Amazingly, the company running this place decided that you can't order off the menu from the adjoining restaurant. You're now stuck with a very limited bar food menu. The restaurant's food is bad enough, but it beats the bar food menu. Chicken strips aren't too bad, roadkill chili is decent, nachos are a sad joke. Don't even think of eating if you're vegetarian or vegan. At least the beer's good. read more

We went to ear in the Saloon tonight while visiting Death Valley NP. This is by far the best place to eat in Death Valley NP. There aren't many food options here and the saloon has very nice food in a reasonable price. They have kids menu, nice food options and nice Desseret options. The service was great and fast and the ambience in this place is like a wild west bar. Comparing to food options in Death Valley, this is our favorite! read more

See all

Stopped in here for lunch on our first day in Death Valley, and we were so glad we did! The restaurant itself is totally cute; the service was great; and, best of all, the food was fantastic. All three of us ordered the same items: Angus beef cheeseburgers and gin martinis. Simple items, but perfectly made. The burgers were large and juicy, served on fresh, tasty rolls with an excellent "rattlesnake sauce" that had a hint of heat and Worcestershire. It was nice to have the option of fruit or veggie sticks as sides, which we took instead of fries. And that was one of the best martinis I have ever had! (Maybe it was the "extra" dry vermouth.) Too bad I was driving, or I would have joined my friends in a second round. The prices are reasonable for a tourist destination, and there are plenty of options on the menu. But if you're a beef eater and/or a gin drinker, take my suggestions and go for the burger and martini combo. read more

Badwater Saloon - Who would expect to find a great martini in the middle of a desert?! - American Near Me - Death Valley, California

I just had the ancho tortilla soup and some beer so I don't know how this place would work as a full meal, but the odds are if you're eating here, you're also staying here so slim pickins. That being said, the soup was fine and the beer was cold. read more

They are hiring & will hopefully find a chef who knows the difference between raw onions and caramelized onions. Pretty disappointed in the burger I ordered. Stick with the classic until they get it figured out. Everything else was great. read more

So, we drove out here to stay the night for the sake of getting out of our town and to star gaze. We hiked for a bit then popped into this joint for a late lunch. We ordered two club sammiches, 1 iced tea and 1 gin and tonic. It took 13 minutes to get drinks delivered. It took an additional 26 minutes for our food to be delivered. The cost for such slow service for two? Just under $40. Slow service and high prices can be countered with excellent food. Well, it can be countered at other places. The food here was average at best. The truth is that there isn't anything else nearby. Nothing at all. I wouldn't recommend this joint to family and friends. I would suggest bringing an ice chest and making your own grub. read more

Badwater Saloon - They do have a bar... - American Near Me - Death Valley, California

There are limited food options in Death Valley, and it shows here. Stopped at the Badwater Saloon as part of a girls' trip after going to Vegas. Obviously, food choices here are going to be very different, and I put my expectations accordingly, but there are basics that any place, even in the middle of nowhere, should be able to get right, and this location fell short in several areas. We stopped in a little before 2PM on a weekday. The place wasn't crowded, but service was still slow. Took over 10 minutes just to get drinks, another 20 after that to get food. Food was mediocre, like standard chain restaurant fare. I expect better from independent places. Overall, if you're traveling through and you're hungry, it's probably the best you can do, but it still won't be very good. On the plus side, Death Valley itself is beautiful. read more

This place gave my family really bad food poisoning! We all ate the same dish, chicken fingers with ranch and a salad with ranch. All came home with serious food poisoning including my kiddos. Bummer. This is what we traced it back to as it was the only thing we all ate the same the entire weekend and the timing it hit us. Staff was friendly but obviously some hygiene issues going on as they definitely had a high turnover! read more

5 stars not for the food or the quality, but shoutout to Mark running the bar, food orders, and being one of two servers for an entire bar full of hungry cranky travelers stuck in a sandstorm all day. Big travel companies like Xanterra own Furnance creek/Inn property as well as several other monopoly hotels in national parks around the country. They overwork these seasonal staffers to the bone and this joint is no different. Tip them heavily. Be patient. read more

The service is slow. They are out of most things on the limited menu. Eating in Death Valle sucks. The overpriced adjacent hotel doesn't help by refusing to allow any microwave and not supplying access to one and threatening a fine for anyone who cooks in their room. You are stuck with this bar oR adjacent restaurant . We finally got take out and the burger was missing the top of the bun and there was no dressing for the salad. They were out of fries. Frozen non- nutritious fries - no none left. Wish we had known beforehand. We are nuts and dried fruit for meals. read more

Oasis in Death Valley with Wifi and a beautiful, large bar. They also have a kitchen. We only ate some appetizers that were just okay, but observed others ordering food and it didn't look too bad. read more

Badwater Saloon - American Near Me - Death Valley, California

See all

After a full day of wondering around desert, nothing tastes as good as a cold beer, off the tab, served in chilled glass and served with a smile. That is exactly what I got when I stopped here, ran out of the 114 degree heat and parked my butt on a stool at the bar. The young man who was my bartender was very nice and let me take my time with my first beer before he checked to see if I wanted another, which for the record, I did :-) read more

See all

It's like they know they're the only restaurant in the middle of a barren desert called "Death Valley". Have to order, pay, and tip before even being seated- what are you tipping for then? Ordered a $25 steak cooked medium, was well done. I think they probably ran out of salt and pepper on everything as well. read more

Great little bar in the middle of the desert. It gets 2 stars for just being here. Great view, civilization, beer, full bar, decent menu abs pool! It's opens at 11:30an until 10pm and that is just about bedtime in this little part of the world. We have had 5 meals of our meals here in our 4 night stay and they have all be above average. Thanks Rose! The cowboy steak salad is great as is the quesadilla. Get a Scotch with your Death Valley pale ale and you are set Be prepared to pay out the ass. (This is the desert so it will be ok) read more

Badwater Saloon - American Near Me - Death Valley, California

Looked forward to a beer and dinner after a long drive. Came in and sat for 10 minutes but couldn't get a server to come to our table. They ignored us! Waitresses went to the 6 guys that came in after us right away. We left and I waved bye and the waitresses giggled. We went across street and bought beers (cheap and cold) and went back to campsite. We later found out from another employee that there is 18% tip added to bill automatically. Basically they don't care about 2 tops or people that might now over tip.... very sad! Everyone else at this stop was wonderful! read more

We stopped by around 2pm on a weekday after exploring the Death Valley. We were able to place our order immediately and then sat outside and waited around 15 minutes to get our food. The classic burgers were excellent. All the ingredients were fresh and tasty, including the fries. Portions were very generous too, and the service was friendly. It was a great finding in the middle of nowhere. read more

If they're only going to offer to go's they should have more staff. It was a busy Saturday and only 2 guys running around. And it took 30 mins to even place my order when I was third in line when I entered . Plus they said I couldn't order a beer while I wait because I didn't order "a substantial amount of food" read more

5 stars for food, 1 star for unapologetically absent service. No refills offered during entire meal. We ordered the turkey burger and chili, which were very tasty. My friend paid the tab, and I'm not sure what he tipped but if it were up to me, I'd have committed the cardinal sin and left ZERO tip for zero service. (I say this as a former server, too.) Our discourse before she disappeared: Me: "How's the turkey burger?" Her: "Mmh. It's a turkey burger." Me: "Uhh, ok. How's the chili?" Her: "It's chili." I'm not sure whether the young lady understood her job role, but I'm positive she couldn't have cared less, even if she did. The young man who served our food was a super nice guy and was very amiable, so not a total loss. Since there are almost no food alternatives nearby, you must take what you get, but c'mon.... take some lessons in customer service. read more

Was looking for a 5 star experience because I have had that here in the past years! So I encourage my friends after hiking 6 miles to have lunch at the saloon. Waiter tells us our beer choices that were listed on the menu are not available. Then does offer 2 beer choices not listed on the menu. We patiently waited for our beer and when we asked the waiter got all but one to the table. Final one was from a keg to be opened. Not sure how long it really takes one to open a keg, but I think I would have been faster. Wrap sandwich and fries were enjoyed and I had Badwater 282 Below Tostada Salad......that was good. The beers: Cappuccino stout, Nooner Pilsner, and Alaska Amber...were good. More beers available, I would have added a star. Faster service, I would have added a star. I will be back some day to visit the racetrack so I hope I get the 5 star experience then! read more

I visited this place while driving through Death Valley back in March. I had just the best time at the bar having some apps and drinks. It's a neat little place and I dare say there's no place better for miles in any direction. read more

There aren't many options for food in Death Valley and this was the best we found. The burger and fries were perfect and they made good drinks at the bar. read more

This place was great, food was good and the beer was cold! The staff lives on site because it is in bfe After dinner I went back to the bar to a few more beers, visiting with the staff most of them have been there less than a month. I took it the turn over rate HAS TO BE HIGH! Hell what are they going to do when not working.....it is adventure to head to Death Valley! read more

Went in to have a quick lunch with my hubby .he got the cheeseburger and I ended up getting chicken quesadilla - both were pretty decent . Service was friendly and attentive . Not a bad option in the middle of nowhere read more

Badwater Saloon - American Near Me - Death Valley, California

The bartender is busy with just one customer. Can't be bothered to help the waitress. Meanwhile, she is overwhelmed and under-trained. The place is full of people waiting for service. Had to retrieve silverware for ourselves. The food is overpriced, but it is currently the only choice in Death Valley. read more

For being a tourist trap sprung to capture the wallets of German and Chinese tourists, this place is actually not bad! Ambiance is thick, hokey Old-West shtick. The Wi-Fi signal is decent, and the drinks are astonishingly well prepared and reasonably priced -- I had a margarita and a draft cider, both of which were well presented (they even sugared the rim of my cider glass, LOL). The food menu in here is just as good as the neighboring cafe....but the ambiance is much better, so I'd recommend eating here instead. I would (and will) probably come here again! read more

Horrible experience here. We stayed at the hotel and came here for lunch. It took us 15 minutes to get the attention of a server to come over and drop off menus before leaving as we tried to order drinks. Another 15 minutes go by before the guy comes back. This was literally the slowest service I've ever had. AND they were totally overstaffed and not very busy. The one good thing about this place is the drinks were I've child and had a good selection of beer, when we were finally able to order one. The food was predictably frozen but my burger actually tasted freezer burnt. They say that they have WiFi but it does not work. Like ever, the guy in the motel office told me. I was able to get a website to load half way in about a half hour of waiting. Since we were staying at the motel next door we came back in the evening for another round of drinks, sat at the bar, and the service was just as slow as lunch time. We were the only people at the bar and still the bartender and servers would rudely be playing on the computer and ignoring the customers. read more

This place will work for you if you don't expect much. Bartender seemed like he hated his job... they reuse their coasters and throw them down in front of you. Ordered a Ketel One martini and was served house vodka.. guess he thought us ladies wouldn't notice. Never said hi or thank you or even introduced himself.. no personality and didn't smile once. Food was not good. Nicest person there is their food runner, thanks for your smile. Wouldn't suggest going unless you want poor service.. at least they have a pool table. read more

This is probably my favorite place to stop when I'm traveling through Death Valley. Great food and the atmosphere is always entertaining. True Wild West bar!! read more

A total mess. Waited 15 minutes even to be acknowledged that we were waiting to be seated. Then another 15 to be seated. Then a full 45 mins to get our food. Place was not even half full. Server apologized, said this is a resort so this is the type of service we should expect. They were out of about 75% of the draft beer options. Then they were out of several menu items. Food was just OK. read more

Nice clean saloon. Food was good and a great beer selection. Service was prompt and very polite. Thanks for a good meal... read more

Badwater Saloon - Cute rustic decor. Very clean - American Near Me - Death Valley, California

After several days of lackluster meals in Lone Pine, this was a pleasant surprise. Solid burgers, fries, soups and the most delicious bread pudding (save room for dessert!). Speedy, friendly servers and a large screen TV tuned to your game-of-the-day preference. A definite stop the next time we're passing through DV. read more

What a great surprise this place turned out to be. The service was excellent! The beer was cold and tasty. And the Bloody Mary nice and spicy. Our food was outstanding! We ordered a cheese burger and quesadilla, both delicious. We certainly will be back when we visit Death Valley. read more

Great atmosphere! food for a national park was great! Service people were very friendly! Every time we visit DVNP we eat at Bad Water Saloon! read more

I give this restaurant 2 stars for waitstaff - sassy & unbelievably slow. We stopped for a quick lunch & it took over an hour & a half! At least 2 tables were seated after us & were served before us. We ordered soup & a chicken sandwich. Not sure what took so damn long. As for the food, that deserves 4 stars. The corn chowder soup is vegan (unless the sassy waitress lied to me) & was amazing. I had a whiskey bread pudding for dessert (not vegan) & it was even more amazing! My husband really liked his chicken sandwich. He got fruit as a side instead of fries & was very happy. read more

We waited 20 Minutes for menus, all the while the server make sure to avoid eye contact with us. When I tried to get her attention after she served an adjacent table, she interrupted my request to see a menu, stating she'd be with us in a bit. A few minutes later she dumped the menus on the table and walked away. Not even a hello. About 2 Minutes later she reappeared and asked us what we wanted. We gave her orders for 2 drinks. She rolled her eyes at us. Apparently we were judged for not wanting Bud Light. We walked out. Clearly treating customers with basic respect is an issue here. read more

Very bad experience. Pool menu, slow staff and extremely slow serve on a casual sunday. Prices do not mach quality and expectations... keep away... read more

Much better than I expected after reading some of the more critical reviews. Yes, this is the only saloon around - so, while you might have expected surly locals on the waitstaff, this was not the case at all. We were greeted the second we walked in by Monte, who was professional, friendly, and checked on us with just the right frequency. We asked whether the TV could be changed to a game we wanted to see - he got right on it. Saw him greet other diners with the same top-notch courtesy. Manager take note - don't lose this guy. Anyway, I had chicken strips and a beer, the wife had a tostada salad and a margarita - all was plentiful, very good, quickly delivered, and reasonably priced. A great way to begin our stay at the adjoining campground. read more

The low rating is due to a nasty, verging on hostile bartender who made my wife and I so uncomfortable that we left the bar and moved to a table to get away from him. Fortunately there were a couple of nice servers who took good care of us, even thought the overall vibe of the staff is apathetic. The food is solid and the Chef is nice, but they definitely have service related kinks to work out. read more

ate lunch here- bbq grilled chicken sandwich is great southwest turkey wrap and steak salad are good too read more

It looks like things have improved. The service with Mark and Amber was great and so was the food. They still open many minutes late for breakfast so just four stars. Good food. The steak salad is great and the deserts are wonderful. read more