Food & Dining

Glacier National Park

• Best place to eat is the Cattle Baron Supper Club in Babb, serving great steaks. A must when you're in this part of Glacier National Park. You'll hear about this place on the trail. Also the interior decor is way cool, and stories of Blackfeet Indian history, and the family of the owners are offered on interesting placemats with a native flute playing lightly which enhances the ambiance.
• Another local favorite is the Park Cafe in St. Mary's on Highway 89. (3147 hwy 89, Saint Mary, MT 59417. 1-(406)-732-4482.) Expect to wait an hour or longer on weekends as weary hikers and local residents alike crowd the small restaurant for their famous pies (those in the know go early for the fresh strawberry pie, which usually sells out before dinnertime). The other menu items are many and of good quality. Mid price range. No reservations. Park Cafe closes for the off-season (mid-September).
• If you want to purchase specialized backpacking food, some of the camp stores in St Mary, Rising Sun, West Glacier, and other major points of entry sell a limited selection. By the end of the season (early September), however, be advised that most of these stores will be closing and your choices will be grim or nonexistent. Therefore, bring your own food if possible.
• While not within the park confines, Polebridge mercantile, on the road up the western side of the park, carries the usual coffee and provisions along with an array of microbrews and a wide selection of homemade sandwiches, sweetrolls, and "savory breads", that is, breads with cheese, nuts, or vegetables baked in. Shoulder-season visits are (as expected) less hectic.

Drink

Charlie's Place in Babb is the preferred watering hole for party crazy Glacier area summer workers. The bar is home to various bands who play bluegrass, jam/funk and reggae every Thursday night. Also sing Karaoke every Saturday. BabbFest is July 29 and features, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, DuWayne Burnside and the Mississippi Mafia, Playas Club Funk (the guys from Signal Path) and many others. Charlie's is also home to a secret pizza recipe that is the best this side of Chicago (seriously, the best)!

Also try: Hooks Hideaway (cowboy bar) 4 miles north/east of Babb, Duck Lake Lodge (fisherman's hang-out), Kipp's Beer Garden in St. Marys or grab a couple cases and make your own bar in the great outdoors of Glacier. Be sure to clean up your mess though!

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