Iron Horse Bar and Grill — Restaurant in West Yellowstone

I’m a local Montanan but have not spent much time in Gardiner. We drove until Yellowstone early this morning to spend a quick few hours in the park before returning to Chico. My wife and I searched for a good lunch spot with great reviews in Gardiner for lunch. We found the Iron Horse Bar and Grill and decided we would go there. Google (maps) says that Iron Horse opens at 11:30 am on Saturday’s (every day, really). We arrived in the parking lot around 11:45 am and called to confirm they were open, and where the front door was located. The gentleman I spoke with when I called told me that they were not open until 12 noon. We decided to walk around for a couple minutes and check out the surrounding area. When we approached the front door / front porch, the same gentleman was standing in the open door (think garage door style doors). He walked out a few feet and told me that they were not open until 12 noon. At this point it was 11:52 am. Really solid customer service (note the dripping sarcasm). Any small business owner, especially in a small town like Gardiner MT, would have asked us if we wanted to sit down and maybe offer us a purchasable beverage. It’s a beautiful day in Gardiner, and for all intent and purpose, the Iron Horse looks like a really nice spot for lunch. However, the gentleman working there today (Saturday 9/22/18) had terrible personal and customer-relations skills. We came down the road to The Corral and are currently enjoying a elk burger (with bacon and cheese, grilled onions) and a pulled pork sandwich. If customer service means anything to you, Iron Horse was a big let down. I am typically pretty fair with reviews but the gentleman working a Iron...

We traveled from Nebraska to have a vacation in my home state of Montana. We had a blast on our white water rafting and this place was recommended for a cold drink afterwards. We showed up around 2:45 and the sign said.. Closed open at 3pm. They had the doors open on this beautiful day so we were waiting outside till they would welcome us in. I walked up to read a menu they had on an outside door and was rudely told we don't open til 3! I said "I realize that, I read the sign and just wanted to read the menu you have out here on this door." She glared at me and walked away. Twenty minutes go by as we watch staff members from outside carrying on drinking laughing, on their cell phones and obviously taking no interest in the line forming behind us. My brother in law tried to get the attention of two waitresses ( after 3pm) to ask if we could at least come in. He was again aknowledged rudely as well with a "We will seat you when we're ready!" At that point I said " I thought you opened at 3? " That was quicky responded by a young lady coming out to the open doors saying "We're not quite ready and it will be another twenty minutes" I said "Well we're not waiting another twenty minutes after we already waited twenty!" We started to walk away and they shut the door very rudely in everyone's face! Quite a few other people in line with us left as well and we will never be back! I realize having a job in a tourist town may not be easy but it definitely doesn't warrant such rude behavior from...

We were enticed by the patio. We saw it from the bridge. Traveling with Fido, we tend to look for outdoor places. We didn’t have high expectations considering the tourism in the area.

We ordered the ribs/fries, BBQ brisket sandwich with coleslaw and garlic toast.

All the food was good. The ribs fell off the bone, the fries were very nice. The brisket sandwich bun was great. The brisket could have been better. I regret not asking for more BBQ sauce. I actually thought they put too much meat on it, but Fido loved the extra slices I had to remove 🐶 the side of fries was generous, as was the order of garlic toast, but for some reason, the coleslaw was tiny. Fries are a premium though. The toast was awesome! I would have been happy just eating that to be honest! So buttery and perfectly toasted!

It’s a very casual place with a full bar. Order at the bar and food is delivered with a smile. Prices are a little high for the simplicity and small staff compared to other places, and the signs promoting “tipping shared by all staff” rubs me wrong…although I did leave a generous tip just because I do, but come on, there is no table service. I guess if it’s super busy on weekends, They have to hustle, but overall We had a nice time with good food.

The order line can get long, just timing. The bathroom line can be long too and can congest the entrance. Parking is insufficient unless I missed something. The place is huge and probably crazy fun after dark on weekends. Really glad...