This thread is now a bit dated since the requester asked in 2003 but what the heck. [:D] [;)]

My two recommendations are Cafe Diablo in Torrey, UT just west of Capitol Reef National Park

http://www.cafediablo.net/

and Kiva Koffeehouse on Highway 12 as you enter Staircase Escalante territory between Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon National Park…

http://www.kivakoffeehouse.com/index.html

You won’t be disappointed by either.

If you take Scenic Highway 12 out of Bryce Canyon north to Capitol Reef, you’ll pass through Boulder, Utah.

there, you’ll find Boulder Lodge (an eco-friendly lodge) and Hell’s Backbone Grill. The Grill is "slowfood" and a bit trendy, and closed from 1 Nov through 1 April or so….but their Backbone Breakfast is worth EVERY penny (or dollar). Freshest free-range eggs you’ll ever eat, amazing homemade Oatmeal Bread, homemade jam.
Of course, there’s other choices like "the Elvis".

No lunch. Dinner is a full, season-based menu based on what they grow and is farmed locally.

A bit pricey, but understanding the location, it’s a bargain.

I don’t know if we can post links here, so I’ll just tell you that you can intuitively get to "Hells Backbone Grill .com" and read their menus….which will have you salivating until next spring’s re-opening.

Here’s another post from a previous inquiry. Lists some of Mr & Mrs QFan’s recommendations for RF in the Zion NP area. Hope it helps:

Mrs QFan and I visited Zion and Bryce Canyon NP’s back in April. Had a wonderful 3-day visit. Words can hardly describe how jaw-dropping the scenery is. Stayed in Springdale, UT right outside the entrance to Zion. Strongly recommend the Zion Pizza and Noodle company, a locally-run combination brew-pub and pizza joint. Excellent food & brew. Also Oscar’s Cafe, a quaint little burger & Mex food joint on a side street just off the main drag. Have fun; I’m jealous. [:D][:D]

QFan
Bonita Springs, FL

quote:

Originally posted by QFan

quote:

Originally posted by michaelgemmell

Soon after you leave LV, you’ll see the freeway is headed toward a mountain chain. Wait ’til you see the canyon the freeway passes through! Be sure to take layers of warm clothing to Bryce and Cedar Breaks, which are at 9000 and 10,000 feet of elevation respectively. Don’t assume it will be warm anywhere but in St. George itself.

Mrs QFan and I made the drive from LV to Zion and Bryce this past April. The canyon referred to by michaelgemme is the virgin River Gorge and it is right on I-15 just inside of the corner of Arizona that you’ll cut through between NV & UT. He’s right it is truly eye-popping. The Virgin River is the same river that cuts through Zion NP and creates the Zion Canyon. There are places in the park where you can stand in the river and touch both sides of the sheer rock wall where the river drops down from the plateau above. You may get your feet a litte wet, but you’ll have a wonderful time. Enjoy! [:D][:D]

QFan
Bonita Springs, FL

I was just through this place a few days ago. Came as a complete surprise, and it was spectacular.

quote:

Originally posted by michaelgemmell

Soon after you leave LV, you’ll see the freeway is headed toward a mountain chain. Wait ’til you see the canyon the freeway passes through! Be sure to take layers of warm clothing to Bryce and Cedar Breaks, which are at 9000 and 10,000 feet of elevation respectively. Don’t assume it will be warm anywhere but in St. George itself.

Mrs QFan and I made the drive from LV to Zion and Bryce this past April. The canyon referred to by michaelgemme is the virgin River Gorge and it is right on I-15 just inside of the corner of Arizona that you’ll cut through between NV & UT. He’s right it is truly eye-popping. The Virgin River is the same river that cuts through Zion NP and creates the Zion Canyon. There are places in the park where you can stand in the river and touch both sides of the sheer rock wall where the river drops down from the plateau above. You may get your feet a litte wet, but you’ll have a wonderful time. Enjoy! [:D][:D]

QFan
Bonita Springs, FL

Just a note that Bishop’s Restaurant in Washington is now closed. Disappointment on the road…

Last year my partner, John, and I stayed in st. George UT for 5 nights while we visited Cedar Breaks, Bryce, Zion, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Let me emphasize that St. George is the best spot for a base to visit the North Rim of the Grand, which you will very much enjoy. It’s far less visited, so you can drive to the trailheads instead of using a shuttle bus. Enjoy a lunch in the hotel’s dining room, which is a step or two above Roadfood but is a great value. When you return, at the northern edge of the Kaibab Plateau you will see the ENTIRE Grand Staircase, which includes Bryce and Zion. Just WHY it’s called the Grand Staircase will become perfectly clear to you.

John and I were very well treated in St. George. We dined one night at the Painted Pony, supposedly the best restaurant there, in Ancestor Square, but thought it was not a good value. We much preferred the Chinese restaurant that’s downstairs in the same building as the Painted Pony. We liked the frozen custard at the place on St. George Blvd., north side, with the name that began with an "N" but disliked the Iceberg’s food. There’s a good Smith’s grocery store with a Conoco gas station in its parking lot. Not only is the Conoco good gas at the lowest price in St. George, but if you spend money at the Smith’s you’ll get a coupon for something off your gas purchase. This is at the far western end of the Blvd. at Bluff Street. Locals speak lovingly of their city parks. I stayed in St. George again later last summer as it is such a welcoming place.

Soon after you leave LV, you’ll see the freeway is headed toward a mountain chain. Wait ’til you see the canyon the freeway passes through! Be sure to take layers of warm clothing to Bryce and Cedar Breaks, which are at 9000 and 10,000 feet of elevation respectively. Don’t assume it will be warm anywhere but in St. George itself.

Next time you are in the Zion National Park area try the Mark Twain Restaurant in Hildale, UT, where you will dine with polygamous families of 40. I support a family of 4 and that’s why we pretty much stick to Road Food. How the head of a family of 5 wives and 35 children can take them out to dinner escapes me, but this place is an adventure!

Outside of St. George, Utah is a little community, Washington. At Bishop’s Restaurant, they serve phenomenal apple pie. When we ordered it with ice cream last October, the cost was $2.25. The next day, we repeated the experience at Mom’s (Salina, listed in Roadfood)…….no comparison!