A Big Western Dinner at Dad's in Thayne

A ribeye with a loaded baked potato is a fine way to settle into an evening in Thayne, especially when the room has the easygoing hum of a western bar just beyond the dining tables. Dad's brings together the pleasures of a traditional steakhouse meal—prime rib, filet, sirloin, seafood and a proper spread of sides—with a more social night-out setting.

The restaurant works nicely as a dinner stop for travelers headed toward the Tetons or Yellowstone's south entrance, but it has enough going on to encourage a longer stay. You can begin with a cocktail at the bar, sit down for steak and salad, then catch live music if the evening's schedule includes it.

Dad's divides the evening between a smaller steakhouse dining room and a larger bar area. The steakhouse room has its own tables and the salad bar, making it the natural choice for a slower, classic supper.

The bar area has additional tables, the bar itself and a stage for performances. It is a livelier setting without requiring diners to give up dinner; diners seated there have been able to order from either the steakhouse or bar menu.

There are also settings mentioned for private meals and outdoor dining on a patio or terrace. The casual exterior gives little hint of how much space and choice waits inside.

The steak list provides the backbone of the meal. Ribeye, prime rib, filet, top sirloin and baseball-cut sirloin give a group plenty of ways to order, from a tender filet to a more robust cut with a little chew and character.

The cooking and seasoning have earned particular notice, which is the plain but important measure of a steakhouse. A good steak needs little ceremony once it reaches the table properly cooked; the question becomes which side deserves the remaining room on the plate.

The side-dish lineup does not treat vegetables and starches as an afterthought. Mashed potatoes and garlic mashed potatoes provide the familiar comfort-food route, while a loaded baked potato brings its own small meal's worth of toppings.

Glazed carrots and sautéed mushrooms offer useful counterpoints to a rich steak. The mushrooms in particular make sense beside a sirloin or prime rib, while the carrots give the plate a little sweetness.

Then there are the onion rings, which have developed something of a following. They are the sort of side that can quietly change a sensible order into a shared-table situation, with one person reaching over for “just one more.”

A salad bar can be a perfunctory prelude to the main course, but Dad's is known for one that is fresh, clean and substantial. In the steakhouse dining area, it gives dinner a welcome element of choice before the heavier plates arrive.

It also makes the menu work well for mixed appetites. One person can build a generous salad alongside a smaller entrée, while another can go all in on prime rib, mashed potatoes and onion rings.

Steak may lead the menu, but seafood is more than a token alternative. Scallops, oysters and grilled salmon are among the options, useful for diners who would rather have a fish-forward dinner or share a few things across the table.

The scallops and oysters have drawn special praise, including from a visitor with New England seafood standards. That is a pleasant detail to keep in mind in a Wyoming steakhouse, particularly for a table split between beef loyalists and seafood eaters.

The menu also reaches into less formal territory with wings and grilled chicken breast. At the bar, the Little Buddy is a filling, good-value choice when a sandwich or hearty bar entrée sounds more appealing than a full steakhouse plate.

Spinach-artichoke dip can serve as a substantial starter for a group, and it has enough heft that it can stand in for a meal when the appetite is modest. It is an easy order for a table that wants something warm in the middle while deciding between steak and seafood.

The bar offers cocktails and other drinks, with a broad approach to requested mixed drinks. It is also a comfortable place to wait before dinner service, rather than hovering near the dining-room door.

The stage in the bar area gives Dad's a personality beyond its menu. Live evenings have included band sets, original music and storytelling, so dinner can gradually turn into an entertainment stop without anyone needing to move on to another venue.

On some evenings, the bar becomes a place to linger after the plates have been cleared, and dancing may enter the picture. A weekly rubber-duck race adds another deliberately lighthearted bar-area diversion—an unexpected bit of fun alongside the steaks and cocktails.

The atmosphere is relaxed, friendly and distinctly western without requiring a costume or a plan for the evening. Couples, small groups and larger parties all fit naturally into the mix, from travelers making a one-night stop to people returning through the area on later trips.

The restaurant has also become a destination meal on long road trips. After hours on the highway, a sit-down steak, a cold drink and a little music can be a more satisfying break than another quick roadside meal.

Reservations are recommended, particularly when the dining room is busy or tables have been reserved in advance. Parking includes a free lot and free street parking, taking one small logistical worry off the table.

Look around while moving between the rooms: the property retains an original sign and old photographs connected to an earlier era of ownership. They are modest touches, but they suit a place that combines a steakhouse supper with the sociable spirit of a local western bar.