Lunch in Death Valley? Eat at the Forty-Niner Cafe
Written: Feb 21 '08
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Pros: Nice selection on menu, Reasonable prices, A/C
Cons: Some sandwiches can be a bit small, Might be a wait at busiest times
The Bottom Line: The Forty-Niner Cafe is a good stop for anyone in Death Valley, offering decent food at a reasonable price in an amazing location.
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| jps246's Full Review: Forty-Niner Cafe |
In Death Valley and looking for a quick meal?
Then you might want to consider stopping at the Forty-Niner Café at the Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley. The Forty-Niner Café offers a very casual place for breakfast, lunch and dinner in an otherwise inhospitable valley.
I’ve always found it to be a good stop for lunch as you are traveling through Death Valley as I almost always end up there around lunchtime.
Where’s it located?
The Forty-Niner Café is located roughly in the middle of the Valley in the Furnace Creek Oasis area. Death Valley National Park’s Visitor Center is just up the street and surrounding the restaurant is the rest of the Furnace Creek Ranch area which includes a hotel, a ranch, golf courses, a bar, a gift shop and another restaurant.
There’s plenty of free parking and the restaurant is only a short walk from the parking area (which is important when it can be well over a 100 degrees during the day).
Atmosphere
Think of a ranch or a mining area and you’ve pretty much got the Forty-Niner Café’s ambiance. It’s a very casual place as it caters to tourists traveling through Death Valley and to the people staying in the Furnace Creek Ranch area.
There are no reservations taken at the Café, but in the three times I’ve eaten there it’s been busy, but I’ve never had to wait for a table.
The restaurant is in fairly good repair though it does look like a place that has been where it is for years (sort of old, but clean I guess you could say).
Service
The restaurant is run by the Xanterra company, which runs many of the other hotels and restaurants in National Parks. Thus you have a mix of people from all over the country and around the world that have come to work in a National Park. While I’ve never had bad service, the service isn’t generally stupendous either.
Menu
While I’ve always been there for lunch, the Forty-Niner also offers a breakfast menu (the dinner menu is the same as the lunch one). For breakfast you’ll find pretty much everything you’d expect – pancakes, eggs, french toast and the like. The lunch and dinner menu is a bit more expansive with a selection of salads, burgers, sandwiches, wraps and a few entrees.
When we’ve been there we’ve always stuck the burgers, sandwiches and the salads. I’ve had the Caesar salad with grilled chicken along with a roast beef panini sandwich and a grilled chicken sandwich. The grilled chicken was the worst out of the bunch, being fairly small and not all that tasty. The salad and the panini were both pretty good, but I would have considered the roast beef they used more like shaved steak than roast beef.
Of course, who am I to argue about little details like that in the middle of Death Valley?
The burgers, sandwiches, wraps all come with fries or chips and aren’t too bad.
Portion size is middle of the road. Two out of the three visits I’ve left feeling full, only the grilled chicken sandwich didn’t fill me up.
There are deserts for those who would like them.
Prices
For lunch and dinner I’d expect to spend up to about $15 a person when you figure in the sandwich or entrée and a drink. You might also squeeze in a dessert for that price, though you’re likely to spend a bit more.
Experiences
I’ve been to the Forty-Niner Café three times in the past couple of years. The first time it was my partner and I and we were both happy with our meals and the service. We thought it was pretty nifty that there was a restaurant (along with the rest of the Furnace Creek Ranch) in Death Valley. The next visit was with my partner and my family and we had no problems with our meal. I think I was the only one who left hungry as I had that small grilled chicken sandwich. My last visit was with my partner and two other friends and we all enjoyed our meals.
The service and the speed of the meal have always been respectable on our visits, even when the restaurant has been more crowded. We were seated quickly, drinks orders were taken and then the meals were ordered. The food preparation is generally pretty quick and the servers are attentive to your needs as your meal progresses.
All in all, considering its location I’m not expecting perfection and I’ve always enjoyed eating at the Forty-Niner Café when I’ve been in Death Valley.
Final Thoughts
If you are traveling through Death Valley or staying at the Furnace Creek Ranch and you’re looking for a place to get a good sandwich, burger or simple entrée, then you should stop in at the Forty-Niner Café in the heart of Death Valley.
They offer a good selection of sandwiches and burgers along with nice cool glasses of water (among other drinks) for anyone exploring Death Valley. While there isn’t anything really special about the food or the service of the Forty-Niner Café, it’s the location that makes it a good place to eat.
For me, I’ve yet to be disappointed by the food or the service and I’ve always liked having my lunch here.
I think it’s a good stop for anyone in Death Valley offering decent food at a reasonable price in an amazing location.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations We''ve always gone between 1 and 2 in the afternoon and never had to wait for a table
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