American Restaurant

Cliff Dwellers Restaurant

Diner classics and a famous avocado pie under the Vermilion Cliffs

(398)

Marble Canyon, AZ

About

Cliff Dwellers Restaurant sits along Highway 89A in Marble Canyon, attached to Cliff Dwellers Lodge under the red rock formations between Jacob Lake and the Utah border. It's the kind of stop where a rafting group can roll in the night before a Colorado River launch and a road-tripper can grab breakfast on the way to the North Rim, and it holds a 4.6-star rating across 385 reviews for a reason. The dining room leans 70s-diner with Grand Canyon and river-themed art on the walls, plus a patio with garage-style doors that open up for outdoor seating in good weather.

What to order

River Raft'n Tacos, three tacos of grilled fish with chips and salsa
Horseshoe Breakfast, two eggs with toast, home fries or fruit, and your choice of meat
Reuben sandwich and the garden burger, which reviewers note comes stacked with two patties
Avocado Pie, the house dessert regulars specifically come back for

Portions run generous and prices stay reasonable for how remote the location is. Service gets consistent praise for being fast and friendly even with large groups. Open daily, 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM — reliable for breakfast before a North Rim day or dinner after one, with a solid wine list if you're staying the night at the lodge next door.

Reviews (398)

See all on Google

4.6

398 reviews

Google Reviews

Write a review

ccCDdd

a month ago

For what feels like the middle of nowhere for me, that had a really good burger and fresh cut fries. My young son ate the ENTIRE kids burger, which was pretty big. So he approved it the food! 🤣 Crystal was great!

Hannah Seilhan

11 months ago

Cliff Dwellers restaurant is attached to the lodge of the same name - and although you’re a bit of a captive audience in this remote desert area, the food is fantastic, portions generous, and prices surprisingly decent! I ate several dinners and a breakfast when I stayed and loved everything I had. I tried the River Raft’n Tacos with grilled fish one night - it comes with 3 tacos full of supple chunks of perfectly grilled fish and chips and salsa on the side. The tacos were just a tad bland but still delicious and the side of salsa added the extra flavor I needed. My other dinner was one of their specials - a hatch chile burger with a side of onion rings and veggie soup. This was fantastic!! The burger was flawless and tasty and the onion rings were positively massive and delicious as well. The veggie soup was a bit spicy but still flavorful and hit the spot. For my breakfast I had the Horseshoe Breakfast which comes with two eggs, toast, home fries or fruit, and I chose ham for my meat. It was a great start to the day and their in-house coffee is really nice. Their unique dessert offering - the Avocado Pie - is a must when you visit!! It’s light, creamy, and not overly sweet with a hint of citrus. It’s like a mild key lime pie sort of and I loved it - would definitely get again. They have some traditional indoor seating as well as a patio that has garage style doors that they can open for an al fresco dining option. Decor gives off 70s diner vibes and they have really cool Grand Canyon/Colorado River paintings on the walls. All the staff were attentive and helpful - even with our large rowdy group the night before our rafting trip!

Estelle Florent

8 months ago

This place is a hidden gem ! I had the Reuben sandwich and it was soo delicious. Service is very nice. They also have a great choice of wines. I didn't have/take the chance to try their famous avocado pie but some folks next to our table said it's great.

Tucci

2 months ago

The most unassuming place BUT... Everthing that comes out of this kitchen is well prepared and delicious. We've been here about half dozen times, whenever we go to Lee's Ferry, and they never disappoint. I usually get the seared tuna. My boys get burgers and onion rings. Simple food, well prepared.

Mendy Harlow

9 months ago

OMG! This restaurant had awesome food, fast, friendly service and a lovely atmosphere. The house salad had super crisp romaine and the garden burger came with two patties!