Restaurants at Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park is located in southern Texas along 250 miles of the Rio Grande River and the Mexican border. The terrain is mountainous, and offers many sightseeing opportunities, hiking trails and other outdoor recreation. When visiting Big Bend , travelers should expect limited dining options, and prepare by planning ahead for meals.

Chisos Mountains Lodge Restaurant

According to the National Parks Service, the only full service restaurant inside of Big Bend National Park is the Chisos Mountains Lodge Restaurant located inside the Chisos Mountains Lodge. The restaurant serves Tex-Mex cuisines and a large selection of wines. For alternative dining options, visitors must leave Big Bend to dine at a restaurant outside of the park.

Chisos Mountains Lodge Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Early birds will enjoy the early opening and seven in the morning. The restaurant is closed between 2:00 and 5:00 each afternoon, and serves dinner until 8:00 P.M. For restaurant guests who intend to spend the day hiking in the mountains, boxed lunches are available to go.

The atmosphere at Chisos Mountains Lodge Restaurant is laid back and casual. The ceilings are tall and lined with wooden beams. Wooden chairs and tables are placed throughout the restaurant to match, and a large windowed wall offers Big Bend restaurant patrons a beautiful scenic view of the mountains.

Eating Outside Big Bend

Many restaurants are scattered around the outside of Big Bend National Park in the surrounding small towns. Terlingua and Study Butte are located on the west side of Big Bend. The area offers good scenery and a wide variety of food options. La Kiva is among the most popular of the restaurants in Terlingua; it offers live music and daily happy hour specials. La Kiva is only open for dinner.

Many restaurants outside Big Bend National Park are not open all day. Some stay open only for one or two meals of the day, though most restaurants are open for dinner. Visitors should plan ahead for dining options, and be prepared to pack a lunch before exploring the area.

Beyond Terlingua, the towns of Lajitas and Marathon have a small selection. Marathon’s options are limited to a handful of small cafes that serve traditional southwestern fare. Alternatively, Lajitas has a wider variety with a few popular fast food chain restaurants in addition to a Chinese restaurant and some American-style restaurants and bars.