Gourmet Guide To Billings' 10 Best Restaurants, Montana Dining

A much-loved family-run establishment, Stella’s Kitchen and Bakery draws the crowds in daily with their delicious breakfast, brunch and lunch options. Diners often have to wait a little while for a table due to the bakery’s huge popularity amongst locals and tourists alike, but rest assured that it is worth the wait. Stella’s provides its guests with good value, tasty dishes served quickly and with a smile. Try the pancakes and bacon or the glazed cinnamon buns but be prepared for the big portions that are served up here. Gluten-free bread and waffles are also available and taste just as great as the gluten-filled alternatives too.

A brewery, saloon and restaurant all in one, the Montana Brewing Company is an absolute haven for ale enthusiasts. Guests can delight in creating their own food and beer combinations or ask the friendly waiters for their favorite recommendations from the venue’s eclectic blend of American, Mexican and Italian cuisines. Go for the fried chicken parmesan, an enchilada, a flat bread to share, a bowl of mac’n’cheese or a hearty mushroom Swiss burger, but be sure to leave room to sample a few of the beers on offer. Stouts, pale ales, ambers, wheats and golden ales are all available alongside a small selection of beer cocktails for those looking for something a little sweeter.

Nestled in downtown Billings, Bin 119 is an intimate American Bistro and wine bar open for brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks seven days a week. With both indoor and patio seating available, it is a great restaurant to take a date to for a romantic meal or to enjoy the wide selection of fine wines and delicious beers. As well as an eclectic menu of tapas dishes and entrees, Bin 119 also offers diners an unparalleled brunch menu. Dishes on offer include a crab, artichoke and Havarti three-egg omelette, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, and stuffed sourdough French toast.

A classic American diner without the grease, The Burger Dive has been ranked number one restaurant in Billings. With 16 different burgers on the menu and 50 additional toppings and sauces to choose between, anyone who enjoys a good burger will feel right at home here. All the patties are made using only premium Angus beef and can be paired with a side of beer battered onion rings, chilli cheese fries, crisp French fries or sweet potato fries and washed down with a homemade traditional American milkshake. Opt for the classic simple cheeseburger or get a bit more adventurous with the spicy tuna burger or the North Beach mushroom burger. The Burger Drive is open for lunch Monday to Saturday only.

The menu at Enzo’s Mediterranean Bistro comprises of an array of dishes inspired by French, American, Asian and Italian cuisines all of which have been prepared using the finest, freshest ingredients. Start with the rock shrimp and vegetable tempura, then sample either the veal piccata or the grilled rack of New Zealand lamb for main course and finish off with a helping of Italian ricotta cheesecake. All dishes can be paired beautifully with a bottle of fine wine from the extensive list or with a microbrewery beer for those who prefer ale to wine. Enzo’s is known for its daily fish specials for which the chef flies in fresh fish, an ingredient that is hard to come by in the rest of Montana.

For authentic and truly delicious Italian pasta dishes in Billings head to Ciao Mambo. Chefs use the freshest ingredients to prepare each of the dishes in the open kitchen so diners can rest assured that their meal is of the finest quality. Start with the parmesan polenta cakes or fried calamari, follow with the linguine alle vongole or gnocchi con carne and finish with a scrumptious slice of lemon mascarpone cake with raspberry sauce. To accompany the meal ask the waiter to pick a fine wine to complement the dishes ordered. Don’t leave without trying the unique nachos made from deep-fried lasagne sheets.

Dine in Billings’ only Certified Green Restaurant, The Field House, to enjoy a delectable dish made using sustainably sourced, locally grown ingredients for a guilt-free meal. Open for both lunch and dinner, The Field House makes almost everything from scratch, even the ketchup. The menu is short and sweet including dishes only of the finest quality such as halibut cheek, baby kale and quinoa salad and Wagyu beef meatloaf. The bare brick walls and stylish, classically minimalist design of the restaurant add to The Field House’s overall eco-friendly and inviting atmosphere.

Priding itself on serving dishes made using only responsibly sourced, local ingredients, Lilac offers simple, delectable fare. The appetizers, entrees and desserts are all top notch and the brunch menu on Sundays is worthy of a visit all on its own. Choose between the roasted cauliflower, chicken fried sweetbreads or peas and carrots appetizer (or order all three to share), and follow with either the pigeon, flat iron steak or simple cheeseburger. Each dish can be perfectly paired with one of the ample bottles of wine on offer and for those who still have room, the desserts are delicious too. The menu regularly changes depending on the ingredients Lilac is able to source so each time visitors stop by they are likely to find something new to try.

A meat-lover’s dream, Montana’s Rib and Chop House is a small-town restaurant serving up big-town food. Known for its award-winning babyback ribs, premium steaks and fresh seafood, Montana’s Rib and Chop House prides itself on its ‘Rocky Mountain Hospitality’ meaning all dishes will be accompanied with excellent service in a casual and welcoming atmosphere. Go for the crabmeat stuffed mushrooms or thin-cut fried catfish starter and then tuck into the lamb chops, hand-cut rib-eye steak or those award-winning ribs for main course. For those who still have room after all of that, the ice cream brownie sandwich dessert could be a meal all on its own.

Voted best sushi and Japanese restaurant in Billings 12 years in a row by the Billings Gazette, NaRa is the place to go to enjoy the freshest fish and largest, tastiest sushi rolls. Serving a variety of Japanese, Korean, Maki and sushi dishes, each plate is presented like a work of art; almost too pretty to eat. Guests can choose to dine in the restaurant or to take their sushi away for a picnic in one of Billings’ beautiful parks. NaRa is family-run and the quality of the food on offer never falters. Closed Sundays.