A Quick Dining Guide to Medora, ND

Buffalo commuters on their way to the office at Theodore Roosevelt National Park

As a kid, my family took annual vacations to Medora, that little cowboy town on the western edge of North Dakota. Our family trips involved setting up the 5th wheel camper (complete with a/c and cable TV) and sticking with the main attractions: guided horseback rides, the 4M Review comedy show, souvenir shops, ice cream cones, mini-golf, and of course, the Medora Musical.

As an adult, we own a tent instead of a camper and make an effort to get off the beaten path. I still thought of Medora as a kiddie playground, so it took me awhile to discover that there is a whole other Medora waiting to be discovered in the beautiful Badlands surrounding the area. Mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, even a little elk shed hunting.  

We spent a great weekend exploring Theodore Roosevelt National Park, including the small traffic jam when the buffalo decided to sloooooowly cross the road. We hiked to the park's Petrified Forest and rolled up our pantlegs to traverse the muddy Little Missouri River on our way to the Elkhorn Ranch, the site of Theodore Roosevelt's main home during his North Dakota years. We left the park and went back to the site where my husband shot his elk, hoping to see some elk or at least find some shed horns, but instead discovering a rattlesnake...and quickly backing away.  

The elk hunting grounds...and unbeknownst to us, about three minutes from a rattlesnake rattle

With all the adventures, we worked up some hearty appetites and happened to have packed lightly on food, planning on eating out for most meals. For all its great attributes, Medora is still a small town with no grocery store and limited dining choices. Fortunately, there are diamonds in the rough. If you get to Medora soon (and I hope you do), here are a few dining tips. 

Best ice cream: the Marquis de Mores Ice Cream and Bake Shop. Here's a secret: the two main ice cream shops in Medora offer the exact same flavors. I'm guessing this is because they are both managed by the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation? Regardless, the only difference between the white-and-red Marquis de Mores shop and the wooden Medora Ice Cream and Fudge Depot is that the Marquis offers pie and the Depot offers fudge. Pick your weapon - I choose pie over fudge, but I also like the interior of the Marquis better. I like pecan praline, but if you like black licorice, you'll LOVE the licorice ice cream. 

Would you prefer the cookie dough or licorice ice cream cone? 

Best beer and burgers: Boots Bar and Grill, formerly known as the Iron Horse Saloon. There is a patio both on the roof and another around back. The beer is cold, the food is good, and when I requested "green" greens in my salad instead of white iceberg lettuce, they happily obliged, making me a happy camper. My buffalo burger was tasty, too. 

Summer Shandy on the patio at Boots Bar and Grill, Medora

Best breakfast: Theodore's. We had a lackluster breakfast the previous day at the Cowboy Cafe, a cute place with unfortunately scanty portions. After paying the bill at Cowboy Cafe for our French toast and ham and eggs (cash and check only, btw), we went straight back to our vehicle, still hungry, and noshed on bananas and cereal bars. But Theodore's offers hearty portions in a welcoming atmosphere with good flavor and great service. You'll pay a little more, but it's well worth it. 

The Cowboy Cafe - not awesome breakfast, but the interior is fabulous.

Best fine dining (ok, the ONLY fine dining): Theodore's, of course. Located in the beautiful Rough Riders Hotel, their dinner menu is off-the-charts with hearty portions of innovative cuisine (and a hearty price tag to match). I won't say it was our best meal ever - my "vanilla brined" pork chop was very salty and I was more excited by the idea of the tomato-and-leek bread pudding than the pudding itself - but it was still darn good, and they got bonus points with me when our appetizer of venison pate came out with (surprise!) pickled rhubarb on the side. A word to the wise: Theodore's is open until 9 pm, and if you want to miss the families-with-kids rush, go at 7 pm or later.  You'll have a calmer dining experience. 

Venison pate at Theodore's - with a side of pickled onion and rhubarb!

But in the end, you don't go to Medora for the food. You go for sights and experiences, making memories that you'll savor for a lifetime. 

Theodore Roosevelt National Park at dusk.