Find a foodie destination
along the Monumental Route
By Terry Sjolin
It seems impossible to please everyone, but we
may have figured it out: national monuments and
incredible food.
As you take your tour group along the
Monumental Route (I-90) to see Mount Rushmore
and Devils Tower, you can stop in Gillette and
Wright, Wyoming, and discover a secret foodie
destination on your way to Yellowstone National
Park. The food we’ll serve you in Campbell
County is the best way we can show how much
we want you here, so whether your group is look-
ing for handcrafted beers, wood-fired pizzas,
locally raised meats or exotic flavors, prepare for
a feast in Gillette and Wright.
Ingredients come first at Pizza Carrello, and
you’ll taste what a difference they make. The
famed tomato sauce has no added sugar or salt,
because the San Marzano tomatoes used to make
it are robust and sweet. Everything on the Pizza Carello
menu comes from the gigantic wood-fired oven, from the
crisped salads to the pita wraps and, of course, the pizza.
Local favorites include homemade wood-fired meatballs,
Dazzle Berry pizza and made-from-scratch cheesecake
that’s renowned worldwide (or at least should be).
At Big Lost Meadery, you can drink like the gods.
Different than wine or beer, mead is an alcoholic drink made
by fermenting honey with water. Known as the preferred
elixir of Greek gods, mead was popular in Norse and Viking
tradition, and Big Lost is the Wyoming version of this tale.
The Meadery building is nothing short of magnificent, and
the atmosphere is as memorable as your first taste of mead
will be. Sip on different mead flavors (fused with assorted
fruits, flowers, hops and grains) from oversized steer horns
in front of a warm fire; you’ll feel immortal.
Uncork and unwind at Prime Rib Restaurant and Wine Cellar
with a state-of-the-art, glass-enclosed 10,000-bottle wine
cellar. Whether you want a high-end label or something more
approachable, you’ll find it in
this collection that has earned
Wine Spectator magazine’s
Best of Award of Excellence
annually since 2006. Be sure
to ask your server whether
you should match your
drink with mouth-watering
USDA choice steak, juicy
burgers or seafood. Most
Prime Rib staffers have
been with the restaurant
10 to 20 years, so consider
them pairing experts.
If you’re lucky enough to find The Coop, stop in and bring
your appetite. The outside may look like an old-fashioned
drive through, but inside you’ll find Costa Rican-inspired
rotisserie chicken dishes prepared freshly in-house with
flavor, spice and love. The portions are huge, but the prices
are small. While this is an outstanding option for health-
conscious, macro-counting visitors, the hot honey wings
with homemade ranch dressing are worth the splurge.
Have a taste of Gillette history and wash it down with
an award-winning beer at Gillette Brewing Company &
Gone Postal Pizzeria, home of Locomotive Brown Beer,
which took second place in the 2015 U.S. Open Beer
Championships. Located in the town’s historical post office,
Gillette’s first microbrewery is a place that feels familiar,
even for first-time visitors. All the pizza dough is made with
Gillette Brewing Company Beer. In addition to the one-of-a-
kind pizza, families love the restaurant’s kid-friendly section
with darts, pool and shuffleboard.
While this article features some heavy hitters in the
Gillette foodie world, it’s by no means exhaustive. Sample
wild appetizers like python, ostrich and kangaroo at Pokey’s
Barbecue and Smokehouse. Tour the Durham Ranch in
Wright to see how the bison that is served at Wright’s Open
Range Steakhouse, Pokey’s and the Prime Rib are raised.
Dine on authentic Vietnamese pho at Pho & Bakery 59, or
try a surprising yet delectable combo at Armando’s Taco &
Pasta Shop. For more dining options, go to visitgillette
wright.com/plan-your-stay/dining.
Good food is only made better by good company, so we
can’t wait to share a meal with you.
Terry Sjolin is the DMO sales manager of the Campbell
County CVB in Gillette, Wyoming. Reach her at terry@
visitgillettewright.com or go to visitgillettewright.com.
Sponsored content