Firehole Bar-B-Que Co.

American · Babb · $$

A famously quirky east-side Glacier cafe for travelers exiting the Going-to-the-Sun Road toward St. Mary and Many Glacier.

Brewpub · Columbia Falls · $$

Family-owned taproom and kitchen on Highway 2 with mountain views toward Glacier — handcrafted beers plus a real kitchen doing burgers and salads well above brewery-food standard. Easy stop rolling back from Going-to-the-Sun.

American · Columbia Falls · $

Half diner, half smokehouse, all Columbia Falls institution — the Back Room opens at 4 pm for hickory-smoked ribs and the broasted chicken locals swear by. Truckers, tourists, and huge portions at small-town prices.

New American · Columbia Falls · $$

Rocky Mountain fare with Italian flair on Nucleus Avenue, 17 miles from the West Glacier gate — Montana-raised meat, seasonal menus, Sunday brunch. The best sit-down dinner in the last real town before the park.

American · Cooke City · $$

A Cooke City end-of-road saloon meal at the Yellowstone side of the Beartooth run.

American · Gardiner · $$

The only deck in town hanging directly over the Yellowstone River — burgers, Montana beef, and a cold beer with the water rushing below. Earn it with an evening drive out of the north entrance.