1889 Steakhouse — Restaurant in Missoula

Missoula is finally working it's food scene up the scale.

I am amused by some of the reviews written by those that are purportedly attempting to be "local expert reviewers" or "in the know" about what to expect, because I think they are missing the point.

All in all, 1889 is a welcome addition to the dining scene in Missoula, from a long standing stronghold in the industry. The two locales could not be any different; however, and for that I am thankful.

When you first walk in, the industrial architecture is very on trend in the industry, which is something we need more businesses in our community to do. It is fairly easy for me to focus on my table and my companion(s), so I generally don't allow noise to bother me. Upon being seated, this is where the new and the seasoned can be judged. It did take a little too long for water to be put in the glass, but this is a REAL pet peeve of mine, so I feel that I'm a little more cognisant to this than others. If I don't have water in my glass within 180 seconds, I get a little annoyed. I am willing to give a pass on this, because it is a new location, and I think they are a little busier than they may have originally anticipated. Weekly meetings with the staff to fix these things will lead to improvement, and I know that the staff in the kitchen and the front of the house is committed to this.

I am appreciative of the cross serving and running that the staff does, because it keeps the flow nice. There was a mistake made with our order, and, upon informing the runner, they informed our server and she came and immediately expressed her apologies for not understanding. She offered to make the other and leave the one that had been delivered, but we told her that we would stay with what he got. She then sent a complimentary dessert...exactly what I would have expected. The second time we chose to dine there, it was a new server, and she was great with her conversation and knowledge.

Each time, the food has been excellent and well prepared. There was a review discussing how underwhelming the rib-eye was, and I feel bad that their experience wasn't the same as ours. I won't do an exhaustive telling of our meals, as this isn't really the platform, but the kitchen is doing an amazing job. I am hopeful that they will weave seasonal starters and mains in and out, as they get their feet under them. The wine list could be a little more extensive (especially with more reserve wines), but I can understand the hesitance until they get a good idea of the regular clientele they can expect. The cocktail bar is, at this point, I believe the best in Missoula. It is a fun place to slip in for a non-reserved table.

All in all, is it perfect? No. Is it close? Just about as close as a new establishment can be. And to those that are talking about comparing to Ruth's Chris, Morton's and the like need to take a step back and understand that these places are chains that have been in business for a long time. I am certain their first 3 months were similar, if not worse. Instead of looking for reasons to put this place down, why don't we give it a chance....or we will never be able to expect our dining scene to be what it should and can be. I encourage everyone to go and give it a try...if you need to split because of pricing, the portions are sized so that it is possible. For those that are attempting to hold us to the standard of the big cities and coasts, as good as that may be to do for general standard, understand that the market here is entirely different than in those other locations and should be judged for the market. In my estimation, they are well on their way to becoming another stronghold in our dining scene and have added to it a location that we definitely...

Overall would not recommend. If no stars was available that's what you would be receiving, you don't even deserve a single star. My sister and I had reservations at 8:30 for her birthday dinner and our table wasn't even ready for another 45 minutes after arrival. As we approached going inside, we were immediately asked by the hostess before even getting through the door "do you both have masks?!" in a very rude tone. I was completely appalled. Do you have masks?! really? is that the ONLY thing you care about? not a "Hello! Welcome to 1889!" which is what the hostess should have said. I get masks are somewhat important however is that really the first thing the hostess absolutely had to say???? Come to her surprise no, we did not have masks as our governor has rightfully lifted the mask mandate in Montana. I told her we would need masks from the restaurant and if you don't have masks to supply you automatically don't HAVE to wear one. The hostess right from the gate ruined the atmosphere and how comfortable we felt at this establishment. NOTE/REMINDER TO 1889 - the first face you see and interact with at ANY BUSINESS sets the tone for the rest of the visit! maybe hire nicer hostess'? Enough about the rude hostess and the masks.. we then got to our table and waited over 30 minutes for just a tiny appetizer. Then after getting our meal I took maybe three bites and was so disgusted I did not eat it. Our bill was outrageous for just an app, two drinks, a steak and burger. $120. wayyy to expensive for basically nothing. The entire time we were not checked on, asked if we needed anything, updated on when our food would be out, nothing, and the waitress we had kept making really odd "jokes." Simply not impressed and will absolutely never be going back! They claim they are a "fine dining restaurant, I would have rather ate ANYWHERE else besides here. Do better 1889 with...

Extremely disappointing meal, especially given the high prices and the restaurant’s upscale presentation.

I ordered a sirloin steak, medium rare. It arrived dumped directly on top of a mound of gluey garlic mashed potatoes - that happens when the potatoes are overworked and the starch is released; no other side options were offered except french fries (or as they call them pomme frites). If I wanted fast-food-style fries and poorly executed potatoes, I wouldn’t be paying this kind of money. Not everyone eats potatoes, and there wasn’t a single vegetable option offered unless you want to pay extra for half a salad. Worse, the steak juices ran into the mash, making it even more unappetizing. I pushed the potatoes aside, untouched. The steak was cooked correctly but had almost no flavor.

My husband ordered a ribeye that was an embarrassment—about 1/2 inch thick, full of gristle, and tough. A proper ribeye should be at least an inch thick, tender, and well-marbled. The waitress attempted to tell us that medium-rare steaks don’t allow the marbling to render. That is simply incorrect. Between us, both my husband and I know our meats - he grew up around the restaurant industry and meat sales, and I’ve taken professional culinary courses.

The only bright spot: the staff was courteous and they did remove the cost of the ribeye from the bill. We paid with a gift card, but since we’ll never be back, we told the host to keep the balance and asked that it be distributed among the staff—no sense wasting it.

To top it off, the noise level was ridiculous. My husband is hard of hearing and had to raise his voice just to speak to the waitress. The acoustics made it nearly impossible to have a normal conversation.

Bottom line: overpriced, poorly executed food, zero flexibility, and a frustrating environment....