2021-10-24 20:38:34
With its fair share of rustic cowboy culture and longstanding dude ranches, it’s safe to say that Wyoming is rich in delightfully hearty cuisine. Experience flavors around the state — from the iconic to the innovative — at these must-taste spots. 1 Sink your sweet tooth into “Dang Good Donuts” at Cowboy Donuts in Rock Springs. Sample an array of doughy treats, from fluffy lemon and traditional old-fashioned to bright Fruity Pebble delights and deliciously sticky apple fritters — all baked from scratch that morning. Grab a dozen for the road and balance your breakfast flavors with a jalapeño-and-sausage- stuffed kolache. 2 Recount the day’s adventures over a fine supper at Frackelton’s in Sheridan. Specialties like bone-in lamb shanks braised in stout beer broth, pan-seared duck breast with raspberry-whiskey sauce and s’mores lava cake make for the perfect finale to a day of sightseeing. 3 Eat under wide-open skies at Pitchfork Fondue Western Cookout in Pinedale. Dine in the great outdoors like a true cowboy at this only-in-Wyoming experience offered Thursdays through Saturdays. Bring the whole family and feast on wood-fired meat and veggies paired with homemade fondue sauces as you take in panoramic views of the Wind River Mountains. 4 Recharge with healthy fare at Sweet Melissa in Laramie. After a day of adventure, give your body some good eatin’ at this vegetarian cafe with fresh salads, hearty soups and wholesome sandwiches piled high with everything from pickled daikon radish to grilled pineapple. We recommend the deluxe grilled cheese, artichoke burger or enchiladas. 5 Refuel with wood-fired pie at Pizza Carrello in Gillette. With options like The Dazzle Berry — garlic-infused olive oil, fresh mozzarella, house-made ricotta, smoked ham, spicy arugula and jalapeño-raspberry compote — Pizza Carrello is beloved for its deliciously innovative pizzas. 6 Savor local ingredients at farm-to-table hotspot Local Restaurant & Bar in Jackson. Wyoming-raised beef and in-season produce are the focus at this American steakhouse in Jackson’s historical town square, where you can enjoy anything from garganelli pasta — made from scratch, naturally — to local Lockhart Cattle Co. steak tartare. 7 Wrangle up a whoop-worthy meal at The Lone Buffalo Steakhouse in Dubois. Make your morning a good one with a piping hot cup of coffee and a loaded-up skillet like the Back Country: ham and sausage smothered in country gravy with two eggs, cheeses, cowboy potatoes and toast. You can’t go wrong with any dish that comes with spicy-elk or smoked-bison sausage. 8 Fill up on a Western-style buffet at Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel in Cody. Built by the legendary Buffalo Bill in 1902, the historical Irma Hotel is a time portal into the Old West. Stop by the on-site restaurant for its famous summertime buffet, with favorites like slow-roasted prime rib, oysters Rockefeller, pasta and sweet-potato cake. 9 Pair a bowl of Chugwater Chili with a handmade soda at Chugwater Soda Fountain. Stop by the oldest operating soda fountain in Wyoming for an old-fashioned soda, malt or milkshake — which come in more than 30 flavors like toasted marshmallow and black cherry — and pair it with a bowl of famous Chugwater Chili. 10 Cure your pastry hankerings at The Bread Doctor in Torrington. Newly baked artisan breads, pastries and cookies are all on the menu at this family bakery run by a local doctor. Cinnamon bear claws and crumbly palmiers paired with coffee soothe morning hunger pangs, while fresh bread, cookies and savory tarts make perfect road-trip snacks. 11 Find a brunch for all seasons at The Middle Fork in Lander. Pull up a seat at the counter or on the tree-shaded patio to enjoy a seasonally rotating menu of breakfast, brunch and lunch goodies. Past temptations include sourdough grilled cheeses, cornflake-crusted country-fried steak, fried-to-order beignets with fresh jam and, of course, mimosas. 12 Dig into a Wyoming-raised beef burger at Ponderosa Cafe in Hulett. Step inside an Old West-style saloon for some stick-to-your-ribs fare, from chicken-fried steak and grilled pork chops to bone-in rib-eye steaks and hefty burgers served with crinkle-cut fries. 13 Power up for a day of exploring at Crooked Creek Coffee in Casper. The folks here will have you rarin’ to go with cups of everything from black coffee and Mexican-spiced cocoa frappes to Earl Grey and yerba mate. Looking for a super-food fueled boost? Try the fruit smoothies and all-natural energy drinks. 14 Satisfy cowboy-sized appetites with burgers at 2 Doors Down in Cheyenne. Whether you like your burger vegetarian or Angus beef, topped with onion straws or slathered in tangy chipotle mayo, you’ll find it all at this family-owned hangout — along with bottomless fries, milkshakes and an inviting atmosphere. 15 Sip hyper-locally sourced Cowboy State spirits at Pine Bluffs Distilling. Revel in whiskeys, bourbons and vodkas that are lovingly made from Wyoming grains. Fun fact: Distillers here use house-made malts for distinctly delicious flavor profiles. Sips of their signature whiskeys — from oat to rye and even peach — will get your spurs spinning. Grab a few bottles to take back home. Learn about quirky Wyoming bars filled with history at TravelWyoming.com/unique-bars. Support Local Businesses. Keep our small towns thriving by seeking out locally owned small businesses whenever possible. Learn more at TravelWyoming.com/wy-responsibly. WY AM I HERE? “There is something about the environment here — and not just in the grains grown, but in the people and community. Something about the openness of Wyoming’s high-plains desert shows up not only in the whiskey we make, but the friendships that we develop.” — Chad Brown Co-Owner & Founder, Pine Bluffs distilling WANT TO LEARN MORE? Discover Wyoming’s many delicious restaurants at TravelWyoming.com/restaurants. WY AM I HERE? “In Wyoming, your guests are your family — whether they’re in your home or your restaurants. I love to cook for my family. Nothing brings people together more than great food.” — Richard Barnes Chef/Owner, The Lone Buffalo Steakhouse and The Lone Burrito in Dubois FISHING IN WYOMING Wyoming has many world-class streams and rivers that offer recreationists fantastic opportunities for floating. Whether you are visiting Wyoming for the first time or are a life-long resident, understanding how to legally access Wyoming’s streams is important. NAVIGATING PUBLIC LAND ACCESS Unlike some surrounding states, the land underneath most of Wyoming’s streams and lakes is owned by the adjacent property owner. In other words, if the land adjacent to a stream, river or lake is privately owned, anglers and boaters must have permission from the landowner to wade, drop their anchor or get out of their boats. Wyoming law allows boaters to float across private lands and portage around features such as logjams, fences and diversion structures. If faced with such a situation, we encourage boaters to be efficient and respectful of the land when portaging. Boaters can invest in a GPS unit or one of several smartphone apps that display their location and land ownership. These tools are not only helpful while on the river; they can also be used to help plan future outings. Other resources for figuring how to access streams and lakes include Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management maps or a call to your local Game and Fish office. WHERE TO CAST A LINE For anglers who find themselves in northwest Wyoming, the North Fork of the Shoshone River offers exceptional fishing for rainbow and Yellowstone cutthroat that make their way out of Buffalo Bill Reservoir each spring to spend the summer in the river and its tributaries. Fontenelle Reservoir, located approximately 10 miles south of La Barge, provides great fishing for rainbow trout, brown trout and kokanee salmon. Trolling with wedding rings, spoons and spinners from the surface down to 10 feet should provide plenty of action in the spring. Anglers looking to fish game fish like walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, channel catfish, black and white crappie, freshwater drum, green sunfish, bluegill and smallmouth bass should visit Keyhole Reservoir for excellent fishing. It is located north of Moorcroft in the northeast corner of Wyoming. In Wyoming, there is a multitude of fishing opportunities for everyone. Whether you prefer to drift down the river, canoe a mountain lake, cast from the shore or fish for trout in a high mountain lake, river or backcountry stream — or bass fish in a reservoir — we invite you to join us in Wyoming for your next fishing adventure.
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