43 Best Restaurants in Kalispell, Missoula, and Northwest Montana, Montana

The hotel's handsome restaurant still has its original wainscoting and leaded-glass windows, but in fine weather, ask to dine on the deck outside to watch the sun set behind the mountains. Bison meatloaf has been a signature dish for years, but you'll also find other unique dishes like confit duck leg with Flathead cherries; homemade fettuccine with fennel, olives, and shiitake mushrooms; or Flathead lake trout with butternut squash purée and saffron butter. Gluten-free and vegan choices are also on the menu, and there's a good selection of craft cocktails, beer, and wine to complement the food. Try the wonderful berry crisp with huckleberry ice cream for dessert. The menu in the lounge is more casual, with items like Southern chicken salad and Korean steak tacos. During summer, if you place an order at the front desk by 6 pm, a box lunch can be ready for pickup the next morning.

This is the place for the classic small-town café experience. Locals and visitors happily blend in a casual, friendly atmosphere as they dig into well-prepared breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. You can start your day with huckleberry pancakes or biscuits and gravy and come back for a home-cooked dinner of sirloin steak Stroganoff or a hefty helping of Grandma Maetzold's original mac 'n cheese recipe.

On the edge of the Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge, the Ninepipes Lodge has views of the Mission Mountains and native grass-edged wetlands full of birds. The restaurant is open seven days a week, serving local Double R Ranch beef steaks, seafood, and specials like baby back ribs. You can find reasonably priced lodging here, too, as well as an art gallery, a museum, and a trading post next door.

Locals wait in line for the fall-off-the-bone barbecue ribs, broasted chicken, and fry bread served with honey butter. The atmosphere is very casual, with a large main room, several smaller eating areas (great for families), and a spacious patio. A typical combination platter includes your choice of ribs (country-style or spare) and either broasted or rotisserie chicken served with sides of fry bread, baked beans, coleslaw, and red potatoes—or opt for a side salad. They also serve pasta and have excellent pizza with homemade sauce.

Pair a great local beer with delicious casual fare at this local brewery, where there are always about eight different kinds of house beer on tap as well as kombucha, sparkling water, and nitro iced coffee. The premium burgers and sandwiches are exceptionally good, especially when accompanied by hand-cut garlic Parmesan fries. Try the slow-roasted ginger hoisin pork sandwich with spicy slaw, or have it in a bowl with rice, spicy slaw, and sriracha mayo. The fried pickles are great for a starter, and there's always a good selection of simple, homemade desserts. Note: this is a brewery, so they are only licensed to serve their own house brews and have to stop pouring at 8 pm in accordance with Montana liquor laws.

You can't eat the scenery, so this popular restaurant relies on local ranchers and farmers to provide the raw material for delicious food. With a small but wide-ranging and ever-changing menu, it's also a local favorite, especially for special occasions, with great service and a fine wine list.

Buttery croissants, cookies, cupcakes, scones, quiches, muffins, and other glorious baked treats abound at Missoula's best bakery, a longtime local favorite. Come in for coffee seven days a week from 6 am to 8 pm or for lunch from 11 am to 4 pm, when there's a small selection of soups, salads, and sandwiches. There's seating inside and out, or you can eat alongside the nearby river.

A local favorite, this classic 1950s-style American diner is a favorite among locals and visitors alike. Located on the south end of the lake near Polson, Betty's is decorated with old signs and other Americana artifacts and serves classics like biscuits and gravy, homemade milkshakes, and signature Betty pancakes. Look for the big pink neon sign on the west side of Highway 93.

Shakes come in one size—large—at Big Dipper, where folks line up for homemade ice cream in flavors like cardamom, green tea, huckleberry, maple walnut, and Mexican chocolate. In the summer, the line can extend around the block. There are locations in Helena and Billings, too.

This intimate, downtown pizza place is popular for its unusually creative flavor combinations. Locals come for the Caramelized Goat, a piping-hot pie capped with caramelized onions, goat cheese, roasted garlic, mozzarella, and fresh herbs. Other fun combos include the Prosciutto & Fig and the Sweet Potato, Bacon & Maple Chipotle. If you're not feeling that adventurous, you can always create your own.

One of the oldest breweries in the state, Bitter Root Brewing brews 40 different styles of beer annually, and has recently added a Livin' Lite "lifestyle" pale ale and a prickly pear hard seltzer. The kitchen always churns out all your favorite brewpub staples, including their specialty, hand-dipped, Sawtooth Ale-battered fish-and-chips. Meet the brewmaster, sample a Dirt Church Hazy IPA or Single Hop Pale Ale, and enjoy live music Thursday nights. 

With its lodge-like dining room anchored by a floor-to-ceiling fireplace and exposed log beams, Blue Canyon pairs a rustic yet elegant Montana atmosphere with excellent, hearty cuisine. Innovative, seasonally inspired dishes fill the menu. Plan ahead and reserve the private table to create your own five-course culinary experience with the inventive head chef.

The best of four restaurants in Missoula's downtown Residence Inn, which occupies the site of the old Missoula Mercantile, borrows from the culinary traditions of Oaxaca and the Yucatán to deliver outstanding Mexican cuisine and creative tequila-based cocktails. The menu is largely centered around shareable apps and taco plates. Try the homemade guacamole and the carnitas tacos. For an adventure, binge on a flight of tequila or mezcal samples. Happy hour is offered every day.

With offerings like penne alla vodka and linguini alla carbonara, Ciao Mambo is the place to come for pasta in Missoula. Start with fried fresh mozzarella balls or classic bruschetta. For dessert, try the cannoli or tiramisu. There's soup, salad, pizza, and a kids' menu, too, as well as locations in Whitefish and Billings.

One of a very few local breweries that is all about lagers rather than ales, the Bayern Brewery offers a dozen craft beers in its German-style brewery's tasting room. The Edelweiss Bistro upstairs serves good German staples, including excellent sausages and schnitzels. Try the bratwurst and sauerkraut or the käsespätzle. Beer options include Schwarzbier and St. Wilbur Weizen, as well as seasonal specials such as Dopplebock, Groomer, or Face Plant during ski season, and Dump Truck Summer Bock when the weather's warm. Brewery tours are available by appointment.

One of the rare eateries that offers quick, wholesome, fresh food for meat eaters and vegans alike. A local favorite, especially for lunch, Five on Black serves Brazilian-inspired bowls of rice, meats, and/or vegetables, in addition to delectable toppings.

Choose from a host of house-brewed beers and a typical pub menu upstairs in the Pubhouse and deep-dish pizza downstairs in the cellar. This is a popular place in both summer and winter, with nice views of the lake from open-air decks.

In the location previously occupied by Cafe Dolce in the historic Rose Garden neighborhood, this new Italian restaurant serves up well-crafted dishes in a gorgeous dining room. The menu includes a well-loved burrata with pistachio and proscuitto as well as pizzas, including a delicious Margherita; among the main courses, the beef short ribs are outstanding. During the morning and afternoon, a small cafe up front serves panini and pastries. The wine selection is one of the best in town.

For a bit of town gossip and great burgers, stop by this classic small-town café, a dressed-down spot where the locals love to hang out. On the weekends, enjoy the best breakfast buffet in the Bitterroot Valley.

A short 15-minute drive southwest of West Glacier, this casual family-owned restaurant serves up great pizza, fried chicken, fish-and-chips, and salads alongside a nice selection of local beers and ales. Guests order at a counter, pay, then seat themselves. Gluten-free pizza is available, and there are also a variety of side dishes on the menu like mozzarella sticks, battered mushrooms, onion rings, and French fries. The restaurant is open only from 4 to 8 Wednesday through Sunday, and you can order take-out and sit at outdoor picnic tables. 

A unique dining room built of enormous logs provides a rustic setting for hearty comfort-food classics: slow-roasted prime rib, classic mac and cheese, pan-seared trout, beef pot roast, and butternut squash ravioli. The food goes well with the Montana microbrews available on tap and by the bottle. The huckleberry bread pudding is a dessert specialty. There are gluten-free and vegan options on the menu, and with advance notice, the restaurant can prepare a box lunch to go.

Craft beer and gourmet burgers are the thing at Hop's, a popular chef-owned eatery in the historic downtown area. Its menu boasts 100 craft beers, regional wines, and more than a dozen burgers, including at least one vegetarian option. Start with crispy duck wings, then try a wild boar, buffalo, or yak burger. The elk lasagna also is outstanding.

Come here for the best bread and soup in the valley. The café's baked goods, including fresh croissants, baguettes, and scones, will entice you in, but it's worth your while to stay for breakfast or lunch—the Reuben sandwiches are sublime, and any one of the salads makes a great lunch. Local artwork adds a warm touch.

This little bakehouse makes delicious croissants, scones, brioches, canneles, and other sweet baked treats. It also serves the best coffee in town. In addition to pastry, this longtime bakery sells artisan breads (baguettes, ciabatta, rosemary foccaccia, and New York rye), gourmet mustards, salts, vinegars, and olive oils.

Locals will send you here to watch the sun set over the lake while dining on the only thing on the menu: steak. Select cuts, all 16-ounce portions, are served with potatoes, garlic bread, and pickled watermelon rind served family-style. From October thru April you can get broiled shrimp, too. During the summer, grab a burger or chicken breast sandwich at Bay Burgers ($–$$) and enjoy the outside dining. From October through March, Bay Burgers moves inside the steak house from 11 to 3.

For an authentic taste of Montana, head to this hearty steak house in a rustic log structure 8 miles south of Missoula, in Lolo. The dining room has a hunting-lodge atmosphere, replete with taxidermied wildlife on the walls. Although most diners opt for one of the signature sirloins—cooked over a crackling open-pit barbecue—there are other well-prepared meat, chicken, and seafood dishes from which to choose. The restaurant has often been selected as Missoula's Choice for best steak.

This family-run sit-down restaurant is known for its gourmet Italian cuisine and fresh seafood. A good way to decide what you like best is to try the sampler, which includes handmade pasta stuffed with different fillings, spinach gnocchi, fettuccine Alfredo, shrimp, vegetables, and another side. All meals include soup or salad.

This upscale steak house has a casual vibe and a great wine list. The Wagyu burger with garlic aioli is a great value, and the 17-ounce bison rib eye is a worthy splurge. Reservations are recommended, especially on summer weekends. 

The Rocky Mountains might be a strange place for an artisan coffee bar, but this spot has been roasting its own beans south of Whitefish for decades. Fresh coffee, pastries, and homemade gelato are favorites at this popular downtown hangout. Stop in to enjoy a cuppa joe and browse the hand-painted furniture, gifts, local artworks, and bulk coffees and teas that line the brick walls. Sister cafes are in Columbia Falls and Kalispell. Tours at the roastery are given on Tuesday mornings.

This local favorite is known throughout the Bitteroot Valley as the place with the best burger in the region—and possibly the state. The locally owned family restaurant serves burgers, steaks, and sandwiches, all made with fresh ingredients and Bitterroot Valley beef. For those who want to eat lighter, they serve a fresh Mandarin Orange Salad.