve! read more

Carver's Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

I think we have to be fair here. If you're expecting five-star dining at a national monument, you're going to be disillusioned pretty quickly. At Carver's my wife and I both had burgers that were reminiscent of those sold at drive-in movies. The staff was friendly enough, so no complaints about the service. But the food really wasn't very good and I'm not one to complain. Also... as one would expect at crowded national monuments, you'll run across your share of rude patrons and perhaps (as in our case) some outright weirdos. One complete stranger came over to us to ask a question and sat his backpack down on our table while we were eating. If you're short on time and very hungry, this place is OK. ....But if you have plenty of time to get down the mountain and find a quality restaurant that is still open, that's your best bet. read more

About what you'd expect from a National park cafeteria. They try hard to have local options and the stew was not bad. The cinnamon rolls were very yummy! Staff was nice and very helpful. read more

Food was average and overpriced. Frozen vegetables. Served hot although not all the options were open in the late afternoon. Ice cream was a fun treat but again, $5-6 for two scoops is a bit expensive. read more

The food here is not great but it's what you'd expect from a cafeteria-style tourist eating establishment. The cheeseburgers were better than the pizza. I didn't try anything else. read more

Carver's Cafe - Cheese pizza - meh. - Cafes Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota