Food Worth a Drive in Montana: Pasties and Huckleberries

Food worth a drive in Montana is spread thin, which is why it feels special. The state has few people and long distances, and the restaurants that last do one or two things well: pasties in a mining town, steak in cattle country, huckleberry anything in the western mountains. This drive runs from Butte to Missoula.

What makes food worth a drive in Montana?

Place and history. The state grew on mining, ranching and railroads, and the food still carries those habits. Cornish miners brought pasties to Butte, ranchers set the standard for beef, and the forests supply huckleberries and morels. Bison, huckleberries, chokecherries and morels fill the menus, and the beef is among the best in the country.

Roads are long and services are few, so plan your fuel and your meals. A tank that is half empty is a reason to stop, and a closed kitchen at the end of a two-hour drive is a bad surprise.

It also helps to pace the day. A breakfast in one town, a pasty or burger at midday and a steak at night is a comfortable rhythm for a long drive, and it keeps you from arriving hungry at a place that has already closed its kitchen. Montanans tend to eat early, and many small restaurants stop serving by eight.

Where do you find Butte pasties?

Butte pasties are a hand pie of meat, potato and onion in a flaky crust, and Butte is where you go to try them. Pasties turn up in restaurants throughout Montana, but Butte's miners ate them underground, which is why the dish is tied to the city's history.

Eat a pasty hot, with gravy or ketchup, depending on your allegiance. Butte also has a drive-in tradition built around a notorious burger, a beef patty with chopped peanuts, for the brave.

What is the best Montana huckleberry treat?

Montana huckleberry products are a summer obsession. Missoula's ice cream counters are a popular stop for huckleberry scoops, and the western mountain towns, from Kalispell to Whitefish, have their own. Ask for huckleberry anything, from jam to barbecue sauce, and mind the season, since the berries ripen in late summer.

The berries grow wild, so supply varies by year. Buy a jar of jam or syrup as a souvenir, and try them in pie, pancakes and shakes. The flavor is tart and deep.

Season matters. Fresh huckleberries are a late summer treat, so in other months you will find them frozen, in jam or baked into pastries. Ask whether a pie was made with fresh or frozen fruit, and do not be disappointed by either. A huckleberry milkshake on a hot afternoon, with the mountains in the window, is the classic way to try them.

Which Montana steakhouses are worth the drive?

Montana steakhouses range from dressed-up dining rooms to saloons with a grill. Head for the small-town saloons and supper clubs where the steak is the point. Kitchens in small towns keep their own hours, so call ahead before a long drive.

Order the house cut, ask how the kitchen likes it cooked and accept a baked potato if one is offered. Many steakhouses fill early on weekends, so call ahead for a table.

The rooms are part of the draw. Log walls, mounted antlers, old photographs and a long bar tell you that the place has been serving its neighbors for a long time. Talk to the staff, who often know the ranchers who supplied the meat and will tell you how the herd was raised.

What is Missoula food like?

Missoula food reflects a university town in a river valley. Breweries, cafes and bakeries line the downtown streets, and the farmers market is a summer highlight.

A day in Missoula can include a walk along the Clark Fork, a coffee, a long lunch and a drink at a brewery. It is a good base for trips into the surrounding mountains.

How do you plan a Montana food drive?

Pick a loop. Butte, Anaconda and Missoula fit into a day or two, Bozeman and Livingston make another, and the Flathead Valley, with Whitefish and Lakeside, makes a third. Distances are long, and speed limits are generous but weather is not. Winter driving needs chains and a shovel in the car.

Check hours, because small restaurants may close for a few days each week. Carry a cooler for huckleberry jam, cheese and meat. Bring a paper map in case coverage fails.

What should you know about wildlife and weather?

Deer, elk and livestock cross the roads, especially at dawn and dusk. Slow down at night. Summer storms can bring hail, and winter storms close passes. Check conditions through the state's road report before you leave.

Altitude and dry air affect appetite and thirst. Drink water with meals, and give yourself time to adjust if you are arriving from sea level.

Where can you read more?

Montana shares mountains and menus with its neighbors, so read about Idaho food worth a drive and Wyoming food worth a drive. The US guides page lists every state.

How do you keep track of a Montana drive?

Pasties and pies are easy to confuse after a long drive. With the Mosey app you rate each pasty, steak and huckleberry sweet as you eat it, note the town and the road, and build a Montana list that is ready for the next summer.

Add the Farm Producer tag to roadside stands, share the list's invite link with whoever rode in the passenger seat, and follow friends to see their Montana finds. Rate your next stop in the Mosey app.