Great Falls— also known as Electric City and River City—is the third-largest city in the state of Montana. Located just east of the Rocky Mountains and straddling the Missouri River, Great Falls is near a handful of waterfalls.
Not only does Great Falls home to the most number of museums, but it is also one of the best Montana cities to dine and wine.
Recommended Food & Wine Tours Near Great Falls
- Fifth & Wine
- The Celtic Cowboy Pub and Restaurant
- Amigo Lounge Taco Treat
- Cowboys Bar
- Smith’s Food and Drug
- Darkhorse Hall & Wine Snug
- Eagle Beverage
- Holiday Inn Great Falls-Convention Center, an IHG
- Black Bear Diner
Travel Tips for Eating in Great Falls
Every year, tourists visit Great Falls to stay overnight— and a lot of them scour for great food. So, we’ve rounded up 15 of the best places to eat in Great Falls, based on both locals and tourists’ awesome reviews!
Here are a few facts you must know before eating here.
- Great Falls is also known as The Electric City, River City, and Western Art Capital of the World.
- The city is known for world-class fishing, uninterrupted wilderness, arts, entertainment, and Native American history.
- The best time to visit Great Falls is June to September. These months are pleasantly warm.
- Great Falls has an eclectic selection of diners and restaurants, so there is something for everyone here.
- Most of the restaurants in Great Falls offer vegan and gluten-free options, including burgers and pizzas. Some of the restaurants also offer farm-to-table meals.
- There’s a wide range of cuisine in Great Falls, including Italian, Irish, American, and Japanese.
- Pubs and wineries are also everywhere, offering a fine list of wine, liquor, and beer.
1. MacKenzie River Pizza Co. • 500 River Dr S, Great Falls, MT 59405 • $$ – $$$
When in Great Falls, you have to feast on smoked pulled pork with jalapeno-huckleberry BBQ sauce with coleslaw on tiny brioche buns. And where do you find this? At MacKenzie River Pizza.
Sure, pizza is the name of their game, but the other items in their menu are eye-poppingly delicious, making this Italian-American grub pub one of the Great Falls restaurants you’ll ever enjoy.
Recommended: Fresh Tomato Basil Pizza and Best Salad
2. Sip ‘n Dip Lounge • 7th Street and 1st Avenue South Downtown, Great Falls, MT 59401 • $$ – $$$
Just a short drive from Glacier National Park is another Montana treasure— the Sip ‘n Dip Lounge, which is tucked inside the O’Haire Inn. It’s a quirky, surreal resto complete with swimming mermaids and a 1960s tiki bar.
With a piano pat as well churning out ditties, this lounge feels like a dream of the past. The drinks are great— but really, it’s the fun vibe in this place that makes it memorable.
Recommended: Chicken and fries
3. Roadhouse Diner • 613 15th St N, Great Falls, MT 59401 • $$ – $$$
Burger lovers, rejoice! Tucked somewhere in Great Falls, Montana, is a haven for mouthwatering juicy burgers. Roadhouse’s ingredients are all fresh and handmade, which makes their taste incomparable to your regular fast-food burger.
To guarantee ultimately fresh patties, they have their own beef, which they cut and grind every few hours to achieve genuine freshness. The buns? Scratch-made and baked fresh daily! Vegans can also enjoy their meat-free, gluten-free burger options!
Recommended: Roadhouse Burger
4. Fire Artisan Pizza • 107 5th St N, Great Falls, MT 59401 • $$ – $$$
This is where to find Montana’s best wood-fired oven pizzas! If you love the smoky, delightfully charred edges on your pie that only a brick oven can produce, Fire Artisan Pizza will even exceed your expectations.
Specializing in thin-crust pizza with vegan and gluten-free options, Fire also offers exceptional salad dishes and an impressive beer and wine collection. Try their Thai pizza— roasted chicken infused with sweet chili sauce and mozzarella, combined with cashew satay sauce, serrano chilies, green onions, then topped with cilantro, cashews, and sriracha.
Recommended: Thai Pizza
5. 5th and Wine • 214 5th St S, Great Falls, MT 59405 • $$ – $$$
For the best wine selection, combined with an authentic and modern American farm-to-table brunch, lunch, or dinner, 5th, and Wine is one of your best dining options when in Great Falls.
With a charming and rustic setting, the restaurant’s ambiance enhances the gastronomical adventure. The sophisticated menu changes depending on the season and everything is made from scratch!
Recommended: Pickled beet salad with arugula, chèvre, crushed hazelnut, and orange vinaigrette
6. Cafe Rio Mexican Grill • 900 10th Avenue South, Great Falls, MT 59405 • $
With locations in multiple states in the city, Cafe Rio Mexican Grill is dangerous for its highly addicting food. It’s definitely one of the best restaurants in Great Falls. Here, you will experience the ultimate cheese-drizzled sweet pork called the Sweet Pork Barbacoa, which is a legendary dish.
The high-quality gourmet Mexican fare is chef-inspired, fresh, and made from scratch. Other must-haves are enchiladas, tortilla soup, and tostadas.
Recommended: Sweet Pork Barbacoa
7. Jakers Bar and Grill • 1500 10th Ave S, Great Falls, MT 59405 • $$ – $$$
This award-winning upscale restaurant in Great Falls offers unforgettable ambiance and food. From their juicy and tender bone-in ribeye to their lobster bisque, they have mastered the quintessential American fine-dining experience.
They have an extensive menu and it’s hard to go wrong with any of them. Jakers’ impressive salad bar, fresh seafood, savory homemade soups, and prime rib from Double ranch, and, of course, their intensely delicious steaks, will have you coming back again and again.
Recommended: Steaks, salad, and seafood
8. Applebee’s • 223 River Dr S, Great Falls, MT 59401 • $$ – $$$
Hungry after a long hike? Then make a beeline to Applebee’s. This chain restaurant offers comfort food that envelopes you with love and nostalgia for your mom’s cooking.
Chicken tenders with fries, excellent steak and ribs, mozzarella sticks, boneless wings, and spinach and artichoke dip are some of the best-sellers in this family-friendly food haven.
Recommended: Double Crunch Bone-in Wings
9. 2K’s cafe • 406 3rd Ave S, Great Falls, MT 59405 • $
For that hearty breakfast or brunch, head on to 2K’s Cafe to satisfy those cravings for a wide range of American fare. A favorite go-to place for hungry locals, the restaurant is always packed— evidence of excellent service as well.
The home-cooked meals are so good, you can devour them in mere minutes. Popular eats are the juicy and crisp bacon, the fluffy pancakes— but the most famous of all? Their burgers and fries!
Recommended: Chicken Fried Steak
10. Celtic Cowboy Pub & Restaurant • 116 1st Ave S Arvon Hotel, Great Falls, MT 59401 • $$ – $$$
Celtic offers superb Irish and American grub for the hungry tourist. Their starters alone, like the Oktoberfest Special (fried bratwurst slices, large pretzel, mustard and homemade German beer cheese sauce), can instantly make you fall in love with this pub.
Found in the oldest commercial building in the center of downtown Great Falls, Celtic offers both ambiance and exceptional dining experience— further heightened by their 30 beers on tap and a long list of fine wine.
Recommended: Oktoberfest Special
11. Kobe Seafood and Steakhouse • 205 3rd St NW, Great Falls, MT 59404 • $$ – $$$
Sushi lovers or Asian cuisine enthusiasts will be ecstatic by Great Falls’ offering of authentic Japanese food. Sure, not much ambiance in this brightly lit steakhouse, but the food is what truly matters!
Kobe Seafood and Steakhouse is a great alternative if you need a break from American eats. Try out their awesome teppanyaki, lobster and scallops, and teriyaki chicken. Their fillet steak doesn’t disappoint either!
Recommended: Teppanyaki
12. Mighty Mo Brewing Co • 412 Central Ave, Great Falls, MT 59401 • $$ – $$$
Beer, pizza, and a great time— these are the three elements that make Might Mo a favorite diner and hangout. This brew pub in Great Falls treats the taste buds with an amazing selection of wine, beer, and seltzers.
One particular appetizer will sear in your memory for a long time— the Beer Pretzel Bites. It’s house-made beer pretzel dough baked and served with crispy nacho cheese. Oh, we forgot! Their main entree? Fantastic pizza!
Recommended: Beer Pretzel Bites and MO Supreme
13. Dante’s Creative Cuisine • 1325 8th Ave N, Great Falls, MT 59401• $$ – $$$
It is “Little Italy” in the heart of Great Falls, Montana. American-sized portions of Italian cuisine will fill the tummy— and the soul. People all over the United States literally trek to Dante’s for the great food.
The name Dante’s Creative Cuisine seems simplistic, but this restaurant is one of Great Falls’ pride for out-of-the-world food. The relaxed and romantic atmosphere further enhances the experience.
Recommended: Beer Battered Shrimp and Chicken Milano
14. The Montana Club Restaurant • 907 Smelter Ave NE, Great Falls, MT 59404 • $$ – $$$
Huge! Everything is huge in Montana Club! From tasty jumbo breakfast meals to humongous steakhouse steaks, there’s something big for everyone here— especially for the ravenous hiker.
One of Montana’s premier restaurants, drop by the Montana Club if you’re on the hunt for super comfort breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner in a fun and comfortable atmosphere.
Recommended: Kobe Beef Sliders
15. Clark & Lewie’s • 17 7th St S, Great Falls, MT 59401 • $$ – $$$
Famous among locals and tourists alike, Clark & Lewie’s, which is located in the O’Haire Motor Inn, is the ideal place for all types of occasions, whether it’s to hang out with friends, meet with business partners, or to go solo eating.
Large prime rib, black and blue steak ribs, chicken fried steak, hamburgers, buffalo wings, fish, and chips— these are the regular favorites that keep the diners returning.
Recommended: Mushroom Bacon + Cream Of Tomato
Make It Unforgettable
The city of Great Fall is so stunningly gorgeous that numerous Hollywood movies have been filmed here. If you’re heading to this charming city make sure you stay and dine, too, because it will make your trip even more unforgettable!