Thirty-five miles up Warren Wagon Road, between Burgdorf Hot Springs and the old mining town of Warren, the trees open up, and there it is. Yeti Backcountry Pizza and Tap House, sitting at 6,000 feet above sea level, powered entirely by the sun, mountain air, and propane pizza ovens, and serving up some of the most talked-about pizza in the area.
The menu runs from fresh-made pizzas and wings to nachos, sandwiches, and salads. Yeti has a gift for pizza with surprising combinations that will become your new obsession. The Greek layers garlic oil, fresh tomatoes, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, red onion, feta, and fresh basil over a mozzarella blend, finished with red pepper flakes and oregano. The Buffalo Chicken goes creamy garlic ranch, mozzarella, buffalo chicken, red onion, fresh tomato, black olives, and blue cheese. And then there’s the pickle pizza (yes, really!) with garlic oil, mozzarella, dill pickle, bacon, dill, and hot pepper flakes. Trust us, you should order it. Traditional favorites round out the menu for anyone who needs convincing.
That same spirit carries right into the glass. Jeanne Kelp, Yeti’s co-owner, has built a drink program that’s as creative as the pizza menu. Because Yeti holds a beer and wine license, all alcoholic beverages stay at 18% ABV or lower, which led Jeanne to develop something entirely her own. She combines different canned cocktails, adds custom flavors, and creates what she calls Yeti Crafted Cocktails. Originals that don’t exist anywhere else in the mountains. She’s done the same with energy drinks, and for the non-drinkers in the group, there’s the Yeti Backcountry Soda line, her take on dirty sodas, crafted with the same ingenuity.
The result is a drink menu that matches the food menu in ambition. Eight taps pouring from local McCall breweries, four hard cider taps, and a “Bottoms Up” dispenser that fills your glass from the bottom up. All of it served 6,000 feet in the air, miles from the nearest stoplight.
The most popular Yeti Crafted Cocktail is the Sun & Snow. The top Backcountry Soda is the Birthday Beast. Jeanne was kind enough to share both recipes so you can give them a try at home, though we’d argue nothing beats making the drive.
Sun & Snow Yeti Crafted Cocktail
- 1 can Cutwater Lemon Drop
- 1 BuzzBallz Pineapple Colada
- Wet the rim of a 20 oz glass with lemon
- Rim with toasted coconut or pineapple sugar
- Add ice
- Pour in the BuzzBallz Pineapple Colada and Cutwater Lemon Drop
- Gently stir
- Garnish with a lemon slice and pineapple skewer
Birthday Beast Yeti Backcountry Soda (Non-Alcoholic)
- 1 can Dr Pepper
- 1/2–3/4 oz Cupcake Torani syrup
- 1/2–3/4 oz Vanilla Torani syrup
- Splash of Coffee Mate Sweet Cream
- Whipped cream and sprinkles
Add the syrups to a 24 oz cup, fill with ice to about 3/4 full, pour in Dr Pepper, and stir well. Add the sweet cream, stir again, then top with whipped cream and sprinkles.
Yeti Backcountry Pizza and Tap House is located at 24718 Warren Wagon Road, approximately 35 miles north of McCall. Summer hours are 11am – 7pm daily.
