Our family goes here all the time. There are a few favorites that we get off the menu on a regular basis - the nachos, chicken quesadilla, mac 'n' cheese, burgers, fish 'n' chips, and chicken strips. My husband likes the beer. My daughter loves getting the steamed artichoke - maybe just because it's unique. The service is pretty good.
It seems some of the quality/quantity of the food has gone down a tiny bit in the past couple of years. (chicken strips seemed to have changed and the nacho portions have gotten smaller) We still like it, though.
Try it out - it's one of our favorites.
Don't go if: you want a close parking spot or if you want to eat somewhere quiet.
We like to eat out on the patio, but sometimes you get harrassed by the homeless folks walking by. I know that's not the Brew Pub's fault, but it still not fun when it happens.
The beer is fantastic, and stands up to any other locally crafted brews in Montana--which is saying a lot.
Unfortunately, the food simply can't keep up.
I won't waste time talking about how the Mac'n'Cheese dishes are halfway-decent. It's borderline impossible to f**k up Mac'n'Cheese. Practically everything else that I have eaten in this establishment has left a lot to be desired. Many of the sandwich toppings--particularly the "guacamole"--are obviously squeezed out a plastic Sysco bag. The pizzas are underwhelming and soggy, and the fries--for all their renown--are prepackaged, frozen sh*t-sticks.
Go for the beer, the friendly staff, and the atmosphere; but do yourself a favor, and skip the food.
I like it. It's pretty average, the food is fine, but I was so happy to be in a Microbrew for an afternoon snack. Solid, a bit pricey for what we got. I was super excited to satisfy my craving for sweet potato fries, but next time I think I'll order something else.
I read some good reviews about service here, so hopefully the day we were there was just an off day -- it wasn't great, but maybe it'll be better next time.
Nice location in the center of town. Â Ok service. Â Trying the Bayou Mac and Cheese, with Andouille sausage, green peppers. Â Nick is having Fish and Chips with the beer sampler. Â Beers are a good variety he says. Â If I worked in Billings, this would be a good choice for a spring place to hang, smell the diesel pick up trucks as they went up the street. Â Not a real street scene otherwise.
Review Source:I'm somewhere between a 2.5 and 3. This is obviously a popular place for Billings, as it was packed at 4 p.m. on a Wednesday. This being only the second time I've left the interstate while traversing Billings, perhaps 4 p.m. is a heavy drinking time? Perhaps all the time is heavy drinking time?
The sampler impresses, in terms of the number of offerings - 8 plus a 9th that didn't fit on the sheet. And there were more. Apparently, MBC has won a number of medals for their beers. I guess I'm jus too much of a big and bold beer guy most of the time, because I didn't rate much above a 3. The 88 (?) IPA was my favorite. Had to throw in an extra half star as well for the beautiful bartender whom asked me if it was okay to charge $4 to fill my 32 oz growler. It's only $7 or $8 to fill a 64 oz, but she was so sweet and concerned that way she asked. She got a couple extra bucks for that.
Can't say I'd return, but then again, I love beer, and as long as they brew something new, I might stop by. This is more of a restaurant/bar with onsite craft beer than a brewpub. If it's that packed at 4 p.m., I can't imagine what it must be at 9 p.m. A bit noisy for my tinnitus.
Came here based on other reviews and a picture of the Irish fries. The customer service was awesome. The place was packed. Now why not 5 stars you ask well sit down and let me tell you a tale. We ordered a burger and the fries. The seasoning on the fries was gross, probably good by them-self but gross when you add cheese, bacon, chives and sour cream. The burger itself had no flavor. The beverages were good. The other reason I took some stars away cuz finding parking was a mess and we came at 4 PM
Review Source:We had just arrived in Billings from CLE for job interviews. We were there... for... about 20 minutes when we staked out this place.
The inside reminds me of some of the Cleveland breweries. It was big, open, wooden. We decided to sit at the bar. The bartender, Edgar, gets 5 stars. He was so friendly, helpful, and almost an adjust tour guide to Billings while we ate our dinner. It was nice getting an insider's guide to the city.
If the review was based on the service alone, it would be a five - for sure. I ordered the rock shrimp mac and The Boy ordered the philly mac. Edgar explained that the mac & cheese thing kind of evolved there... and they seemed very proud of it. The mac and cheese was decent. Just nothing miind-blowing. The sauce was overly thick ... and not in a gooey cheese way... in a way that makes me think they used the wrong proportions in their sauce OR they used processed cheese (EEKS!).
I liked this place. Now that we are moving to Billings, I can see myself spending a lot more time here. I just hope they find a way to make the mac a little less gooey and a little more cheesy. :)
Went for dinner and drinks on a Saturday evening, it was a busy place but no problem getting a table. I had the wild boar pizza and it was great. Â Also tried the MBC pale ale and Beartooth espresso porter and would recommend both. My girlfriend had a seasonal pomegranate wheat ale and she was very impressed. Service was also very good!
Review Source:This is a good place to grab appetizers. The brew chips are amazing! The entrees are just ok and i wasn't big on the dessert. They make their own rootbeer but I wasn;t a fan. They do have seasonal beers and my husband has liked most of them. The bartenders don't really know classic drinks which is a bummer and it gets very loud so don't plan on having any meaningful conversations.
Review Source:I have had lunch here a few times while traveling back and forth from the airport, usually headed to Red Lodge.. This is a very nice place for a beer and a meal. There is a rectangle shaped bar with some tables around it, a large dinning area in the back, and a nice patio outside. Very chill and relaxed. The service was really good. The bartenders might not have known as much about the beer as I would like, but they were very prompt and enthusiastic. The food was OK. I had a pastrami sandwich that was decent. The sweet potato chips were awesome though. I came back latter and had a pizza. That was not all that great. Nothing bad, just average.
The beers are average to very good. Â I love the Stillwater Rye and Custards Last Stout. Â The wheat and amber are just average though. Â It is all fresh though, always a plus. Â Most the waitresses have just the bar minimum of knowledge about the beer, but they work hard. Â When I ordered a pizza, and the cook burned it. The manager came out and told me before I even knew what happened. I did not have time to eat it there because of my flight. So they remade the pizza, put it in a to go box free of charge. Â That was great.
Overall, this is a place a do enjoy. Â The food is not t he best, and some of the beer is just average. Â Though a place that would be a regular haunt of mine if I lived in the area.
This place was ok. As others have said, typical brew pub menu of burgers and sandwiches. Â A handful of dinner entree salads and just a few pasta entries. Â I had the smoked chicken pasta and it was good, not great. Â The parmesan cheese was partially melted in. I had boysenberry ale and t was fantastic. Â Their beers have won awards. Â It's OK, not great.
Review Source:We stopped at the Montana Brewing Company on our road trip from Chicago to Bozeman, and this was a wonderful stop. The beer was great, the food was delicious, and this place really hit the spot for me. I enjoyed the beer so much, I grabbed a case at a local grocery store when we got to Bozeman and drank it on a mountain vista overlooking the sunset. Long story short, you guys brew something special!
Review Source:The beer is ok. I tried samples of their seasonals: Boysenberry wheat, Doreens downtown ale, Grumpy Old Ale, Beartooth expresso porter. I tried the enchilada bites and they were not very good. There was barely anything in it,basically just fried tortilla shell. The service was good though. It wasn't very busy which should have been my first sign. Not a lot of TVs if you're looking to watch sports.
Review Source:I've been here a handful of times over the last ~10 years... each time I think "maybe this time it will be better!" because it has so much potential. Â I don't know how though, but each time they manage to disappoint me again. Â They offer simple bar food that always comes off as so appealing from the menu but they just never seem able to execute it. Â I'm sure I'll try it again in a couple of years...
Review Source:Montana Brewing Company had my least favorite beer out of all of the Billings microbreweries. It's more than your small microbreweries, more in line with a BJs or CB & Potts or something like that. It seems like this place is a franchise, even though there's only one.
And that basically sums it all up. Everything is average about this place, from the decor, to the atmosphere, to the beer. It's like Chili's opened a microbrewery.
The good reviews on Yelp might be for the food, but we only had beer.
QUESTION: Whats better than good craft beer?
ANSWER: Â Good craft beer at a discount! (Chun P = Cheapass)
Example 1: Beer Samplers
Stone Brewing, San Diego CA = $7 for four 4oz tasters = RIP OFF!
Versus
Montana Brewing, Billings MT = $7 for EIGHT 4oz tasters = I'M WINNING!!!!!!!!
If you're an equal opportunity beer drinker, like myself, Â whom can enjoy the entire spectrum of beerism from Lagers to Hefs to Ambers to IPAs to Porters to Stouts....I HIGHLY reccommend you order this delicious beer sampler. Â Tastes so good when it hits your lips...Expresso Porter was delish!
Example 2: Pint Time
West Coast Tavern, San Diego CA = $6.50 a beer = RIP OFF! (Recently paid $6.50 for a Stella here...WTF?!)
VERSUS
Montana Brewing, Billings MT = $3.50-4 a beer = I'm WINNING(again)!!!!!!!!
After you've finished the 32 ounces of beer sampling, you can now make a educated decision which you'd like a pint of...or if you're indecisive like me, just order another beer sampler.
Like my investments portfolio, the menu is well diversified: decent burgers, excellent sweet potato fries, sandwiches, flatbreads, pastas, and bar apps which almost everything is priced below $9. Â My fav is the rich & fatty Crab Mac N Cheese dish for only $8.95...I don't know where they get crab meat from(Canada? Canned? ), but hey, its good!
Minus 1 Star: Excellent service from the friendly waitress the first night the 14 of us rolled in...but the second night we came we had a different waitress whom was all frazzled, didn't smile, and short with us. She acted as though we were inconviencing her just by our very existence. Don't big tables mean big tips? Â Job security?
Sorry Bitch, lousy service equals a lousy $1.53 tip.
This was a great place to find in our recent trip to Billings Montana. It was great for underage people to gather and eat as well as adults to enjoy some great beer. I highly recommend the Buffalo burger, I mean really who wouldn't. It was better than the beef burger I had the night before. A lot less fat and more flavor. The sweet potato fries were too good also.
The wait staff was awesome and split checks with out so much as a thought. I'd hit that place again if I ever find myself in Billings Montana...
BUFFALO MEAT IS SO GOOD!
The flat bread with salad was a good option to satisfy hunger. I had the house special and enjoyed it.
Beer is ok (blame it on Four Peaks for spoiling me) and no body can beat the Thursday 1 dollar beers!
If you are visiting Montana, be aware that few places have license to open later than 8pm. This is one of them.
Good solid place. Its what you expect from a brew pub. Lots of good micro brews, yet they still serve old standbys like Bud in a bottle for those who have not caught onto the micro brew trend (I am talking about you Mom and Dad).
The service was good. Drinks were always full, and the food took no time at all.
Food was definitely a plus. Better than typical bar fare, but just what you would hope for from a brewery.
Keep up the good work.
This place will forever be my favorite in Billings, MT. I have been frequenting here for probably 10 years now. Yes, that means way before I could start drinking.
Here is what you need to get for the perfect meal:
nachos-huge platter
buffalo burger with sweet potato fries
a beer
giant cookie- this is a must. It's made in a wood burning oven.
The service is usually pretty good. I would say sit either in the bar or on the patio for the best atmosphere.
First of all, if you're going to go to this place just for a beer, aim to go earlier in the evening. It gets major crowded around dinner time and seems to be one of the only popular scenes for young people in Billings. Again, all in my opinion but I haven't seen many other places this crowded yet. The bar is pretty dark (as in not a lot of lighting) and the place is connected to a casino so it's double busy (yes I made that phrase up but it sounds right).
I went with my boyfriend on our first night in town. Their happy hour means pretty cheap beer, except for their flagship and cider. I had the Whitetail Wheat (I think) and he had their Belgian Wheat style. We were both happy. He ordered the flagship after that and it was pretty good. We split the Roasted Garlic and Brie appetizer, served with pita bread, and were completely satisfied with our choice.
Went back the next night, since we couldn't think of anything else we would like other than a good old Buffalo Burger. We should have opted to sit away from the front door the second time, given that it was -5 out and the cold air kept hitting us. Rookie mistake. They also have an upcharge of $2 per burger for buffalo instead of beef. Got blue cheese on mine, mmmmmm. I'd say the only complaint was it was a little overcooked, but I was starvin' marvin' so it didn't matter. The second night was a Tuesday and they had 22oz beer for the price of a pint, so Tim got the Whitetail again.
All in all it was enjoyable both times, but you pay for it. I'd say if you are OK with a bill of $30+ for two, hit this place up. Otherwise get your brew at Carters (my fave) and wander to any of the local sandwich shops or cook at home, sissy.
When I came Billings to work for a couple of weeks, I heard good things about the Montana Brewery.  So on one of my last days, my co-workers and I went after work and we made it just in time for Happy Hour.  It was pretty packed but we managed to get a place to  sit right away.  We were greeted promptly by the waitress who gave us some recommendations on the beers they had.  I never had a black and tan beer before so I tried that.  It was delicious; the combination of light and dark beer made my throat tingle with each swallow. Â
While we were waiting for our burgers to arrive, we noticed the servers were  setting up a buffet style of food near us.  It was mainly chips and salsa with some other condiments to go along with it.  The chips were fresh and the salsa was chunky and flavorful.  The toppings that went along with it were just as good.  On the plus side, it was all complimentary.  When the burgers arrived, I managed to eat it all despite having the free appetizers earlier.  The meat was cooked perfectly and the fries were cooked  to perfection.  The meat in Montana always gives me big smiles. Â
The happy hour was a big highlight during my visit. Â The beers were only $2 and well drinks were pretty cheap too. Â For all the drinks and food that my co-workers and I ordered, it came to be about $20 bucks or so. Â I was very impressed and it was one of the best places to go during my visit in Billings. Â If I were to come here again for work, this would definitely be my first place to go to eat.
Ate here a couple of months ago and had a great time. Â I had the mexican pizza on the honey wheat crust and it was awesome -- super fresh greens and an expertly made crust. Â The microbrew I had -- a blonde, but I forget the name -- was also excellent.
It's in a strip mall and doesn't look like much from the outside, but the decor was cool -- a little kitschy, but the canoe hanging from the ceiling is a neat addition. Â Staff was nice, service was quick and the whole bill came to around $10/person.
Whenever we have time to relax and eat in Billings we always head to the MBC. Their variety of beer is amazing. They change their specials every season, and we've never been disappointed with the selection. My husband loves everything dark and warm, and I'm a fan of their fruity light beers. Caution: Order the sampler only if you plan to share with at least two friends.
The food is standard for a Montana bar- grilled things, burgers, steaks, etc. but usually with a little more flavor and creativity in sauces and sides. If we order an appetizer we'll get to-go boxes for dinner, but we've never had room for dessert.