Now I'm used to very good quality food, and I will say the food here isn't five star quality. More…read morelike 3 but that's because you are in the middle of nowhere! We were staying in the park for two nights so we had a couple of dinners and breakfasts. I tried to be healthy and get the stuffed poblano peppers and those were decent but I wouldn't reccommend them-unless you're vegetarian. The next night I gave up and just went with a bison burger which was solid. For breakfast if you get to the breakfast bar early enough there are fresh mixed berries and plantains which were a unique touch. The prices weren't too bad either. The staff were all very friendly, the meals came out quickly, and the restaurant and Saloon had a rustic decor that went with the locale. Since we weren't traveling with children I preferred the Saloon with the beautiful views. Considering all that has made things difficult lately, tariffs, wars, etc... the fact that you can get a decent meal in a remote location is pretty impressive.

TERRIBLE SERVICE! Got seated, given menus and was ignored. Bartender finally came over and took our…read moreorder with an attitude. I asked him what beers he had on tap and he responded with "I'm not going to tell you all of them!"... so I got up and walked over to his bar and looked... I then met him at the bar and told him what I wanted and he didn't even make eye contact and just mumbled "ok". Then he brought our drinks without a word and we were ignored. We waited over a half hour just sitting there. Finally I walked up and asked for our check as we had waited long enough. These people have a lot to learn about the service industry. They may be able to get away with this with foreigners who frequent this place, but not Americans. Below is a photo of the "too many beers to mention". Seriously!

STEPH JUDGEMENT: Well-heeled bar in a beautiful historic hotel…read more A friend had recommended their martinis, and they sure sounded great after a dusty 7 mile hike! The bar was beautifully maintained, like the rest of the hotel, and luckily they must be used to weary, wind-whipped hikers rolling in, because the bartender didn't bat an eye and treated us very courteously despite our disheveled appearance. The said martinis were excellent, and we ended up getting some food as well: Sandia salad (watermelon, arugula, queso) fresco--very refreshing) and caramelized Brussels sprouts (tasty, but a bit over-oily). Prices are in line with what you'd expect at a fancy hotel, but it was a wonderful reward after a long day out in the park.

Summer 1975 I worked for a family owned hospitality company out of Mineral, California. It had the…read moremanagement concession for Drakesbad Guest Ranch, Lassen National Park. A Stanford University Law student dropped in, interviewing our manager about management concessions of the Park Service. He was researching consolidation, economies of scale, and of course, generating cash flow. An immense concessionaire, Xanterra, grabbing the Fred Harvey mantle operates concessions in National Parks. We have not crossed Death Valley for at least 15 years. We arrived at Furnace Creek Ranch, finding a slick international tourist destination. The dining room of old was gone, we found nothing in our drive through that bespoke "Dining Room." If one does not bring victuals or eat at a Death Valley property, or have a large supply of personal water, it is a long journey between the Lone Pine-Olancha megalopolis and Shoshone, Beatty, or Pahrump. The Timbisha Shoshone have inhabited the Valley and surrounding region for centuries. That is another story. Looking for a place to stop we found "The Inn at Death Valley, formerly Fyrnace Creek, a unit of The Oasis at Death Valley on the grade out of The Valley. The Timbisha lodged here first, along a creek. A date farm followed, then a Fine Hotel. It is Fine. It has clearly marked dining, with dining hours posted. It also has a golf course, creek fed pool, etc. The Inn is a 20th century tourism classic. Architecture, is Spanish SW modern, original adobe, Shoshone-made. The beamed lobby and dining room are floored with saltillo tile spaced with small talavera tile beauties, maintained, gleaming, perfect. Do you enjoy the art and photography of 19th and 20th century Western Art? The Inn at Death Valley is a gallery of the early west's best jnown artists, plus a guide sheet for Bierstadt, Russell,Remington, Miller, Dixon and many more. We arrived in the dining room about 1:30, 30 minutes before dining room closing. The staff were all helpful, many modern "Harvey Girls" interns from university hospitality programs or hired through Xanterra's web page. Our food. Three Sisters soup - corn, beans, squash, seasonings. It was fine. A visitor from Europe or Far East might savor it. I suggest Xanterra send a chef on an internship among Southwest Pueblos or hire a Native American Chef. AmericanRails.com writes, "The (Harvey) houses were designed to appeal to all classes of society, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner being served at set times. Meals were prepared using fresh, locally sourced produce,..." The Timbisha people could provide great tips in local foods, including mesquite, pinon pine nuts, some atriplex (spinach cousins) etc. We split a burger - double patty house special cheeseburger. We requested no cheese. It arrived with cheese. We ordered the celebrated sweet potato fries. First, regarding local food products; the region has a few stellar cattle ranches. Xanterra I encourage you to send a chef to Phoenix's 5th Avenue Cafe to learn what excellent sweet potato fries are all about, them move on to Hamburger Works or My Mother's restaurant, Bobby Q's or even Longhorn Steakhouse to create a flavorful, grilled, thoughtful hamburger. I favor desserts. With coffee. Coffee excellent. Flourless chocolate cake, decent. Hotel 5 Architecture and art, 5 Food - good enough, not great.

Pros: Great location across the street from lodging…read moreExcellent food - we had 3 great dinners! Ribeye, fish and chips, cheesesteak Friendly staff Full bar Cons: Prices are a bit high, but this is to be expected Pro tip: Good beers on tap - get the big one and stay for dinner and use their wifi!

We spent one night at the glamping tents across the street. This is the only game in town so if you…read moredidn't bring any food or drinks with you then no problem as this restaurant has it all. For being out in the boondocks they have a good selection of food and the bar has beer on tap, mixed drinks, and wine. The food is pricey but it's really good and we actually shared a meal, watch out as they charge for splitting a meal.

As others have shared there are limited dining choices inside Death Valley National Park. The…read moreOasis in Death Valley is literally an Oasis in the valley where there is the only lodging in the National Park as well as any dining (and a gas station). The other dining options were far too crowded (with longer wait times) so we make our way over to the Wild Rose Tavern. There are many large TVs with sports playing (not our cup of tea) so we opted to sit on the outside covered deck with views of the mountains in the distance. We enjoyed a Caesar Salad and an oder of Chips, Queso and Salsa. Prices were reasonable considering the location - the salad was a nice sized portion and tasty. The chips were accompanied by fire roasted salsa and poblano Chile queso dip which I really enjoyed. Service was friendly and attentive - we were there in the mid-afternoon and I believe it can get crowded closer to traditional meal times. We would return here on a return visit to Death Valley.

Honestly, this place was pretty underwhelming. With limited dining options in Death Valley, it's a…read moredecent choice by default--but that doesn't mean it's a great one. We didn't even think to take pictures because the food just wasn't memorable. My boyfriend ordered the sliders, and I had the burger, and both were just... okay. The presentation was nothing special, and the flavors were pretty lackluster. On the bright side, our server was fantastic--funny, attentive, and genuinely made our experience better. We also got a table by the window, which offered lovely views of the palm trees and golf course, giving the place a bit of a Palm Springs vibe. If you're dining at the Ranch Plaza, I'd recommend skipping this spot and heading to the ice cream parlor instead.