Dhenkanal is a small town and the food is correspondingly local: Odia thalis of rice, dal, and seasonal vegetable preparations like santula and saaga, with the occasional river fish. A handful of family-run restaurants line the main bazaar near the bus stand, serving cheap thalis at lunch and dosas or rolls in the evening. The better hotels on the bypass road have multi-cuisine restaurants that lean towards Indian-Chinese and standard North Indian dishes. For sweets, look for chhena poda (Odisha's caramelised cheese baked dessert) in the bazaar.