The Hopper Kitchen & Market — Restaurant in Helena

The Hopper is an important addition to Helena restaurants, but to reiterate what some other reviewers have said, they need to work some kinks out, and quickly. The Hopper uses good local ingredients when they can and charge a higher (though appropriate) price than Helena is used to paying. The problem is that the execution does not live up to either the ingredients or the price. Some examples: I've had three reubens here. Every time, there was at least one chunk of meat (once the whole sandwich) that was chewy to the point of being unpleasant. The forward spicing is excellent, but it either needs to be shaved thin or cooked longer. You want to serve a burger on sourdough? Great! But the bread needs to match the size of the patty at least a bit. Want to get in on the over- and poorly-done bowl craze? Fine. But it shouldn't be be a half-boiled afterthought. Love the timeless falafel, but the basmati rice is poor pairing and also just not good. Spice it. Herb it. Better yet, get some freekah or even bulgar going. One glaring omission is that in a sandwich-centric eatery, there are no vegetarian sandwiches. There is a small note that a vegetarian patty can be substituted, but its relative obscurity in comparison to the highlighting given to other main ingredients makes it an unappetizing choice. Any easy short term fix? Make the falafel bowl into a sandwich. I'm rambling...Conclusion: I want this place to succeed, but I'm going to take a couple months off from eating here. When I come back, I hope it has become the place it should be. Otherwise, I'm going to be waiting for whatever comes to...

After leisurely driving along a 7-hour stretch through southern Alberta and northern Montana's rolling hills and some winding lakeshore roads, we arrived at Helena past noon one balmy day in August 2022; proving to be a liberating feeling after two years of we'd rather forget restrictions.

The many nice landmarks, points and places of interests and the state's very friendly people deserve a separate review!

After strolling through the city center the following day, we went to The Hopper for lunch. Ours is a group of five and we ordered ribeye cheesesteak, churrasco beef Brazil, teen burger and chickpea falapel for myself. A most satisfying dining accentuated by the restaurant owner enthusiastically attending to the place's patrons, sharing interesting tales about the city and its people!

As a sidebar, next time I will not limit myself (to) the vegan way but opt for the juiciness of the ribeye or churrasco beef. Or should have I asked for extra fig balsamic to soak my falapel in, maybe?

This (our) neighbor to the south is one charming...

The Hopper is a great place to go for a casual meal in Helena. They serve up delicious food made with local ingredients, and their service is always friendly and attentive. I had the grass fed caprese burger, which was one of the best burgers I've ever had. The atmosphere is bright and airy, and there are tables inside and outside. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a great meal in Helena.

Here are the pros and cons of The Hopper in a nutshell:

Pros:

Delicious food made with local ingredients

Friendly and attentive service

Bright and airy atmosphere

Tables inside and outside

Cons:

I wish this was more of a restaurant atmosphere with table service

It's not busy enough yet. I think people don't really know about it yet.

Overall, I would highly recommend The Hopper to anyone looking for a great...