Dornan’s Chugwagon Restaurant

Type: American, BBQ
Cuisine: Full Breakfast, Burgers, Sandwiches, Salad
Atmosphere: Old West, Picnic
Serves: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Hours: 7:00 am to 9:00 pm
(note closed daily 11:00am – 12:00pm, 3:00 – 5:00pm)
MENU

Officially, Dornan’s Chuckwagon isn’t inside the gated, paid part of the park, but it is inside the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park. The Chuckwagon is located right outside the south pay gate at Dornan’s, in Moose, WY.

The Chuckwagon is an outdoor, casual place to eat, great for families, and can accommodate larger groups.

Views are Fantastic, the food is average, prices are comparable for the area, and the service is self-serve.

They have common breakfast items like eggs, toast, bacon, yogurt. etc… and familiar picnic items like burgers, sandwiches, salads.  The menu will have at least one option for everyone, including kids and vegetarians.

Order and pay at the cash register, grab your silverware and beverage and stake out your spot.  Your food will be brought to you.

A big draw of the Chuckwagon is the opportunity to eat in a teepee! If the teepee is full, then there are many tables outside, covered and uncovered with a spectacular view of the Tetons and the Snake River.

The Chuckwagon is ideal for:

• A different dining experience with an old west feel. The name alone, “Chuckwagon” conjures up images of wagons and cowboys
• The experience of eating inside a teepee
• Families with young kids as they have kid-friendly options (grilled cheese, hot dogs)
• Kids who want to run around and play on the grass, while the adults have a moment of peace
• Great view of the Tetons
• A covered outdoor area

Know before you go:

• They are closed daily: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm, 3:00 – 5:00 pm (which can be anywhere from inconvenient to disastrous, depending on your’s and/or kid’s hunger level.)
• NO Dinner served on Fridays and Saturdays (usually closed for special events)
• NO Alcoholic Beverages served
• Bug spray and sunscreen are a must, for every day, but do reapply both if you eat outside. You are at 6,200 ft elevation and close to the Snake River. Don’t let sunburn and mosquitoes ruin your vacation.

Our Review

To be honest, we don’t make the Chuckwagon one of our places we have to eat at while we are in the park.

If this is your first time in the park, and/or you are traveling with kids, eating in a teepee will be a memorable experience (and a good picture).

The reasons we have eaten here over the years are that my grandparents liked coming here to eat chili and it was an easy place to feed young kids with grilled cheese and hot dogs on the menu.

In addition to the grilled cheese and hot dogs, the kids liked eating inside the teepee. Well, actually we all liked eating in a teepee. Especially on socked-in rainy days when they had a fire going.

Not to sound down on the place, because the food is ok, and it’s great to eat outside on a nice day, but we prefer The Pizza and Pasta Company restaurant across the street. The Pizza and Pasta Company has more options, better food, open all day, and a full bar. Read more about The Pizza and Pasta Company.

But…you know what works really works for the Chuckwagon though?

You can go as you are.

You don’t have to dress up.

Since it is mostly outside, you can come straight from swimming, fishing, hiking, or camping, and not worry about being close enough to others that they can figure out what you came from doing!!

BONUS

In the summer, the Chuckwagon holds a “Hootenanny” on Monday nights from 6:00-9:00 pm! Cost is Free.

My best memory of the Chuckwagon: Eating chili in the teepee with a fire going, with my grandparents on a rainy day.

Have any questions about Dornan’s Chuckwagon Restaurant? Will you peek inside the teepee? Let us know in the comment section.

Keep Your Eye Peeled for a Moose!

Jenn Cunningham
Founder, Explore GTNP