Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
award-winning wine. The menu is cosmopolitan (warm duck confit salad) and entirely
Montana (Yellowstone grass-fed petite tenderloin), and the ambience is elegant but vibrant;
Sunday evenings May-September are enhanced by live jazz starting at 7pm.
Bistro Enzo
(1502 Rehberg Ln., 406/651-0999, 5pm-close daily, $12-28) serves up
hearty Mediterranean fare in a comfortable farmhouse. They import fresh fish from both
coasts daily and cook many of the entrées on a wood-fired grill; the eclectic menu is a local
favorite.
The Rex Restaurant & Bar
(2401 Montana Ave., 406/245-7477,
www.therexbillings.com
,
11am-1am Mon.-Fri., 4:30pm-11pm Sat.-Sun., $10-15 on the
patio, dining room entrées $30) was founded in 1919 by Alfred Heimer, the chef from Buf-
falo Bill Cody's Wild West Show, and was originally known for its “cold beer and good
German lunches.” Its storied past and award-winning preservation make the Rex one of the
better-known establishments in town. The turn-of-the-20th-century interior suits the classic
steak and seafood menu, and an outdoor patio is a splendid option on Billings's warm sum-
mer evenings.
Located in the newly reopened Northern Hotel,
TEN
(19 N. Broadway, 406/867-6774,
www.northernhotel.com/ten
,
5pm-close daily, $25) offers guests a sophisticated dining ex-
perience that emphasizes fresh local produce and meat in decidedly creative ways. From the
Ten Tequila Burger topped with a fried egg, tequila-roasted red pepper aioli, and manchego
and harissa-scented fried Rocky Mountain oysters with micro greens on the bar menu to
the bison short ribs with wild mushrooms and leek bread pudding, the red-hued restaurant
offers an urban take on the Montana culinary scene.
Another elegant, and decidedly Western, choice for fine dining is
The Granary
(1500
Poly Dr., 406/259-3488,
www.billings-granary.com
,
11am-close Mon.-Fri., 4pm-close Sat.-
Sun., $22), which has several dining rooms, an outdoor patio in summer, and fusion-in-
spired seasonal menus.
Billings has plenty of casual and entirely family-friendly options as well that are
open for both lunch and dinner.
The Windmill
(3429 TransTech Way, 406/252-8100,
www.windmillrestaurant.com
,
11am-9pm Mon.-Thurs., 11am-10pm Fri., 4pm-10pm Sat.,
4pm-9pm Sun., $15-40) offers an extensive seafood, steak, chicken, and ribs menu as well
as a children's menu. Their creekside patio can't be beat when the weather is good. Not far
away, and right across from The Reef Indoor Water Park, is
Montana's Rib & Chop House
(1849 Majestic Ln., 406/839-9200, 11am-10pm daily, $7-20), an excellent chain with loca-
tions across Montana and Wyoming (and now Pennsylvania and Michigan too). The menu
is packed (and usually so is the restaurant) with plenty of steaks, seafood, and ribs.
