Dining in Whitefish, Montana is a fun and exciting experience. Not only do you have ample selection when it comes to casual breakfast joints, cool lunch spots, or high-end dinner digs, but there is a guarantee of fresh food, locally caught seafood, and organic produce that will make every meal tasty and healthy. Read on to see all of our favorite spots, whether it’s for a quick bite or a romantic dinner with your partner!
Loula’s Café
Although this isn’t a high-end dinner spot, Loula’s Cafe is a Whitefish staple that churns out plate after plate of a tasty breakfast that will keep you coming back for more every day of the week. We love the laid-back atmosphere, strong coffee, and traditional plates that will keep you full all day long.
Try any towering breakfast dishes, like the stuffed French toast with cream cheese, three-egg omelet with your choice of vegetables, or stacks of pancakes for your kids. You can also head here to get a takeaway coffee and a savory or sweet pie to bring home to have later during your vacation.
The Great Northern Bar and Grill
We can’t think of anywhere better than The Great Northern Bar and Grill for vacationers who want a spot for lunch and dinner that is relaxed, casual, and easy going. This laid-back sports bar is the perfect spot to catch a game on the TV, chat with locals, and have ice-cold beer as you hang out with your mates.
This bar offers live music most nights of the week, 15 flat-screen TVs to catch the latest football game on the tele, pool tables to challenge your friends to some competition, and a full patio that is great for getting some sun on a summer day.
Order a pint of one of the 29 beers on tap and pair it with one of the loaded sandwiches or ‘internationally famous’ burgers here. We love the rodeo burger with barbecue sauce, cheese and onion rings, or the ‘Snow Ghost’ sandwich with hot roasted beef, provolone, and mushrooms on a toasted hoagie.
Whitefish Lake Restaurant
One of the classic stopovers when it comes to finding a good restaurant for dinner and drinks in Whitefish is going to the aptly named Whitefish Lake Restaurant. This popular spot offers pristine views of the nearby lake and the ideal sunset viewing spot and provides fresh and tasty food for you and your group to enjoy.
You can choose to either have a relaxed meal in the lounge or sit in the more formal dining room. No matter which room you choose, you will love the upscale ambiance, far-reaching views over the blue lake, and top-notch service. If you sit in the lounge, we love the typical pub food, like the tuna tartare and smoked trout for starters, and the prime rib for a main course.
For those who want a more formal experience, try the dining room. We love the baked escargot with artichoke hearts, garlic butter for a fresh starter, and jumbo mushroom caps with parmesan and croutons for vegetarians. As a main dish, you can’t go wrong with the prime rib, New York Au Poivre with marsala cream sauce, or the Walleye with roasted tomatoes and arugula.
Tupelo Grille
Another restaurant on our must-visit list during your whitefish trip is the Tupelo Grille. We love this restaurant for its inclusion of Southern dishes and unique combinations that are much different from your typical American plates. Plus, the ambiance in the dining room offers a more eclectic vibe and cool artwork for you to glance at as you eat your mouth-watering meal.
The ever-changing menu uses organic produce and locally sourced meat and fish. We recommend ordering one of the seafood starters, like the shrimp and crawfish cakes with roasted red pepper coulis or the seared ahi tuna with crispy stick lyrics, avocado, and spicy remoulade.
For the main course, we love the signature cuts, like the elk meatloaf with roasted garlic and huckleberry demi-glace, or the tried-and-true plates like the low country shrimp and grits with cheddar grit cakes and Tasso ham.
Last Chair Kitchen and Bar
Last Chair is a fantastic spot for you to come to if you are in the mood to have a relaxed meal with friends, enjoy a few pints of locally crafted beer, and enjoy a relaxed and warm ambiance. Featuring wooden tables, low lighting, and a cool bar, we love this spot for a night out or for a great dinner with friends or family.
Last Chair churns out typical pub food with a bit of a twist. Instead of just having the basic food, like nachos and fries, they offer a mezze plate, duck confit sliders, wagyu meatballs with spicy tomato jam, and oyster mushrooms Rockefeller with artichoke leaves and spinach for interesting appetizers.
For the main course, you can’t go wrong with the chicken and waffles (yes, for dinner!), Indian platter with red lentil dal cilantro and peanut chutney, or the steelhead trout with orange basil beurre blanc, house vegetables, and fingerling potatoes.
Latitude 48 Bistro
We love this choice for those who want to feel like they are dining in another country. Featuring cool chandeliers, neon lights, wooden tables, and a modern and industrial atmosphere, Latitude 48 uses foreign concepts, unique fusion ideas, and cool plates that will truly make your palette dance.
Order one of the shared plates to split with the table, like the charcuterie board, curry cauliflower with roasted florets, salmon carpaccio with cream cheese, or smoked elk tartare with red wine house dressing and quail egg yolk. You can also split one of the cheesy fire-roasted pizzas, like the Fungo with local mushrooms and truffle oil, to share with your dining partners.
For an entree, we personally love the elk tenderloin with herb-roasted fingerling potatoes, broccolini, and oyster mushrooms. If you are not in the mood for a hearty meat dish, the steelhead trout with pistachio-crusted trout and charred asparagus is a healthy and wholesome meal.
Ciao Mambo
Although there are tons of authentic American restaurants in Whitefish, sometimes it is fun to try something new. We love the Ciao Mambo Italian restaurant for authentic Mediterranean food that will have you feeling like you are dining on the Amalfi coast. The atmosphere here features cool music, great artwork, and a rustic vibe that is ideal for drinking wine and eating pizza.
Not sure what to get? Well, you need to try some of the famous antipasti and pizza of course! First, we recommend ordering the bruschetta with ricotta, basil, and fresh tomatoes. The fresh tomatoes with simple cheese are the ideal star to your meal and pair well with white wine. Then, the bocconcini fritti with spicy marinara is a meat-heavy dish that is great with a Cabernet Sauvignon.
For a main course, we love splitting one of the pizza al forno options, like the pizza bianco con pollo, featuring creamy parmesan sauce, chicken, pepperoni, red onions, sliced tomatoes, spinach, and mozzarella cheese. If you’re feeling hungry tonight, you can also split one of the classic pasta dishes, like the eggplant alla parmigiana with breaded eggplant and ricotta cheese.
Stay with Us at I Love Whitefish
When you stay with us at I Love Whitefish, you are only a few minutes’ walk or drive from the town’s best cafes, restaurants, and bars. We offer numerous Whitefish lakefront vacation rentals that are great for groups of all sizes, ensuring you can come back after a hearty meal to relax, chill out, and spend quality time with your loved ones at home.
Once you’ve chosen Whitefish for your winter break, you won’t be short on activities to fill your time. From skiing and snowboarding to dog sledding or snowshoeing, there’s plenty to do when the snow blankets the beautiful Montana landscape. Before you head out, or any time you need to warm up or refuel, there’s Whitefish restaurants serving a hot meal to keep you warm.
Buffalo Cafe & Nightly Grill
Don’t let the name fool you, the Buffalo Cafe & Nightly Grill has great breakfast selections to warm you up for the day ahead during your Whitefish winter getaway. With breakfast staples like French toast, buttermilk pancakes, and biscuits and gravy, you’ll find something to warm you up and get you going. Try their “Stampede Ham Steak” – a grilled seven-ounce bone-in ham steak, served with two eggs, hash browns, and toast – or the classic breakfast combo with two eggs, which has browns, toast, and your choice of meats. Try their Denver omelet, or the Higgins scramble with caramelized onions, spinach, diced tomatoes, and Swiss cheese or go for one of their specialty buffalo pies, the first items they served over 40 years ago. Try the original, a thick-cut slice of ham, two poached eggs, and cheese, or one of their specials like Leslie’s – grilled fresh veggies, poached eggs, and cheese, or Big Don’s – a spicy sausage patty, pepper jack cheese, and eggs. There’s even a kids’ menu with kid-size portions for smaller bellies. The restaurant is currently operating at 50% capacity. Please wear a mask to enter the restaurant and any time you are not at your table. Carryout is available.
Whitefish Restaurants: Abruzzo Italian Kitchen
If you’re looking for authentic Italian cuisine to warm you up on your trip to Whitefish, check out Abruzzo Italian Kitchen. They make all of their pizzas and pasta by hand, from scratch. Try their lasagna, packed with Italian sausage, tomato passata, and mozzarella, traditional spaghetti & meatballs, or the seafood pasta, brimming with shrimp, crab, cauliflower puree, white wine, and uni butter. If pizza is what you crave, they have several kinds of wood-fired pizzas to choose from. There’s the traditional pepperoni – pepperoni, mozzarella, and San Marzano tomato sauce, the mushroom Bianca, topped with mixed mushrooms, fontina, mozzarella, sage, olive oil, and garlic, or the Margherita – mozzarella, basil, and red sauce. Ask about gluten-free pizza options. The restaurant is currently operating at 50% capacity for dine-in service, with only six guests at a table. Please wear a mask when entering the facility and any other time you are not at your table. Carryout is available.
Tupelo Grille
Located in downtown Whitefish and “sister restaurant” to Abruzzo, Tupelo serves authentic southern U.S. dishes. Whet your appetite for the meal to come with starts like southern bayou catfish – cornmeal-crusted catfish strips with a spicy southern remoulade, or fried green tomatoes accompanied by the crab, creole meunier, and remoulade. Warm-up with French onion soup or their Tupelo gumbo made with chicken and andouille sausage. Opt for something from the “Tried & True” menu like low country shrimp & girts – jumbo shrimp, cheddar grit cake, tasso ham, and sherry cream, or Cajun penne pasta – served with chicken, andouille sausage, and cilantro cream. Try their zydeco combo – shrimp and crawfish cake, crawfish etouffee, fried catfish, grilled shrimp, and jambalaya. Fill up and warm up with the eight-ounce bison filet bathed in a maple chili marinade and accompanied with broccolini, jalapeno, and cheddar grits, or the elk meatloaf, complete with huckleberry demi-glace, roasted garlic whipped potatoes, and crispy onion rings. The restaurant is currently operating at 50%. Guests are being asked to wear masks when not seated at the table. Carryout is available.
Casey’s of Whitefish
Warm-up with a visit to Casey’s of Whitefish. Start your meal with the soup of the day or their famed elk chili – topped with green onions, sour cream, mild cheddar, and jack cheese. Try a “pub favorite” like classic grilled cheese made with mild cheddar and havarti on sourdough bread, or one of their Montana burgers like the Hell Fire – a ½ pound of Montana beef patty topped with pepper jack cheesy, crispy fried onions, and chipotle aioli, or the Big Sky Blue with caramelized onions, house five-spice sauce and blue cheese crumbles. Warm-up with soul-warming smoked BBQ brisket, or their stuffed meatloaf – Montana beef meatloaf stuffed with mushrooms, onions, bacon, and mozzarella and served with fries and seasonal vegetables. The restaurant is currently operating at 50%. Guests are being asked to wear masks when not seated at the table. Carryout is available.
Warm Winter Meals in Montana
Begin and end every fun-filled day of your winter stay in a vacation rental by I Love Whitefish. We offer three-bedroom units, all the way up to five-bedroom units. You’ll find something to fit your entire group. Relax and spread out in the open floor plan living area, or retreat to the comfort and privacy of your own bedroom. Many of our units are ski-in/ski-out, and close to slopes and chair lifts. Warm-up takeout from one of the local restaurants or prepare a home-cooked meal in the fully equipped kitchen. Choose a premium unit for stainless steel appliances, flat-screen TVs, and decadent bathrooms.
Contact us today to start planning your winter wonderland getaway!