Montana Ale Works — Restaurant in Bozeman

Service is okay. Food is not that great and the atmosphere is a little bit, how do I say this nicely... A bit racist. We walked in there and being the only Pacific Islander in the restaurant, there's this kind of condescending feel of how they ask questions and how we are treated. For example.... When I tried to order fries, the server said "I'm sorry we don't have any rice"

Yes I get it... She probably misheard me because the place is loud. But given the situation and the circumstances, would you really assume that based on the color of our skin?

Funny part about this, is this where you see that you cannot judge a book by the color of their skin, because they prejudge my wife and I without knowing who we really are. We are Pacific Islander by blood but I grew up South Los Angeles while my wife grew up in Europe.

Another example is this. Our server is a trainee, on other tables I see that her trainer goes and accompanies her, but when she goes to our table, she leaves her untrained new waitress to take our order.

I mean, alright I get it. Maybe I am just overthinking it. Or maybe I am judging this prejudging this place which is totally unacceptable on my part because I don't want to be judged by others. You can come back to me and say, that maybe I am just being way too oversensitive. I get it.

But you know when deep down in your gut you know that you are right and no one's going to take that away from you? Well, this is what I feel about this place.

I have a feeling that after this review and when they see this review Management will indeed talk to them to improve on how they better accommodate all races. Since, people do go to Bozeman to visit Yellowstone. If that's the case, if they are going to improve for the better, then so be it. If we are the last Pacific Islander/Asian people that would experience this uncomfortableness then so be it. As long as they don't do it to others again, then let me be the bad guy here, I don't mind if they crucify me for that. I'd accept it but I am not going to hold back on what really transpired during...

Montana Ale Works is the kind of place you don’t just visit. You remember it. Hidden inside a beautifully restored railway freight building, it feels like a warm welcome wrapped in wood, brick, and the steady rhythm of conversation and clinking glasses. The moment you walk in, there’s this hum in the air that tells you something good is about to happen.

We found it on a whim one evening, chasing the smell of grilled meat and the comfort of soft lighting on a chilly Bozeman night. Inside, the atmosphere glowed. It was bustling, yet somehow intimate. Every table carried its own little story. Ours started with craft cocktails, mixed with such care it felt like an art form. Smooth, balanced, and just the right kind of bold.

Then came the food. I ordered the elk burger, and let me tell you, it was perfect. Rich, juicy, full of flavor. Cooked just right and served with fries so good I briefly forgot how to share. My partner had the elk meatloaf and spent the first five bites with eyes closed in joy. Every dish that passed our table looked like it had been made for royalty. Or hungry wanderers who’d finally found home.

What makes Montana Ale Works stand out isn’t just the food or the drinks. It’s the way it makes you feel. Like you’ve stepped into a place built on stories, laughter, and honest ingredients. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, the energy is just right, and the little touches around the room make it feel like no detail was ever overlooked.

If you’re in Bozeman and looking for something special, something local and real, come here. Eat well. Drink slowly. Stay awhile. There’s a little magic in the walls, and it’s worth...

Food was fantastic as always. However, my experience with staff was extremely unsettling and I'm still getting chills thinking about it. Our waiter was named Wyatt. They intruded my personal space more than once and weren't shy to compliment something about me.

It should go without saying that I was very clearly not into it; enough so that my friend commented how obvious it was that I was very visibly not ok. When I'm hungry and looking to get dinner with a friend, I'm not looking to feel preyed upon. Maybe this is just me, but when I go out to eat, I want to eat good food in good company without having a stranger so in my personal space I can feel their body heat.

We were ready to be out the door by the time the bill came, but it didn't help that Wyatt prolonged our stay by skipping over our table twice to service the tables right next to us clearly seeing that my card was sitting on the center of the table over the receipt? When they finally came over to get us checked out, it should go without saying I wasn't really keen on leaving a tip (sorry kitchen staff). I didn't tip, I didn't feel like it was warranted following everything up to that moment that made my exerpeince awful, but for them to pull everything they did and have the gall to ask if I wanted to leave a cash tip instead was the cherry on top.

I wish anyone who wants to eat here a much better experience than we were left with. I've been here plenty of times before with friends, and always had an awesome experience between the staff and food. But fearing that I'll be stuck with the same experience I got to sit through one time too many, I don't plan...