The Hoover Dam Cafe has been a hiking tradition when I partake in my round-trip hike on the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail which brings me onto the Hoover Dam.
This self-service Cafe is the only restaurant serving the Hoover Dam excluding the one all the way up the overlook on the Arizona side, which is a dangerous and long walk to the dam. The Hoover Dam Cafe is located around the corner from the bottom of the stairs and elevator that transports visitors and hikers between both the parking structure and Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail to the Hoover Dam. It is a stone's throw to the visitor center and a fastball to the Arizona state line.
Being that this is the main restaurant serving the Hoover Dam and in the heart of the action, the prices are so astronomical that you just might say the "d" word that follows "Hoover." Looking at the menu I saw all food and drink items sold at astronomical prices where it just made sense to buy a snack and save my appetite for a nicer meal in Boulder City. Or it just made sense to fill up for breakfast in Boulder City. The menu prices included a cheeseburger combo for around $17 and a bottomless Pepsi for $5. However, this did not stop me from treating myself to a hot pretzel with cheese. The price was $5. Being that I was on top of this engineering marvel looking up at another engineering marvel called the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge, I was really enjoying a pretzel that would be considered decent in an ordinary environment. The cheese was a little cup that I dipped the pretzel in. The pretzel wasn't a four star hot and soft one. I would rate it as solid in an environment that I am a fan of. If I did not have the water bottle with me, I probably would have brought a Pepsi or water.
If the Hoover Dam Cafe was a full service restaurant like the Big Horn Cafe up on Mount Charleston, I could see spending some money to eat in a full service restaurant in a breathtaking environment. However, it is a restaurant that really seems more like a snack bar than a Cafe, where you order at the counter and they call your name.
Taking into consideration that this was a stop on an eight-plus round trip hike, I sat inside the restaurant which was expectantly fairly busy. Now if I did buy a cheeseburger combo and arrived by a vehicle, I would have sat at an outside umbrella table that affords far better views of the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge than the dam proper. And if I lived far away, perhaps I would have brought a souvenir in the attached gift shop.
If my round-trip hikes on the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail to Hoover Dam persist, I forsee a mid-hike break in the Hoover Dam Cafe. Let's face it, a pretzel with cheese really hits the spot when you are hiking in the desert. read more