Restaurant · Death Valley National Park
All-you-can-eat buffet in The Ranch Town Square
Overview
1849 Buffet is the in-park, all-you-can-eat option at The Ranch’s Town Square in Furnace Creek. It’s here for one big reason: convenience in a very remote place. Expect a casual, functional dining room where you load up, refuel, and get back out exploring.
This buffet wins on location and quantity, not on culinary fireworks. Feedback trends mixed to negative on food quality and value. If you’re hungry, nearby, and want quick calories without decisions, it gets the job done. If you’re picky about taste or price-to-quality, you may leave underwhelmed.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs It Worth It?Map
Local know-how
Arrive at opening for each meal to get the freshest trays and fewer lines.
Plan breakfast early (6–7 a.m.) so you can hit the road before the heat.
Dinner is busiest on weekends; show up right at 5 p.m. to avoid waits.
The lineup rotates—stay flexible if you have specific food expectations.
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Death Valley Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Death Valley National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Death Valley audio tourRecorded for this place
Furnace Creek: The Heart of Death Valley“Looks like you're heading into Furnace Creek, which is basically the central hub for all of Death Valley. This is your main stop for gas, lodging, and supplies from the General Store.”
Plays as you drive up to 1849 Buffet in the Parkwolf Death Valley Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Breakfast brings rotating hot entrées and meats, plus a cold spread of baked goods and fruit. Lunch and dinner add a full salad bar, hot entrées, and desserts. You pay at the register, then go back as often as you like. Families should note: kids under 5 eat free.
Service typically runs in meal blocks: breakfast (6–10 a.m.), lunch (11 a.m.–2 p.m.), and dinner (5–9 p.m.). It’s busiest at the start of popular mealtimes and on weekend evenings. If you want the freshest trays and fewer lines, arrive right at opening for each meal.
Right in the middle of The Ranch’s Town Square, you’re steps from lodging and the rest of the Furnace Creek hub. It’s a straightforward, family-friendly space designed for throughput, not a destination meal.
Don’t expect wildlife viewing here. You might spot a raven or lizard around the plaza outdoors, but this is essentially resort-center dining.
Wildlife
71 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
101 sightingsDesert TortoiseMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
458 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
28 sightingsFeral BurroMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
30 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
62 sightingsKit FoxMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Death Valley. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyMustard Canyon Loop1.3 mi · 30 min · 1.7 mi awayOne-way drive through mustard-colored badlands from Harmony Borax Works to CA-190
EasyHarmony Borax Works Interpretive Trail0.4 mi · 30 min · 1.7 mi awayA short paved loop through the ruins and stories of Death Valley’s Harmony Borax Works.
ModerateGolden Canyon to Red Cathedral3 mi · 1.8 hr · 2.7 mi awayA 3-mile Golden Canyon out-and-back to the red walls of Red Cathedral.
ModerateGolden Canyon and Gower Gulch Loop4.3 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.7 mi awayModerate badlands loop linking Golden Canyon and Gower Gulch
ChallengingZabriskie Point to Golden Canyon7.8 mi · 4.5 hr · 3.9 mi awayStrenuous 7.8-mile loop from Zabriskie Point through Gower Gulch and Golden Canyon
ModerateBadlands Loop (Zabriskie Point)2.7 mi · 1.8 hr · 3.9 mi awayA 2.7-mile moderate loop through colorful badlands below Zabriskie Point.
EasyZabriskie Point Overlook Trail0.3 mi · 8 min · 4 mi awayA short paved out-and-back from the Zabriskie Point parking area to Death Valley's iconic badlands overlook.
ModerateDesolation Canyon Trail3.6 mi · 2.5 hr · 4.5 mi awayColor-drenched badlands and a quiet canyon with easy scrambles
Restaurant · At the trailheadThe Last Kind Words SaloonOld West saloon vibes with solid comfort food and a full bar
Store · At the trailheadOasis ShoppeBoutique souvenir stop for regional art at Furnace Creek
Store · At the trailheadFurnace Creek General StoreGo to spot for essentials, snacks, souvenirs, and ATM
Sight · At the trailheadFurnace CreekDesert oasis and the park’s all-in-one hub
Lodging · At the trailheadThe Ranch at Death ValleyFamily-friendly oasis with pool, dining, and fuel at Furnace Creek
Sight · At the trailheadBorax MuseumTiny 1883 museum with 20 Mule Team relics and outdoor yard
Campground · 0.2 mi awaySunset CampgroundMassive, no-frills basecamp near Furnace Creek with big skies
Gas station · 0.2 mi awayFurnace Creek Fuel and Auto ServiceThe park’s central lifeline for fuel, at a steep premiumParkwolf’s Death Valley ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
