Here’s Looking At You, Kid: Eating at Bogart’s
Sometimes on our travels I feel like there is something lacking in a certain cuisine, something that I REALLY enjoy back home, but when away, I play the comparison game. So we go and see what good food we can find when we have the extra money and I then compare the cooking to restaurants back home. I am usually disappointed (should not play the comparison game), but there is one I would like to share that actually surpassed my expectations: Bogart’s Restaurant (not the famous movie), located in Red Lodge, Montana.
We just came off the Beartooth Highway (here is a link about the amazing Beartooth, a bucket list item for you!) and I was craving Mexican. I LOVE Mexican food. Sizzling platters, steam wafting in the air with smells of peppers, spices and juicy meat, a wafting smell of chili powder, cumin, garlic hints at an aroma of tantalizing spices, delightful chatter and an array of horns playing in the background as we find our seats.
Not only does Bogart’s menu have Mexican delights, but also burgers, pizza, soup and salads, and if you have room in your tummy, a scrumptious dessert awaits for you! We ordered the steak fajitas as we have a hankering for those and highly recommend them! As we waited patiently (well, somewhat patiently as we were hungry from our long drive), I glanced around the room to see the interesting style of décor. Of course, they did have a framed photo of Bogart as I think someone must be a fan.
It was somewhat dark inside, with not so bright lights, giving it a quiet and relaxing ambiance, with ample booths and tables with chairs. It has a western theme, as Montana is known for being a part of the old west. There is a bar that has a bit of an old fashioned twist, but the drinks are not! If you like margaritas, then you came to the right place as they specialize in it. The people in Montana are friendly and that extends to the waitstaff as our food was ready not too long after ordering it.
I could not believe how MUCH food we had for our steak fajita dinners!!! Mine was slightly different than John’s as I have food allergies and also very picky. They were polite about what I REALLY wanted with my steak fajita (you know, minus this minus that) and there was no mistake when it arrived. We dug heartily into our food, spreading our sour cream, guac (guacamole) and any other sauce conveniently into our wrapped up steak, veggies in the corn tortilla. Flour is available too. It was sizzling and comforting as we did not realize how much driving can work up an appetite!
“Are you ready for dessert?” asked the waitress. Weeellllll, no, but the thought was there, but I think we stuffed ourselves into oblivion, and we still had a long drive back. This is a place that you should check out, if you are driving into Red Lodge. Red Lodge is such a cute town to walk and look at the many tourist stores and other eateries. I definitely recommend a stop into Red Lodge and Bogart’s! It is a quiet and beautiful southwestern part of Montana worth exploring.
Here is some information for Bogart’s:
Location: 11 Broadway Ave S, Red Lodge, MT 59068
Hours: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Phone number: 406-446-1784
Price: I would say moderate, $$
Cuisine: Mexican, American, Bar