As noted a few days ago, the Staggering Ox is open in Great Falls – but note that this is a SOFT opening. What does that mean? It means don’t go there expecting the full-on Ox experience – they’re still working out the kinks and don’t have the full menu available yet. And it appears that they only have table-service, no counter-service. But word has gotten out – the place was pretty packed when we stopped by for lunch...
Great Falls fans of the Staggering Ox in Helena (and Missoula, etc) can rejoice: they opened up in Great Falls today! I called them yesterday and got confirmation. It’s located at 2nd Avenue South at 2nd Street, where The Breaks (and the Bay Leaf) used to be. Not sure of their hours yet, but you can give ‘em a call at 315-2300. Rumors of the Ox coming to Great Falls go all they way back to 2004.
Finally took the new Baja Fresh/Canyons Burgers for a spin on Friday night. It’s the restaurant that opened up last month in the old Elmer’s location. On our menu: double-cheeseburger, fries, and a garlic lime marinated shrimp burrito. Initial report: burger was fair – not great, just fair. Fries were excellent. Burrito was good. But note that this order was take-out, so I’m giving the benefit of the doubt and assuming that the burger will be tastier if it’s...
Finally! After sitting vacant for years, the building at the corner of Fox Farm and 10th Avenue South is getting a new occupant: Baja Fresh Canyons Burger. I’m excited – I know some folks don’t think we need another burger/taco joint, but this one sounds pretty neat. I ate at Elmer’s several times before it closed – decent food, nice atmosphere, but nothing really special. My younger daughter also got her very first job there, as a busser. And...
We enjoyed eating at Clark & Lewie’s a few years ago, but after a couple of “meh” dinners and one really bad dinner (food served still frozen inside), we avoided going there. But we figured it was only fair to give it another shot, so two weeks ago, ahead of some merriment upstairs at the (legendary!) Sip-n-Dip, we sat down to eat. She ordered a shrimp dinner, and I ordered (duh) a ribeye. Sadly, the food was actually worse...
The debate over local versus national eateries will never be resolved, and this Trib article is sure to provoke some debate. People who don’t like “chain” restaurants or fast-food will take the opportunity to bash them, and the “local” supporters will cite it as evidence that we don’t have “too many” fast-food eateries. Here’s the bottom line: Per capita, Great Falls actually has the fewest number of fast-food chains compared to Montana’s other major cities. Counting just the major...
Over in the Van’s IGA complex (between 25/26 Street at 7th Ave N), there’s a small eatery called the Family Affair Restaurant. Never been there. Have you? (Bonus points for any Buffy, Jody, Mr. French, or Sly references)
