Montana's Rib & Chop House - Bozeman — Restaurant in Bozeman

Most Rib and Chop Houses we have visited have provided a wonderful dining experience. Unfortunately, our visit to the Rib and Chop House in Bozeman tonight (7/11/21) was nothing short of a train wreck. Upon entering the restaurant we were greeted by a friendly young lady who had to excuse herself while she answered the restaurant phone and helped the customer on the line. While she worked, out of sight, to help this customer we were left waiting for 10 minutes without acknowledgment from any other staff. I understand that this falls within a host/hostess's job duties but I should have seen the inattentiveness of other staff as a sign of what was to come. The nice hostess finally returned and was apologetic and seated us in the south wing/side of the dining area. She provided us food and a drink menu then told us the name of our server. We sat for at least 15 minutes before we were even greeted by our server (her name started with a K). When she brought us our drinks, 2 waters with lemon and a lemonade, she didn't offer straws which might seem a small thing but it speaks to a lack of attention to detail that was consistent through our entire dining experience. It took her 10 minutes to finally bring us the requested straws AFTER we asked for them again. We ordered food: fried green tomatoes without chives or "green stuff" as an appetizer. For entrees my wife and daughter ordered the 10 Oz Baseball Cut medium rare without the chives/garnish onto of the steak with a loaded baked potato without chives and I ordered the Buffalo Chicken Salad with no bleu cheese and extra ranch. The wait time for our meal was reasonable. We did however witness an entire tray of food come into our dining area then go back out because the wait staff couldn't locate the table to which the food belonged. This also happened with a plate of mushrooms. Our order arrived and was inaccurate as well. The fried green tomatoes had chives/onions on top as did the steak ordered by my wife and daughter. The steak was cooked to the proper temperature, baked potato was tasty, and my salad was good. Every time that our waitress stopped by our table to check on us she turned to walk away almost too quickly and we had to stop her to get her attention. We understand that most restaurants are struggling with staffing but would like to express that there is a way to be in a hurry without seeming short, inattentive, and/or rude. I still don't know if our waitress didn't care or if she was busy beyond her capabilities. We finished our meal and the waitress asked if we were thinking about dessert or wanted our check. We asked for the check. She did not ask if we had a diner's card and would have saved herself some trouble if she had. The air temperature in the restaurant was initially refreshing upon walking in but quickly became uncomfortable as dinner progressed. An elderly woman at a table near us had to put on a shawl, another woman complained to her server, and despite being out in 90+ degree heat all day we found it uncomfortable and the staff completely unaware. We have been fans of Rib and Chop House since the first time we ate at the one in Livingston, MT. We were excited to know that one of our favorite restaurants was coming to Bozeman but this one has been nothing but a disappointment. I understand that the past year has been hard on many businesses in the service industry. My wife and I have worked over 20 years in customer service positions of one kind or another. We understand that there are great demands on those in these positions but this experience goes beyond that. I believe tonight displayed a lack of training, inter-business cohesiveness, and overall desire to meet their customers' needs by everyone involved. This includes management and ownership. This year has been hard and many have suffered but it is up to us to how we respond to such conditions. It will be a long time before we go back to Rib and Chop...

There are dining experiences that dazzle. There are those that disappoint. & then there are those that offend. Not w/ rudeness, but w/ audacity. Montana Rib & Chophouse, I regret to inform you, falls squarely in the latter category.

Now, I’m no stranger to this establishment. I’ve dined here once before & walked away underwhelmed but willing to give it another go. After all, even steakhouse royalty can have an off night. But this second visit? It wasn’t just mediocre, it was maddening.

Let’s begin w/ the illusion: at first glance, this place looks the part. An upscale steakhouse nestled in Big Sky Country, complete w/ mood lighting & wine lists that whisper “indulgence.” But then you open the menu... & the whisper becomes a slap.

We kicked things off w/ the Hot Honey Goat Cheese; a $16.50 appetizer served w/ lightly toasted sourdough rounds & not much else. When I hear “hot honey,” I expect a kiss of spice. Instead, the "hot" refers to literal temperature. The dish arrived melted into a puddle, missing its promised veggie garnish, & tasting more like warmed goat cheese than anything nuanced. A decent bite, but not a $16 one.

Feeling adventurous, I ordered a mocktail. My mistake! It was so puckeringly sour, it should’ve come w/ a warning label. I asked for a plain huckleberry lemonade instead & received what can only be described as sugar water. One sip & I was done.

Things didn’t improve w/ the fish & chips. A $24.95 entrée that felt more like a kid’s menu castoff. Three lackluster fish filets atop a pile of frozen fries. No frills, no flavor, no justification for the price.

Then came my entrée: the grilled garlic shrimp. $30 including rice pilaf, & toast?!? Such an odd pairing! I requested a swap for a loaded baked potato & was informed that it would cost an additional $5. Fine, I thought, perhaps it will be worth it. It wasn't. 🤦🏽‍♀️

What arrived was a hollowed-out potato stuffed with a soupy mix of sour cream, cheese & one lonely speck of bacon peeking through like it owed rent. I flagged it to the server, who kindly brought me a bowl of dry bacon crumbles that did nothing to revive the dish. The shrimp was cooked well but utterly flavorless. A $35 plate of bland shrimp & a hallow potato? I’d laugh if I weren’t still paying it off.

Even my son’s kids' sliders were overcooked to the point of char. Two mini hockey pucks that were black w/ a pile of fries. He took one bite & tapped out. I don't blame him. It was so unpleasant I couldn't bear to make him finish his food. At $9, I was left wondering if this was our punishment for not ordering the $48 ribeye. 🤷🏽‍♀️

To their credit, the manager was responsive & adjusted our bill accordingly. He did the right thing, & for that I’m grateful. But the fact that such corrections were necessary in the first place speaks volumes.

Montana Rib & Chophouse may present itself as premium, but behind the curtain lies overpriced mediocrity, an overreliance on carbs & a kitchen that clearly clocks out long before closing time. I don’t mind paying top dollar for a premium meal, but I draw the line at being taken advantage of.

In this economy, we must dine w/ discernment. Speak up when value is missing, & don’t let aesthetic trickery rob you of a good meal, or your good sense.

-Your Loyal Taster-in-Chief Serving the truth, even when the steakhouse...

Super disappointing service-

We recently dined at Rib & Chop House in Bozeman to celebrate our niece’s high school graduation, and unfortunately, the experience was pretty terrible. We had a reservation for a party of six at 12:30 PM. Four of us arrived on time to a fairly empty restaurant, were seated right away—but then completely ignored for nearly 20 minutes. No server came by to introduce themselves or offer drinks during that time. Once the remaining two members of our group arrived, our server finally appeared to greet us and take our drink order (three sodas and a beer, in addition to waters). Waters came out about 10 minutes later, and we placed both appetizer and entrée orders. However, the rest of the drinks never showed. After another long wait and having to flag down a different server to ask about the drinks- our salads and appetizers arrived—still without the drinks. Our server apologized and when she finally came back with the drinks, explained they had been delivered to the wrong table and she had been unaware. At this point, we were frustrated but still trying to be understanding. Unfortunately, things didn’t improve. By 2:00 PM—an hour after ordering—our entrees still hadn’t arrived. We were told they’d be out shortly, and offered drink refills (which never came either). One member of our group needed to leave by 2:30 to catch a flight, and we were growing increasingly concerned as tables seated after us were receiving their meals. At 2:15, both the server and manager came over to inform us that they were out of ribs—one of the entrees we had ordered. The manager offered to replace it at no charge, but by then we were out of time and patience. We declined the replacement and asked for everything to be packed to-go. When we expressed frustration at only now being told they were out of ribs even though we had been there for almost 2 hours, the server responded with “well, the whole party wasn’t there until later,” and both she and the manager offered excuses about not knowing about the situation. That exchange, frankly, was the breaking point. Mistakes happen, but the dismissive attitude and deflection of responsibility were unacceptable, especially after two hours of disjointed service. To their credit, the restaurant did comp the entire meal, and we do appreciate that gesture. However, the experience was so poor—and the attempts at accountability so lacking—that it overshadowed any goodwill. We ended up eating our meals cold and rushed, which makes it hard to fairly assess the food, though it was just okay under the circumstances. All in all, what should have been a celebratory lunch turned into a frustrating and disappointing ordeal. Hoping this was just an off day for them, but I won’t be returning...