A Badlands Meal at Medora’s Old West Saloon

Gun-shaped door handles set the tone before you even settle in. In the middle of Medora, this Old West-style saloon brings together a bar, dining room, booths, and open-air seating with a playful bit of frontier character—including a place to tie a horse.

It is an easy stop after a day in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, when a cold drink and a substantial plate of food sound more useful than another protein bar. But it also works as a lingering Medora meal, especially when the upper levels are open and the town’s surrounding badlands come into view.

The upper deck and balcony look across Medora’s main street and out toward the mountains and badlands around town. The view gives the restaurant a little extra range: downstairs can be lively and sociable, while upstairs invites a slower meal with the landscape in the background.

On warm days, the upper patio provides shade, breezes, and outdoor tables. It is weather-dependent seating, of course, but when conditions cooperate, lunch or dinner can stretch beyond the usual four walls.

Inside, the dining room offers a more seated, scenic alternative to the bar. Background music adds some atmosphere without changing the basic appeal: you can order a proper meal, look around at the saloon details, and take a break from the road.

Burgers are a major presence here, arriving large and built around well-cooked patties and flavorful buns. The elk burger is a recurring favorite and gives visitors a regional-meat option without turning the meal into a novelty act.

The kitchen also keeps familiar choices close at hand. A Reuben has earned praise for its flavor, while a turkey sandwich pairs cranberry and seasoning with bread that has a sourdough-like character. For a group with different appetites, that kind of menu breadth is useful.

Fries deserve their own mention. They are often crisp and well cooked, and the sidewinder fries are a particularly fun order—substantial, curled, and made for working through beside a burger or sandwich. Onion rings and mashed potatoes offer other comfort-food routes.

For a heartier dinner, the 14-ounce ribeye comes with fries. Chicken-fried steak arrives with mashed potatoes and asparagus, a plate that makes sense after hiking, driving, or simply building up an appetite while wandering around Medora.

The grilled asparagus has been memorable enough to stand out alongside the larger plates. It is a small detail, but a welcome one on a menu otherwise happily populated by burgers, fried dishes, steaks, and pizza.

Fried walleye brings another Upper Midwest note to the table, using filets sourced from Minnesota. The hog wings, meanwhile, are known for being meaty and juicy—an order for diners who want something more substantial than a light starter.

Flatbreads offer a change of pace from the sandwich-and-steak side of the menu. Their Pinsa-like dough gives them a notably good crust, with a lighter, softer character than a standard thick pizza base.

The margarita flatbread has been a popular choice for its flavorful toppings and soft crust. Bison pepperoni pizza takes the regional route more directly, while fried pickles provide an easy, shareable companion for the table.

The full bar pours cocktails, beer, and nonalcoholic drinks, so nobody has to treat dinner as a one-track affair. Beer choices include North Dakota options along with familiar names such as Bell’s Two Hearted.

An Old Fashioned suits the saloon setting nicely, while a Huckleberry Mule brings a brighter, fruit-forward choice. The bar can become a social perch, with travelers and locals striking up conversation as the evening gets going.

Medora’s stories have a way of entering the meal, too. The staff has been known to share bits of town history, which is a pleasant bonus after a day spent learning about the region’s landscape and Theodore Roosevelt connections.

The place handles more than one style of visit. Families have a children’s menu to work with, couples can settle into the dining room or balcony, and solo travelers can pull up a barstool without feeling out of place.

Midafternoon can be quieter and easier for conversation. Dinner periods may be busier and moderately noisy, particularly around the bar, which gives the room a different energy without requiring everyone to join it.

There is also a signed-dollar-bill collection around the saloon, a small old-school detail that suits the setting. A meal can end with a drink, a look at the bills, and another minute or two spent deciding whether dessert-sized appetite is still in the cards.

The restaurant sits in Medora near Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the North Dakota badlands, making it a straightforward post-park meal stop. Seating can include the dining room, booths, bar area, balcony or upper deck, and outdoor patio when weather permits.

Free street parking is available in town, though conditions can vary. The menu is broad rather than exclusively game-focused, with vegetarian dishes clearly labeled alongside burgers, sandwiches, steaks, pizzas, and regional specialties.