52 Best Restaurants in Helena, Bozeman, and Southwest Montana, Montana

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We've compiled the best of the best in Helena, Bozeman, and Southwest Montana - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

Old Salt Outpost

$ Fodor's Choice

Located inside the historic Gold Bar in downtown Helena, Old Salt Outpost goes a lot deeper than the simple burger menu found here. The menu includes a single burger, double burger, a bratwurst, or a salad. The general lack of options is more than mitigated by the quality of the smash burgers, perhaps the best in the state. 

406 N. Last Chance Gulch, Helena, MT, 59601, USA
Known For
  • Beef fat–fried potatoes and homemade sauces
  • Knowing that you're directly supporting ranchers of Montana
  • Grass-fed Montana beef, always
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon.

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The Peat Steakhouse

$$$ Fodor's Choice

The small, 200-person hamlet of Lima was once a bustling Union Pacific Railroad Service Center, peaking at 2,000 residents. While a lot has changed in this rural town, there's one thing that hasn't—the quality of steak at The Peat. Built in 1883, it was originally a brothel and saloon, and walking in here is a step back in time to the rowdier heyday of the gold rush. A large grill in the middle of the bar cooks your Montana beef to order, and it is considered one of the best steaks in Montana. There are still some hotel rooms in the back for hunters and folks who have a few too many drinks.

1 N. Broadway St., Lima, MT, 59739, USA
406-276--3797
Known For
  • Great selection of Montana brews and spirits
  • "Peatzahs" are made from scratch with local ingredients
  • Each steak is grilled to your liking in the middle of the restaurant
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch

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Piccola Cucina at Ox Pasture

$$$ Fodor's Choice
In this stylish little storefront eatery—the lone Montana outpost of a group of hip Sicilian restaurants in New York City—you can savor some of the best Italian food in the Rockies, along with an exceptional selection of wines. The cooking here ranges from old-school classics like eggplant Parmesan and spaghetti with clams to more ambitious fare, such as whole grilled sea bass.
7 Broadway N, Red Lodge, MT, 59068, USA
406-446–1212
Known For
  • Locally sourced ingredients
  • Urban, contemporary decor
  • Pistachio crème brûlée
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon. and Nov.–Apr.

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Recommended Fodor's Video

Uptown Café

$$$ Fodor's Choice

Fresh seafood, steaks, poultry, and pasta are served in this elegant restaurant that's one of southwest Montana's finest eateries. Try the scallops Provençal, sauteed with tomatoes, feta cheese, and garlic. A cafeteria-style lunch is served from 11 to 1. A rotating exhibit of paintings by local artists lines the walls.

Whistle Pig Korean

$$ Fodor's Choice
A welcome addition to Bozeman's growing selection of international restaurants, this cozy, dimly lighted Korean eatery serves delectable pork-kimchi buns, fried tofu dumplings, and bibimbap with bulgogi beef. Be sure to save room for a house-made Korean street doughnut.
25 N. Willson Ave., Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
406-404–1224
Known For
  • Cucumber kimchi
  • Kalbi barbecued short ribs
  • Short but sweet list of interesting beer and wine
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch

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Barclay II

$$$

This supper club and lounge is known for its steak and seafood. Folks come especially for the huge set meal of tenderloin typically served with salad, shrimp cocktail, breadsticks, spaghetti, salami and cheese, and ice cream. Dim lighting, white tablecloths, mirrors, and historic photos of Anaconda decorate the restaurant.

1300 E. Commercial Ave., Anaconda, MT, 59711, USA
406-563--5541
Known For
  • Huckleberry ice cream
  • Large portions
  • Steak so good it doesn't need sauce
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon. No lunch

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Benny's Bistro

$$$

The art deco–inspired interior, often filled with live jazz music, is a hallmark of this small but spacious restaurant, which started out serving comfort food but has branched into tapas and more exotic, internationally influenced but locally sourced fare. Favorites include the creamy tomato soup with fresh rosemary and the salmon mousse crêpe (scratch-made with grilled asparagus and Parmesan crisp). Look for menu items like Montana stroganoff, bison sirloin, and a wild mushroom fettuccini. 

108 E. 6th Ave., Helena, MT, 59601, USA
406-443–0105
Known For
  • Montana-grown proteins
  • Using paper straws and no styrofoam
  • Excellent curries for Montana
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun. and Mon.

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Blackbird Kitchen

$$$
Ground zero for unforgettable authentic Italian food in Bozeman, Blackbird Kitchen offers almost as many antipasti options as wine options. After your antipasti, choose from salads, pizzas, pastas, and meat entrées like lamb shank and crispy pork belly. Even with the open-kitchen concept and brick and industrial decor, the atmosphere is surprisingly romantic. You'll be tempted to stay for hours as you would in Italy.
140 E. Main St., Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
406-586--0010
Known For
  • A creative one-page menu
  • Mind-blowing house bread served with EVOO
  • Extremely thin-crust pizza
Restaurant Details
No lunch

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Blue Moon Bakery

$

Blue Moon Bakery sets out a tempting array of scones, muffins, cakes, and cookies. They also serve sizeable sandwiches (both cold and hot) and gourmet pizza.

120 Big Pine Dr., Big Sky, MT, 59716, USA
406-995–2305
Known For
  • Pizza crust with notes of garlic butter and Parmesan
  • A welcoming staff with excellent service
  • Homemade cream cheese
Restaurant Details
No dinner

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Bogart's

$$

This longtime local favorite for Mexican food, margaritas, specialty pizzas, and burgers is set inside a handsome historic downtown building but has a modern, rustic, real-Montana feel. Good bets from the Mexican side of the menu include pork chile verde burritos and mahi-mahi fish tacos, while the Surfing Pig (with Canadian bacon, grilled shrimp, pineapple, mozzarella, and barbecue sauce) is a favorite among the pizzas.

11 S. Broadway, Red Lodge, MT, 59068, USA
406-446–1784
Known For
  • Friendly, laid-back vibe
  • Good kids' menu
  • Jalapeño-mango margaritas
Restaurant Details
Credit cards accepted

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Broken Arrow Steak House

$$$

Your quintessential small-town establishment, this steak house is a no-frills place with simple decent steaks and shrimp, yet it's some of the best food in Deer Lodge. What it lacks in industry accolades it makes up for with local character.

317 N. Main St., Deer Lodge, MT, 59722, USA
406-846--3400
Known For
  • Above-average cheeseburgers
  • Being busy since it advertises the town's best steaks
  • Quick service for a sit-down restaurant

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By Word of Mouth

$$$

At night this restaurant fills with the boisterous merrymaking of the après-ski crowd—particularly Friday night, when a throng gathers for an all-you-can-eat fish fry. The menu includes Asian soba noodles, grilled rainbow trout, and lamb burger blended with mint chimichurri. There are several local beers on tap and happy hour is from 3 pm to 6 pm, when there are special prices for drafts, wine by the class, and house cocktails.

77 Aspen Leaf Dr., Big Sky, MT, 59716, USA
406-995–2992
Known For
  • The adult happy meal: burger, draft beer and pineapple vodka shot
  • A Montana-themed old fashioned cocktail featuring chokecherry liquor
  • Poutine featuring hand-cut garlic fries
Restaurant Details
Closed weekends

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Carbon County Steakhouse

$$$

Saddles, saddle blankets, bridles, and other cowboy and ranch paraphernalia prepare you for the certified Angus beef from the grill, perhaps in the form of a hearty Cowboy Coffee Ribeye, charbroiled with a spiced rum coffee sauce. Seared fresh mussels (from Prince Edward Island) are a local favorite. Dine on the deck in summer.

121 S. Broadway, Red Lodge, MT, 59068, USA
406-446–4025
Known For
  • Extra crispy duck drumettes
  • Memorable bison meatballs
  • Attentive, accommodating servers
Restaurant Details
Credit cards accepted
Closed Mon. and Tues.

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Cateye Café

$$

Some call it funky; all call it good food at a fair price. Named for the shape of Grandma's glasses, this small family-owned restaurant serves up a sense of humor with breakfast and lunch, including a "Purrfect Lunch" special; "Look for the Catastrophe" (scrambled eggs with taters, toast, and veggies); the "Felix" (a breakfast sandwich with prosciutto, roasted red pepper aioli, spinach, gouda cheese, and a fried egg on a torta roll); and the banana bread French toast.

23 N. Tracy Ave., Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
406-587–8844
Known For
  • Really good drip coffee
  • Tomato jam
  • Its consistent cat theme (restrooms are even called litter boxes)
Restaurant Details
Credit cards accepted
No dinner

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Continental Divide

$$$$

This bistro-style restaurant is a pleasant surprise in an area with numerous steak houses. Among the specials are char-grilled elk loin chops, crispy duck, and a full pound of Dungeness crab.

47 Geyser St., Ennis, MT, 59729, USA
406-682–7600
Known For
  • Incredible wine menu
  • Filling up quickly, so make a reservation far in advance
  • Outdoor deck with nice views
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch

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Faye's Cafe

$$
The collaborative chef's choice concept at this cute artsy café is unique to say the least. Instead of a traditional menu, diners pick adjectives and nouns that speak to them off a chalkboard with dozens of words. Chef Sarah Faye uses them to whip up a creative, customized breakfast for the first 30 patrons of the day, so come early (they open at 8 am).
415 E. Lewis, Livingston, MT, 59047, USA
406-223--7481
Known For
  • The chef is happy to accommodate for food allergies
  • Fragrant hot tea sweetened with local honey
  • Irresistible huckleberry bacon
Restaurant Details
No lunch or dinner

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Feast

$$$$
Feast is one of only a handful of restaurants in Montana serving up a daily dose of ceviche, bison carpaccio, and other raw bar specialties. Crabs, shrimp, oysters, scallops: if a fisherman can catch it, Feast serves it. For the meat lover, there is a burger with pancetta, bison tenderloin skewers, and Vietnamese chicken wings. As many of the ingredients as possible are seasonal and sourced locally from purveyors committed to sustainable farming and ranching. Visit during happy hour (5 to 6 everyday) for $1 off oysters on the half-shell, and $1 off tap beer and tap wine.
270 W. Kagy, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
406-577--2377
Known For
  • Outstanding, attentive servers
  • Crispy brussel sprouts
  • An upscale yet unassuming atmosphere
Restaurant Details
No lunch

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Firehole Bar-B-Que

$
You'll find expertly prepared, slow-cooked, fall-off-the-bone barbecue in this no-frills barn-style restaurant a few blocks from Yellowstone's West Entrance. Order at the counter, then wait for your feast of tender brisket, pork, turkey, St. Louis–style ribs, or buffalo sausage to appear. There's a good selection of sides, too. Note the lack of an alcohol license.
120 Firehole Ave., West Yellowstone, MT, 59758, USA
406-641–0020
Known For
  • Smoked meats by the pound (perfect for park picnic supplies)
  • Smoked buffalo sausage links
  • House barbecue sauce available to go by the bottle

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Foster and Logan's Pub & Grill

$$

Multiple TVs, each tuned to a different sport, line the brick walls of this friendly place. The bar claims 20 beers on tap, the better to enjoy what locals call the town's best hamburgers and other hearty pub fare. In winter opt for buffalo chili. The fish tacos, bison burger, and beer-battered fries also get rave reviews.

17 S. Broadway, Red Lodge, MT, 59068, USA
406-446–9080
Known For
  • Attracting a younger crowd
  • Really good Reubens
  • Being open to substitutions
Restaurant Details
Credit cards accepted

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Gil's Goods

$$
Although it's most famous for its wood-fired pizza (made with 36-hour naturally fermented dough), Gil's Goods also serves salads, burgers, and sandwiches, including a Nashville hot chicken special. It also boasts a full bar and pretty extensive beer and wine list for a casual establishment.
207 W. Park St., Livingston, MT, 59047, USA
406-222--9463
Known For
  • Homemade breads, available for sale by the loaf
  • Can be loud and a bit hectic during rush hour
  • Sidewalk seating for prime people-watching in the summer
Restaurant Details
Closed Tues.

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The Grill at Sage Lodge

$$$$
Don't be fooled by its name: The Grill at Sage Lodge is a high-end contemporary steak house where you come for the food but stay for the view (or vice versa). Steaks are all grass-fed and range from a 16-ounce oxtail to a 32-ounce Porterhouse that will set you back a pretty penny. Other typical, yet elevated, entrées include a dry-cured half duck, sous vide lamb saddle, and black truffle and lentil risotto. Make reservations in advance, especially on the weekends when locals splurge for dinner here.
55 Sage Lodge Dr., Pray, MT, 59065, USA
855-400--0505
Known For
  • Being quite pricey
  • A special five-course chef's choice menu
  • Hit-and-miss food and service depending on how busy they are
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch

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Hanging Five Restaurant

$$

This beloved diner has been feeding the Butte masses, especially after church mass, since the mid-1990s. The staff is friendly, the hash browns are plentiful, and the menu is exactly what you'd expect to see in a diner. Since you're in The Mining City, opt for the popular "Motherlode" omelet.

Homestake Pub

$$

Walk in to be greeted by friendly locals who have bellied up to the long bar with its iconic red-upholstered barstools and a small handful of tables. The short but sweet menu is full of iconic burgers and Philly cheesesteaks washed down with local brews and spirits.

1107 Utah Ave., Butte, MT, 59701, USA
406-221--7036
Known For
  • Proudly local Montana beef
  • Sunday brunch featuring a breakfast sandwich served between a waffle biscuit
  • Vintage video games in the back
Restaurant Details
No dinner Sun.

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Horn & Cantle

$$$$

Fine dining in Big Sky doesn't get any finer than here, where shareable feasts include the splurge-worthy tomahawk bone-in rib-eye steaks and braised bison short ribs. Mains include everything from wild game Bolognese to cedar-plank mushrooms. Also open for breakfast and lunch.

750 Lone Mountain Ranch Rd., Big Sky, MT, 59716, USA
406-995--4644
Known For
  • Truffle fries served with harissa ketchup
  • Chocolate chip cookie skillets
  • Fried chicken so good you'd swear you're in the South

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Hungry Moose

$$

Hungry Moose serves deli sandwiches as well as basic grocery items.

209 Aspen Leaf Dr., Big Sky, MT, 59716, USA
406-995–3045
Known For
  • A long, but fast-moving line
  • Hand-dipped ice cream from a Montana creamery
  • Being the best place to get hiking snacks

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Iron Horse Bar & Grill

$
Vintage advertisements, street signs, and gas-station memorabilia fill the interior of this rollicking roadhouse, but the heart of this place is the huge wooden deck overlooking the Yellowstone River and the mountains in the distance. The food is simple but hearty and well-seasoned—think elk tacos, bison burgers, and panfried rainbow trout.
212 Spring St., Gardiner, MT, 59030, USA
406-848–7888
Known For
  • Wooden deck with river views
  • Comfort fare featuring local game
  • Nice selection of craft beers

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Iron Star Pizza Company

$$
Stop by Iron Star Pizza Company for pizza, wings, and specialty subs. There are also several tempting fried items on the menu. When it's warm, ask to sit on the patio.
101 Bramble St., Big Timber, MT, 59011, USA
406-932--5998
Known For
  • A spicy pizza sauce so good you'll want the recipe
  • Happy, helpful employees
  • A great take-out option in a town with no fast food chains
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun.

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Jam!

$$
Colorful murals, high ceilings, and exposed air ducts create a mod-industrial ambience in this bustling downtown café that serves breakfast all day as well as a selection of tasty lunch items. Specialties include the crab cake Benedict and challah bread French toast stuffed with jam-infused mascarpone cheese.
25 W. Main St., Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
406-585–1761
Known For
  • Mimosas and brunch cocktails
  • Bacon–smoked bacon burgers
  • Both sweet and savory crepes
Restaurant Details
No dinner

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Lucca's

$$$$

You're a guest of honor at this cozy Italian eatery tucked into the north end of the walking mall. With only 54 seats, dinner is intimate and elegant, and this regularly ranks among the best restaurants in Helena. Start with baked fontina or fried calamari, then dine on an array of pasta dishes, New York steak, veal scallopini, or pork chop with apples. Try the Italian Sausage Cavatappi, a Lucca's original: spiral pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, shallots, and garlic in a Marsala and fresh sage cream sauce. Be sure to ask the maître d' about the impressive wine list. Limited hours and a small dining area make reservations a must.

56 N. Last Chance Gulch, Helena, MT, 59601, USA
406-457–8311
Known For
  • Everything being made from scratch
  • Half-price wines on Wednesday
  • Reservations encouraged
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch
Reservations are encouraged

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Madison Crossing Lounge

$$$
This handsome bistro and cocktail lounge set in part of West Yellowstone's 1918 former school building is an inviting spot for drinks—there's an encyclopedic wine, craft beer, and cocktail list—and appetizers. But if you're seeking a more substantial meal, consider the flat-iron steak with chimichurri sauce or a burger topped with smoked bacon and huckleberry-chipotle jam.
121 Madison Ave., West Yellowstone, MT, 59758, USA
406-646–7621
Known For
  • Nachos with bison chorizo
  • Attractive fireplace-warmed dining room
  • Creative cocktails
Restaurant Details
Closed mid-Oct.–mid-Dec. No lunch

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