🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Khao Kho sits at around 1,000 metres above sea level, with cool air most of the year and proper cold from November to January. That chill is exactly why 'grilled and boiled-hot' food becomes the star of every trip up here. Pork skewers off the grill, boiled corn and moo kratha around a charcoal pot are the first things drivers heading up the mountain go looking for. This guide splits into two parts: the roadside eats on the way up, and the good-view spots where you settle in for a long sit at the top.
Roadside eats on the drive up
Before the foot of the mountain, the main route most people take is the climb at the Khaem Son junction (Route 12, Phitsanulok–Lom Sak). Anyone coming from Phetchabun town usually passes the Na Ngua area before turning up. These two stretches are where the grill stalls and corn stalls line the road, prices are easy on the wallet, and you can bag it up to eat once you're up the mountain.
- Skewered grilled pork — marinated in aromatic spices and grilled over fresh charcoal right by the road, mostly 10–15 THB a skewer. Grab a few to snack on along the way.
- Boiled sweet corn — plump, golden-kernelled Khao Kho corn, boiled hot and sold at 20–30 THB an ear. Some stalls also do butter-grilled or salt-sprinkled.
- Grilled chicken & Isan sausage — many stalls sell these alongside the grilled pork, a good light meal with sticky rice before you head up.
- Grilled banana & roasted sweet potato — roadside sweets that pair well with the cool air, found at the same stalls as the corn.
Time your stop right
Most roadside grill stalls set up late morning through the afternoon and start packing up once it gets late. If you're planning to grab grilled pork and corn for the car, stop by in the afternoon before you reach the top. Don't leave it until evening, because many of them will already be closed.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Phetchabun food tour or cooking class
Half a day with a local who knows the lanes — or cooking a dish yourself — teaches you more than just eating. Book ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide.
Moo kratha & grills with mountain views — the spots that are really open
Once you're up the mountain, the roadside grilled pork upgrades to moo kratha around a charcoal pot — you grill as you soak up the cool air, and it's the dinner people meet up over most often on Khao Kho. We picked these from real reviews and ordered them by which suits a different trip style.
Khao Kho Moo Kratha Chill-Chill (Khaem Son junction)
An easy-to-reach buffet spot for people who've just come up the mountain, about 300 metres from the Khaem Son junction, past it on the left by the Wat Khaem Son archway. Several styles of marinated pork plus shrimp and seafood add-ons, good for a first meal before checking in.
Wind-Turbine View Moo Kratha, Khao Kho
The draw here is grilling while you look out at the Khao Kho wind turbines. Open Saturdays–Sundays roughly 10:00–21:00, with both moo kratha and shabu. Good for photo lovers who want a view to go with the meal — worth calling to check the queue before high season.
Krua Kanyama (moo kratha + grilled chicken & som tam)
A local spot that residents review as filling and good value for moo kratha, plus grilled chicken and som tam to order alongside. Good for groups who want both the grill and Isan dishes in one place.
Stratus Camping Boutique Resort (moo kratha with sea-of-mist view)
Moo kratha for a few hundred baht but with a resort-style sea-of-mist view. At certain times there's a coffee corner with an onsen soak to keep warm. Good for resort guests who want dinner with a view without driving anywhere.
The Posh Khao Kho Resort (shabu set)
A pork + veg + seafood shabu set for two, good for couples or small families who want a clean set meal without diving into a buffet. Located in Thung Samo subdistrict, close to several main sights.
Sunset Resort Khao Kho (moo kratha set)
A moo kratha set for groups, good for guests staying at Saliang Haeng resort who want a big meal with a sunset view. Order it as a set to share among several people.
Book ahead in high season
During the cool season (Nov–Jan) the good-view spots up the mountain get very long queues, especially the ones only open on Saturdays–Sundays. Call ahead to reserve a table or go early in the evening. Show up late and you may not get a view seat.
Corn-farm cafes for a daytime stop
If you want sweet corn the sit-and-chill way with parking, rather than buying it roadside, Khao Kho has cafes that make their menus straight from their own farm's corn. Good for a lunchtime break while you're working through the sights.
Cornily Corn Farm
A cafe on a corn farm in Thung Samo subdistrict, open daily around 9:00–17:00. The standout is cold-pressed sweet corn juice (about ฿45) and a corn cream-cheese tart with just the right sweetness. There's a flower garden plus ducks and chickens for photos.
Roadside boiled-corn stalls
The quick option — no long stop, no getting far from the car. Hot boiled corn at 20–30 THB an ear, sold at viewpoints and along the road in several stretches. Good to grab while you're working through the photo spots.
How to plan your eating around a trip up the mountain
The simple formula a lot of people use is 'eat light on the road, eat big on the mountain'. On the way up, grab grilled pork and corn for the car to tide you over; once you're up the mountain in the evening, sit down to mountain-view moo kratha as the main meal; then save the corn cafe for a daytime stop the next day.
- On the way up (afternoon) — stop at a grilled-pork and boiled-corn stall, grab some for the car, total a few dozen baht.
- Dinner on the mountain — book mountain-view moo kratha/shabu ahead and settle in for a long sit in the cool air.
- Lunch the next day — stop at a corn-farm cafe for cold corn juice before heading on to the next sight.
- Before heading down — buy fresh sweet corn as a gift to take home from the roadside stalls.
Bring cash
Most roadside grill and corn stalls take cash only, and signal is weak in some spots on the mountain. Carry small notes — they're easy to pay with and you won't be waiting on change.
Plan a full day of eating and exploring around Khao Kho — see more places to stay and sights
See the Phetchabun travel guide →