Maswick and Yavapai Cafeterias

Description:

• For the price of a burger, fries, and a soft drink at the Tusayan McDonald's, you get a full meal at either Maswik or Yavapai cafeteria. Though the food costs about the same at both places, there are some key differences: Maswik more closely resembles a food court, where meals come complete with side dishes. One Maswik station serves Mexican fare; another provides home-style entrees like roast turkey, meatloaf, chicken, or fish; a third offers spaghetti and other pastas; and a fourth serves burgers, hot dogs, and chicken sandwiches.

  At Yavapai, you can mix and match from different stations, picking up fried chicken from one, pizza from another, mashed potatoes from another -- and, when you put it all together, a case of indigestion. For $3.25, you can also dive in at the salad bar.

  Given a choice between Maswik and Yavapai, I'd choose Yavapai. The fried chicken is particularly tasty, as is the chicken potpie. If you're craving a burger, however, go to Maswik, where the meat is grilled instead of fried. Both cafeterias offer Dreyer's soft serve ice cream and box lunches to go.

• © Frommer's 2013