The dining room at the Lodge at Bryce Canyon (435/834-8700, daily 6:30-10 a.m., 11 a.m.-3 p.m., and 5-10 p.m., open Apr.-Oct., reservations not accepted, $12-22) is atmospheric and offers food that's as good as you're going to find in the area. For lunch, the snack bar is a good bet in nice weather; the only seating is outside on the patio or in the hotel lobby.

If you really want a high-volume dining experience, Ruby’s Inn Cowboy Buffet and Steak Room (435/834-5341, daily 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m., $10-25) is an incredibly busy place. It's also one of Bryce Canyon's better restaurants, with sandwiches, steaks, and a buffet with salad bar. Casual lunch and dinner fare, including pizza, is served in the inn's snack bar, the Canyon Diner, open 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. April through October.

Bryce Canyon Resort (13500 E. Hwy. 12, 435/834-5351 or 800/834-0043, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily, $8-22), near the turnoff for the park, has an on-site restaurant that features burgers and Mexican food.

Two long-established restaurants west of the park entrance have a low-key, noncorporate atmosphere and pretty good food. The small family-run restaurant attached to Bryce Canyon Pines (Hwy. 12, Milepost 10, 435/834-5441 or 800/892-7923, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily, $8-17) is a homey place to stop for burgers, soup ($4.50), or sandwiches. The restaurant is famous for its fruit pies.

Two miles west of the park turnoff is Foster's (435/834-5227, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily, $11-26), a well-regarded steak house with an Old West atmosphere.