Great place to refuel after a long days drive. The food was quite good and satisfying. I fully enjoyed my hamburger with roasted red pepper and portobello mushroom bun (GF substitution). I was skeptical when ordering, but I enjoyed every last bite. They were mindful of our gluten and dairy allergies-- thank you thank you . I will definitely make this a food destination should I drive to the Badlands again some day. read more

Cedar Pass Lodge Cafe - Hamburger with roasted red pepper and substituted the bun with GF portobello mushroom. - Cafes Near Me - Interior, South Dakota

Really enjoyed eating at this restaurant while staying in the Badlands. The restaurant is within Cedar Pass Lodge along with the gift shop. It is the only dining option within the park. They take pride in the service and food. We didn't want to try to piece together meals in our cabin since they only have a mini fridge and microwave, so we had lunch, then dinner, then breakfast here. Lunch was a good burger with delicious fries. For dinner we split the Indian taco which was like the best taco salad ever. We got our taco for carry out and ate at our picnic table at our cabin overlooking the amazing landscape. I really enjoyed breakfast of veggie omelet, large portion of potatoes, toast, and bacon (was starving from the previous day's hiking. Lol) Super friendly folks, good food, and it's in the Badlands. Couldn't ask for more. read more

Cedar Pass Lodge Cafe - Basic burger and fries- hits the spot after hiking. - Cafes Near Me - Interior, South Dakota

See all

Stay here. The cabins are comfortable and you can't beat the location. Eat here. For a cafe, dinner was good. Breakfast was good. And wait staff is friendly. read more

This was a better experience than I expected to have at a small Cafe. The food was amazing and it came in a matter of minutes. The staff was a little out of it but were still nice. This is a high quality and convenient cafe for all who are staying in the Badlands. read more

Food was okay but wine is atrocious. Don't bother. And there is no service. You get your own plastic utensils and water. What are we tipping? Nothing. read more

For being the only restaurant inside Badlands National Park, Cedar Pass Lodge Cafe was A-OK but given it served decent food AND was the only option, have to say we were fans Next closest restaurants were at least a 45-50 min drive to the town of Wall. The teensie town of Interior which is literally right outside the National Park had 2 bars & a convenience / grocery-esque type shop.....so w/ the choice of microwaved bar food, driving 45 min, or this cafe, we took our chances w/ the Cafe Breakfast for us included Indian Fry Bread w/ a blueberry-like jam & the bread was heavy & did not pair well w/ the jam - tummy ache! It's like an unsweetened donut - you know....fried doughy bread. Hard-boiled egg was served FRESH out of the boiling water & burned the beejeezes out of my hands while trying to peel it before the egg stuck to the shell. Maybe a cold water rinse would be an idea?? Late lunch for us included the Indian Taco for 2 (no meat) & a burger for our meaty buddy For some reason, the fry bread wasn't as heavy when paired w/ beans, corn, cheese & sour cream ( crazy I know but just go w/ it ) - in fact it was really really good. Both BF & I polished our plates Buddy said her burger was standard - no wow factor but come on, it's not like she was expecting anything but what she got so she was satisfied We had leftover bakery items from Rapid City that tided us over for dinner since our rooms had no fridge but overall we thought this little cafe served its purpose & served us well Oh and PS.....there's a ginormous gift shop w/ all kinds of tchotchkes from super-expensive jewelry to t-shirts, hats, knick-knacks & there's also a little snack area w/ drinkys, candy & chips read more

So after a while you know what you are going to get when you go to a restaurant in a national park. However, get the Indian taco! Fry bread was puffy and delicious! So good! read more

The only way this place stays open is because it has no competition. Literally zero competition since it is at the end of the drive through the Badlands. After spending 4 hours exploring the Badlands (which were amazing!) you get hungry and this is the only option. After we waited for a table with no one working the hostess stand despite 4 groups waiting to be shown to tables, the waitress took order, forgot to bring our drinks, and we think she forgot to put in the order because it took over 40 minutes to be receive it. Clearly frozen, pre-packed food. The fry bread was yummy but everything else is a pass. I'd recommend somewhere else but there isn't anywhere else so plan ahead and pack a picnic! read more

Nice people, but service is atrocious. Food is overcooked, food service blah. $50 for 4 burnt burgers, no fries, w/o even a soda? Gimme a break. read more

Came here for dinner when we stayed at their cabins 2 nights ago. Got the famous buffalo burger and salad bar, both hit the spot. They market everything as farm fresh-not sure it is because the salad came out of a plastic bag but the food tasted good. The buffalo burger was cooked well and a good portion, was nice that they offered a northern classic here. Service was really good! Cute little shop attached. Overall not a huge selection but everything we tried tasted great! read more

This place has the potential to be a whole lot better than it is. We stayed the night at the Badlands Inn, which is within walking distance of the cafe. And it's the only real dining option without driving about a hour. So we gave it a shot for dinner. The food was surprisingly good. Didn't expect such a place to have stuff as good as this one did. The Indian Taco, in particular, was fantastic. The service, while friendly, was agonizingly slow. Seriously, I don't think we've ever seen anything like it. The kicker was when it took 10 minutes (really) to pay the check. Apparently the hostess was the only one who could run the register- but she was also managing a line of 15-20 people waiting for tables. So she'd seat someone, come back to the register, apologize to me for the wait, seat someone, come back and apologize, etc. It was kind of funny at first. Then it just got annoying. But I attribute that to lack of training and poor management more than anything else. The employees seemed very friendly, they just hadn't been instructed on how to do things efficiently. But I'm still giving it 4 stars because that Indian Taco was so darn good! read more

I had the lowest of expectations for this place given the numerous bad reviews and the fact that it's the only restaurant option for miles around. The service and the food was all very average. Nothing was bad, but I wasn't impressed by anything either. Our server could have been more present, but she was friendly enough. For lunch I had the chicken caeser wrap, my husband had the Indian taco and my son had the kids mac & cheese. My wrap was really sloppy and could have used more chicken, but it fine. The views from this restaurant are pretty nice. read more

See all

The menu looked ok, not over-priced like I expected. They do have somewhat of a monopoly! I walked in and saw a "Please wait to be seated". So I waited... and waited... and waited... 15 min later, a waitress comes back from getting a giant order from a table of about 10. I ask her for a take out order. I was passing through by myself and I had my Dog in the car so I was just going to eat it at a picnic table with him. She was very nice and asked me to just wait a second and one of the other people working would take my order. She seemed to have the whole floor to herself, which was 2 tables of 10+ people and about 5 other tables with 2 or 3 each. So I'm waiting again, I didn't mind... I wasn't in a huge hurry. I peek over to the kitchen area and see a waitress who is sitting there talking with the cooks and drinking a soda. I totally get that people deserve their breaks so I still didn't let it get to me, even though I had now been waiting for about 30 min and haven't even placed an order. Finally, the woman talking to the chefs makes her way over to me. I tell her I would like to place a to-go order. In a very snotty tone she says "We don't allow to-go orders here" I say "She told me (motioning over to the nice waitress who is working very hard on all of the tables) I could." She says "She doesn't know anything this is her second week. Go look in the cooler over there, there are sandwiches to go" I couldn't believe how rude to me she was. Reading back what I just wrote doesn't sound that bad, but it was all in her tone. And there were no sandwiches in the cooler :( Luckly I had some lunch meat in the cooler. read more

Indian taco was totally up to the hype - it was delicious. Totally worth the wait. They were extra busy so we ordered the buffalo chili to start which came out right away. I didn't think I would finish both the chili and the taco but they were both so good I couldn't help myself. My only issue was other people were complaining they had to wait and were giving the hostess a hard time. I pointed out that we are all on vacation and to chill out and also it was not the hostess's fault. There isn't anything else around it so expect to wait and know that it is totally worth it and something you will always remember - eating awesome Indian Tacos in the Badlands - a highlight of my vacation. read more

Cedar Pass Lodge Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Interior, South Dakota

Up front I did not actually eat here, after waiting for ten minutes at the "please wait to be seated sign" and being quite blatantly ignored by the staff we decided to leave. Disappointing, as the place was not full and a number of staff walked past us without so much as a hello! As they are the only place for some distance they a monopoly and its quite apparent in the poor and rude service. Do yourself a favor, pack a lunch and give this place a miss. read more

Small restaurant attached to an extensive South Dakota/Badlands National Park gift shop before you get to the visitor center. It seemed to be staffed mostly by exchange students that were very accommodating, if not exactly warm. They were about to close (8:30 PM) but seated us since the till said it was only 8:29. Good choices for food, and I liked the option of cottage cheese instead of the fries/veggies option. My turkey wrap was exactly what I needed. Considering it's the only restaurant for miles in what amounts to a restaurant/lodge/gift shop making its money solely because it's positioned BEFORE the entrance to the official visitor area, I think they're doing an okay job. Talk to the employees. They seem to have interesting stories, even if only because they aren't the same as mine. read more

Excellent food generous portions. Beautiful views of badlands mountains Fish sandwich

Hamburger was rather tasteless. Fries were fresh and hot. Salad bar was good and plentiful. Waitress was very good kept water glass full.

My meal was pretty good, but the rest of it was kind of meh. The frybread was excellent, and it was the best cup of chili I've had in a restaurant, but the rest of the menu is pretty basic. There's a token salad bar. Unfortunately, the staff was overtaxed, it's basically a cafeteria, and the price for my food wasn't the price on the menu. It's not destination dining, but there isn't really anything else there. read more

Cedar Pass Lodge Cafe - Seriously, try the chili. - Cafes Near Me - Interior, South Dakota

Staying in the Cedar Pass Cabins, going to the lodge to eat was the logical choice (though we ventured out to Interior and had a terrible meal). The Cedar Pass Lodge is nothing special, but it gets the job done. As a warning, the Sioux taco is gigantic-splitting it is a great idea. I can't speak to the quality of the burgers, but both dinner dishes based around the Sioux bread were good. The breakfast fare was also pretty average-large portions once again, and good biscuits. Though not spectacular, the Cedar Pass Lodge is reliable and beats other local places. read more

Overall the food was average. The fry bread is amazing. We all had the Famous Indian Taco on the fry bread. The taco toppings were fine but not 5 star level. Loved the fry bread. We got there at 1130 and didnt have to wait in line at all. By 1145 the line was winding through the gift shop. read more

I think this is the first yelp review I've written, although I've used yelp for many years. I felt compelled because the star rating for this place, especially given the area, was harsh. My boys and I ate lunch here and were pleasantly surprised by the menu, in particularly the healthy options in a region of the country where health doesn't seem to be a priority- at least at the local eateries. I had a veggie burger (beyond beef brand, which is very good), and a salad with fresh mixed greens. My son, 7, had a turkey wrap he said was one of the best things he ever ate. Anyhow - if you are looking to eat something east of Rapid City that includes something green - this is your place. Perhaps your only place. read more

Try the Indian Fry Bread Tacos! This is not a place to go if you're in a hurry but the folks were very nice and accommodating. Splurge on the SDSU Dairy School ice cream! read more

Cedar pass lodge is located in the interior of the Badlands which is probably the most incredible place I have ever been. The cafe is inside the lodge. My wife and I got a cabin for a night while visiting the Badlands. The cafe is right in front of the cabins and is the only place to eat inside the National Park. So being the only place to eat my wife and were worried on how the food would be. Well the food was fantastic. And so was the service. We had 3 meals there the 1st was lunch I had a patty melt and fries. Probably the best patty melt I ever had. And the fries were very good. Wife had a cheeseburger, and she loved it. For dinner we got a Indian taco for carry out and took it back to the cabin and eat outside with a incredible view of the Badlands while we eat. We never had a Indian taco before and it was fantastic! It's basically a open face taco on fried bread , and the bread is delicious! It is so good! For breakfast the next morning we eat at the cafe , like I said the service is great the servers are super nice and on point. I was in the mood for just a traditional breakfast so I had 2 fried eggs over easy with bacon and potatoes and everything was on point. Wife had a veggie omelette, she loved it, it was good I tasted it. If your ever lucky enough to get to the incredible place called the Badlands National Park go eat at The Cedar Pass Lodge Cafe ! read more

See all

The Indian Taco was great. But they were out of a lot of stuff. It was also pricey, and I get we are in a National park and it is supply and demand, but still... read more

Very disappointing. The buffalo burgers were overcooked, the salmon was bad, and the three of us who had the indian taco had to take medicine for an upset stomach for the rest of the night. Breakfast in the morning was just as poor. The sausage was overcooked, the porridge was a glob, the eggs were cold. The service was lousy. This proves that a monopoly in service...leads to poor service. read more

Very nice clean cafe in one wing of the park lodge. Access is through the gift store. The map yelp gives you puts the place in "downtown" interior, which is wrong, you need to continue on into the national park to the lodge there. The reviews weren't all that optimistic on Yelp, but the option seemed better then the 2 bars in Interior which looked highly sketchy from the outside. I think though that staff in the cafe turns over seasonally, in 2011 they seem extremely friendly, helpful, and welcoming. Mom had the cesar salad which meant the first Romaine (rather than iceberg) lettuce for a few hundred miles. I had the Indian taco and it was very good. However I've had heartburn all night afterwards. Dad had burger, was considered good, but not award winning. Much better than the other reviews which bagged on the service might have you think. All 4 waitstaff seemed to be students working there for the season, and likely not carry-overs from last year. read more

Although not the fault of the restaurant itself, our experience here would have been better if it weren't for one loud-mouth diner who would not SHUT UP. The whole time we were there, he was trying to carry on conversations with other strangers in the cafe, from his own seat, 20 feet away. At 8 am, on a Sunday morning, during my vacation, the last thing I want to do is hear about your adventures in the Badlands, your opinion on gas prices, and who you know in Connecticut. Our food was okay. I had the breakfast burrito. It had nice flavor, though it was super greasy. My partner had the ham-and-cheese omelet. There were tons of ham cubes, and, although he liked it, it kind of grossed me out. I'm a fan of the super-thin, shaved variety. The service was fine, and our waitress was friendly. read more

Stopped here for Indian Tacos while cruising through the eerily beautiful Badlands! I had not been to the area in over 10 years and the three people I was with had never been there. I remember the wonderful Indian Tacos served at the Woodenknife Cafe in the Badlands years ago and I guess ordering them here was an attempt to re-live that experience. Rumor had it that Cedar Pass was using Ansel Woodenknife's old recipe for building the perfect Indian Taco. It appears that the chef here lost the recipe. The fry bread was greasy and a bit overcooked and the toppings were laid on top with little passion or care. The main flavor that came thru was beans and not Buffalo meat or sauce. The only good point was that, for $9.95, the taco itself was huge and certainly enough to fill any appetite after walking around in the Badlands in the hot August sun. Service was not amazingly swift but it was friendly. And, of course, the place had more than a few of those bothersome South Dakota flies. They seemed to like the Tacos a lot! read more

Cedar Pass Lodge Cafe - Indian Taco - Cafes Near Me - Interior, South Dakota

We drove all the way from Wall to Cedar Pass as it was my friend's birthday, and we wanted something better than Wall Drug. Salmon on the menu was the deciding factor, as we'd had our fill of buffalo burger in the Hills. The "fresh, wild caught" salmon was unrecognizable. No red at all (more like brown), and tasted terrible. I assume that this had been frozed for far too long. The "vegetable" was apparently asparagus, but recognizable only by it's shape. It was a pale, olive-drab color, incredibly mushy, and yet, unbelievably, unchewable. Asked the waitress if it was canned, and she insisted that it was fresh. And, the price for the salmon meal was about what I'd pay in a decent restaurant; no bargain at all. Apparently the Indian Tacos are the thing here. When we asked our server what was good, that was her recommendation, but not for the taste: "They're really filling". I guess if that's what you go out to eat for...They did look good, but a restaurant shouldn't have offerings that it can't adequately prepare. read more

I'm so glad we found this place. It's hard to get a good meal anywhere in the Badlands area, but here we found delicious omelettes, yogurt parfaits, even organic coffee and gluten free toast! The prices are also very reasonable given the location in the middle of the park. read more

The indian taco is awesome! We came through twice just to get another one on the way out . I would give it 10 stars if I could, it is the best taco! read more

Visited Cedar Pass Cafe last summer during a whirl-wind day in Badlands NP. The restaurant was staffed by mainly summer workers--teens and young adults working in the park. Entire staff was friendly and easygoing. Our waiter, Nathan, was particularly engaging and entertaining. The restaurant was busy the entire time we were there, and service wasn't super-fast, but despite all of that Nathan was attentive and kept us happy. I started out with a local beer from a brewery in the Black Hills (Crow Peak Brewing Co I believe). Although I don't remember which particular beer I had, it was just the thing after a hot day of wandering in Badlands. My friend and I both had salad to start..nothing amazing, just normal salad with probably bottled dressing..and then we both had the Indian Fry Taco as our main. AMAZING. We both devoured at least 1/2 of it within about 5 minutes before taking a break to breathe. I had read in a Moon guide about the Indian tacos, so we came prepared for exactly that and didn't look much at the menu. We were not disappointed. The bread was perfectly sweet and salty, and not too greasy. The ground buffalo meat and taco toppings were perfectly seasoned and well-proportioned. I ended up bringing my leftovers with me and eating them cold in our hotel in middle-of-nowhere SD the next morning for breakfast. As we got ready to leave, our waiter gave us each a recipe card for the tacos, which served as a keepsake and memory of our trip to the park and restaurant and as reference when I later made the tacos at home. Unless you're camping, like vending machine food or want to drive out of the park to Wall, Cedar Pass is just about your only option in Badlands NP for food. I didn't have any of the other food on the menu (none of it looked like anything special--I can't imagine trying to appease tourists from all over the world is an easy feat) but the Indian Fry Taco was worth it for me. I will definitely be heading back to the restaurant on my next trip out to Badlands this summer. read more

Located inside the Badlands National Park, this restaurant was way better than expected. The interior was nothing special (but just look outside!), and the waitstaff was okay. I had the Pulled Pork Sandwich, and I have to say it was tender and flavorful. My wife had the Souix Indian Taco (which was huge!), and really liked it. Overall it was a pretty good meal, which was nice to be able to do inside the park. read more

My family and I are currently going cross-country and good food is hard to find sometimes. If you are ever near the Cedar Pass Lodge and Restaurant, stop in for some yummy food. I had the sugar and cinnamon Indian fry bread with a berry pudding that was too die for. My husband had the morning Fry Bread with Chili and a fried egg and he said that it was the best breakfast he has EVER had!!! We loved it so much we went back the next day, but be aware sometimes they have a buffet for breakfast, so we did not stay. We heard the Indian fry bread tacos are also supposed to be good for lunch. The service was friendly and fast. read more

This place is a personal reminder that I need to learn from past experience and from other reviewers. Given that this is the only restaurant within 30 miles and if you want a break from cooking while camping, it is a place one should come as a last resort. I had the bison a.k.a buffalo burger 4 years ago and it is still as dry and overcooked. We also ordered the Indian Taco served on fry bread. The server took the order only to return to inform us that they are out of dough. We were told it would take 30 minutes to prepare a new batch. Since fry bread is the official bread passed into the State of South Dakota legislature, we opted to patiently wait. The result was disappointing. The fry bread was incredibly small and overly thick and doughy. I've had way better fry bread elsewhere. If the lawmakers knew of this injustice when they passed the law, they need to amend it to make serving bad fry bread a crime. The place is obviously frequented by tourists since it is the only place in the park. But if you have other options, you should consider your alternatives. read more

Had the tomato basil soup and it was delicious. Husband likes dessert and got the Kuchen. He liked it. I thought it too sweet.

Well, let's face it. If you are in Badlands National Park you don't really have many choices. In fact, without leaving the park - this is your only choice. But it is pretty cheap and the food is alright, so go for it! read more

If I could give this place 0 stars I would. Worst food we have gotten in a long time. I took my two kids to eat supper here while we were staying in a cabin behind the restaurant. I wish we would have skipped it. Ended up having to spend $50 bucks here and then end up making them supper back at the room. I ordered a steak with a potato. My daughter had Alfredo pasta & my son ordered a kids quesadilla.. The steak came super well done, inedible even, Ordered it medium. The Alfredo pasta was like flour water paste over mushy noodles. The quesadilla was inedible. There was so much grease and oil and I'm not even sure how it was laying in a puddle of yuck but it made it fall apart and gross. Our server disappeared the minute the food came. I did complain up front to the girl at the register, when I told her how bad the food was she literally giggled and told me she knew. "I've heard that a couple times today, haha, hopefully you find somewhere better to eat next time". So, I will take her advice and never return. read more

This is the only restaurant for miles and miles. Given the reviews I was reluctant to eat here but my boyfriend and I were both pleasantly surprised. We went for lunch. The menu seemed pretty standard American. We both ordered the Sioux Indian Tacos and he had a cup of Buffalo chili. I don't think that it was just my lowered expectations or my extreme hunger that made them taste so damn magical. I would eat the Native Amereican fry bread everyday for the rest of my life if not for the fear of tipping the scales at 500pounds. Basically it is an unsweetened doughnut topped with meat cheese and lettuce. What could be simpler and more delicious? read more