Enjoy the flavors of the Old West in Wyoming By Julie Fanselow
Flavorful steaks on Wyoming grills
Nothing stokes a hearty appetite like an adventure-filled day in the great outdoors. Whether riding horseback along the Continental Divide or rafting the Snake River, Wyoming visitors often find they get hungrier here than they do at home.
What makes food taste so good in Wyoming? Crisp mountain air and invigorating sights certainly help, but the recipe also includes fresh ingredients prepared by talented cooks who are happy to live and work in this high-plains paradise.
If you’re hankering for a juicy rib eye or tenderloin, you’re never far from a first-class steakhouse in Wyoming. In Jackson, the Silver Dollar Grill in the historic Wort Hotel is among the region’s top destinations for classic American chop-house fare and aged prime rib. The Million Dollar Cowboy Steak House is another longtime favorite, with choices ranging from a 6-ounce filet to a 28-ounce Porterhouse.
Near the Cody city limits, Cassie’s Supper Club started out as a bordello in 1922. These days, it’s better
A Wyoming cookout
known for its cut-to-order steaks and live country-western music on the weekends. The Proud Cut Saloon in downtown Cody is another great spot to fill up before the rodeo.
The big tourist towns don’t have a monopoly on great beef, though. The Old Corral Hotel & Steak House in Centennial has been pleasing travelers since 1872. It makes a perfect stop after a day driving the Snowy Range Byway. For some of the best babyback pork ribs in the West, stop at Wyoming’s Rib & Chop House in Sheridan. Other notable small-town restaurants worth a stop include the Paisley Shawl in the Hotel Higgins in Glenrock and Svilar’s in Hudson.
Creative wild-game cuisine has truly found a niche on Wyoming menus. Jackson’s Gun Barrel Steak & Game House features such fare as buffalo sirloin, velvet elk medallions, and venison bratwurst, all grilled over an open river-rock mesquite grill. But even many roadside bars serve lean bison burgers for a quick and tasty meal on the go.
Terry Bison Ranch Ryan Conway
If you’d like to combine your meal with an Old West experience, try a cowboy cookout. In Yellowstone National Park, you can ride horseback or in a wagon from the Roosevelt Lodge Corral to nearby Pleasant Valley, where open-air feasts feature steak with all the fixins’. Other popular cookouts take place at the Pitchfork Fondue in Pinedale, Bar-T-Five Ranch in Jackson and the Terry Bison Ranch near Cheyenne. Of course, Wyoming’s many dude ranches and guest lodges are famous for fueling guests’ trail-riding and fly-fishing adventures with hearty meals and ample snacks.
Although Wyoming definitely caters to meat lovers, vegetarian visitors have an ever-increasing range of tasty options. The upscale Cadillac Grill in Jackson will tempt you with spinach-goat cheese ravioli, while regulars at Sweet Melissa in Laramie enjoy the college town restaurant’s portobello fajitas. So whether you crave the perfect steak or a slice of homemade lentil loaf, you’ll never go to bed hungry in Wyoming.
Julie Fanselow is a frequent visitor to Wyoming and has written about the state for magazines including American Heritage and Westways.
I have tried hiking into the depths of the Wind River Mountains, the unofficial heart of Wyoming's Bridger Teton National Forest three times. I have failed three times. Or, not really "failed" as it isn't possible to fail when enjoying great hiking in one of the most remote backcountry areas of the Lower 48 states; rather three times I was not able to reach my objective end destinations because well, the going is tough when on foot with 50-some odd pounds strapped to your back and you have an area roughly the size of Connecticut (3.4 millions acres or 5,300-square miles) at your disposal. read more
Boating, water skiing, fishing and other recreational activities associated with Wyoming's many large bodies of water are all popular activities. Most of Wyoming's larger bodies of water are managed by the Bureau of Reclamation. read more
