On our recent trip to Bozeman this was the first restaurant we ate at, and it ended up being the best restaurant of the whole trip!
First off, the decor is sleek and charming (the attached railroad car dining area is an innovative touch!). Â I love the music they play here. Â I think I even heard them play My Morning Jacket, which is one of my favorite indie/folk/rock bands.
Secondly, the selection of beers is extensive. Â While I am not a beer-drinker, my friend appreciated all the choices.
Lastly, the food is REALLY good! Â I ordered the seafood paella and I was not disappointed. Â That thing came loaded with shrimp, mussels, salmon, and other kinds of seafood that I can't even remember now. Â The rice was not exactly authentic Spanish rice, more like regular rice that they cooked with some saffron, but it was still extremely delicious. Â I literally finished my entire plate.
My friend ordered the Shepherd's pie and it came out steaming hot. Â I tried a bite and it was hearty and flavorful. Â The perfect comfort food! Â Needless to say, he cleaned his plate too.
I wanted to come back the next night, but we decided to try something new. (it wasn't as good as this place) Â I only wish we had tried a dessert here, I'm sure it would have been amazing!
I stopped through here on a motorcycle tour ;last week based on the reviews here and elsewhere, and because it was a short walk from where I was staying, and I was very satisfied overall. I was by myself, so the hostess asked if I wanted to sit at the bar, and I told her yes... unfortunately, the bar was relatively packed and I had to walk around it completely before I found a seat. A minor complaint, but it would have been just a notch better service if she had taken the time to look over to the bar and possibly confirm for me or with me that there was somewhere for me to sit. The bartenders were just a step slower with coming to get my food order than my drink order, generally I expect that sitting at a bar, just another minor step up in service overall when bartenders treat your food order as important as any drink order, as opposed to getting drinks out of the way and then shifting their focus to come back to you. Those were really the only reasons, and minor ones, that I am not giving the place five stars, because otherwise the service was friendly without being overbearing, the atmosphere was good, the food was great and the prices were reasonable. I had their porter on tap and a burger with fries, two beers and a burger for about $20, and both the food and the beer were great. I would definitely recommend this place to friends.
Review Source:We were traveling through Bozeman for the weekend and were really impressed with Montana Ale Works. From the start the hostess was friendly and helpful (the place was packed and she gave us tips on when there were usually more tables available 5-6pm). The first night we just had some beers, which were good and from local breweries (quite a hoppy pale ale).
We came back earlier the next night and sat at the bar. The bartenders know their stuff and were really friendly as well. We started with Buffalo Pot-stickers, Parmesan and Pepper Fries, and the Southwestern Chicken Tortilla soup. All were delicious (with the Buffalo Pot-stickers being especially wonderful). They have a really good Scottish Ale (nice to drink with some whiskey on the side) on tap as well as a decent Belgian Ale. For dinner, I had the special: Sauteed Morels & Guinea Hen which came on baby kale and lovage salad in truffled sherry vinaigrette with rendered duck fat. The meal was the perfect size and one of the best meals I have had in a loooong time!!! The morels, duck fat, dark meat, and greens were perfect together. My friends had the Pulled Pork Platter (very good -- finally pulled pork that is not so sweet but more on the vinaigry side), Ribeye, and a sandwich (I forget which). We were all happy and ordered an Apple Cake (which is brought by on a dessert tray) with pecans to share. Very good as well.
Ok, so we went back late one night for some drinks. I tried out some of the mixed drinks: dirty martini, The Last Word (anselmo gin, green chartreuse, maraska, and lime), and Santa Rita (a very good tequila, st. germain, and lime). Very very good!!! I think the bartender's name was Case and his recommendations (I don't like really sweet drinks) were bang on! My friends had a range of beers and were happy as well. We ended up having the Peach Cobbler  with ice cream, off the dessert tray, which was great as well as the calamari (totally fine, though it was nothing special).
All in all: I highly recommend this place and many others must agree since it is a huge place with a patio that is full to bursting nightly.
Went twice while visiting Bozeman and both times were great. Â Highlights were the bear selection, pineapple jalapeno margarita, calamari, j-bar-l, pulled pork platter, bison patty melt, meat loaf, bison chile relleno. Â In addition, this is one of those rare places with a nice kids menu as well ( the typical stuff but also shrimp skewers, salmon, and steak). Â Good service and a fun atmosphere as well.
Review Source:So this is where everyone's at in Bozeman! Â What a great place for a tasty brew and good food! Â There are loads of other really good places to eat/drink in downtown Bozeman, but this Montana Ale Works is one of our favorites. Â
What's on Tap~ they have ales, lagers, porters and stouts. Â They even have gluten free beers! Â Most of them are brewed all over Montana and some from WY, WI, OR and few other states. Â Some of my faves; Moose drool, helio hefeweizen, glacier and drifter ales. Â I'm looking forward to trying some of there IPAs on my next visit. Â
Food~ everyone goes for the "bison burger" but if you're wanting a really tasty burger ask for a local grass fed beef burger! Â It's 70 cents more than a regular burger and still cheaper than the bison and 10 times the flavor! Â YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED. everything here is very good! Â Other recommendations; the ribeye, Mac & Cheese and their grill chicken risotto are also very good. Â
Restaurant~ very spacious however they seem to be able to fill it up almost nightly, so plan ahead unless your dinning alone. Â The bar area is very big and accommodating. Â The staff is very and very accommodating. Â
It's one of the best places to dine and drink in Bozeman wether your with friends, family or just by yourself. Â Add them to your "must try" list the next time you're in Bozeman! Â I hope to see you there!
Before arriving in Bozeman, I went to a chat room and asked a dozen people in town where to go for dinner. This was the unanimous choice... Well, nearly unanimous. Â Decided to try the four appetizer "small plates" and loved the favors. Â The waitstaff put up with me, so that's a plus. Â Ended with bread pudding. Â There's a great bar that drives most folk here but I think the food rocks.
Review Source:At a 114 reviews as of May 11, 2013, I won't spend too much time saying much of what others have already. Excellent beer selection and mixed cocktails coupled with a full bar. The food is good, and the crowd is generally friendly. Service is reasonably quick and it's not full of drunk 21 year olds (just go a few blocks west for that). Been there many times over the past 7 years and I'm sure I'll go many more times in the future.
Review Source:My husband and I travel through Bozeman quite often and stick to our usual spots, however we wanted to try something new. After reading the yelp reviews, we felt we should give it a go.
This place has a great vibe right when you walk in the door! Love the original building. Service was great from beginning to end! They have a great beer selection from local Montana breweries and then some. We both had the bison burger....very good!!
The ambiance we low lit with great music. I'd highly suggest this place to anyone...great for dinner with friends and family! We look forward to coming back again!
I just had to write a review about this spot. We were out here looking for land and wanted to say this was one of our favorite spots in Bozeman, the food and service was excellent. It was obvious that this was a hit among tourist and locals alike, plenty of eye candy for men and women. This place reminds me of a local version of the Yard house. We were introduced to Harvest Moon Beltian White, and I love this beer. I had a great time here. Except for a family that had a screaming baby in the corner, when will some people understand that certain places are not meant for infants. Anyhow I had the mac and cheese with blackened chicken. It went will with the Beltian White.. I recommend the combo.
Review Source:Food was decent, but terrible service. It was my nieces 13th birthday and we left to celebrate elsewhere after they forgot orders (including my niece's dinner) and placed us in the dining room (not the bar or bar seating area) with three bachelorette groups. They offered a free dessert as the third bachelorette party walked in and we had expressed our disappointment with the service. Keep the bachelorette parties in the bar and leave the dining room for special occasions.
Review Source:If you're expecting fine dining in a quiet, romantic atmosphere, you'll want to go somewhere else. Â But if you're into great craft beer selections and excellent food that goes beyond typical bar fare, then Montana Ale Works is the place to be!
It has definitely earned "must eat here" status for every time I travel to Bozeman. Â Their main attraction is their craft beer list, with offerings for every palate as well as rotating seasonals. Â
But it's not just about the brews here... Ale Works has quite the food offering as well! Â Their burgers are excellent, as are most of their other standard menu offerings. Â They also offer daily specials such as sous vide Wagyu skirt steak and an elk burger -- both of which made my taste buds jump for joy!
It can get quite busy here, so be prepared to wait. Â And finding parking can also be an adventure. Â But all in all, it's well worth it!
I came here with my BF on our way to Big Sky. Lots of local micro/craft beer choices, good service, nice interior. Food was good - above average - I give it four stars for several vegetarian choices. I had an asian noodle dish with tofu, quite tasty, dressing on it was just right. BF had happy hour special - teriyaki meatballs and bison poppers - BF like the poppers better than the meatballs, I guess who doesn't like anything wrapped in bacon. We also split the pepper parmesan fries, they were also tasty. Â Music inside was tasteful (eg. Pixies, not Van Halen), which is something my BF and I take note of especially in ski towns, which created a nice experience.
We didn't play pool but seemed to have a nice layout if you are into something like that.
Since moving to Bozeman a year and a half ago, this restaurant has become my personal favorite! I've ordered off the special menu and regular menu and never been disappointed. And the prices are extremely reasonable considering the quality of their dishes. Whenever anyone comes to visit, I make sure they don't leave Bozeman without eating at Ale Works!! Great selection of beer too. Â Bison potstickers, best app by the way.
Review Source:Went here while on a layover in Bozeman. Â
After going to the lame mall we were hungry. Â Found this gem & truly enjoyed our food. Â Friend had the wedge salad with grilled chicken breast & extra blue cheese dressing. Â I think they poured the entire bottle on her plate. Â ;) Â I had an amazing burger with bacon,avocado & pepperjack cheese. Â It was hands down the best burger I've had in a long time & haven't had a better one since.
Restaurant is huge! Â Nice outdoor patio seating if the weather is nice. Â Nice selection of beers on tap.
Awesome Yelp find. Â After a long day in Yellowstone and then drive up to Bozeman (all with a 4 and 6 year old), we were ready for some good food and brews. Â Everything was fantastic, from the service to the atmosphere/decor, the menu options, the beer and cocktail options and their kids menu! Â We had the bison potstickers and a couple of local brews. Â Kids menu is versatile and varied with plenty of heathy options as well as kid tested faves.
I had the black and blue burger while hubs had a burger that's name we've forgotten ( j bar l maybe?). Â Both were super tasty and prepared to perfection.
They had multiple pool tables and a bar that would have been enticing under different circumstances. Â Prices were super reasonable (4 beers, app, 2 kids meals with drinks, and 2 meals for $65).
Stop by, I don't think you'll be disappointed!
So disappointed in what should have been a good experience. My party of 9 (6 adults & 3 kids under age 3), called ahead to see if it was necessary to make a reservation for Sunday evening dinner and was told that it would be a 20 minute wait.
We arrived at 6:15 in hopes to be seated at the latest by 6:45. 7:35 rolls around and the kids are freaking out, the adults are ready to claw eyeballs out and give a fat lip to the next hostess that tells us they are just waiting on a table to leave. There were several visible tables large enough to accommodate us, but weren't set up, so of course we couldn't sit there! We were told we could wait for the other table to leave, or be split up and have tables near each other.
I ordered the Asain noodle salad with chicken. Kinda wishing it was more greens and yummy dressing to go with the blandness of the noodles (I should've figured it being a noodle salad).
Until they were made aware of us knowing of who owner is, they hopped to. We finally were seated and offered 3 appetizers on the house for our wait. Our waiter was very friendly, and the food was very good. I'm a tad underwhelmed by the menu choices, they are just like those of about every other restaurant in town. Also, the music was too loud and chaotic.
It's no wonder we haven't come to Ale Works in about a years time... However, rumor has it that Ale Works has one of the cleanest kitchens in town - that's a plus!!
Things that could make it better:
- attention to providing great service
- menu choices that are unique to the Bozeman area
My husband had traveled through Bozeman and dined here before, so when a cross-country trip had us driving through the area, he insisted we eat dinner at Montana Ale Works. Â It was one of the few places on our trip he insisted we make it to. Â After trying it out with him, it's a place I would feel the same way about. Â They have great taps, including several local brews, and delicious food to pair with them. Â The atmosphere is pretty mixed and you'll find everyone from college students to families to older folks enjoying this place. Â The day we came the power had been out for a few hours that afternoon due a to a thunderstorm so there was a short wait. Â I'm not sure if a wait is normal at this place, or if it had to do with their backup from the storm.
We started our meal with bison potstickers. Â They were delicious and came in a sauce which made them even better; however, they would have been fine without any sauce as well. Â The bison was a nice change from the usual and added a lot of flavor.
Next came some potato and celery soup. Â It was pretty solid and what you'd expect from a soup. Â It was creamy and the croutons in it were quite delicious.
The hubby and I shared two different plates for dinner - which is what we tend to do when trying out new places. Â First up was the bison patty melt. Â It was one of the better patty melts I've had in my life and, once again, the bison was an interesting twist. Â
The best part of the meal though was the grass fed beef. Â It was over the top delicious. Â I don't think I've ever had a steak as tasty as this one. Â The husband and I nearly had a fork and knife war over it. Â I believe it was on their "fresh sheet" of sorts, so it may not always be on the menu, but trust me it's worth the price if it is. Â The gorgonzola mashed potatoes it came with were also quite delicious. Â It came with vegetables which was really 4-6 small carrots and 2-4 pieces of asparagus, which may have been the only disappointing part of this meal. Â
Overall, the service was great and attentive. Â The food was delicious and their beer selection was top notch. Â It's definitely a place I suggest you check out.
Well worth the wait on a Saturday night! Usually restaurants have a hard time cooking my steaks correctly (medium well), but my tenderloin was the best steak I have ever had at a restaurant. Seasoned beautifully and oh-so-tender. YUM!
I would not recommend cocktails here. I have tried a mojito and moscow mule- both were underwhelming. Flat carbonation and not a lot of flavor. Wine and beer are your best bet! My husband loves all the local brews!
I live in Bozeman and my man and I dine out a lot. Ale works is an A+ establishment. Top five for us for sure. You can order an expensive steak or entree if you so choose but it really isnt necessary. There are many moderately priced options. All of the food is amazing. My favorites: Spinach salad, steak sandwich, bison chile rellanos.
There is usually a wait list but I can't remember the last time I put my name on their list. We always walk right in and get a seat either at the bar (super fast service), outside in the summer (happy hour all night long), or in the back near the pool tables.
TIP: The area around the pool tables is open seating. All you have to do is scope out which table is about to leave or ask a waitress in that area if there is a table opening up and they are usually very accommodating and will even hold a table for you when someone gets up.
The food is great, the atmosphere rocks, the service is almost always on point.
What a wonderful selection of great beer, especially local and Montana craft beers!
We were in town a couple of weeks ago and made an unplanned stop for early dinner. Â The food (1 elk burger and 1 bison patty melt) was delicious and prepared just right.
It was so good we came back a couple nights later. Â Definitely on my list of Bozeman stops from now on.
I was in town for work and the great Yelp reviews brought me here (thanks!).
I was not disappointed in the least, I had the elk burger (excellent), also tried a couple of IPA's they had on tap ("Drifter and "Total domination") both were very good.
The service was excellent and the prices very fair. Â Really enjoyed my meal and will be back on my next trip to Bozeman.
Don't believe the hype: Ale Works is the most overrated establishment in Bozeman.
Overpriced, small portions, and the two times I've eaten there I've left hungry.
The first time I went to Ale Works I ordered the fish and chips. The fish looks like it came from a box at the grocery store, it wasn't even beer-battered, and I got two small pieces of fish. My boyfriend had the meat loaf with 2 baby carrots and a piece of asparagus for $13.95. The meat loaf was not good.
Yes the beer selection is impressive for Montana, but that doesn't make up for lackluster food, the inconsistent snitty service, and the 45 minute wait you have to endure before you can be seated.
Why people in Bozeman actually wait to eat at this place is a mystery to me. The sauce is weak. It must have crack in it.
February 18, 2012 Saturday - dinner 8:00 PM
2 adults
Atmosphere - 5 stars
Food - 5 stars
Service - 5 stars
Background - Thanks for all the great yelp reviews that brought us here. Â It was a long drive from Reno NV today, the snow storm on the way did not help. Â We picked this place before we left to have an enjoyable evening.
Atmosphere - Loved the place. Â I do not know if it was an actual train warehouse or not but it sure had that feel. Â The place was packed for a night of ice roads and being late. Â So we sat at the bar for our dinner.
Food
 Appetizer - Kinda, my fiancé order the bison pot stickers for dinner off the appetizer menu.  I had to steal one just to taste it.  What a unique and tasty way to server bison.  The pot stickers were folded in a unique was, similar to tiny calzone, the have circle wrapper was just folder in half covering the stuffing.  Grilled to perfection and plated with a sauce that just made the pot sticker explode in flavors.  I got lucky, and she filled up on them pretty fast so I got a few more.
 Main Course - I had the Elk burger.  Thick and juicy, the burger was topped with a cold red relish.  I could order this again.
 Dessert - As you can tell my fiancé was stuffed or I would have only had that one pot sticker.  That burger was huge.  So we will be having any dessert tonight.
Service - Our bartender was a hopping fool.  But was helpful and did make a recommendation for my fiancé for her beer selection and he nailed it for her.
Future - I would love to but based on all the excellent choices downtown I will have to try some of the other places as I do not make it to Bozeman too often.
Nothing special. I got the fish tacos and wasn't blown away. The service is mediocre. The restaurant is large and feels more like a chain restaurant than anything else.
Nice square bar in the middle of the restaurant. Everything is a bit over-priced. Apparently it can be a fun place to come for nightlife, but I only made it in for dinner.
Oh, and not open for lunch...so don't even think about it ;]
My Husband and I have celebrated two big events in our lives at Montana Ale Works, It creates a warm environment for us to have a drink and just relax. It does get pretty packed in here but it's well worth the wait in my opinion.
Try the Bison Potstickers with spicy mango sauce, The Rib eye steak (add bleu cheese crumbles, carmelized onions, and sauteed' mushrooms on top, You wont be sorry!) and the deserts are heavenly!
We were meeting with friends who live here in Bozeman. We had just driven up from Denver. Got here at 5:40pm on a Thursday night and the place was packed! Good sign for out-of-towners when a place is busy. First thing my husband and I did was hit the restrooms (hey, we had been driving for 11 hours). Restrooms were very clean. Glass tile was beautiful! Loved the huge steel doors to the stalls too. Clean restrooms usually equate to a good restaurant.
We had a party of 7 - 4 of us adults and 3 kids. Great place to bring kids! It's a noisy restaurant, so the kids can make as noise as they want.
We ordered a bunch of food and drinks. Here's the rundown:
A couple beers and wine for our adult friends
Diet Cokes for us
Coke and Root Beer for two of the kiddos
Wedge Salad and Montana Meatloaf for my husband
Montana Meatloaf for myself
Quesadilla for a couple of the kids
Half Rack of Ribs for another of the kids
Fish and Chips for our friend
Shepherd's Pie (special) for our other friend
Abbie (our friend's daughter) got a side salad with her ribs. It looked so fresh. Mixed greens with carrots, cucumbers, and pine nuts. Ranch dressing was made in-house, I think.
The Montana Meatloaf was delicious! It was a combination of bison, pork, and beef. So much flavor and seasonings. It was wrapped in bacon. Bacon makes anything taste better! The white cheddar mashed potatoes were rich... but a little thick for my taste. I do like creamier potatoes. It came with a little bit of carrots and green beans.
One complaint was our server. She was pretty much nonexistent. She disappeared completely while we were eating our meal. It was really strange (and a little disappointing). I loved the food though! I would definitely go back to this restaurant again sometime. The dessert tray looked amazing on the way out. They had a fruit crisp that was probably delicious!
Recommendation: come early and maybe sit at the bar to get some better service.
I am hard pressed to say that I've ever encountered a better restaurant by surprise than this place. Â Turned out to be one of my favorite meals ever on vacation and what a great beer selection. Â
When in doubt - always go to a brewery restaurant for good food when traveling. Â Never fails. Â
If you are visiting the Bozeman area, do NOT miss stopping here.
Came here my first night in Bozeman because I've found that any Ale Works in the US usually has good beer and good food. So why not check this place out.
Well. I was not disappointed when I came to this Ale Works. There were a ton of beer selection but I wanted to drink some Montana ale so only drank their special beers which were actually really good. Can't remember which one I got because I did drink a lot but all I know is that the ones that I tried were delicious.
The staff was really friendly and even though the place was packed, kept checking up on me. The food is your regular bar food (burgers, steaks, appetizers, etc.) and it wasn't bad at all. The food came out really fast which was good because after a full day of skiing, all you want to do is sit back, relax, watch some football and eat some good bar food.
This restaurant was a good place to end our 'food tour' of Bozeman.
Initially we were sat in a large corner booth, but we asked to be moved to a table. The booth apparently makes it really hard to hear anyone, and it is right next to the pool table. They moved us to another booth in a more intimate area (though next to other tables) with no problem. I'm not sure we would have requested to be moved if it were a busier night, but there were plenty of tables open.
The waitress was very nice and attentive, and as a bonus, she looks like Eliza Dushku. She got our order correct and was friendly.
I ordered a salad with salmon, and it was pretty huge. Everything was great, and the salmon was cooked and seasoned properly. I shared a side of mac and cheese which was also awesome. Everyone else enjoyed their meals as well.
They have an extensive beer selection (though I'm not sure if they brew their own) which we tasted from and enjoyed.
Overall, the experience was great and I have a feeling next time I'm in town, we'll be coming here again.
We stopped here on our 2010 grand-champion belly-busting cross-country road-trip-slash-eating-extravaganza. Â I'm pretty sure this was our favorite single place to eat in the whole country. Â (Although the ice cream truck in Seattle and the German restaurant on Mackinac Island, MI, were pretty great, too. But that's another Yelp entry.)
I like burgers and beer, and the bison burger here was /excellent/, so I was happy. Â My wife is a vegetarian... and they had a ton of salads with creative and local ingredients, and a huge list of veggie sandwiches, so she was happy. Â Our dog got to sit underneath our table on the big lawn out front, so he was happy. Â Folks at the tables nearby came over to play with the dog, and they seemed happy. Â That's a LOT of happy.
And don't even get me started about the giant purple sunset. Â (It might have actually only been a so-so sunset, come to think of it... ...did I mention that my beer and my wife's blueberry infused gin and tonic thingy also made us a bit, er, happy?)
This place seems like it's crazy popular, but I can see why people come here. Â There was a 30-40 minute wait for a table at 7pm on a Thursday night, not so fun, but at least we were able to snag a few stools at the bar and enjoy a cold beer while we were waiting. Â Their beer list is really extensive and features lots of local/regional micro brews. Â We all ordered different ones and shared them around - didn't find a dud among them!
Once seated, the service was fast and we had dinner in front of us within 15 minutes. Â The bison burger was DELICIOUS. Â I seriously could eat one of those every day - and the fries were great too - but I do recommend ordering it medium or less cooked, as that helps it stay nice and tender. Â Yum yum yum. Â If I lived in Bozeman, I'd be back here often if just for that burger!
Prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is lively. Â Fun place to check out, especially if you're craving good beer and burgers.
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