The Montana Club Restaurant — Restaurant in Missoula

Ok, I finally got around to doing this review from Thanksgiving. I made notes so I wouldn't miss key items. Bear with me as there's a lot to discuss. We planned this stop on our way to CO to pick up an RV. I was excited for a traditional Thanksgiving meal that I did not have to cook and clean for, my 1st meal out ever for this occasion.

When we arrived, they were surprisingly not overly busy. Since we had just spent hours on the road, we informed the host upon entering that we were going to utilize the restroom first before being seated. When we returned, we stood off to the side slightly out of the draft of the doorway but in plain view. Three parties were seated before us as they entered and there was no reservations. We spoke up after that but was confused as the host saw us there.

The lighting overall was quite dark and reading menus was difficult, even for daytime. We knew we wanted the TG meal special and didn't waste too much time ordering other than an appetizer of cheese curds with bacon caramel sauce. When it arrived, it had no sauce as our server must not have heard us correctly or the kitchen got it wrong. Regardless, in lieu of taking it back and getting it made proper, she suggested bringing sides of bacon and sauce. This was acceptable but we didn't expect the one cup with a few teaspoons in it. I'm not a fan of shared double-dipping either. By the time she delivered it, the curds had cooled considerably. (See pic) Also, the well worn cloudy water glasses could use replacing. Mine had a chip in it as well. The dishware was more indicative of an all-you-can-eat buffet quality than a supper club.(See pic)

Next, the salads were brought out. She dropped them off and left so quickly we didn't have time to bring it to her attention we needed silverware. She walked by several times not noticing us not eating so we just grabbed some off another table. It was a Caesar salad and tasted good except for the soggy croutons and slimy half-ripe lemon. (See pix)

So far, not so good. We were high in hopes the main meal would compensate. Unfortunately this was not the case either. As you can see in the pix again, the portion sizing between our plates were pretty uneven. One had mostly potatoes and the other a significantly larger portion of turkey. As you can also see in the pix, there was a fair amount of rubbery gross fat too. The carrots were cold and you could tell the rolls were made day before and reheated as they were rubbery and tough. The very best part was the smudge of cranberry sauce! I totally expected canned jellied at this point. It had walnuts, lemon, orange, whole berries, and cinnamon! Just wish there were more...and had a spoon to eat it with. LOL

I really wanted to give a good review but sadly I felt it was a wasted stop and would have been more satisfied had I packed a picnic lunch to eat in the truck instead. The waitress really only stopped by once and dropped off check before we were even half finished. So we took the check up to the register so we weren't waiting for her return as she was obviously overwhelmed even though it wasn't terribly/unusually busy and lots of tables were open. Now, I do realize it was a holiday and probably low staffed due to COVID (so sick of that).

As an aside: We totally appreciate those individuals in the service industry whom show up to work... sincerely. I just feel everyone's being over worked and taken advantage of by management has taken it's toll on the staff's GAF any more. IMHO...if you are short staffed, and rely on those hard-working key employees who show up and pick up the slack... you should compensate them accordingly as well. Spread out the wages you would have paid the 2-4 additional workers and reward them,...

Last night was my birthday, and I decided to celebrate with dinner at The Montana Club off of Reserve in Missoula. It had been a while since my last visit, and with friends, myself, and family traveling from Polson to join me for some evening events, I wanted to make it special.

We were seated fairly quickly around 5:45 p.m. — it wasn’t busy at all, so we expected things to go smoothly. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

We placed a very straightforward order:

Cheese pizza for the youngest at the table (came with pepperoni)

Fettuccine Alfredo to share (thankfully the only order that came out right)

Medium rare huckleberry steak with steamed rice for my husband (came out closer to blue rare)

Well-done Royal New York steak, no mushrooms, for me (arrived medium rare and covered in mushrooms)

My friend repeatedly asked for a water that never came — I eventually gave her mine, assuming hers would show up and I'd take hers, since I had a huck mule. It never came.

I rarely complain, but I was genuinely looking forward to this evening and meal. I sent my steak back, and the server — who was kind and apologetic — offered another drink while I waited. But when the second steak came, it was somehow worse: medium rare, clearly undercooked, and not edible for me.

By then we were now running late for a reserved and ticketed event my husband had planned, so I told everyone to go ahead and eat without me and besides me cutting in the steak, I left the plate untouched. I stepped away briefly, and when I returned, I overheard the waitress asking my husband, “What’s the problem now?” I stepped in and clarified simply stated: the steak was obviously raw.

She apologized and asked if I wanted it to-go. I declined. She said she’d try to comp my drinks — came back and said she comped both my meal and drinks.

Let’s be real: I shouldn’t have paid for a meal I didn’t eat and one of the two drinks I didn’t even touch anyway. And honestly, on a birthday visit, where nearly everyone at the table had a botched order, that doesn’t feel like much of a courtesy.

Also — isn’t there a birthday discount based on your age? It used to be a % off for however old you turned. If so, nothing was mentioned or could of went towards one of my families meals.

Again, it wasn’t a busy night. There was no reason a table of four should have had this many problems. Our server did her best to patch things up, bit overall the kitchen and waitress completely fumbled what should have been a simple, celebratory meal.

Disappointing doesn’t even begin to cover it.

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I love this location of this restaurant, and believe it warrants a 5 star review. Here is why.

First off, the location by my house on Brooks made me never want to come to Montana club again. I received the worst service I ever received, and was disrespected by the staff after being a regular. This is never the case at the much nicer Reserve street location! After 14 years working in restaurants, this place is great for many reasons.

I went to this location tonight, and have been to many great restaurants in Missoula. I always receive great service, even though it is always busy. They have drinks you can only get here in Missoula, such as the delicious Grizarita and Sweet and spicy pictured below. Prices are reasonable, and you can get everything from a good sandwich to a good steak. It is not fine dining, but it does have that mid level vibe and great atmosphere. I can tell the people there care about how it is ran.

The steaks were cooked perfectly, and although they aren't top level beef they always seem to taste great. My mother commented that they are better than the restaurant we went to that is supposed to be the best steakhouse in Seattle the other day. I paid almost 4 times as much there. My server smiled when she came to the table, and was kind and attentive though incredibly busy. Everyone was professional and kind even though they were on a 30 minute wait all night on a Tuesday.

The drinks here are fantastic, and they don't get mad when you order something complicated. From the simple sandwiches to the steaks, they cared about how it is done. I have been here probably 20 times in 14 years in Missoula, and I've never had bad service.

If you have a choice, never go to the one on Brooks, and always go to this one if you are craving what this restaurant has to offer. There are places better in the world, but here in good old Zootown the locals know this is the spot to go after shopping.

Thank you for bringing back my faith in Montana club. I hope one day you bring this level of service and food to your cross town location. I see why there was a 30 minute wait on a Tuesday night while other Reserve street...