Restaurants in National Parks can be meh. There is usually no real incentive for good service. People visit once maybe twice but there is not a regular crowd. This is the only place to eat in Badlands so we were skeptical about getting dinner here the first night we were here. We drove to Wall, SD and got fast food instead. The morning of our second day here, we were ready pretty early to hit the trails and wanted a quick breakfast and mustered the courage to come here. Cedar pass lodge cafe busted all our expectations of poor service and mediocre food just because it was in a National Park. Our waitress was great, I asked to be seated at a booth near power outlets and there was no issue with that. We ordered oatmeal, potatoes and an Indian fry bread. Indian fry bread is a flat bread made from dough that is deep fried. It is not sweet like a donut but has a great umami going on with it. It was topped with an egg, cheese, black olives and some salad greens. You can also get a sweet version of the Indian fry bread. It comes with a cinnamon dipping sauce. They served fair trade coffee and the views from the restaurant were of course pretty spectacular. read more

Cedar Pass Lodge Cafe - Indian frybread - Delicious - Cafes Near Me - Interior, South Dakota

We've eaten here four times in the last two days, and had enjoyable meals each time. The new manager seems to have the place humming. Excellent chili, burgers, etc. The salmon entree was well presented. Veggies are steamed to a nice al dente doneness. The coffee is just OK. Service was friendly and skillful. read more

hey, this gets 3 starts because this is your best and really only legitimate option for a restaurant with a menu, clean, good hours, so suck it up and eat here. I don't eat meat, not much for vegetarians or non-meat eaters. I ordered the Portobello burger - minus the meat patty - yes, it's served as a angus burger between two portobello mushrooms. I think i was the only person who has ever ordered it this way based on waitresses reaction. And really, when in Rome, so I can't fault the place for not having an extensive menu - they are doing high volume service there. OH, one surprise was the Restaurant Manager could speak at length about the local wines sold in the gift shop and he was a really helpful resource. The rest of the staff were friendly and efficient. read more

So glad we stopped here before exploring Badlands, NP. Considering that it was prime tourist season, we were seated quickly and the food came as ordered. We added side salads to our lunch to avoid the fries, and were quite impressed by the size and quality. Service was excellent. Thoroughly enjoyable lunch. read more

The food was fine. I ordered a bbq sandwich which they said they smoke, shred, and mix their own "potion". It was okay. I chose potato salad for the side--icey cold and well-flavored but too much excess creamy dressing for my tastes. The thing that bothered me is that they have a gorgeous view but the hostess was seating everybody in the back despite their asking and begging for a view seat. She explained she was trying to balance the waitress load. (SO ADJUST THE ASSIGNED TABLES!!!!) I insisted on the view seat (of Vampire Peak) which was impressive. They should fill the best seats first and bring joy to their customers. My waitress knew NOTHING about the area, no trivia or info (not even the name of the view) and was slow with the bill despite a half empty restaurant. It would take very little server training to make this a classier coveted joint. read more

We stopped here during our trip to Sturgis. I had the Sioux Indian Taco. It was very good but way too large for the average person to finish in one sitting. Hubby had a buffalo burger, he said it was pretty good, cooked to order. The service was fast and accurate. read more

Very busy Yesterday. Waiting staff friendly. Food was good. Trying them for breakfast this morning.

I would not go back to this place. The service is slow, the servers are anything but attentive and food was average. On the day of my visit, the whole restaurant was infested by house flies; there should be a way of getting rid of them, maybe an airconditioning system would help. I gave up having a desert after they never showed up to take my order. I bought some sweets from the gift store next door and had them outside, it was much cooler and prettier outside and of course no flies. read more

Fabulous Kuchen (South Dakota's State Dessert)!! Great Indian Taco too!! Service was excellent!! read more

Cedar Pass Lodge Cafe - Their Kuchen (South Dakota's State Dessert) is fabulous!! Also loved their Indian taco. Great restaurant and great service too!! - Cafes Near Me - Interior, South Dakota

I was a little apprehensive due to the mixed reviews, but decided to try this place anyway, given the limited options in the area. We had a large party of 9 and got seated right away. The food was really great. I can understand how those used to finer dining might not have been impressed with the décor or the service, but I found it very satisfactory for the location. The staff is very much to the point and don't go out of their way to kiss your, uh, let's say feet. They are very busy and turn over a lot of customers, but all 9 of our orders were correct and very well prepared. Even my niece who has been through culinary school said the presentation alone showed that there was a knowledgeable cook in the kitchen. I would eat there again and I do recommend it. read more

The food here was surprisingly good! We figured they had little competition for food in the park, so it would be subpar, but it was actually delicious, I ordered a pasta dish and there was even a gluten-free bread option for my fiancé. I would recommend it to other visitors. read more

First you need to know all National Parks have seasonal workers so reviews are not relevant one year to the next. We visited the Badlands for a couple of days on our way West. We had breakfast and a late lunch both days. From talking with staff, the restaurant has been updated over the Winter. Nice wood floors, fresh paint and beautiful views. The staff was very friendly and attentive. Our food looked great and tasted even better. Each meal we tried something different. Everything was cooked correctly, had flavor and looked delicious. We thought the prices were fair for the area and the selection was good. The gift shop was amazing. They have some beautiful jewelry and many American made and South Dakota made items. We bought a few items as gifts for the holidays. We thought our whole experience was wonderful. You need see the beautiful Badlands, stop and explore the gift shop and have a relaxing lunch or dinner. We are glad we did. Remember every year is different at all seasonal locations. We have have traveled extensively and our experiences often differs from reviews because of how old the reviews are. read more

Pretty basic but enjoyable enough for what it is. The Sioux Indian tacos are amazing. Rest of the menu is solid if unspectacular. Filling! Breakfasts were decent. Staff were friendly. Decor was outdated - a renovation would work wonders here read more

Well either the entire wait staff was new or they are just clueless. It became a comedy off errors trying to get service. Something as simple as a straw, couldn't seem to acquire one from anyone after asking 3 people, then after 15 min one person brought straws, another 5 min another person with straws until 4 people actually came trying to bring straws. Now, during that time they were all trying to figure out which person was going to take our order. There were only 2 other couples in the restaurant so im not sure why it was such a chaotic process. We finally got the indian tacos and our happy anticipation turned quickly to disappointment. The meat was terribly chewy but the bread was even more so - as if it had been cooked from the start in the microwave. Ive had Indian tacos before and all were great - but this was the first and last time we will eat at this place! Sad because its the only place around for miles to eat when visiting the badlands. read more

We stopped here for breakfast and while the servers were nice, it took forever to get our food. We got seated and they took our order promptly and we got our coffee. However, they never came by to refill our coffee and everyone around us were already eating and no one was ordering either. About ten minutes later, a bus load of people came into the restaurant for breakfast but I was hoping that our order would be ahead of theirs. A server came by and told us that our order was up soon. It took about 30 minutes to get our food. I ordered the Badlands Omelette but when it arrived, there was a side of bacon on the plate that I didn't order but I got charged for. I mentioned it to the cashier and she took it off the bill at the end. The omelette was big and it was much browner than I like but it was fine. My boyfriend ordered eggs, sausage, potatoes and toast and it was fine as well. We saw a few people eating the Indian Tacos and they seemed satisfied and excited. After breakfast, we stopped at the gift shop in the lobby of the lodge. The shop was bigger than it appeared from the outside and they had a great selection of souvenirs and gifts. It's worth a stop when you are in Badlands. read more

We were seated after a short wait in line. The waitress came after a few minutes and took our order of 2 turkey wraps and 2 iced teas. It took about 15 minutes to get the tea. In the meantime, the waitress seemed to walk around aimlessly and sort of clueless. Three tables seated prior to us did not even get somebody to get their order in the first 20 minutes. A total of 4 tables (10 people) simply got up and left, some after ordering food and drinks that did not show up in half an hour. At this time, many tables were taken, but the place was not completely full. We decided to stay since we had been there for 40 minutes. After one hour and 5 minutes, 5 tables that came AFTER us were served food. We asked the waitress and she seemed confused. She came back and said a few more minutes for the food. After 1 hour and 15 minutes we called her and said that was enough and that we were leaving. Amazingly enough they charged us the $5 for the tea! Please please avoid a big disappointment and skip this mess of a so called restaurant. Pack a lunch or drive somewhere else. read more

Terribly SLOW service. They are clearly understaffed which is baffling. The only restaurant for miles, with a captive audience. Food was decent but over priced. read more

Terrible barely cooked food, barely acceptable service and rdiculously high prices make this a 0 star attraction. Pack a meal for you trip to Badlands National Park, you'll be much better off. read more

The Indian taco, under $10, was huge and delicious. I asked if it came with any sides, and the waitress told me, "most people have trouble finishing it." This was lunch, and I ended up skipping dinner. As an aside, the stuff in the gift shop was very fairly priced (a one liter bottle of water was $2.50). The prices for food and gifts were especially surprising given no competition in the area (aside from some gifts but no drinks or food in the nearby visitors center). read more

Service was okay, food brought in a timely manner. All four of us had upset stomachs within a half hour after our lunch..... too many flies buzzing around the tables to count. Two stars for being the only place selling food in the park. Restaurant felt as if the ac was not even turned on. read more

the breakfast buffet was a solid 3.5, and our waitress was very kind and patient with us (i only mention this because certain members of our party require more patience than most!) also, it's cheap, and as the other reviews mention, pretty much your only option in the area, so why not? read more

The restaurant is in a convenient location for visitors to Badlands. There is a good view of the rocks from the window seats in the restaurant. You eat here because the location is convenient and not because you want great food. The pancake order came with 3 large pancakes which tasted like it was cooked in burnt oil. The Indian fry bread with Sioux berry pudding tasted ok -- basically a small piece of Indian fry bread with a berry compote/sauce. The restaurant is next to the Cedar Pass Lodge cabins. read more

Beautiful views of Badlands National Park. Located near Visitor Center. Breakfast served until 11 AM, dinner starts at 5 PM. Standard diner fare. Good food well prepared. Hamburger and fries for $3.95! Rates an extra point for serving good food at reasonable prices in an isolated tourist area. We will go there again. read more

This is the only place to eat in the area, so it is not bad. The fry bread is great, but one of us got sick from the black bean burger. The other negative is that the place had a steady stream of flies. This was kind of strange, considering the adjoining gift shop and the rest of the facilities were rather well kept. read more

We arrived for lunch and placed our order just before 11:30 am. There were three other customers in the restaurant and one family was seated right in front of us. There appeared to be only one waitress working the entire place and one hostess. Two more waitresses showed up at noon.The family seated just before us got served and finished eating before our food came. Other customers got served too. It took over 45 minutes to get served. OUr waitress was aware of this issue and it didn't help. We will not be back and cannot recommend this restaurant. read more

Eat local! Asked about the Indian Fry bread - waitress reported the cook (Travis) was having good success with the fry bread & bison chili was made fresh each day. Both Sioux Indian taco and chili were delicious. read more

This is probably the worst place I've ever eaten. The service was horrible. The waitress brought us our drinks and an hour later some else brought us our food. We even had to flag down a different person to pay. We were the for an hour and a half to get an Indian taco (which my wife said was quite good) a bison burger which was chard black on the outside and cold in the middle and Mac and cheese bites. If we weren't starving and traveling with a child we would have left, which we saw several tables do. One table it took them over an hour to get a hotdog. Do not eat here! Buy a bag of chips in the store and wait until you're somewhere else. And it was expensive. If I could give negative stars I would! Stay away! read more