There are two real options for a meal after a day in the Badlands, depending on which unit of the park you visited: Watford City near the North Unit, or Medora near the South Unit. Both have more going on than you’d expect from towns this size — and both have specific places worth seeking out rather than just picking whatever’s closest to the highway.
After a day on the trails or the scenic drive in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the question of where to eat shouldn’t be an afterthought. The good news for visitors using either unit of the park as a base is that both Watford City (near the North Unit) and Medora (near the South Unit) have real, distinctive dining scenes — not just gas station sandwiches and fast food chains, though those exist too if that’s what the moment calls for.
This guide covers the best restaurants near Theodore Roosevelt National Park, organized by which side of the park you’re coming from, with the specific places and dishes worth knowing about.
Watford City: Eating Near the North Unit
Watford City sits about 14 miles north of the park’s North Unit entrance on US-85, and the Bakken oil boom has left the town with a more developed dining scene than its population would otherwise suggest. The restaurant landscape here serves both the oilfield workforce and the steady stream of park visitors, which means portions are substantial and the variety is wider than a lot of small North Dakota towns can support.
Steaks and Hearty Dinners
HM’s Steakhouse is consistently the top-rated steak option in Watford City — a dedicated steakhouse in a town where quality beef matters to the local clientele, sourcing carefully and delivering the kind of dinner that’s worth dressing up for slightly after a day of trail dust. For a more casual but equally well-reviewed dinner, Outlaw’s Bar & Grill and Outsider’s Bar & Grill both turn up consistently in local rankings, with the kind of bar-and-grill menu (burgers, sandwiches, hearty entrees) that fits a day spent outdoors.
Something Different
For visitors who want a break from steak and burgers, Watford City has more variety than you might expect: Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse serves sushi and hibachi-style cooking, and Tomate Mexican Grill offers a well-regarded Mexican menu that locals specifically point to as some of the best Mexican food in the Bakken region. JL Beers and Stonehome Brewing round out the beer-and-pub-food category, with Stonehome specifically noted as a genuine modern brewpub in a rural setting that doesn’t usually support that kind of operation.
“Watford City’s restaurant scene tells you something about what the oil boom actually built here — it’s not just hotels and housing, it’s a town that can support a sushi place and a craft brewery alongside the steakhouses and diners.”
Casual Eats and Quick Bites
For a quicker or more casual meal, Twist Drive-In and Little Missouri Grille are popular local options, and Six Shooters Showhall & Cafe combines a casual dining menu with an entertainment venue. For coffee and a lighter breakfast option, local coffee shops around town (including chains like Caribou Coffee that have opened locations) serve the morning crowd before a day at the park.
Medora: Eating Near the South Unit
Medora, the small historic town at the South Unit entrance, has built its entire identity around tourism and Theodore Roosevelt’s own history in the area — and the dining scene reflects that with a mix of Western-themed restaurants, a few genuinely excellent finds, and the area’s signature dining experience that you won’t find anywhere else.
The Pitchfork Steak Fondue: Medora’s Signature Meal
No discussion of where to eat near Medora, ND is complete without the Pitchfork Steak Fondue — a New York strip steak speared on a literal pitchfork and fondued in hot oil, served buffet-style with all the fixings (baked beans, potatoes, coleslaw, and dessert), typically timed to pair with an evening at the Medora Musical next door. It happens nightly in season (June through September) starting around 5:30 p.m., and it’s the kind of experience-driven meal that’s worth building an evening around rather than just grabbing dinner. Kids 12 and under often eat free with a hot dog meal option, making it more budget-friendly for families than the steak-dinner price tag might suggest.
Sit-Down Dining
Theodore’s Dining Room, located inside one of Medora’s hotels, offers a more refined year-round dining option with dishes like bacon-wrapped steaks and bison osso buco — a genuine step up from the Western-themed casual spots if you want a proper sit-down dinner. Little Missouri Saloon & Dining is a strong family option with a balcony overlooking the badlands, a menu featuring bison and elk dishes, and Medora’s largest selection of craft beer on tap.
Casual and Family-Friendly
Boots Bar & Grill is the classic Western bar-and-grill experience right on Main Street, known locally for its southwest egg rolls alongside burgers and steaks. Badlands Pizza & Saloon serves pizza in a casual, group-friendly setting with both indoor and outdoor seating — a reliable option after a day of hiking when you want something simple and filling. The Farmhouse Cafe is the go-to for breakfast and lunch, with a dedicated kids’ menu and the kind of home-style cooking that works well before or after a morning in the park. Medora Uncork’d has built a strong local reputation specifically for creative pizza combinations.
Outside Town: Belfield Options
For visitors splitting time between the two units or passing through on I-94, Belfield — about 10 miles east of Medora — has additional options including Trappers Kettle for hearty Western-style comfort food and The Raven Brew, a local brewery with locally sourced dishes, both worth knowing about if Medora’s options don’t have availability or you want a change of scenery between park visits.
Quick reference: where to eat by park unit North Unit (Watford City, 14 mi south): HM’s Steakhouse (steak), Tomate Mexican Grill (Mexican), Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse (sushi/hibachi), Outlaw’s/Outsider’s Bar & Grill (casual), Stonehome Brewing (brewpub). South Unit (Medora, at the park entrance): Pitchfork Steak Fondue (signature experience, June–Sept evenings), Theodore’s Dining Room (refined dinner), Little Missouri Saloon (family, bison/elk), Boots Bar & Grill (casual), Badlands Pizza & Saloon (pizza), The Farmhouse Cafe (breakfast/lunch). Between the two: Belfield (10 mi east of Medora) — Trappers Kettle, The Raven Brew.
For travelers using Watford City as their base for North Unit access, the Watford City RV Park housing information and monthly RV site details cover the accommodation side of an extended Badlands stay. Travelers approaching from the Killdeer corridor can check the RV park near Killdeer, ND page for that direction. And for everything about the park, Watford City RV Park is the starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best restaurant in Watford City, ND?
HM’s Steakhouse is consistently the top-rated dedicated dining option in Watford City, known specifically for quality steaks. For variety beyond steak, Tomate Mexican Grill and Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse are well-regarded options that give visitors and the local workforce population something beyond the standard bar-and-grill fare. Outlaw’s Bar & Grill and Outsider’s Bar & Grill are reliable casual choices that turn up consistently in local rankings. The “best” choice really depends on what you’re in the mood for after a day at the park — Watford City has more variety than its size would suggest, a direct result of the dining infrastructure that developed alongside the Bakken oil boom.
What is the Pitchfork Steak Fondue in Medora?
The Pitchfork Steak Fondue is Medora’s signature dining experience — a New York strip steak speared on a pitchfork and fondued in hot oil, served buffet-style with baked beans, potatoes, coleslaw, and dessert. It runs nightly during the summer season (typically June through September) starting around 5:30 p.m., right next to the Medora Musical theater, making it a popular pairing for a full evening out. Tickets can be purchased online or at the Medora Musical shop downtown. Kids 12 and under often eat free with a hot dog meal alternative, which makes it more accessible for families despite the steak-dinner positioning.
Are there good diners or casual breakfast spots near the park?
Yes, on both sides of the park. In Medora, The Farmhouse Cafe is the established choice for breakfast and lunch, with a dedicated kids’ menu and home-style cooking that works well before a morning hike. In Watford City, the diner and casual breakfast scene includes several local spots along with chain coffee options like Caribou Coffee for a quicker start. Both towns cater to early-rising park visitors who want to fuel up before a day on the trails, so breakfast service typically starts early during the main visitor season.
Where should I eat if I’m visiting the North Unit specifically?
Watford City, about 14 miles north of the North Unit entrance on US-85, is the practical dining base for North Unit visitors. The town has a genuinely diverse restaurant scene for its size, including HM’s Steakhouse for a proper dinner, Tomate Mexican Grill and Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse for variety, and several casual bar-and-grill options like Outlaw’s and Outsider’s for a more relaxed post-hike meal. There are limited dining options directly at or immediately adjacent to the North Unit itself, so planning to eat in Watford City before or after your park visit is the practical approach.
What are the best burgers near Theodore Roosevelt National Park?
In Watford City, JL Beers and the various bar-and-grill spots (Outlaw’s, Outsider’s) consistently get strong reviews for burgers, alongside casual options like Twist Drive-In. In Medora, Little Missouri Saloon’s bison burger is a frequently recommended local favorite, and Boots Bar & Grill’s classic bar-and-grill menu includes well-reviewed burgers alongside their well-known southwest egg rolls. For a bison burger specifically — a regional specialty worth trying at least once given the area’s connection to the animal and Theodore Roosevelt’s own history with bison conservation — Little Missouri Saloon is the most frequently recommended spot.
Is there food available inside Theodore Roosevelt National Park?
Theodore Roosevelt National Park itself has very limited food service — visitors should plan to eat before entering or pack their own food and water, particularly for the North Unit, which has minimal nearby commercial development. The South Unit, adjacent to Medora, benefits from the town’s developed dining scene being immediately at the park entrance, making it easy to grab a meal before or after a visit. For either unit, bringing water and snacks for the day is standard practice, since neither unit has significant in-park dining infrastructure beyond what’s available at visitor centers.