After an incredible stay in Yellowstone National Park, we drove across Montana to Glacier National Park. We stayed outside the park in East Glacier, and found a couple of good dining options there:
- Serrano's Mexican Restaurant serves Mexican and American cuisine in an exuberantly decorated log building dating to 1909. The chile rellenos are a tasty vegetarian option. However, since Serrano's is popular, has limited seating, and doesn't take reservations, be prepared for a long wait.
- Luna's Restaurant is a log cabin diner featuring sandwiches, salads, burgers, and American-style entrees. They have a thick and zesty vegan sweet potato red pepper soup, and the fry bread appetizer is deep-fried carbohydrate perfection. Be sure to save room for the fresh huckleberry pie: tart huckleberries suspended in a thick glaze atop a homemade graham cracker crust spread with cream cheese (best when ordered a la mode with huckleberry ice cream).
Other tips:
- The best meal we had during our time at the park was a lunch of protein bars after an exhilarating hike to Grinnell Glacier. It was the experience of a lifetime: breathtaking beauty combined with the knowledge that the glacier may be gone by 2030 due to climate change. If you can make it out to Glacier and are in reasonably fit physical condition, seriously consider doing this hike before it's too late (obviously, be sure to follow hiking and bear safety guidelines. The National Park Service provides a wealth of information at the park's visitor centers, which are staffed by highly knowledgeable rangers).
- The ranger-led historic hotel tour of Many Glacier Hotel may not seem like a typical National Park activity, but it's a great way to learn about the early 20th century Swiss chalet-style hotel's history and the early tourist experience at Glacier.
- If you happen to drive through Livingston, Montana on your way to or from Glacier, stop at Chicas Locas Cocina (sadly, closed 10/31/2014) It's a small storefront restaurant, with a warm and welcoming atmosphere and excellent Mexican fare. They have a wide range of vegetarian options, including burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, and several different kinds of vegetarian tamales.
